The three component pans of West Farms Township, being much more accessible to New York City than Westchester proper, had increased far more rapidly in population, and as they were separated from the parent town by a broad line of natural division, the Bronx River, it was esteemed very proper to organize them into a distinct political unit. West Farms Village, as has been noticed in the previous chapter, had become a locality of some manufacturing importance, on account of the utilization of the water of the Bronx River to turn mill wheels. Mr. John Copcutt and Mr. Alexander Smith, men Who became conspicuous in founding the manufacturing industries of Yonkers, originally had their mills at 1 Scharf,

ii., 322.

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West Farms. In view of the rapid growth which the Township of West Farms experienced after the opening of the Harlem Kailroad, it was found advisable in 1855 to subdivide it and set apart Morrisania as a separate town. In 1846 a final radical revision was effected in the State constitution of New York. Judges, district attorneys, and other officers formerly appointive were made elective. The first county judge elected in Westchester County was John W. Mills, of White Plains (1851-56); the first surrogate, Lewis C. Piatt, of White Plains (1848-56); the first district attorney, William W. Scrugham,1 of Yonkers (1848-51); the first county treasurer, Elisha Ilorton, of White Plains (1849-52). At the State census of 1845 -- the last enumeration taken before the railways came into operation -- Westchester County had 47,394 inhabitants, some 1,300 fewer than the number awarded the county by the federal census of 1840. The greater population of 1840 was probably due to the inclusion in the census at that time of the numerous workmen employed on the Croton Aqueduct. As classified by occupations in 1845, the adult males of the county included 4,369 farmers and agriculturists, 364 manufacturers, 275 merchants, 101 clergymen, 62 physicians and surgeons, and 42 lawyers.