Since I am not a New Yorker,  I don't understand the different levels of changing political divisions that incorporate different hamlets and villages. The way the boundaries of Westchester and the "Oblong" were fluctuating confused me. Ancestors I have researched were documented as having lived in three different political units without ever moving.  So, I have tried to learn a little about this to share with you.

Susan

In 1609 Hendrick Hudson discovering the Hudson River, sailed his ship the Half Moon and anchored at Verplanck’s Point, the hamlet  where my great-grandmother Emma (Hays) Martin lived.  Emma was a descendant of the Mabie, Law, Lockwood, Lounsbury, Pennoyer, Selleck, Scofield, and Bell families of this area.

There were free traders on the Hudson between 1610 and1614. The United New Netherland Co. received its monopoly on Oct. 11, 1614, In 1614, the United New Netherland Company under Christaensen settled Fort Nassau (later Fort Orange, then Albany) on Castle Island, NY. They were granted a three-year fur-trading monopoly. Fort Nassau was destroyed three years later by a flood .

In 1620, Peter Minuit bought Manhattan island from the  Native Americans.   In 1621, The Dutch West India Company received a charter from by the States-General. In 1623, Dutch farmers settle Governors Island.  In 1624, they expand to Manhattan. In 1625, Fort Amsterdam is built. In 1626,
"The Dutch West India Company imports black slaves from Africa for the fur trade and construction business." http://www.home.eznet.net/~dminor/NYNY1620.html  The New Netherlands settlement was not considered large enough to need a minister so The comforters  read chapters from the Bible and sermons of an ordained minister and were empowered to baptize and marry.  "1628, the Dutch West India Company sent the Reverend Jonas Michaelius as the first ordained minister to New Netherland." http://www.collegiatechurch.org/history.html

The Plymouth Colony was granted a charter for the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific by King James I.  In 1630, John Winthrop obtained a charter for a joint stock company.  The Massachusetts Bay Co. included a land grant and provisions for a government.  A well-planned, sizable expedition with adequate supplies and a fleet of ships, landed at Salem, Plymouth Plantation.  There was not enough fresh water supply for the addional 400 immigrants, so they started a new village at Boston.  Among this group were two brothers, Edmund and Robert Lockwood.  Later David Selleck settled at Boston.  Many of  their descendants moved to the new lands of. Connecticut and New Amsterdam.

 On July 1, 1640, Englishman Captain Nathanial Turner purchased from the Indian Sagamores, Ponus and Wascussue land that extended from "the Mianus River on the west to Bedford and Pound Ridge on the North, Five Mile River on the East and Long Island Sound on the South"(1).
It included  Stamford, Pound Ridge, parts of Darien, New Canaan, North Castle, Bedford, and  Lewisboro.  Chief Ponus was paid twelve each of coats,  hoes,  hatchets,  glasses, and knives; four kettles; and four fathoms of white wampum.  A settlement at Stamford, CT was begun in 1641.  New Haven Colony confirmed to the people of Stamford the lands that became Bedford and other portions of Westchester Co.

 A little before 1640, Jonas Bronck emmigrated to New Amsterdam.  He purchased and settled on land near the Bronx River.  In 1639 and 1640  Kieft, as agent for the Dutch West Indies Co. made purchases of land from the Indians in the area that became Westchester.  In 1640,  the Dutch repulsed English colonists from Connecticut who tried to form a colony on the North Shore of Nassau County. They moved to Southampton where they established a colony.  July 14, 1649 Gov, Peter Stuyvesant of New Amsterdam, confirmed the sale of Weskquaesgeck by purchase from the Indians of the whole country between the North and East Rivers, including a large part of Westchester.  Throckmorton and Thomas Cornell settled on land known as Throgg's Neck and Cornell's Neck.  Stuyvesant treated then as immigrants and issued them licences.

 Founded in 1641 when 29 families left Wethersfield to settle along the Rippowam River on land purchased from Native Americans. "A bitter quarrel, cause unknown, within the Church of Christ in Wethersfield, precipitated the founding of Stamford. On October 19, 1640 the dissenters organized the Wethersfield Company and resolved to move, as a body, west along the Long Island shore to the banks of the Rippowam River. The land, originally about 128 square miles, had been purchased from local Indian tribes by Nathaniel Turner, an agent of the New Haven Colony, and New Haven was eager to sell it to fellow Puritans." http://www.stamfordhistory.org/feinhist.htm

"In the summer of 1641, 28 would-be planters and their wives and families and at least two «Negro servants» began building a meeting-house and their own homes on high ground above the harbor. At first they tried to transfer to the new world the semi-collective open-field system of farming that they had been familiar with in England. But the availability of land and the urge for privatization crippled the effort. By 1700 almost all the acres were in individuals hands. By that date too, Stamford had ceded territory in the north to the towns of Bedford and Pound Ridge in the Province of New York and was reduced to 80 square miles. Ultimately the formation of New Canaan in 1801 and Darien in 1820 reduced Stamford to its present size of almost 40 square miles....They had brought a minister of The Congregational Church with them.) " http://www.stamfordhistory.org/feinhist.htm

In the fall of 1642, there were a number of  incidents of violence by renigade Indians.  In 1642, Anne Hutchinson came to New Netherland and founded a small colony, in Westchester, which was totally destroyed by the Indians. In the Wappinger War,  Indians also killed several Dutch farmers.  In February 1643,  Dutch Soldiers attacked the Indians at Pavonia. Over one hundred and twenty Indian men, women, and children were slaughtered.  In 1650, Stuyvesant met with commissioners of the United English Colonies and signed an agreement determining the boundaries between the Dutch and English settlements.  The English government did not acknowledge this agreement.

November 14, 1654, Pell purchased Westchester from the sachems Manepoe and Ann-Hook (aka Wampage). He brought   settlers (about 15 men and a dozen women,) to Oost-dorp in Westchester, Co., New Netherlands. This was the earliest enduring, organized English settlement in the area. The original Westchester originally included portions of Pelham, Eastchester, and New Rochelle.  The old Westchester Co. even included a tract of 87,700 acres on the west bank of the Hudson River.  In April 1655, Stuyvesant sent Claus Van Elslandt who ordered Pell and his settlers to leave.  He "was met by eight or nine armed men" who refused. On March 14, 1656, a Dutch expedition commanded by Captains De Koninck and Newton overpowered  25 Englishmen who had started a settlement which they called East Town, now Eastchester .  They discovered some fugitives from New Amsterdam whom they arrested.  The fugitites together with some of the English were brought to New Amsterdam. The English were given six weeks to remove themselves and their property.  The English settlers, offered to subject themselves to the laws of New Netherlands if they could stay. Dec. 31, 1656, Stuyvesant sent three officials to administer to the English colonists with Pell the Oath of Alligiance "so long as they remained in the province".  On 1/01/1657 Jeffrey Ferris, Jonathan Lockwood, and 12 others signed the Oath of alliegance to the Dutch Govenor Peter Stuvyesant.  Pell's settlement in Westchester was called Oostdorp by the Dutch. The boundaries of Pells purchase overlapped the purchases of Throckmorton and Cornell.  Pells later claim to Cornell's land was denied by the English Courts.

Outraged by the death of a squaw by a Dutch farmer, Native Americans attacked New Amsterdam in 1655. Since Stuvyesant had taken the armed forces to attack New Sweden, the Indians were able to kill over a hundred Dutch colonists and capture about a hundred and fifty more.

In 1660 and 1661, Peter Disbrow, Thomas Studwell, John Coe, and Thomas Stedwell purchased land from the Indians. These purshases included the land that became Rye, Harrison, Budd's Neck, West Neck, and Hastings, on the Island, of Manussing which became the second English settlement in Westchester.  About 1664, the village of Rye was begun. In 1665, the Connecticut Assembly decided that Rye and Harrison should be called the Plantation of Rye.

Sept. 23, 1661, John Richbell purchased from Wappaqueman and Mahatan three necks of  land known as "East, Middle, and West Necks."(S127) from the Mamaroneck River to Pells land.  In October, 1661, Thomas Revell purchased the same land from the Indians.  Richbell applied to and received letters patent from New Amsterdam Govenor Stuvesant who stipulated that Richbell and all persons settling with him should take the oath of fidelity and obedience.  In a 1666 court case, Jonathan Lockwood testified that he had witnessed the payment by John Richbell to the Indians.

NY Grantor Index to Deeds  book 2  p. 198:
Testimony of Jonathan Lockwood on April 4, 1665 RE: land ownership dispute
"I heard Revell say he was buying a parcell of land of the Indians of the west side of the Mammaroneck River and I wist him not to for it was already bought by John Richbell and I was witness to it.  I saw a part of the money paid for it by Richbell."

The Pocantico Purchase (including what is now Tarrytown and Mt. Pleasant) was bought by Fredrick Philipse in 1661.  This purchase was confirmed as Philipse Patent on 1663.  It ran from Croton Bay at the North southeast to include  western Bronx.   Part of Philipse land (Phiipse Highland Patent) became Philipstown, Dutchess Co. which included Mt. Pleasant until around the 1830's when Mt. Pleasant incorporated. Philipseburgh manor near Tarrytown was the site of a mill.  An excellent explanation of the differentiation of Philipsburg(h)- Phillipstown- Philipse Manor can be found at Rootsweb Message Board  http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=message&r=rw&p=localities.northam.usa.states.newyork.counties.westchester&m=2241.2

In 1663, the Connecticut Colonial Assembly informed the settlers at Westcheaster that they were included in the charter granted to Connecticut and they should send their delegates to Hartford.   Stuvesant went to Boston to gain a clear settlement of the boundary between New Amsterdan and Connecticut.   In 1664, England took over New Netherlands.  Colonel Richard Nicolls became Govenor of the Province of NY. The area to the north including Westchester plantation and part of Queens Co. became was called North Riding.  He established the boundary between NY and CT at twnty miles east oif the Hudsan River.

In 1664 the English fleet seized New Netherland
June 1664, Pell sold Eastchester to a group of colonists. Aug 16, 1664,  Pell sold land in Mamaroneck, Scarsdale, and Harrison to William and Thomas Pennoyer. Part of Pell's land became Pelham, and Eastchester.

In 1665, Lt. Jonathan Lockwood was one of the 27 Proprietors of Greenwich.  He became a Deputy of the Court of Connecticut. He was one of the surveyors of the western boundary of the colony.

"In 1667, Westchester received a town patent".(S138)

Dec. 23, 1680, Stanford Commissioner Richard Law acknowledged the sale of  land that became Bedford to 22  Stamford men including Joshua Knap, David Waterbury, Thomas Pennoyer, Daniel Weed, Richard Ayres, John Wescot. The  town was begun in 1681. The General Court at Hartford appointed Capt. Richard Olmstead and Lt. Jonathan Lockwood to a committee to manage Bedford Plantation.  Jonathan Kilborn and Joshua Webb joined the colony and opened a mill. The Town of  Bedford received a Patent from Connecticut in 1697.

Apparently  Jonathan Lockwood:
1. took the oath of allegiance with Pell's settlers.
2. was also with Richbell at the time of his land purchase.
3. apparently raised his family in Greenwich, CT.
4. was a surveyor of the western boundary of the colony of Connecticut.
5. was a member of the Committee to manage Bedford Plantation.
He seems to be well traveled.

November 1,  1683  the New York General Assembly organized Westchester as a County.  Six manors were established in Westchester: Pelham, Fordham, Philipsburgh, Morrisania, Cortlandt, and Scarsdale. The Manor of Cortlandt, which had 86,200 acres, ran from Croton Bay to the Connecticut line and included most of northern  part of Westchester Co. including also a tract of 87,700 acres on the west bank of the Hudson River.  The east bank land was later divided into Cortlandt, Yorktown, Steventown (Somers), Salem (north Salem and Lewisboro) and about a third of Poundridge.  Philipse Manor's boundary on the west was The Hudson River and The Bronx River was the eastern boundary. It covered Kingsbridge,  Dobbs Ferry, Greenburgh, Hastings-on-Hudson,  Irvington, Tarrytown,  Sleepy Hollow, (formerly known as North Tarrytown), and Yonkers.  The village of Peelskill was organized.

The Congregationalist Church, "the established religion in Connecticut"^b,  was organized in Bedford in 1680.

In the early years of its settlement, the land that became Ridge was under the jurisdiction of North Castle.  It included what are now the towns of Darien, New Canaan and a great part of Bedford and Greenwich. Bedford, Poundridge and New Rochelle were settled by  the people of Stamford, CT.   "The very first settlers [of Pound Ridge] came not from Stamford, but from Long Island...A few years later, a parcel of the East Patent was sold to the Sellecks and Scofields of Stamford." Lockwoods also settled in this area. "In 1731, at a settlement of boundary lines between the colonies, Poundridge fell within the limits of New York. From NYGenWeb POUND RIDGE (Town)History: Excerpt from pages 561, 562 and 563 of History of Westchester County, by Thomas Scharf, Volume 2 "In 1741 a settlement was made where the village now stands by Joseph Lockwood, James Brown, David Potts, Ebenezer Scofield and others from Stamford. Joseph Lockwood (then seventy-seven years of age) was accompanied by his son Joseph, who had married Sarah, a daughter of Joshua Hoyt, one of the original proprietors."

Bedford was first formed under Connecticut, in May 1697. Its rights were confirmed by New York in April 1704 and it was fully organized as a town March 7, 1788.

New Amsterdam and later NY disputed Connecticut's claim that this land belonged to them. The dispute between NY and CT over juridiction continued for over a century.  This confusion was finally setled in the mid 1800's.  "The Stamford tract, originally bought by the Colony of New Haven, was later transferred to the Colony of Connecticut, and then to the Province of New York."^s  In 1731, Bedford and Rye were formally transferred from CT to NY.

Ryke's patent of 1800 acres between Verplank's and Peekskill Creek was purchased from the Indians on April 21, 1685 by Richard and Jacob Abrahamsen and others.  The village of Peekskill was built on the Ryke Patent.  Peekskill, which was the largest settlement was within the borders of but not a part of the Manor of Cortlandt.  In 1770, the Ryke's Patent village of  Peekskill elected local officials but was represented in the Assembly by the representative of Cortlandt Manor. The settlement at Peekskill was a point for commerce on the Hudson River.  In 1816, Peekskill was incorporated as a village of the Town of Cortlandt.  The iron industry, particularly the manufacture of stoves, became a main industry in the area.

About 1686 Joshua ("Jocky") Hyatt who leased a farm near Yorktown from the Van Cortlandt family. Named "Hyatt's Plains", this community was renamed Shrub Oak..

In nearby Connecticut, on May 27, 1692 Nathan Gold and John Burr of Fairfield, Jonathan Selleck and Jonathan Bell of Stamford presiding over a Court of Inquiry in Stamford began hearings on Katherine Branch's accusation of  witchcraft  by Elizabeth Clauson, Goody Miller, and others. Goody Miller had fled to New York Colony in order to avoid being arrested..  Eliezer Slawson and Clement Buxton neighbors of  Elizabeth Clauson for many years testified that she was a good woman. Seventy-six of her friends attested to her good characters by subscribing their names to an affidavit.  http://rootsweb.com/~ctfairfi/stamford/witch_trial1.htm Elizabeth Clauson was judged not guilty.

In 1693, the County of Westchester was divided into two Episcopalian Parishes. The Church of England established St Peter's as the Westchester Parish  to serve the towns of Westchester, Eastchester, Yonkers, and the Manor of Pelham. The Manor of Philipsburgh was included in the Westchester Parish. The Rye Parish served the precincts of  Bedford, Rye, and Mamaroneck.  In 1700 Eastchester became a seperate Parish served by St Paul's.   In 1749, a Presbyterian church was established at Bedford. From 1765, for about 70 years, the residents of Mount Pleasant were served by ministers of St. John's church in Yonkers. In 1769,  St. James Church was established at Salem. The Quakers also had a meeting house in the Town of Westchester. In 1777, Peekskill was attacked and burned by the British. In 1785, another Presbyterian Church was established at Bedford.  In 1789, St. Matthews Episcopal Church was  established for Bedford & North Castle.  In1794, the Dutch Reformed Church was incorporated at Cortlandt.  (In 1850, the Rev. Samuel Lockwood was the Minister there.)  In 1798, a Baptist Church was established at Bedford.

In 1696,  the village of Westchester received a Charter as a Royal Borough.  It received a patent as a Town in 1697. The boundaries of the town ran from Pells' Purchase to Brunksland.

In 1689, the Manor of Pelham was reduced in size when John Pell, nephew and heir of Thomas Pell, sold 6,000 acres of the northern section of Manor of Pelham to Leisler for the Huguenot settlement of New Rochelle. Ambrose Secor, his three sons,  Giulliaume Landrin, and Jean Constant  were among the Proprietors.  April 17, 1724, Simon Mabe's name appeared on  a list of Freeholders.  (B600)

"About the time that England's King James II was being deposed by William and Mary, those in power in New York who had been appointed by King James II apparently fled.  The government  in New York was then taken over by Jacob Leisler, a Captain of the Militia. Leisler was apparently quite popular with the burghers and farmers of New York, Staten Island, and Long Island who had been adversely affected by the recent English rule. It has been said that Leisler's supporters included such names as Staats, Corson, Nevius, Kroesen, Holmes, and Van Pelt. In 1691 Jacob Leisler and his son-in-law were executed for treason.  Subsequently some of those who had supported Leisler ran into
trouble with the English authorities. ... At the August term in 1747 in Amboy NJ there were a number of people indicted for High Treason. Those indicted included Simon Wycoff (a descendant of Claeson?), Thomas Clawson, Garret Cornelison, John Scermerhorn, Hendrick Hogelandt, Thomas Bowman, George Bowman, Thomas Griffin, Cornelius Moore, and Jacob Bodine. Obviously this was a group of descendants of early Dutch settlers who had some sort of run in with the English." Ed Bowman [Dutch-Colonies-L@rootsweb.com  3/5/2002]

After Pell died, part of his estate came into the possession of the Hon. Caleb Heathcote.   In 1697, Caleb Heathcote also purchased the East Neck property of Ann Richbell, the widow of John Richbell.  This became Scarsdale Manor.   Scarsdale Manor, one of the precincts of Rye, was owned by Caleb Heathcote,  who was "Mayor of the borough  Town of Westchester".  Ann Millington, Gershom Lockwood's wife, was named as a witness at Heathcote's  May 26, 1701 purchase of Westchester Co land near Mamaroneck from the Indians. June 10, 1701, Caleb Heathcote and William Pennoyer  were among the purchasers of land from the Mamaroneck River to Richbell's Ridge.

In 1699, Stephanus Van Cortlandt purchased from Sachem Wicher land reaching from the Hudon River to the Connrcticut border.  His land was divides into lots by his heirs.  Lots #9 and 10 were inherited by Stephen Lacey.  He sold a farm in Lot #10 to Nathaniel Delavan.

In 1702, North Castle was settled between the Philipseburgh and Cortlandt Manor.  It was incorporated as a Town in 1712.

In 1704, The Town of Bedford received a Royal Patent.

In1709 Connecticut granted the Ridgefield Patent to settlers of Salem.  In 1731, New York granted the Town of Salem a Patent.  This was a part of the Oblong which was in dispute between tge two Colonies.

 Until 1729 all 34 families who lived in Cortlandt Manor were members of the Sleepy Hollow Dutch Reformed Church. At this time a Dutch Reformed church was built in what is now Montrose and local families transferred there. Crompound changed its name to Yorktown.  Yorktown was formed from the Dutch Manor of Cortlandt.  See Yorktown Historical Society .

In 1730, John Francher settled at Poundridge, which was part of  an Indian grant to Stamford, CT .  In 1731, Poundridge was transferred to New York.  In 1741, Joseph Lockwood (who was the son of Jonathan Lockwood's cousin Edmund)  Ebenezer Scofield,  James Brown, David Potts, and others from Stamford, CT settled in the village.  Shoemaking became a major industry  in this town.  See POUND RIDGE.

In  1731, Salem was separated from The Manor of Cortlandt.

After 1734 when Stephanus Van Cortlandt's property was divided among his heirs, the Gomer family settled in the "Great North Lott No. 4," near Yorktown. The area called Sleepy Hallow was later re-named as Jefferson Valley. It was settled by the Archers, Bargers, Birdsalls, Currys (from whom Curry Street was named), Lounsburys, Travises and Wildeys.

In 1763,Gershom Sellick was inoculated for Smallpox, according to the meeting records of the Town of Salem. (B461)

In 1738, the Crompond (Yorktown) Presbyterian Church also served Red Mills and Peekskill.  The Crompond (Yorktown) Presbyterian Church and Parsonage of Yorktown had been used by the Committee of Safety during the Revolution as a store house for guns. The British general, Tarleton burned the Church and Parsonage in 1779.  [This was a probable location of the lost birth, marriage, & death records of my Methodist ancestors.]

During the Revolutionary War, Isaac Hayes moved from Cumpo Point, CT to South Salem  (Lewisboro) with his son Thacher Hayes and nine year-old grandson Isaac Hayes.  Young Isaac became a Colonel and was instrumental in building St,. John's Church at South Salem in 1855.

The Continental Army stored arms, ammunition and supplies, in depots in Danbury and other towns in Fairfield Co., CT and Westchester Co, NY. The British tried to destroy the supplies and the meeting places of the Revolutionaies. Records from many towns halls and churches in New York and Connecticut were burned by the British in raids.   In 1779, a company of the British lighthorse and Hessians under Lt. Col. Tarketon burnt all the houses in the village of Bedford  except a couple belonging to Loyalists. They also burnt the Presbyterian Church and a tavern run by Benjamin Hayes in a building owned by the Loyalist Col. James Holmes. A British group under Col. James Holmes burnt the meeting house and other structures in Pound Ridge. Among the Pound Ridge Houses burnt was the house of John Ferris.  Many church records were destroyed.

After the American Revolutionary War, Frederick Philipse's property was confiscated and sold.  The Manor of Philipseburgh.was broken up.  On March 7, 1788, Governor George Clinton signed a law dividing Westchester into twenty towns. Cortlandt was incorporated as a town in 1788. It  included Annsville, Buchanan, Croton-on-Hudson, Crugers, Montrose, Van Cortlandtville and Verplanck. Mount Pleasant, included the town of Ossining, was incorporated as a town in 1788.  It included Beekmantown, Sleepy Hollow, part of Tarrytown, Sinsing and Ossining. Ossining was separated from Mt. Pleasant in 1845.  Yonkers and Greenburgh were also carved out of Manor of Philipseburgh.

In 1744 the Rev. James Wetmore of Rye started the Episcopal services in private homes in Peekskill.  The first  Meeting House was built on Crompond road in 1750 for the use of Episcopal, Presbyterian, Baptists and others.  In Aug. 1767, St. Peter's Episcopal Church was built. In 1799, a Presbyterian Church was built in Peekskill. From 1806 to 1844, a Indepedent Presbyterian congregation was formed  Ezra Lockwood was an officer of this church  of about100 members. In 1826, some members merged with the Reformed Dutch Church to form the First Presbyterian Church.  The Second Presbyterian Church formed in 1841 and built their church in 1845.

In 1788, the Yorktown Baptist Church. was organized.  Services were held in the homes of the 40 members of the congregation. The Baptist Church building was erected about 1802.

The Methodist church was established in New York City in 1766.  After the American Revolution, the Methodists broke with the Church of England and formed the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Bishop Francis Asbury (1745-1816) formed six Methodist circuits in Westchester County in 1785:  The New Rochelle Circuit from NYC to Fishkill, *****  George Whitefield, A Calvinist Minister, preached in private homes in Peekskill.  In 1788 The Methodists organized a church that met in the home of Jonathan Ferris. on East Main St, Peekskill.  In 1789 the Methodists established their own Church in Shrub Oak. Several circuit-riding ministers preached in it.  In 1792 they were incorporated as the Methodist Episcopal Society of Yorktown. In 1789, a Methodist Congregation was established at Tompkins Corners, Putnam Valley.  June 13, 1827 a Methodist Episcopal Church was built at Shrub Oak..  Zabud Lounsberry, a Methodist minister, also carried the US mail.  To clear space for a new church building,, in 1916 the trustees in Peekshill  removed the grave stones of the Methodist cemetery out to the "Cortlandt Cemetery".

In 1788 Cortlandt, North Salem (formerly "The Town of UpperSalem" ),  and Lower Salem were among the 20 townships formed in Westchester County under the Township Act. In 1790, The township of  Salem  was incorporated. Cortlandt includes the incorporated villages of Croton-on-Hudson and Buchanan and several hamlets including Montrose, Crugers and Verplanck.  In 1791, The townships of  Lower Salem (Lewisboro)  were incorporated. June 10, 1795 Dantown, NY near CT Line was renamed PoundRidge.

 In 1795, Fredrickstown was split into Carmel, Southeast, Franklin (later called Patterson) and Fredrickstown (later called Kent).  In 1780, Fredrickstown and Philipstown were part of Dutchess County.  In 1839, Putnam Valley was established from about half of Philipstown. It is situated in the mountainous region of the Highlands; about 9 miles west of Carmel. ColdSprings and Velsonville were established in 1818.  Mahopac and Mahopac Falls were established in 1834.  Brewster was established in 1850.PUTNAM VALLEY, recenty erected from Phillipstown. Red Mills was a small village on the Muscoot river, 8 miles SW. of Carmel.  Red Mills chanded it's name and is now Mahopac Falls, Putnam County, NY.

 April 13, 1796 Pierre Van Cortlandt sold 1 1/4 acres of land to trustees to build a Methodist Episcopal Church at Shrub Oak.

From 1810 to 1845  Mt. Pleasant had the largest population of  town of Westchester Co. In 1825, a State Penetentiary was built at Sing Sing in Mt. Pleasant.  In April 1828, an almshouse was established in Mt. Pleasant.   Ossining separated from Mount Pleasant in 1845. April, 17, 1816,  the village of Peekskill was incorporated.

 In 1829, Shrub Oak acquired its post office.

 By 1831, over one third of the Stamford town registry list was made up of Scofields, Smiths, Lockwoods, Weeds, Hoyts, and Junes. The black minority included 46 slaves and 27 free persons.

 In 1831 the Orthodox Friends Meeting House was built in Yorktown,
In 1836, a NYC syndicate purchased Verplancks Point.  A successful brick-making industry was started.

"In 1836, there were six churches in Peekskill.  They were listed as the Methodist, Episcopak, Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed and two Quaker meeting houses.  There were 190 Methodists in the Village (of Peekskill), 100 in Shrub Oak, and 40 in Furnave Woods, a total of 3990."
A Rich Heritage, 1988.  The Wesleyan Methodist Church was built in 1839.    St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church was started in 1864 in Peekskill.

In 1845, Ossining separated from Mount Pleasant.  The town of Mount Pleasant includes the villages of Pleasantville, Sleepy Hollow (formerly North Tarrytown), part of Briarcliff Manor.  the hamlets of Thornwood (formerly Nannahagen and Hillside), Valhalla (formerly Kensico which was formerly Wright Mills), Hawthorne (formerly Hammond's Mills and Unionville), and Pocantico Hills. See: http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywestch/towns/mtpleas.htm

In 1854, the Methodist Church was built in Cortlandtville.

The City of Peekskill  fronts along the Hudson River and is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandt on the other three sides.  The Town of Cortlandt includes two incorporated villages, Croton-on-Hudson and Buchanan and several hamlets including Montrose, Crugers and Verplanck.

 SOURCES:
¹ A Condensed History of Stamford, CT
^b History of  the County of Westchester by Bolton
^s History of Westchester County by Shonnard.