by Jean Held

Sag Harbor celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2007 referring back to 1707. But why, of all the pivotal dates in Sag Harbor’s history, was 1707, selected for its settlement or founding date? Then we might ask, And when did Sag Harbor know it? The final question is whether or not 1707 is accurate.

The question of determining a founding date appears to have been first posed as late as May 15, 1924, in a Sag Harbor Express headline, “Trying to Fix Date for Welcome Sign,” followed by a number of possibilities, starting with the 1690s, when the reason to go to Great Meadows (now named Sag Harbor) was to harvest salt hay for cattle. The next founding date comes from a passage in the History of Suffolk County, published in 1882: “The first mention of Sag Harbor by name is in the town trustees book in 1707, where the clerk makes a charge— ‘For going to Sag Harbor to evidence for ye towne, 3s. 6d.’” Variations in “Harbour of Sagg” replaced the name Great Meadows when the waterfront was found to be a convenient harbor for citizens of Sagaponack.

Also considered was 1714, a year mentioned in an entry in Joshua Hempstead’s diary telling of his sailing from New London to “Sagg and ye Harbor” to sell his rum. By 1730 the place was still a swamp, and as the story goes, Sag Harbor had just three dwellings, and these huts were built into the side of old Turkey Hill. The hill was leveled to fill in what is now the business district. When you climb the steps from Main Street up to the police station, you are climbing the remains of Turkey Hill. Several divisions of land and lots in 1738, 1745, and 1761 make those years other possibilities.

The most prestigious dates came next, when Sag Harbor was established the first Port of Entry in New York State in 1789, followed by 1803, when Sag Harbor’s firemen formed one of New York’s first volunteer fire department, and in the process, established a fire-district border later to become the Sag Harbor Village border in 1846. Yes, old Sag Harbor was not incorporated until 1846. The most qualifying date for founding is the date of incorporation, but 1846 seemed not up for consideration for the sign.

Given these choices for the Sag Harbor welcome sign, 1707 was certainly most useful to attract tourists. (If anyone has a photo of the sign, please contact the Sag Harbor Historical Society.) Sag Harbor’s prime tourist promoter at the time, the Long Island Railroad, soon adopted the date for its travel brochure, “Sag Harbor—In the Land of the Sunrise Trail—1707-1929.” 

Further evidence that Sag Harbor only woke up to the usefulness of 1707 as late as 1924 is that Sag Harbor was quite unaware that 1707 could be a founding date when, in 1907, the village took no notice of the date — not a word of it reported in the local papers — nor held any celebration. And plenty of opportunities arose to do so in 1907, especially when, thanks to Mrs. Russell Sage, ground was broken for Pierson High School and items of the day were placed in the cornerstone without a token mention of Sag Harbor’s founding or settlement.

But the Village of Sag Harbor didn’t miss the next possible date to celebrate and attract tourists. In the June 10, 1932, Sag Harbor Express, Mayor G. Augustine Kiernan announced: “To all native sons and daughters, former residents, guests and friends. We extend to you a most cordial and hearty invitation to join with us the week of July 3-9, 1932, to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the settlement of our beloved Sag Harbor.” The word, “mentioned,” in the quotation referring to Sag Harbor in 1707 had been corrupted to mean “founded” or “settled,” and still is.

The final question, whether or not 1707 is accurate, is not so easily answered as the two others, for after reading the volumes of Southampton Town Records* and asking for help with the East Hampton Records, I am unable to find the primary source for the quotation. By “primary” I mean finding the phrase, “for going to Sag Harbor to evidence for ye towne, 3s. 6d” in the Town Records, with page and volume number. What I did find may suggest we should start planning now to celebrate Sag Harbor’s 300th Anniversary in 2010.

If there is any source associated with the quotation, it is usually The History of Suffolk County published in 1882. The quotation appears in the chapter on Southampton, attributed to Southampton Town historian William S. Pelletreau (1840–1918), but I wonder if he saw the edited version.

In 1862, Pelletreau discovered two rolls of the earliest Southampton Town Records in an attack. Over the years he recorded them into the first volumes of the records. So what follows is a chronological arrangement of what Pelletreau had to say about the first appearance of the name “Sag Harbor.”

Published in 1878, Pelletreau’s introduction to the Southampton Town Records, Volume 3 reads, “In process of time the population of Sagaponack and Meacox [sic] had become quite numerous, it was necessary to find some nearer port of landing, and thus save much of the time and labor in transporting their goods. This was the origin of Sag-Harbor, which was called for many years ‘Sagaponack harbor,’ and in bills of lading as late as 1760, was called ‘the Harbor of Sagg.’ The exact time at which a permanent settlement was made at this place is unknown.”

In the History of Suffolk County, published in 1882, is Pelletreau’s much quoted “This was the origin of Sag Harbor, which was for many years called ‘Sagaponack Harbor’ and ‘The Harbor of Sagg.’ The first mention of Sag Harbor by name is in the town trustees book in 1707, where the clerk makes a charge— ‘For going to Sag Harbor to evidence for ye towne, 3s. 6d.’” Note, first, that no page or volume number is quoted, and second, that in the founding days of Southampton the trustees and board members were the same thing.

In 1915, Pelletreau recorded the following item from the Town Records, Volume 2, “Page 119. Thomas Cooper sells to Theodore Pierson, one-half of a lot of meadow in ye Great Meadow at Sagaponack harbor, being lot No. 5. Price 40s. April 19, 1710.” Pelletreau then comments, “Note. The above is the first mention we have seen of what is now Sag-Harbor. It was afterwards called ‘the harbor of Sagg.’”

“1710” is Pelletreau’s last word on Sag Harbor’s first mention.

Help! I will award $100 to the first person to find the primary source for the quote dated 1707. Otherwise I’ll be celebrating in 2010. 

*The Southampton Town Records contains the minutes and abstracts of Town Board and Trustee meetings. Editors’ essays and comments are included.

 

Jean Held is interested in the unsolved history mysteries of Sag Harbor.

 

[725-2690 or jheldsofo@aol.com]

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