A TOUR OF
RIDGE IN 1873
Written by,
Mr.
Donald Bayles
November 2001
RIDGE
In 1873 my grandfather, Richard M. Bayles, wrote the
following description of Ridge in his "Sketches of
Suffolk County".
"Ridgeville is
a scattered settlement of a dozen houses, about three
miles east of Middle Island, in the midst of an extensive
tract of woodland. A handsome school-house, completed in
December last, {1872} is also used as a house for public
worship, and is occupied as a mission station of the
parish of Middletown. Longwood, the residence of Hon. Wm.
Sidney Smith, and once a part of Col. Smith's patent of
1693, lies just south of here."
The same year that my grandfather wrote the above an
atlas was published by Beers-Comstock. That atlas also
shows about a dozen homes in the Ridgefield District No.
19. The description that follows of the families that
lived in the Ridgefield School District during the last
half of the 19th century will be based on names shown on
that atlas as well as the Belcher-Hyde maps of 1896 and
1906. That information was compared to numerous surveys
made by my grandfather, Richard M. Bayles, between 1900
and 1915 plus information contained in the Federal
censuses.
Gilbert O. Randall
It is the year 1900 and we are traveling east along the
Country Road through Middle Island. We pass Wading River
Hollow Road and climb a small hill to enter the
Ridgefield School District # 19. The Smith Estate begins
at the top of this hill on the south side with its west
boundary marked by the Yaphank Line. On the north side is
woodland owned by Gilbert O. Randall and his son Orville
M. On March 12, 1910 they transferred title to Cornelius
Furgueson at the office of R.M. Bayles who had surveyed
the property. Judge Cornelius Furgueson had a home there
until the 1940s. The Randalls lived to the north near
Whiskey Road a little to the east. More about them later.
Edward M. Fox
Another quarter of a mile on the north side was the land
and home of Edward M.and Elizabeth Fox. They were both
born about 1860 and their names first appear in the 1900
census. The 1873 atlas shows C.W. Davis having a home
here but that name did not appear in the census. About
1900 R.M.Bayles indicated "James Davis, Thos. Davis,
and 1847" at this location. This needs further
research.
By the mid 20th century the above two parcels of Fox and
Furgueson were owned by Baier Lustgarten who planted many
acres of nursery stock.
Austin D. Randall
Continuing east we reach the home of Austin D. (b.1818
d.1893) and Mary Randall. They had several children
including four sons: Henry M. (b.1844), Jerome (b.1856
d.1873), Jason S.(b.1857), and Robert F. (b.1859 d.1934).
After Austin's death his widow Mary continued to live in
their home which later became the home of her son Jason
and his wife. Jason had several children born in the
early 1920s. I remember a son Sherwood and his younger
brother Austin. There may have been one with the name
Jason and there was also a daughter. Jason's home, which
was probably built by his father, was directly across the
highway from Smith Road.
James A. Randall
A little over a quarter mile farther east was the home of
James A. (b.1846 d.1900) and Elizabeth J. Randall. James
was the son of Ezra King Randall. After the death of
James this became the home of his widow Elizabeth. In
1918 the farm was divided into 3 parcels of about 65
acres to each of their children. Its east boundary was
Ridge Road. The west parcel went to daughter Sarah E.
Robinson, the middle parcel to son Ernest and the east
parcel to son Fred. Ernest and his wife Grace occupied
their parents's home. Ernest was born in 1874 and died in
1944. Sarah (Sadie) moved to Shore ham with her husband
and about 1896 at the age of 18 Fred went to California.
Fred returned to Ridge in April 1937 and had Albert
Bayles build a small bungalow for him on his land. The
first Ridge post office was later built on Fred's land.
Henry Nimmich
Between Ridge Road and Randall Road was a house built in
1820 by John Laws, the son of Benjamin Laws. Mr. Benjamin
Laws (d. 18 Aug. 1819 age 72) a native of Norfolkshire,
England came to "The Ridge" with Captain
Randall in 1795 after a 6 week trip from England. His son
John Laws died June 2, 1832 at age 53. John's wife
Abigail died Sept. 7, 1853. The Laws family cemetery was
located in Ridge. Seven stones were removed and placed in
the Manorville, Cemetery by Miss Lillian Etta Raynor who
was a descendant of the Laws family.
By 1909 this was the home of Charles J. Randall (b.1837,
d.1913). In 1915 the property was owned by Henry Nimmich
and shortly thereafter became the N.Y. State Game Farm.
From diary of RMB: "Sept. 3, 1915 Thos. & I
surveyed H. Nimmich farm at Ridge this forenoon, east and
north lines."
Hiram Edwards
On the north side of the Country Road and the east side
of Randall Road is about 65 acres of land which was owned
by Hiram Edwards who lived there with his wife Susan and
several children as early as 1870 at which time he was 54
yrs. old and a farmer. R.M. Bayles noted in his diary for
April 17,1896 that "house burns on Hiram Edwards
place in Ridge." Shortly after 1900 Frederick H.
Ehlers and his wife made their home on this land. Fred
Ehlers, Sr. died Oct. 15, 1909 and Mrs. Ehlers in January
1917. They are buried in Union Cemetery, Middle Island. I
remember an Albert Ehlers from high school who must have
been born about 1919 or 1920 so he must have been a
grandson of Fred, Sr. above. He had an older brother Fred
who ran a gas station near the corner until shortly
before his death about the year 2000. The Ehlers home was
the last residence on the Country Road for several miles.
Adam Stumpf
North of Ehlers on Randall Road is 15 acres of land owned
for a short time by Adam Stumpf. Both he and his wife
Susan were born in Germany in 1860. They had 3 daughters
with the youngest born 1888 in Gerrmany. The 1900 census
lists Susan and daughters but not Adam. Shortly
thereafter they left Ridge. R.M. Bayles surveyed the
property for Miss Ellen P. Armstrong on Sept.19,1910 and
noted that Adolph Meullen was then the owner and Adam
Stumpf the former owner..
Adolph Muellen
North of the Stumpfs' land was the home of Adolph and
Mary Muellen (or Meullen) who were also from Germany and
were in Ridge by 1870. The 1870 census lists Adolph
Muellen (b.1840 in Germany), wife Mary (b.1845) and John
(b.1869). The 1880 census lists Adolph (b.1848), wife
Susie (1838 - 1915) and son Charles (b.1869). Which
information is correct? Adolph acquired land which he
attempted to sell in 15 acre plots. A map of his property
made about 1910 shows the "Dempsey" house on
the east side of Randall Rd. It would seem that the
Stumpfs bought one of the 15 acre plot and built a home
there. Charles Muellen owned land on east side of Randall
Road which included a house. In 1933 he was living in St.
Albans. He died in 1960 at age 87 and is buried in the
Middle Island Cemetery not far from his parents.
Aug. 27, 1915 Mrs. Meullen is buried today
Ridge School House
On the south side of the Country road opposite the Game
Farm is the Ridge School House which was built in 1873.
The rest of the land on the south side of the road is the
Smith estate.
About a mile to the north of the Country Road three
families occupied farms along Whiskey Road.
Ezra King Randall
The home and 200 acre farm of Ezra King Randall was
located just south of Whiskey Road and west of Ridge
Road. Ezra had inherited the farm from his parents,
William and Phoebe Randall. At this point it seems
advisable to insert a little genealogy.
William (b.1775 - d.1853) and Phoebe (b.1778 - d.1832)
Randall
their son Ezra King Randall (born Sept.29,1818, died
April 27,1874).
married May 1, 1839 Polly Gildersleeve (1820 - 1894).
Ezra and Polly had son Gilbert (b.1847 - d.1935) who mar.
Elizabeth (b.1851 - d.1945 ).
after Ezra'a death the farm went to his son Gilbert.
Gilbert had a son Orville M. (b.1875 - d.1938) who worked
the farm with his father
(Gilbert had a younger brother Wm. F. who probably
occupied a second house on the property which is shown on
the 1873 atlas)
Shortly after 1900 R.M.Bayles wrote a boundary line
agreement between Robert F. Randall and Gilbert O.
Randall. Robert F. Randall (b.1859 - d.1934) was the son
of Austin Randall who died in 1893. Part of that
agreement reads as follows:
"Beginning at a certain bound stone which stands
at the northwest corner of the homestead land of
Elizabeth J. Randall (widow of Austin ) and the southwest
corner of the land of Gilbert O. Randall, and running
thence northerly in a direct line about 140 ft. to a
certain stone placed on the south end of a ditch; thence
following along said ditch about 668 ft. to a stone set
for a bound at the end of said ditch; which course is
about north 13 degrees east, thence running south 72
degrees 30 minutes west about 340 ft., on this course
striking and following along a ditch to a stone set for a
bound at the westerly end of said ditch; thence running
north 9 degrees west 1,297 ft. to a stone set for a bound
on or near the south margin of the Whiskey Road."
The following are entries in R.M.Bayles diary for 1910:
Aug.15 - At
Riverhead with G.O. Randall and Vincent Prentis on title
to his land - E.K.R. farm.
Aug.29 - Went to Ridge with papers closing title G.O.R.
to V. Prentis.
Sept. 23, 1914
- Went with J.M. Rice to see the ruins of Prentis house
at Ridge - the Will Randall house - which burned to the
ground yesterday P.M. about 3:30.
(was this the Wm. F. Randall born 1855, son of Ezra King
Randall ?)
This must be the 12
acres shown on the west side of Orville Randall Road (now
Ridge Road) in the 1916 atlas.
Charles J. Randall
Adjoining Gilbert O. Randall's land on the east was the
homestead of Charles J. Randall (1837-1913) who owned
over 500 acres most of which was on the north side of
Whiskey Road. I suspect that this was the homestead of
his father, Horace Gates Randall, who moved to Middle
Island between 1860 and 1870. He had acquired the house,
store and land at NE corner of the Country Rd. and Rocky
Point Rd. which his daughter Jemima had inherited from
her grandfather, Briant Davis who died in 1848.
About 1909 Charles sold the homestead on Whiskey Rd. to
Conrad Meise. When Charles died July 22, 1913 at the age
of 76 his home was in Woodhaven. By 1916 the Meise
property was owned by Conrad's son Fred.
C.J. Randall is also shown as owner of land on the
Country Rd. which later became the N.Y. State Game Farm.
John G. Randall
East of C.J.Randall's farm on Whiskey Rd. was the farm
and home of John G. Randall (b.1856 d.1955). He was the
son of J. Orlando Randall (b. 1820 d.1885)
The 1873 atlas shows 2 houses on the north side of
Whiskey Rd. From diary of R.M.Bayles: "Jan.16, 1900
- house of J.Orlando Randall estate burned at 1 PM".
In 1902 R.M.Bayles surveyed 421 acres for John G. Randall
on both sides of Whiskey Rd. and in 1907 he surveyed 157
acres which were sold from the north portion. A few years
later John Randall built a house on the south side of
Whiskey Road where he lived the remainder of his life.
The second house burned Feb.1,1936. The following is from
newspaper of February 5,1936.
"The
century old Gilbert O. Randall home, located at the
intersection of the Whiskey road and Ridge road at,
Middle Island, was burned to the ground early Saturday
evening (Feb.1)".
In his diary Albert
Bayles notes that an insurance adjuster from his
insurance company agreed to full settlement of $ 2,000
for the loss. Was this the Gilbert O. Randall home or was
it really the century old J.Orlando Randall estate ?
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