Ridge Cordwood Played Big Part
In Early Brick-Making Industry
THE PATCHOGUE ADVANCE
Feb. 25, 1947
By Thomas H. Bayles
When Brookhaven town
was divided’ into school districts in 1813, the Ridge school was
organized, as district No. 22. According to the town records, “No.
22 is to Embrace the Inhabitants East of Thomas Aldrich in
Middletown, extending East to the Wading River Line.”
The territory covered
by this school district was covered with thousands of acres of
woodland when it was settled some time before 1750, and for a great
many years the cutting and shipping of cordwood was an important
industry with the farmers in this locality. Most of it was hauled to
the Sound Shore where it was loaded on sloops and shipped to New
York and also up the river to the brick yards at Haverstraw.
The early settlers in
what was then an isolated section were mostly of the Randall
families, and a few of the men who received their early education in
this school, and who in later years made their mark in the world
included: Capt. Sylvester Randall, who for 33 years conducted a
sailing packet line between Port Jefferson and Bridgeport, before
the steamboat line was put into operation, Then there was another
Sylvester Randall who made a strike in the gold fields of California
during the “forty nine” gold rush; Josiah B. Randall; who for years
was manager of a large general store in Port Jefferson. Joseph Lewis
Randall, who was working for the U. S. Christian Mission during the
Civil War, and who lost his life at Newbern, N. C.
Another was Jason Randall, who took a load of supplies up the Yukon
during the Klondike gold rush to the miners who were in dancer of
starving in the frozen north. Another prominent man was Capt. Henry
M. Randall, who was a sea captain for many years and afterward
became president of the Bank of Port Jefferson. Elbert Smith, who
managed a sheep ranch in the Cascade Mountains of California..
Sturgis Randall, who helped build the city of Norwalk, Conn. Stephen
M. Randall, who was a contractor and builder and who helped develop
the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. William G. Miller, who was a
bank president and Representative in the State Legislature from
Queens - Nassau counties for several years. John G. Randall, who is
called the “Father of Freeport,” and was influential in the building
and development of Freeport.
The schoolhouse now
in use was built in 1372, and was also used for holding religions
services in connection with the Presbyterian church at Middle
Island. Services were conducted on Sunday afternoons for many years.
The first schoolteacher in the present schoolhouse was Miss Cynthia
Hutchinson, who was postÂmistress in Middle Island for several
years.
The district includes
“Longwood,” with its famous old Manor house, built before 1790. The
old homestead is still maintained by the present owner, Miss Helen
Tangier Smith, a direct descendant of Col. William Smith, who
settled in Setauket in 1686. He acquired a vast territory extending
along the middle country road eastward from the Connecticut River in
Middle Island to Horn tavern, and extending south to the ocean. This
was known as the Manor of St. George, and was no t annexed to
Brookhaven until 1788.