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 The
Town of
Yorktown
has a rich historical heritage beginning with the earliest known
inhabitants -- Mohegan, Osceola, Amwalk, Kitchawan and Mohansic --
all familiar names of local places. The Mohegans of the Algonquin
Nation had habitations within the boundary of
Yorktown
. In 1683, Stephanus Van Cortlandt, with a license issued by
the Royal Governor of
New York
, made his first purchase of land from the Indians. By 1697, when he
confirmed his patent with the authorities, he had acquired roughly
80,000 acres. A patent for the Manor of Cortlandt was granted by the
British King, William the Third, June 17, 1697. The Manor house was
located north of the confluence of the
Hudson
and
Croton
Rivers
. After the Revolutionary War and at the time of its
incorporation in 1788, the township was officially designated as
Yorktown in commemoration of the American's decisive victory at
Yorktown
,
Virginia
in October 19, 1781. During the town's bicentennial in 1988,
Yorktowners took stock of their historic heritage including that of
the 19th and 20th centuries and commemorated their community's
participation in events that led up to the birth and growth of the
United States. A Bicentennial Committee reviewed the Town's still
remaining historic sites and determined which were to be preserved
as a reminder of that past and a link between the Yorktown of
yesterday and the
Yorktown
of tomorrow.
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