Land deed from Sakaghkemeck to Stephanus van Cortlandt, 1683 (Anthony's Nose, NY region)

GUID

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv4968f8891-fb94-4081-aae2-f8cab11c1c79

Creator

Van Cortlandt, Stephanus

Place

New York

Provenance

Originally owned by Stephanus Van Cortlandt (1643-1700); inherited through several generations of Van Cortlandt descendants, including Jean Rutherford Mason Browne (1917-2006); donated to the Museum of the American Indian by Jean Mason Browne in 1966.

Creator

Van Cortlandt, Stephanus

Culture

Lenape (Delaware)

Summary

This collection contains a land deed dated 1683 conveying the area near Anthony's Nose in New York to Stephanus van Cortlandt and one photographic negative shot in the 1970s depicting this land deed.

Biographical / Historical

Stephanus van Cortlandt held many positions throughout his lifetime including serving as the first native-born Mayor of New York City and as a Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court in 1700. Born in New Amsterdam (today New York City) on May 7, 1643 to Captain Olof Stevense van Cortlandt and Anna Loockemans van Cortlandt of the Dutch Republic, Stephanus began his career as a successful mercantile in New Netherlands following his father's profession. After the British conquest in 1664, New Amsterdam was renamed New York City and Stehanus went on to become a council member of the English governor Sir Edmund Andros in 1674. Three years later, he started his career as Mayor of New York, a position he held from 1677 to 1678 and again from 1686 to 1688. According to Landscape Architect Julian H. Saloman, van Cortlandt was authorized by Governor Andros to purchase land on the east side of Hudson River and eventually accumulated land holdings totaling 83,000 acres. In 1683, van Courtlandt purchased from the Lenape (Delaware) approximately 1,500 acres on the west side of the Hudson, which is detailed in the land deed in this collection. Van Courtlandt died on November 25, 1700 and his widow Gertruj van Schuyler and children became the heirs of the property.

Extent

.01 Linear feet

1 Negatives (photographic)

Date

1683

Container

Oversize 1

Custodial History

Previously cataloged as 23/6875 in the National Museum of the American Indian's object collection and then transferred to the NMAI Archives Center in 2019.

Archival Repository

National Museum of the American Indian

Identifier

NMAI.AC.378

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Text

Negatives (photographic)

Deeds

Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Land deed from Sakaghkemeck to Stephanus van Cortlandt, 1683 (Anthony's Nose, NY region), catalog #, NMAI.AC.378; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 2 boxes: 1 box for the land deed and 1 box for the negative.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Emily Moazami, Supervisory Archivist, 2019.

Rights

Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.

Genre/Form

Deeds

Scope and Contents

This collection contains a land deed dated 1683 conveying the area now known as Bear Mountain in Palisades Interstate Park opposite Anthony's Nose along the Hudson River in Rockland County, New York. The grantors were the Lenape (Delaware) to Stephanus van Cortlandt (1643-1700), two-time New York City Mayor. The deed is on Vellum paper. This collection also contains 1 negative depicting the deed that was photographed by Museum of the American Indian staff photographers most likely in the 1970s. According to landscape architect Julian H. Salomon's 1972 article entitled An Indian Deed Dated 1683, "Among the recent acquisitions on display at the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, New York is an Indian deed dated 1683. It conveys most of what is now the Bear Mountain section of the Palisades Interstate Park and the northernmost corner of Rockland County to Stephanus van Cortlandt. The grantors were a group of Haverstraw Indians, part of the Munsi branch of the Lenni-Lenape or Delaware Tribe. Among the signers was Sakaghemerk, sachem of the Haverstraws. The granted tract lay west of the Hudson River and opposite Anthony's Nose. It was bounded on the north by the Assinipink Creek, on the west by the mountains, on the south by Sankapogh Creek and on the east by the river. It included Salisbury's Island (Iona Island), referred to in the deed as "Wanakawaghkon" and shown on an Erskine map as Sidbury's Island. Assinipink Creek is the outlet of Assinipink Lake, which likes at the foot of Bear Mountain and is known today as Highland Lake or Hessian Pond. Sankapogh Creek is the sluggish stream which bounds Iona Island on the south. It is commonly called Snake Hole Creek. This deed of 1683 is the first to land that is now the Palisades Interstate Park and one of the earliest to land that is now part of Rockland County. No mention of it is made in either Cole's or Green's histories of the county." [Salomon, Julian H. 1972. An Indian Deed Dated 1683. South of the Mountains. Vol. 16 (2) (April-June): 11.]

Translation of deed

Land deed transcribed by Paul Grant-Costa of Native Northeast Research Collaborative, 2024: To All Christian people To whom this Present wri= =teing Shall Come Sakaghkemeck Sachem of Haverstraw Werekepes, Saquoghharup Kakeros, and Kaghtsikoos all Indians true and Rightfull owners and Proprietors of the Land herein after menc̄oned and Expressed Send Greeting Know Yee That for and in Considerac̄on of the Sum̄e of Six Shillings Curr.tt Silver mony to them the said Indians in hand Payed before the Ensealeing And Delivery hereof the Receipt whereof is hereby Acknowledged and for Diverse other Valuable Causes and Consideracōns they the said Indians have Granted Bargained Sold Aliened Enfeoffed and Confirmed and by these Presents Doe fully Cleerly and Absolutely Grant Bargaine Sell Alien Enfeoffe and Confirme unto Stephanus Van Courtlandt of the Citty of New Yorke Merchant his heires and Assignes for Ever All that A Certaine Tract or Parcell of Land Scit= =uate Lyeing and being on the West side of Hudsons River within the High Lands over Against A greate Hill Commonly Called Anthonys Nose begining on the Southside att A Creeke Called Senkapogh and soe Alongst the said Creeke to the head thereof and then northerly alongst the high hills as the River Runneth to Another Creeke Called Assinnapinck and from thence along the said Creeke to Hudsons River Againe togather with A Certaine Island and Percell of meadow Land neere or Adjoyneing to the same Called Wanakawaghkin and by the Christians knowne by the name of Salsbury's Island Includeing all the Land Soile and Meadows within the Bounds and Limitts Aforesaid togather with all and Singuler the trees Timber Woods Underwoods Swamps Moores Marshes Meadows Rivoletts Streames Creecks Waters Lakes Pooles Ponds ffishing hunting and foweling and whatsoever Elce to the said Tract or Parcell of Land within the Bounds and Limitts aforesaid is belonging or in any wise appurteineing without Any Reser^va:tion whatsoever To have and To hold the said Tract or Parcell of Land and all and Singuler other the Primisses And Every Parte and Parcell thereof unto the said Stephanus Van Courtlandt his heires and Assignes to the sole and Only Proper use Beneffitt and Behoofe of him the said Stephanus V Courtlandt his heires And Assignes for Ever And they the said Indians Doe for themselves And their heires and Every of them Covenant Promise and Engage that the said Steph: Van Courtlandt his heires and assignes Shall and may from henceforth for Ever Lawfully Peaceably and Quiettly have hold Possesse and Enjoye the said Tract or Parcell of Land and all and Singuler Other the Primisses with their Appurtennces without any Lett Hindrance Disturbance or Interrupc̄on whatsoever of or by them the Said Indian Proprietors or their heires or of any Other Person or Persons Claymeing or that heareafter Shall or may Clayme by from or under them or either of them, and that they shall and Will upon the Reasonable Request and Demand made by the said Stephanus Van Courtlandt Give and Deliver Peaceably and Quiettly Possession of the said Tract or Parcell of Land and Primisses or of some Parte thereof for and in the name of the whole unto Such Person or Persons as by the Said Stephanus V Courtlandt Shall be appointed to Receive the same. in wittnesse whereof the said Sakaghkemeck Sachem of Haverstraw Werekepes, Saquoghharup Kake =ros and Kaghtsikoos the Indians Owners and Proprietors Aforesaid have hereunto Sett their hands and Seales in New Yorke the 13.th Day of July in the thirty fifth yeare of his Maties Reigne Anno Domini 1683:. Signed Sealed and Delivered in the Presence of Uss./ By Sakaghkemeck Werekepes Kaghtsikoos. Recorded in the Office of Records for ye Province of New yorke in Booke No. (23.) fol.~ (71.) the 14.th day of August 1683 ⅌ Johnwest ss: The Mark of Sakaghkemeck [mark] Sachem [seal] of Haverstraw frederyck flypese Guilain Verplancke John west The Marke of Mantiom [mark] The Marke of [mark] [seal] Werekepes [seal] [seal] The Marke of [mark] Kaghtsickoos. [seal]

Restrictions

Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

Record ID

ebl-1555935011341-1555935011351-0