Bedford Audubon Society

Man has worked the lands of northeastern Westchester for over three hundred years. During the 1600’s, Stephanus Van Cortlandt amassed large land holdings in northern Westchester for the purposes of hunting and fishing. Lewisboro was part of what was known as the Van Cortlandt Manor. At the height of his land acquisition efforts, in 1700 Stephanus Van Cortlandt died very suddenly. His Manor was then divided up among his children and other family members. The portion that includes Hunt Sanctuary (western Lewisboro) was willed to Gertrude Beekman. Bedford was still part of Connecticut during the colonial period and belonged to a group of men from Stamford, Connecticut.

Farmers of the period considered the soil to be poor for growing crops. Being rather rocky, as evidenced by the large stone pile along the Blue Trail, and the many stonewalls to be found throughout the Sanctuary, local farmers used the land for the grazing of dairy cows and sheep. When transportation evolved in the 19th century, the dairy business was big business in Westchester. With a burgeoning population just to the south in New York City, there was never a question of where a farmer would send his dairy product.

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