Part VI : Somers Historical Tidbits

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DC and Boston Trips/Slideshow

Reis Park Slideshow

Somers Goes to War

Our town name derives from the exploits of Richard Somers during the Tripolitan War of 1801. Under an empire that ranged across North Africa and loosely affiliated with the Ottoman Empire, the Barbary Pirates maintained their leaders’ wealth and power by extracting some pretty hefty tolls on commerce. They seized goods, captured ships, sold sailors in slavery and also held them for ransom. Of course, the young United States was among the victims, and in 1794 a six vessel navy was established. From there, Thomas Jefferson established a quasi peace through paying ransoms, but a state of war officially returned when the Pasha of Tripoli cut down the flagpole at the US Consulate and forced the ambassador to leave. So a US blockade was established in 1802, and actual war ensued. Commodore Edward Preble did the ratcheting up because he knew a passive blockage would not work. He attacked the mainland and aggressively went after enemy ships. At his disposal were the original six ships, two captured vessels and two mortar boats, and this left the Commodore ready to invade Tripoli. Enter Richard Somers, he was in charge of one of the gunboat divisions and had already been cited for bravery. The heavily inflicted damage did not lead to peace, though, and more drastic action was proposed. The strategy was to send “a bomb ship” into the harbor at night, get in close proximity of the Pasha’s castle and blow up the main continents of the enemy fleet. Possibly Somers’ suggestion, he and the12 man crew of the (captured) Mastico got the call. Renamed the Intrepid, the mission date was September 4, 1804, and as the floating bomb approached the harbor, it suddenly exploded. No one knows for sure what happened, but some historians suggest that the problem began when the Intrepid ran aground the rocks about 500 yards from the target. It was sighted and boarded, and a 15 minute fuse would have failed the mission. So possibly refusing to be taken alive, Somers set the explosion off himself.

Rats!!!

In the 1950s, Bernie Wiggins leased a ravine near Route 100 and that served as the garbage dump for Northern Westchester and Putnam County. But when ownership changed hands, Wiggins lost control and the dump closed. The headlines did not proclaim the closing, though, Instead, the bold print read, RATS INVADE SOMERS. The refuge no longer available, the rodents lost their food supply, and they literally took off for greener pastures. The Somers countryside, and showing up at many a home, the most disturbing account came from school principal, Web O’Keefe. He left work late and witnessed thousands of the creatures making their way along the highway. Kids, on the other hand, made the best of the scourge. They would gather and take target practice with their .22 caliber rifles. But the problem was solved by dropping garbage back at the dump, and the rats returned. Once there, they were hit with poison and the dump remained open.

On Scent

Guerlain is a French Company that began making perfume in the late 19th century, and Somers would become a branch office in 1967. The negotiation east was handled by Dr. Frank Chilson, who lived in the Stone House on Route 100. He had developed numerous pharmaceutical and cosmetic plants throughout the world and originally Mahopac Avenue was the desired location. The proposal fell through, and Route 138 got the nod. There the factory conjures the raw materials from France and bottles them for all parts USA.

More Somers History

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 7