LITTLE BRITAIN—A map from an article by Donald F

LITTLE BRITAIN—A map from an article by Donald F. Fisher on "Prehistoric Mammals of New York" in the NEW YORK STATE CONSERVATIONIST February 1955 shows that more mastodons have been found in Orange County than in any other part of the state. They were huge beasts standing eleven feet high at the shoulders and twenty-three feet long. Some scientists say they roamed these parts 100,000 years ago, but others of equal repute say they were here about 500 years ago. Since Indian implements have been found near some skeletons, and the undigested contents of the stomach have been found between the ribs in some, and a mass of rough brown hair near one, the more recent date is acceptable. Frederic A. Lucas who was curator of the American Museum of Natural History of New York, 1911-1929, considered them contemporary with man and wrote in his ANIMALS OF THE PAST, 1922, "The best preserved specimens come from Ulster and Orange Counties, New York, for these seem to have furnished the animal with the best facilities for getting mired."

The first pastor of the Little Britain Church was Rev. Robert Annan. He was pastor at the same time of the Neeleytown church, and lived west of Neeleytown on what is now route 416. A mastodon was found on his farm in 1780. This was the first of the Orange County mastodons. He was pastor at Little Britain 1768-1783 and went from here to Boston. While in Boston he wrote an article dated 1785 and published in the MEMOIRS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES vol. 2, 1793, with the title "Account of a Large

Animal Found near Hudson’s River by the Rev. Mr. Robert Annan." He wrote this preface: ‘The following Narration was drawn up soon after the discovery therein mentioned was made. But my removal from the State of New York to this town had so deranged my papers, that, for a long time, I was afraid it had been lost. If you think it worthy a place in your curious collections, it is at your service.’

His article says that a young man whom he had employed to drain a swamp on his farm "digged up the remains of a very surprising animal without taking notice of any thing except the grinders. The bones were become so soft that the spade cut them almost as easily as the clay…and being a stranger to contemplation he took no further notice of the matter…Within a day or two after, I went out to see the work and discovered the grinders. I brought them home, ordered them to be washed; and, placing them in the order in which I fancied them to have stood in the animals jaw, sat down astonished…I sent for a gentleman in the neighborhood…He was as much astonished as myself." Mr. Annan described digging for and finding more bones, but all in poor condition. "Doctor Michealis, physician general of the Hessian troops, who, with some other gentlemen, came to my house, after the peace, and before New York was evacuated, said he could not think it had been an elephant as being in his opinion much larger. He carried some of the bones to Germany with him. Others were sent to the museum in Philadelphia, kept by Mr. Semittien, and some were destroyed by careless country people whilst I was abroad…His Excellency, General Washington, came to my house to see these relics…I shall conclude this narrative with the devout and rapturous exclamation of the Psalmist, ‘Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty!’"

In 1845, the best of the mastodons was found on the Brewster farm on the Turnpike in Coldenham. This was acquired by Dr. Warren of Boston. He wrote a book about it with descriptions of each part and with many illustrations. This book can be seen in Newburgh Free Library. After Dr. Warren’s death, his mastodon was bought by the American Museum of Natural History, New York where it is now on exhibit.

In 1921, a mastodon was found a little west of Temple Hill on the farm of Anthony Fochers. This one is in the State Museum at Albany. Mr. Donald W. Fisher wrote of it, "This skeleton is exceeded in size and completeness by only one other, the Warren mastodon, also found in Orange County." He mentioned several other mastodons in his article, but made no reference to the Kelly mastodon, which has been quite forgotten.

In the 1950’s a splendid one was found near Harriman. This one is on exhibit at Museum Village, Monroe.

Do you want to dig for a mastodon? We have been told that Mr. Giacamelli found a few mastodon parts on his land. This is the farm across the meadow from the Little Britain church, a part of the same swale that extends from Hugh Kelly’s farm north to the Brewster farm in Coldenham. Doubtless, the rest of the skeleton is waiting for some one to dig for it.

In 1879, Little Britain had the excitement of finding a mastodon in good condition and almost complete. It was found on the Hugh Kelly farm, recently owned by Arthur Vinton. The NEWBURGH DAILY JOURNAL of July 7, 1879 contained the following, "Mr. Hugh Kelly owns a farm of 108 acres at Little Britain, Town of New Windsor, adjoining that of Mr. J. W. Morrison…Through this farm runs a swamp of from 100 to 200 feet wide, which at this season of the year is comparatively dry. On Saturday afternoon Mr. Kelly’s two boys, William and James, were digging a ditch through this swamp…The boys in the course of their digging found, about two feet below the surface a large bone which they threw aside, having no idea that it was of any importance."

Later, on their way to go swimming, they happened to meet Mr. R. Wallace Genung and told him about the bone. He persuaded the boys to take him to the spot. He decided the bone was part of the skeleton of a mastodon. He stuck his cane in the much and it struck hard objects. Neighbors were told and were interested enough to help dig. News of the find soon reached the JOURNAQL and a reporter went out. Three men were digging. As each bone was found it was cleaned and taken to Mr. Morrison’s barn for safekeeping. The reporter went there with Mr. Genung, who made these measurements: "The skull is 45 inches long, 28 inches wide and 29 inches high. Distance between the eyes 23 ¼ inches. In the center of the forehead is a hole 11 by 4 inches for the muscular attachments of the trunk. The ear orifices are 12 by 18 inches. The sockets of the tusks are 6 inches in diameter and 2 feet deep. The eye sockets are 7 inches in diameter.

"The teeth were found firmly imbedded in each jaw and in an excellent state of preservation. The enamel is of a bluish tint and unbroken. They comprise eight large grinders, well back in the jaws, 7 by 3 ¾ inches and four others…The forelegs…7 feet in lengthy. The upper bone of the foreleg is 33 inches in length. It is supposed the animal stood about 12 feet high." Many more measurements are given.

The NEWBURGH DAILY JOURNAL of July 9, 1879 reported: "The skeleton of the mastodon found on Hugh Kelly’s farm is not yet complete. No digging has been done since Monday, the springs that were opened that day keeping the excavation filled with water. Mr. R. Wallace Genung, who has taken general charge of affairs was principally occupied today in preparing the bones so far recovered for exhibition. They were taken from Mr. Morrison’s and carried over to Hugh Kelly’s barn this morning. This is only reached by a long lane and is not as easy of access as Mr. Morrison’s, but a sign has already been put up at the entrance to the land. This sign is as follows: KELLY’S MASTODON.

When you reach the barn you find the bones arranged on the floor, with the exception of the massive head, which is set up on the improvised bench, two or three feet from the floor. It costs twenty five cents to get into the barn."

This writer’s father used to say it was Hugh Kelly’s best crop that summer.

The NEWBURGH DAILY JOURNAL of July 14, 1879 had a long article on mastodons in general and then said regarding the digging on the Kelly farm, "Just at present they are too busy gathering in the quarters to do much for science. The little room in a barn where the bones are on exhibition, though never crowded, often has a dozen people in it, and as they are coming and going all the time, the daily receipts must reach quite a respectable figure. Mr. Genung has constituted himself showman, and points out the beauties of the specimen in a very enthusiastic and often amusing fashion…It goes without saying that the market for mastodons is limited and by no means active, and that neither the supply nor the demand is very great."

But what became of it? Two of Hugh Kelly’s granddaughters saw it in the American Museum of Natural History in New York over fifty years ago and knew it was the Kelly mastodon. Another person says she too saw it and it was labeled Kelly mastodon. Yet the Museum has no record of Hugh Kelly. However it is identified by the date, 1879, and by the place of discovery, Little Britain.

The search was complicated by the mastodon’s change of name from Kelly to Whitfield. The following is from Dr. Henry Fairfield Osborn’s book PROBOSCIDEA: "This skeleton was discovered in 1879 near the town of Little Britain, about nine miles south of Newburgh, N.Y. (It is seven miles west). It was imbedded in peaty material on the edge of what had been less than fifty years before an open pond; the pond had been drained and was under cultivation at the time of discovery. In course of further drainage work, following the wet season of 1879, at a depth of fourteen inches, an apparent log was reached, which proved to be the leg bone of an animal. This induced the farmer to search for other bones, and in a few days, more than one-third of the skeleton has been exhumed, including the head and lower jaws. Three weeks later Professor R. P. Whitfield, first Curator of Geology in the American Museum of Natural History, visited the excavation at the request of Major T. B. Brooks of Newburgh. Dr. Whitfield at that time regarded it as the most perfect of the mounted skeletons then known with the exception of the famous Warren mastodon."

Major Brooks was a geologist of note and had moved to the Newburgh area in 1877. The fact that Dr. Whitfield visited the Kelly farm within three weeks leads us to think he purchased the mastodon for the American Museum. Just when it was taken to New York is not known. The Museum’s records are faulty. It is thought that Mr. Kelly exhibited it for a time. The Museum sold the mastodon in 1910 and had then exhibited it for thirty years, so Dr. Whitfield must have secured it quite soon.

Perhaps the Kelly mastodon changed its name to Whitfield in 1900. When found it was not quite complete. In 1900 a mastodon at the American Museum of Natural History was reconstructed by Mr. E. N. Gueret of Wards Natural Science Establishment. Dr. D. L. Gamble, Board Chairman of that establishment very kindly did considerable searching for information about the Kelly mastodon. He sent photocopies of two letters signed by Henry F. Osborn, written in 1900, commending Mr. Gueret’s work. It must have been the Kelly mastodon that he worked on, completing it with tusks found in Illinois and a few bones found in Oregon, and by reconstructing a few parts. So, the mastodon being now slightly a composite, and not all Kelly, may have been given the name Whitfield at that time. This explanation fits in with Dr. Whitfield’s visiting the Kelly farm soon after the mastodon was found, and with its being in the American Museum of Natural History for thirty years.

But is it the correct explanation? Dr. Gamble of Wards Natural Science Establishment quoted their Bulletins of 1881 to 1884, "In the Quaternary numerous remains of Proboscedeans (Elephas and Mastodon) consisting of bones and teeth and including the skeleton of mastodon giganteus found near Newburg, N.Y. in 1879." This seems to mean they had the Kelly mastodon for sale up to 1884. And Dr. Tedford of the American Museum of Natural History wrote that they bought a skeleton from Ward and Howell’s Natural Science Establishment in 1887, probably the Whitfield mastodon. If so, the mastodon was not in the American Museum for thirty years. Some think that Hugh Kelly exhibited it several years.

When Dr. Warren died, the American Museum was able to buy the mastodon long known as the Warren mastodon. J. P. Morgan provided the money for this purchase. Then they no longer needed the Kelly-Whitfield mastodon. It was bought by two German men, J. Langeloth and J. H. Schiff in July 1910 for $2500. They gave it to the Senckenberg Naturmuseum in Frankfurt, Germany. Through the kindness of Dr. Richard Bott and Dr. S. Rielschel of the Senckenberg Museum and Mr. Joachim Mueller who went to them with many questions, the Kelly mastodon has been found. From their letters and from a publication of 1911 which gives a picture of our Little Britain mastodon and information about their securing it, identification is made sure. They claim it was in the New York Museum for thirty years before they received it. We are grateful to these people for their interest and help.

The Little Britain mastodon was stored away for protection during the war, and was not harmed. It is still in a room with many other specimens. The Senckenberg Museum is to celebrate its 150th year this fall, and once more the Little Britain mastodon will be exhibited.

Among others who have helped in this search are Dr. Donald W. Fisher of the New York State Museum and Science Service in Albany, and Miss Charlotte Horton and Dr. Richard H. Tedford of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Thank you, all of you, very much.

‘Big’ Little Britain’s earliest citizen was indeed a big one.

 

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Created by Elizabeth Finley Frasier

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February 9, 2004