In the late 1600’s, families soon became identified with certain localities. Washington Irving speaks of the Van Cortlandts of Groatan, or Croton Point, and the Van Grols of Anthony’s Nose. His account of the naming of the latter promontory in honor of Anthony Van Corlear, the town trumpeter of New Amsterdam (New York), is given in his Knickerbocker History of New York. No other reason having been discovered for the title in question we publish his account of the christening with the sole remark "interesting if true."
"It must be known that the nose of Anthony Van Corlear was of very lusty size, strutting boldly from his countenance like a mountain of Galconda, being sumptuously bedecked with rubies and other precious stones, -- the true regalia of a king of good fellows, which jolly Bacchus grants to all who bouse it heartily at the flagon. Now thus it happened, that bright and early in the morning the good Anthony, having washed his burly visage, was leaning over the quarter railing of the galley, contemplating it in the glassy wave below. Just at this moment the illustrious sun, breaking in all its splendor from behind a high bluff of the highlands, did dart one of his most potent beams full on the refulgent nose of the sounder of brass -- the reflection of which shot straightway down, hissing hot, into the water, and killed a mighty sturgeon that was sporting beside the vessel! This huge monster, being with infinite labor hoisted on board, furnished a luxurious repast to all the crew, being accounted of excellent flavor, excepting around the wound, where it smacked a little of brimstone; and this, on my veracity, was the first time sturgeon was eaten in these parts by Christian people. When this astonishing miricle came to be known to Peter Styvestant, and that he tasted of the unknown fish, he, as may well be supposed, marvelled exceedingly, and as a monument thereof, he gave the name Anthony’s Nose to a stout promontory in the neighborhood; and it has continued to be called Anthony’s Nose ever since that time."
The above information was extracted an article by LTC William R. Wright in the March 1925 issue of The New York National Guardsman magazine.