Diana Rapalje, a daughter of Garrett Rapalje, was one of the prominent figures in the village, formerly a "favorite in Presidential circles at Washington, and latterly an eccentric of haughty bearing." Her house was bought by Colonel Alden Spooner, who printed the "Star" under its roof. Near the ferry stairs was the house of William Furman, overseer of the poor, who was one of the founders of the Catherine Street Ferry, and served as the first judge of the county between 1808 and 1823. He served in the state Legislature, and filled other important commercial and political offices. His son, Gabriel Furman, was the author of the "Notes" on the antiquities of Long Island, which have been so useful to later writers. At Birdsall tavern, on the Fulton Road, people bought the New York papers, and Quakers made it a stopping-place. Near at hand was the house of Henry Dawson, who ran the "sixpenny boats." In a low stone house lived "the gentlemen Hicks," and in the same region to the south were "Milk" Hicks and "Spetler" Hicks, other prominent members of a family whose name is closely associated with the early history of the Heights. Here also were the Middagh and Pierrepont properties, which were greatly improved by a street plan originated by Hezekiah Pierrepont. On the Middagh estate was a house built by Thomas Kirk for a home and printing-office, and afterward occupied by George L. Bird, the editor of the "Patriot." To this house, too, came James Harper, the grandfather of the distinguished publishers, Harper and Brothers. [Illustration: GUY'S SNOW SCENE IN BROOKLYN, 1820] John Doughty occupied the house formerly owned by Diana Rapalje. Doughty was intimately connected with Brooklyn's village life, as fireman, assessor, town clerk, overseer of highways, president of the fire department, school-committee-man, and collector of the village. A picturesque figure was Jacob Patchen, a pungent, unmanageable man, conspicuous in the village life by his obstinacy and determination. Over the wheelwright shop of George Smith, opposite the lower corner of Hicks Street, was the court-room of Judge Garrison. Garrison was born at Gravesend in 1764. He served as fireman, trustee, school commissioner, and justice. Joralemon's Lane was a rough country road, at the foot of which had been Pierrepont's Anchor gin distillery, which was converted about 1819 into a candle-factory, and again became a distillery. The road had been laid out by Peter Remsen and Philip Livingston. The site of the present City Hall was then an open field, while the site of the county court house was occupied by a famous resort known as the Military Garden.