' s ▁farm ▁at ▁Ho eb uck " ▁was ▁bought ▁at ▁au ction ▁by ▁Colonel ▁John ▁Stevens ▁for ▁£ 1 8 , 3 6 0 ▁( then ▁$ 9 0 , 0 0 0 ). ▁▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁Colonel ▁John ▁Stevens ▁developed ▁the ▁water front ▁as ▁a ▁resort ▁for ▁Manh attan ites . ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 8 1 1 , ▁Stevens ' ▁ship ▁the ▁Jul iana , ▁began ▁to ▁operate ▁as ▁a ▁fer ry ▁between ▁Manh attan ▁and ▁Hob oken , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁commercial ▁steam ▁fer ry . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 5 , ▁he ▁designed ▁and ▁built ▁a ▁steam ▁locomot ive ▁capable ▁of ▁ha uling ▁several ▁passenger ▁cars ▁at ▁his ▁estate . ▁Sy bil ' s ▁C ave , ▁a ▁cave ▁with ▁a ▁natural ▁spring , ▁was ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 2 ▁and ▁visitors ▁came ▁to ▁pay ▁a ▁pen ny ▁for ▁a ▁glass ▁of ▁water ▁from ▁the ▁cave ▁which ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁medic inal ▁powers . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 1 , ▁the ▁cave ▁became ▁a ▁legend , ▁when ▁Ed gar ▁All an ▁Po e ▁wrote ▁" The ▁Myst ery ▁of ▁Marie ▁Rog et " ▁about ▁an ▁event ▁that ▁took ▁place ▁there . ▁The ▁cave ▁was ▁closed ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁after ▁the ▁water ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁cont amin ated , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁shut ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁