Settlement began in 1719  on land bought from Indians 40 years earlier -  an area once called New  Castle Corners, now  Leonards Park. The Kisco River (the  name comes from the Indian "seesque" or  "muddy place", attesting to early marshes  that caused drainage problems) flows  through the village. The village, in the  Towns of Bedford and New Castle, was  incorporated in 1875. In 1978, it became  a village/ town, governed primarily as a  village. With the railroads in 1847 came  wealthy summer people who wanted  entertainment. A roller rink on Maple Street was converted to an opera house and an armory was expanded for roller  skating, social balls and plays. From the  mid-20's to the 60's the Lawrence Farms  Playhouse presented summer stock in a  large barn. The performers included  Mildred Natwick and Burl Ives, and the stage manager was Henry Fonda. With its  small-town  feel and  neo-colonial buildings, Mount Kisco could be called  quaint, but it is not so much its quaintness  as its shopping that draws peopIe from  all over northern Westchester. Downtown  boasts a central business district with shops, restaurants and a five-screen movie theater.