USA > New York > Westchester County > Manual of Westchester county.Past and present. Civil list to date 1898 > Part 2
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The County's Representatives in Congress,
Representatives in Congress, who are elected by districts, must have been seven years citizens of the United States, and have reached the age of twenty-five years. Congress appor- tions the representation among the several States. This ap- portionment is made after each census, which the Constitution of the United States directs shall be taken every ten years, in years ending with a cipher. The Legislatures, after each of said apportionments, divide their States into Congressional Districts.
Under acts of 1789 and 1792, Westchester county united with other counties in the election of representatives to the 1st, 2d, 3d and 4th Congresses.
By the act of March 23, 1797, districts were first formed and numbered. Westchester county, the Seventh Ward of New York city and the towns of Haverstraw, Clarkstown, Hemp- stead and Orangetown, then of Orange county, later forming what is now Rockland county, were made to compose the Third Congressional District.
The act of March 30, 1802, made Westchester and Rockland counties the Fourth Congressional District. This arrangement continued until the year 1808, when the act of March 8, of that year, put Westchester and Orange counties together to form the Third Congressional District.
The act of June 10, 1812, again associated the counties of Westchester and Rockland in the Third District.
Putnam and Westchester counties, were by an act of April 17, 1822, made the Fourth Congressional District. The act of June 29, 1832, continued this assignment.
By an act of September 6, 1842, Westchester and Rockland counties were made the Seventh Congressional District.
The act of July 19, 1851, and the act of April 23, 1862, com- bined Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties in one dis- trict, the first act making it the ninth district and the second act designating it the 10th district.
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
Westchester county alone, composed the 12th Congressional District, under the act of June 18,1873.
By the act of May 16, 1883, the county of Westchester and that part of Westchester county recently annexed to New York city, and composing the 24th Assembly District, was made to form the 14th Congressional District.
The act of April 13, 1892, constituted the county of West- chester and the 37th to 65th election districts of the 34th As- sembly District; 18th to 59th election districts of the 35th As- sembly District; 1st to 11th election districts, annex of the county of New York, the 16th Congressional District.
The following are the names of the persons representing the county and the years in which they served as such represen- tatives:
Philip Van Cortlandt, from 1789 to 1809, 1811 to 1813.
Jonathan Fisk, 1809 to 1811.
Peter Denoyelles, 1813-15.
Jonathan Ward, 1815-17.
Caleb Tompkins, 1817-21.
Jeremiah H. Pierson, 1821-23.
Joel Frost, 1823-25.
Aaron Ward, 1825-26-27-28-29-32-33-34-35-36-37-42-43.
Henry B. Cowles, 1829-31.
Gouverneur Kemble, 1837-41.
Joseph H. Anderson, 1843-47.
William Nelson, 1847-51.
Abram P. Stevens, 1851-53.
Jared V. Peck, 1853-55.
Bayard Clark, 1855-57.
John B. Haskin, 1857-61.
Edward Haight, 1861-63.
William Radford, 1863 to 1867.
William H. Robertson, 1867-69.
Clarkson N. Potter, 1869 to 1875, 1877-79.
N. Holmes Odell, 1875-77.
Alexander Smith was elected to the 56th Congress, 1879, but died at his home in Yonkers on the evening of election, a few minutes after his success had been announced to him.
Waldo Hutchins, 1880-84.
William G. Stahlnecker, 1885-92.
William Ryan, 1893-4.
Ben L. Fairchild, 1895-6.
William L. Ward, 1897-8.
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
Presidential Electors.
In this State, Presidential Electors were originally appointed by the Legislature, under act passed April 12, 1792. By this act the Southern District, of which Westchester county was a part, was allowed four and the other districts three electors each. The Electoral College meets every four years; prior to 1812 it met at several different places; in the latter year an act was passed fixing Albany as the permanent place of meeting. In 1825 the people of the State, by vote, decided to choose elec- tors by districts; but they were chosen by districts at only one election. In 1829 the Legislature adopted the general ticket system now in vogue. On the general ticket one per- son is elected from each Congressional District, and two to represent the State at large. The Federal Constitution pro- vides that the President of the United States shall be chosen by electors appointed in such a manner as the Legislature of the respective States shall direct, the number to be equal to their number of Senators and Representatives in Congress. Attempts have been made to change the mode of selecting a. President and Vice-President, to have them chosen by the di- rect vote of the people; though such attempts have failed, the agitation has had the effect of exhibiting a strong sentiment in favor of the proposition.
Electors must be chosen within thirty-four days before the first Wednesday of December, in every fourth year. In this State, electors are chosen at the general election held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The Electoral College must meet at the State Capitol, in Albany, on the first Wednesday of December; vote for President and Vice-Presi- dent, make a certified list thereof and forward same under seal, by special messenger, to the President of the United States Senate, who opens and announces the result, in the presence of both houses of Congress. The Congressional District, of which Westchester county was and is a part, or a whole, has been rep- resented in the Electoral College, from time to time, by the following named:
Stephen Ward, Eastchester, in 1792
Lewis Morris, 3d, Westchester. 1796
Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr., Cortlandt. 1800
John Herring, Rockland County 1804
Ebenezer White, Yorktown 1808
Philip Van Cortlandt, Cortlandt. 1812
Peter S. Van Orden, Rockland County 1816
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
Jacob Odell, Tarrytown 1820, 1828
James Drake, Peekskill 1824
Abraham Miller, Westchester 1832
Jeremiah Anderson, Harrison
1836
Pierre Van Cortlandt, Cortlandt 1840
Daniel Johnson, Rockland County 1844
George Benson, Rockland County
1848
Edward Suffern, Rockland County
1852
Jared V. Peck, Rye 1856
William H. Robertson, Bedford.
1860
Alexander Davidson, Rockland County . 1864
George B. Pentz, Yonkers. 1868
1872
Jordan L. Mott, Morrisania.
1876
John B. Trevor, Yonkers. 1880
John Hunter, Westchester. 1884
1888
Martin J. Keogh, New Rochelle 1892
William L. Ward, Port Chester
1896
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN THE COUNTY.
The vote given for the Electoral ticket of each of the two principal political parties, commencing with the year 1828, has been as follows in Westchester county:
Year. Candidates for President. Political Party. Votes Cast. 1828
Andrew Jackson,
Democrat,
3,788
John Quincy Adams,
Whig, 3,153
1832
Andrew Jackson,
Democrat,
3,133
Henry Clay,
Whig,
2,293
1836
Martin Van Buren,
Democrat,
3,009
William H. Harrison
Whig,
1,749
1840
Martin Van Buren,
Democrat,
4,354
William H. Harrison,
Whig,
4,083
1844
James K. Polk,
Democrat,
4,412
Henry Clay,
Whig,
4,258
1848
Lewis Cass,
Democrat,
2,146
Zachary Taylor,
Whig,
4,312
Martin Van Buren,
Free Soil,
1,312
1852
Franklin Pierce,
Democrat,
5,283
Winfield Scott,
Whig,
4,033
1856
James Buchanan,
Democrat,
4,600
Millard Fillmore,
Whig,
4,450
John C. Fremont,
Republican,
3,641
David D. Smith, Rockland County
J. Thomas Stearns, Morrisania
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
1860
Stephen A. Douglas, John Bell, and John C.
Breckenridge,
Union,
8,100
Abraham Lincoln,
Republican,
6,771
1864
George B. McClellan,
Democrat,
9,353
Abraham Lincoln,
Republican,
7,593
1868
Horatio Seymour,
Democrat,
11,667
Ulysses S. Grant,
Republican,
9,641
1872
Horace Greeley,
Democrat,
11,112
Ulysses S. Grant,
Republican,
10,223
1876
Samuel Tilden,
Democrat,
12,050
1880
Winfield S. Hancock,
Democrat,
11,858
James A. Garfield,
Republican,
11,367
1884
Grover Cleveland,
Democrat,
12,524
James G. Blaine,
Republican,
11,286
1888
Grover Cleveland
Democrat,
14,948
1892
Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland,
Democrat,
16,091
Benjamin Harrison,
Republican,
13,456
William McKinley,
Republican,
19,357
William J. Bryan,
Democrat,
11,770
John M. Palmer,
Gold Democrat,
650
Republican,
13,779
1896
Rutherford B. Hayes,
Republican,
9,547
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
HOW WESTCHESTER IS NEW YORK'S BENEFACTOR.
The first step toward securing a public water supply for New York city was taken on July 11, 1658, when a public well was dug in front of the old fort, which was situated just south of the present Bowling Green in that city. In 1677 other wells were located in different sections in the lower part of what is now the city. As the population increased, the well water be- came polluted by organic matter, and insufficient in quantity for the growing wants of the community and the citizens sought more ample sources of supply. In 1774, when the city's popu- lation was 22,000, Christopher Colles made to the Common Council a proposition providing for the construction of a water works; to erect a large reservoir on Manhattan Island, into which water was to be pumped by means of a steam engine, and to distribute the water from the reservoir by pipes laid in the streets. Mr. Colles' proposal was accepted and in 1776 the works were put in operation; the water was conveyed to consumers through hollow logs laid in the principal streets. During the Revolution the project was abandoned, and the agi- tation for a water supply was not revived until 1785; then various plans were suggested; in the mean time water was being secured from wells. In 1798, the Bronx River, in West- chester county, was strongly recommended as a proper source of the water supply of the city. Although this river was seri- ously considered and advocated by prominent engineers, who were confident that it could be depended upon, even in the driest seasons, to furnish an ample quantity of pure water by gravity alone, it did not appear to fill all requirements. Even the proposed addition of the Rye ponds, the Byram River and the Saw Mill River, also in the county, as tributaries, did not secure the selection of the Bronx. Then followed the trial of all kinds of schemes for supplying the city with water, to bring it from New Jersey, Connecticut and elsewhere, and the cun- ning politician did not fail to make good use of the city's ne- cessity as a means of putting money in his purse.
In 1799 a bill was submitted to the Legislature by the New York Common Council having for its object the granting to that city the necessary powers for constructing water works. The bill was opposed by Aaron Burr, who was a member of Assembly, and other influential citizens, who wished to take advantage of the situation and advance a scheme of their own. This strong opposition compelled the Common Council to pass a resolution requesting the Legislature to make such laws as might be deemed proper for accomplishing the introduction
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
of an ample water supply and the improvement of the sani- tary condition of the city. This action of the Council was what Aaron Burr and his friends desired to enable them to carry through their scheme, which was to obtain a charter for a new bank. At that time there were only two institutions of this character in the city, viz., the Bank of New York and a branch of the United States Bank; both were under control of the Federalists, and it was charged that they were influenced in making discounts, to a considerable degree, by politics. In the interests of his political adherents, Burr determined to establish a bank. The opposition of the Federalists in the Legislature, and the great prejudice against banks which ex- isted at the time, made it almost impossible to obtain a charter for a new bank. Burr conceived the idea of obtaining a per- petual charter for a bank, disguised as a water company, and accomplished his purpose by an adroit use of the pressing need of a better water-supply, and by hoodwinking his politi- cal opponents. As the result of Burr's labors, the Legislature, on April 2, 1799, incorporated the Manhattan Company, (known now as the Manhattan Bank,) under, "An act for supplying the city of New York with pure and wholesome water." The capital stock of the company was not to exceed two million dollars divided into shares of fifty dollars each. The City of New York was permitted to subscribe for two thousand shares of the capital stock and availed itself of this privilege. The water was to be introduced into the city within ten years of the passage of the act. The eighth clause of the charter, which attracted but little attention at the time, was in fact the most important one. This clause reads, "and be it further enacted that it shall and may be lawful for the said company to em- ploy all such surplus capital as may belong or accrue to the said company in the purchase of public or other stock, or in any other moneyed transactions or operations not inconsistent with the constitution and laws of this State, or of the United States, for the sole benefit of the said company." Taking ad- vantage of powers thus bestowed, the Manhattan Company im- mediately established a bank, the principal design of the in- corporators, and did no more toward introducing water than was necessary to maintain the charter.
In December, 1831, it looked as if the New York Common Council would decide that the source which united the most advantages was the Bronx River, when Cyrus Swan, President of the New York and Sharon Canal Company, addressed a com- munication to the Council, in which he claimed that, "a supply which shall be adequate to the present and future wants of the
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
city" could only be obtained from the Croton River. Col. De Witt Clinton was the first eminent engineer who recommended the Croton River as the proper source of the water supply of New York, and outlined the plans of an aqueduct from the Cro- ton Valley to New York city; this he did in a report submitted to the Common Council December 22, 1832. In that report he said, "In the Croton River, at Pine's Bridge, there is never less than 20,000,000 gallons of water passing in every twenty-four hours. The river at this point is therefore capable of supply- ing one million of people, allowing a consumption of twenty gallons to each person. This supply can be augmented by con- structing reservoirs; that one reservoir could be constructed, which would supply more than seven millions of gallons per day, within a few miles of Pine's Bridge. But if it were ne- cessary, more than seven thousand acres could be ponded, and the water raised from six to sixteen feet on it; and also other supplies could be obtained, as I have before stated alluding to the Sharon Canal route and the east branch of the Croton River. The supply may therefore be considered as inexhaus- tible, as it is not at all probable that the city will ever require more than it can provide."
The report of D. B. Douglass, Chief Engineer, acting under the City Water Commissioners, made November 1, 1833, in- fluenced the authorities to decide that the only proper source of water supply for the city of New York, within a reasonable distance, was the Croton River. On May 2, 1834, the Legis- lature passed an act authorizing the city to raise, by selling bonds, $2,500,000 for constructing the water works. At an election held in the city on the 14th, 15th and 16th of April, 1835, citizens voted in favor of constructing the aqueduct, etc. The city began in July, of the same year, the work of con- struction.
Owners of land adjacent to the Croton River, were opposed to what they termed the confiscation of their property, land ne- cessary to be acquired for the purpose in hand. They deter- mined to stand together, and if possible, fight off the alleged invaders, who would take their property by condemnation pro- ceedings. They held public indignation meetings and sent memorials to the Legislature. To appease the property own- ers, the Legislature, on May 25, 1836, passed an act which pro· vided that the city of New York could only acquire, in con- nection with the aqueduct, such lands as were absolutely needed for the purposes of introducing water into the city of New York; that the city should erect and maintain convenient passes across or under the aqueduct, wherever the aqueduct
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
should pass through a piece of land belonging to one or more individuals; and that the city should erect and maintain fences along the aqueduct where needed. This act did not have the desired effect of conciliating the rebellious land owners, and at a public meeting held at Tarrytown, in June, the latter de- cided to test the constitutionality of the laws under which the property required for the aqueduct was to be condemned. This opposition finally resulted in the city of New York having to obtain the needed property by appraisement.
Ground for the Croton Aqueduct was broken in May, 1837. The work was to be completed within three years' time. Dur- ing 1839, 3,000 to 4,000 laborers were employed on the line of work. By the end of 1839, only 14 miles of 41 miles of the aqueduct and pipe-line from Croton Lake to the distributing reservoir remained unfinished. Several strikes for higher wages occurred among the laborers, which greatly retarded the progress of the work; during a strike, which occurred in April, 1838, the laborers while drunk engaged in a desperate fight, killing one of their number and wounding many others; in April, 1840, the militia had to be called out to suppress rioting of a serious nature which had been started by strikers intent on destroying property, if not the lives of those in charge of the work of construction. On January 8, 1841, a great freshet occurred, which caused the destruction of the new Croton Aqueduct Dam and the loss of life. An unusually heavy rain storm had lasted over one week with but little intermission, the eighteen inches of snow, that lay upon the ground previous to the rain storm, melted and contributed to help swell and over- run the Croton River; the pressure of the heavy body of water proved too much for the dam; when the break came, the mad waters rushed down its course with a force so resistless that the freshet carried destruction to all that came in its path, tearing up earth, stones and trees, sweeping away bridges, turning over and hurrying along in wreck, dwelling houses, factories, mills, etc .; a previous warning of impending danger saved the lives of many people residing below the dam on the banks of the Croton, the men who perished by drowning were several who tarried too long in their desire to save all property possible. The damage sustained by property owners, owing to this freshet, was estimated at two hundred thousand dollars. the damage done to the dam was announced at about forty thousand dollars. The dam was shortly after rebuilt.
On June 8 and 9, 1842, the Aqueduct Commissioners and their engineers made a final inspection of the work, walking through the conduit from Croton Lake to the Harlem River, a distance
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
of thirty-three miles. On June 22, at 5 a. m., 18 inches of water was admitted into the aqueduct. On June 27, at 4 p. m., water was admitted into the north division of the receiving reservoir; the Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Mayor and other distinguished personages were present, a salute of thirty-eight guns was fired, etc. On July 4, at 5. a. m., water was admitted into the distributing reservoir. On October 14, 1842, the introduction of water into New York city was cele- brated by a grand military and civic procession, in which many thousands of people took part. The total cost of the construc- tion of the old Croton Aqueduct, including land, interest on water stock, etc., amounted to $11,452,619.61. This sum in- cludes the cost of High Bridge, which was not completed until November, 1848.
The necessity of providing a new aqueduct was recognized by the New York city authorities as early as 1875. It was be- lieved that the danger of an interruption of the water supply threatened the city on account of the alleged bad condition of the old aqueduct at certain points. Also, it was asserted, that the city was suffering from a scarcity of water, while millions of gallons were running to waste over the Croton Dam. Isaac Newton, Chief Engineer of the Croton Aqueduct, in a report dated April 11, 1881, recommended that the work of building a new aqueduct from the Croton Valley, be commenced at once. The Legislature, on June 1, 1883, passed an act authorizing the construction of a new aqueduct, dam, etc., and the appoint- ment of commissioners, etc. The Aqueduct Commissioners modified the original plans so that the location of the aqueduct from its inlet to Yonkers was changed from a line commencing at the proposed Quaker Bridge Dam and following the Hudson River, to an inner line beginning at Croton Lake and follow- ing the valley of the Saw Mill River, to make it possible to draw water from the present Croton Lake through the new aqueduct, and to avoid the large outlay for land damages which would result in attempts to acquire valuable property along the Hudson River.
The construction of the new aqueduct was commenced in January, 1885; by July 15, 1890, the work was sufficiently ad- vanced to admit a flow of water through the new aqueduct from Croton Lake to the Central Park reservoir, and on June 24, 1891, the aqueduct completed was turned over to the De- partment of Public Works of New York city. The work of con- structing a reservoir on the east branch of the Croton River was commenced in 1888; the Sodom storage basin was com-
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
pleted July 25, 1891, the Bog Brook basin, March 25, 1892. On February 18, 1890, a contract was awarded for a reservoir on the Titicus River, near Purdy's, and its completion was an- nounced January 1, 1895; on September 19, 1890, a contract for a reservoir on the west branch of the Croton, near Carmel, was awarded, and was completed in 1896. The construction of a large reservoir on the lower Croton was decided upon January 22, 1891; the contract for the new Croton Dam, which is to form this reservoir and which is located in the town of Cortlandt and about one and a quarter miles above the site at the Quaker Bridge proposed originally, was given out August 26, 1892. When these new reservoirs, together with the reservoir being constructed on the Muscott River, near Amawalk, are com- pleted, the capacity of the reservoirs in the Croton watershed will be about 73,000,000,000 U. S. gallons, and insure a daily supply of about 300,000,000 gallons, whereas, in 1883, the total capacity amounted to 7,000,000,000 gallons.
The total cost of the new reservoirs, aqueduct, four waste- weirs and everything required for delivering the water in New York city, was, in 1882, estimated at $14,460,640, not including land or land damages; $4,000,000 of this amount being allowed for the cost of constructing the Quaker Bridge dam and reser- voir. Up to 1896 the total amount expended for construction, land, salaries, etc., was $29,255,576.25.
During the construction of the new aqueduct, and up to Jan- uary 1, 1895, ninety-two lives were lost and one hundred and fifty-five persons were injured; nine men were killed and three injured in the building of the dams.
The watershed of the Croton, extending about thirty-three miles north and south, and eleven miles east and west, is situ- ated almost entirely within the State of New York, a small por- tion only being in Connecticut. Its area amounts to about 339 square miles above the old Croton dam, and to 360 square miles above the new Croton dam, now being constructed. The water- shed is very hilly. Its surface soil is composed principally of sand and gravel; clay, hardpan and peat are found in a few lo- calities, but only to a very limited extent. The rock formation consists generally of gneiss. Strata of limestone, some micae- ous and talcose slates, veins of granite, serpentine and iron ore occur in a few places. The Croton River is located entirely in the State of New York; is formed of three branches (known as the east, the middle and the west branch), which rise in the southern part of Dutchess county, flow in a southerly direction through Putnam county and unite near its south boundary; the river continues in a southwesterly course across Westchester
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MANUAL AND CIVIL LIST.
county to the Hudson River, into which it empties at Croton Point, and thirty miles from New York city; the Titicus, the Cross, the Kisco and the Muscoot rivers are the principal tribu- taries of the Croton River. Thirty-one lakes and ponds fed by streams and springs are contained in the Croton watershed; many of them have been utilized as natural storage-basins by cutting down their outlets and building dams across the same.
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