The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 166

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II > Part 166

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On the 1st of May, 1844, Mr. Vanderbilt, then only twenty- five years of age, was appointed by Governor William C. Bouck, to the responsible position of first Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Kings county, to succeed Judge Green- wood, who had resigned. He discharged the duties of this important position with faithfulness and credit for two years, until the Court of Common Pleas was abolished by the adoption of the New Constitution in 1846, and the creation of the County Court as at present constituted. It has been said that, at the time of his retirement from the bench, there was not a more popular man, politically and socially, in the city of Brooklyn, than he. In the fall of 1852, he received the Democratic nomination for the State Senate, to which position he was chosen by a large majority. He filled this station creditably for the full term of two years. During his term as Senator he was appointed one of the Commissioners to inves- tigate the harbor encroachments of New York. He was also selected as one of the Commissioners to investigate the affairs of President Nott and Union College. In the fall of 1856 he

was nominated on the Democratic ticket for Lieut .- Governor, with Amasa J. Parker, of Albany, as Governor, but the Democrats were not successful in the issue of the election. For several years before his death, which occurred at Flat- bush, May 16, 1877, Judge Vanderbilt was retired from active service by a shock of paralysis; but, " in the prime of his energy was certainly the most vigorous and handsome man in public or political life in this county, if not in the State. His strong, manly beauty mated with and was the exponent of qualities of mind and heart, as attractive as his gifts and graces of person. In a time when 'rings' were unknown, he was a Democrat; in a time when sectionalism was hardly an apparition, and when the State had its full rights, whether it was weighed or counted as a factor, he was a patriot, and one who gloried in his whole country; in a time when shysters had not been evolved, and when petti- foggers were limited to a satirical stage or a sarcastic litera- ture, he was a lawyer; in a time when gentlemen were as dominant in politics, and scholars as dominant in council as they now are not, he was a scholar and a gentleman. His rapidity of public development, his activity in affairs, his not surpassed qualities of good-fellowship, the magnetism of his mind and manners, and the impressive appeal which he could address to the people, early made him and long kept him what he was freely called, 'Kings County's Favorite Son,' when that appellation was forcible by its vanity, sig- nificant in its meaning, and when it had not been vulgarized by its application to the politicians by profession, and to the place-hunters by occupation."

Judge Vanderbilt married Gertrude Phebe Lefferts, daughter of John Lefferts, of Flatbush. She survives him, and is elsewhere noted (p. 1316) as the author of the Social History of Flatbush.

JOHN OAKEY, ESQ.

JOHN OAKEY, Esq., although born in Brooklyn, removed in his early childhood with his father to Flatbush, at which place he has spent the greater part of his eventful life, and is justly claimed by Flatbush as one of her representative men. He was educated at Erasmus Hall, from which institution he passed in 1845, to enter Yale College, graduating with honor in 1849. He studied law in New York city, with Hon. James Humphrey, M. C .; he was admitted to the bar in 1851, and for twenty-three years practised law in New York city; during all this period he was the Notary of the Nassau Bank; from 1857 to 1861 he was the Justice of the Peace for the vil- lage of Flatbush. When the civil war broke out in 1861, he was the first man who left Flatbush for the seat of war; he was then a member of the 7th Regiment, New York; upon his departure his wife was presented by several gentlemen of the village, with a check for $100; and efforts were imme- diately made by which a village relief fund of several thousand dollars was raised for the aid of those who might go to the war. In 1866 he was elected Member of the Assembly on the Republican ticket, in a strongly Democratic district, and was returned in 1867, thus serving two years in the Assembly; during a portion of this time he was Chairman of the Committee on Commerce and Navigation, succeeding Hon. Dewitt C. Littlejohn. In 1868, he was appointed Judge

Advocate with the rank of Colonel, on the staff of Major- General Shaler, First Division, N. G., S. N. Y .; this position he held for five years, until 1873. From 1874 to 1878 he was Counsel for the Brooklyn Police and Excise Departments, and in 1878, he was appointed as Assistant District Attorney of Brooklyn and King's County. He has been the founder of several large and flourishing amateur dramatic associations, and the President as well as founder of the Amaranth Society of Brooklyn. Through his instrumentality the late Lieut .- Commander George W. De Long, of the ill-fated Jeannette of the Arctic expedition, was advanced to his position of honor. He was with Col. Oakey as office boy for three or four years, and through Col. Oakey's influence with some of our prominent business men, young De Long received an ap- pointment of a cadetship in 1861.

Of Judge JOHN LEFFERTS, mentioned on page 225, it should be further said, that as a member of the Convention of 1821 for Amending the Constitution of the State, he was, with John Van Buren and others, one of the so-called " Immortal Seventeen " who refused to adopt a law conferring upon the people the privilege of choosing their own Presidential Elect- ors, instead of allowing it to remain in the Legislature.

THE GARFIELD BUILDING, COR. COURT AND REMSEN STREETS, BROOKLYN. (This cut used by permission of Mr. A. A. Low.)

NOTES ON

LITERATURE AND SCIENCE IN BROOKLYN.

LIBRARIES, LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATIONS, CLUBS,

AUTHORS AND SCIENTISTS.

Amy R. files . A. M. M ido-in-chief

LIBRARIES.

Brooklyn Institute .- The Apprentices' Library Association of Brooklyn (now the Brooklyn Institute), had its origin in the summer of 1823, in the office of the Long Island Star, where the editor, Colonel Alden Spooner, William Wood* of New York, and other gentlemen conferred together on the sub- ject of education and mental improvement for the apprentice lads and youth of the village; and a few days after, the follow- ing advertisement appeared in the Star and Patriot: "Notice. -Apprentices' Library: The citizens of the village of Brook- lyn, and particularly the master-mechanics, are requested to attend a meeting at the house of William Stephenson, at 8 o'clock on Thursday evening, for the purpose of forming and establishing an Apprentices' Library in this village. The honorable, the trustees of this village, and the reverend, the clergy, are particularly invited to attend. August 7, 1833."

The meeting held in pursuance of this call, included the best citizens of the village, the men of largest forethought, of unselfish impulse, of persistent effort, who tenderly watched over the interests of the village, and carefully guided the embryo city through the perils incident to the critical and somewhat rapid development of its muscular youth. An ad- journed meeting was held on the 14th, a constitution was adopted, and thirty persons subscribed and paid their initiation fees. August 28, 1823, the Association, then numbering up- wards of 180 members, commenced its existence by the elec- tion of the following officers: Robert Snow, President; Thomas Kirk, Vice-President; Andrew Mercein, Treasurer; Robert Nichols, Secretary; George S. Wise, Fanning C. Tucker, Thomas Haynes, Gamaliel King, Joseph Herbert, Andrew Demorest, Losee Van Nostrand, Augustus Graham, and Dr. Josiah Noyes. The nucleus of a library was formed by dona- tion. A place for its reception was found at No. 143 Fulton street, and on November 15th books were issued for the first

* William Wood, said to have been born in Boston, at 1777, commenced business in that city, about 1805, in the earthen and glass ware line, in company with a brother, under the firm style of W. & T. N. Wood. Subsequently he visited Europe five times, and was for two years engaged in mercantile pursuits in Lon- don, England. Revulsions in trade occurring after the close of the war in 1815, in- volved Mr. Wood's house in pecuniary difficulties, which, added to other circum- stances of a peculiar nature, induced him, about 1822, to remove to New York, where his brother had previously settled. Previously to this he had commenced that peculiar specialty of benefaction, which so distinguished his whole future life. On the anniversary of Washington's birthday, February 22, 1820, he established in Boston, the first mercantile library in the United States. It is also said, with what truth we know not, that during his stay in England, he had commenced a mercantile library in London. In November of the same year he commenced and accomplished the establishment of the now large and famous Mercantile Library Association of New York. With characteristic modesty, Mr. Wood's name ap- pears upon the records of that Association as one of its directors; and, in its second year, as Vice-President. "His chief desire," says Mr. Jas. B. Henshaw, his busi- ness partner, " was to establish libraries in New York and elsewhere for the bene- fit of young men engaged in merchants' counting houses and such others as could be induced to take an interest, and to which they could have free access, and spend their evenings, thus withdrawing them from the baneful influences and corrupting examples of a society to which they would otherwise be exposed; and where their literary and conversational abilities could be developed." His plan for establishing these libraries was to visit personally the merchants and leading citizens of a place, make known his intentions, invite subscriptions and donations of books, and pre-

pare a proper place for their reception and use. In this work, he went simply and naturally to work, often experiencing contumely and opposition; but inevitably commending himself to the good and true, by the quiet candor of his address, and the evident sincerity of his purpose. As soon as the success of his New York enter- prise was well assured, he repeated the experiment in Brooklyn. When the Ap- prentices' Library was fairly under way, he disappeared for other scenes of similar usefulness.

Lord Brongham's Sketches of Public Characters, published in 1839 (vol. II, p. 80) says, that "although the remote origin of these institutions may be traced to Franklin, Mr. William Wood has the high merit of establishing them on their present plans, and adapting them peculiarly to the instruction of mechanics and ap- prentices. He founded the first in Boston, in 1820; he has had the satisfaction of seeing the plan adopted in New York, Philadelphia, Albany, and other towns; and I have now before me a letter in which he says that he has succeeded in forming one at New Orleans, where he was called on business." Mr. Wood also established many minor libraries for sailors, prisoners, literary societies, etc. He was a bach- elor, but possessed warm sympathies, good convivial powers, and a great fondness for the companionship of children and youth, whom he delighted to assist and in- struct, as he was well qualified to do by his excellent education and extensive reading.

He was for many of the later years of his life, a resident of Canandaigua, N. Y., and to him and his friend, Mr. John Grieg, that beautiful village is indebted for many of its charms and conveniences. There he died aged about seventy-five years, after an entire devotion of many years to the advancement of the great ob- ject which seems to have been the mission of his life,

1302

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

time to ten apprentices. The Trustees of the Brooklyn Union Sunday-school transferred their library to the new institution, allowing the members of the school the benefit of the books of both libraries. Mr. Erastus Worthington was appointed librarian, to issue books from four to nine P. M. every Satur- day, with a compensation of 75 cents per day. Jan. 16, 1824, the directors reported 724 volumes and 150 pamphlets, in con- stant use by 70 readers. Nov. 20, 1824, an act of incorporation was passed. The need of a more suitable building, sufficiently large to contain the library and a public lecture-room was felt.

A site was bought on the corner of Cranberry and Henry streets, where the corner-stone was laid by General Lafayette, on the 4th of July, 1825, and the edifice completed May 3, 1826. The library occupied the basement of this building- the Post-office the first floor, and the large room above was used as a police court and for public meetings. In 1826, a free reading-room was opened every day in the week, except Sun- day. In 1827, Mr. Stoothoof succeeded to the librarianship. In this year also a savings-bank was established in the build- ing for the benefit of adult mechanics. Thus for several years the Apprentices' Library carried on its useful work among the youth of Brooklyn. But some of its friends died, others removed, the readers gradually fell off, and the institution became embarrassed by debt. Finally, in 1836, the building was sold to the city for $1,100 and the books were boxed and stored away. In 1840, Mr. Augustus Graham,* its most prominent benefactor, and others, reorganized the society, and reopened the library. The new board of directors in Feb., 1840, con- sisted of Augustus Graham, Pres .; Rohert Nichols, Vice-Pres .; P. J. Arcularius, Treas .; Francis Dow, Sec'y; James Walters, Losee Van Nostrand, Thomas S. Woodcock, Alden Spooner, Henry C. Murphy, Charles Congdon, Gabriel Furman, Stephen Cornell and Austin Melvin, Directors. In Oct., 1841, the as- sociation removed to the new and substantial granite build- ing on Washington street, near Concord, now known as the Brooklyn Institute, which the Brooklyn Lyceum had erected at a cost of $35,000. In 1842, the costly edifice and grounds

* Augustus Graham was one, and the first, of the two (pretended) brothers who came to Brooklyn, about 1815, and rapidly made friends among those who realize substantial elements of character. Shortly after him came John Bell-which was his real name, and then Mrs. Isabella Taylor, who assumed the position of house- keeper in their joint home on the corner of Front and Dock streets, being under- stood to be their s'ster. She died first and Augustus next died, but, a little before his decease, it became known that he had previously married, and that none of the three were really related each to the other. Whatever the motives which induced them to practice the peculiar comedy of their Brooklyn life, it is certain that brothers and sisters can rarely be found to agree in more perfect harmony than in their case. The Grahams were exemplary as men of character and probity, while their works do praise them in this as well as in other communities.

The two Grahams made a fortune in the distillery business, near the Navy Yard; and finally (1822), became interested in the Brooklyn White Lead Works. They kept no separate accounts; lived from a common purse; and their union was always most affectionate, while their probity and correct business habits derived for them general respect and consideration. They continued together as partners till death severed their connection.

Mr. Graham was ever animated by a noble spirit of enlightened generosity ; his moral character was pure and simple; bestowing benefits with munificence and yet with just discrimination, avoiding ostentation and notoriety; distributing very largely in private channels unknown to the world. It was a favorite sentiment with him, and often repeated, that he desired to be his own executor, and admin- ister his estate during his life time. Although most frugal in the personal use of his ample means, he left but little for his executors to do in the way of distributing an accumulated hoard.

He greatly enjoyed and valued church privileges, and attended the ministra- tions of the Rev. Dr. Cox in Henry street. Among the Brooklyn institutions to which he contributed were the Protestant Orphan Asylum, the Institute, the City Hospital, the Graham Institute, which he founded, and the New York Asylum for the Blind, New York Home for the Friendless, and the Mariner's Family Asylum. Brooklyn will ever have reason to cherish the memory of the twain, recognized among us, for nearly half a century, as the Brothers Graham. Mr. G. died sud- denly, in his 69th year, March 11th, 1853.

were purchased by the Apprentices' Library Association, for $18,000. By an act of the Legislature, April 13, 1843, the charter of the Association was extended for 25 years, under the name of the Brooklyn Institute. Through the liberality of Mr. Graham, the institution was at this time relieved from debt, and at his death, an endowment of $27,000 was secured to the Association for the support of free lectures on Science and Art. In 1868, the building was largely altered and im- proved, at an expense of $30,000. The Institute building is three stories in height, contains a commodious library, read- ing-room, public hall, picture gallery, two school-rooms, and a number of artists' studios. The library consists of about 12,000 volumes. The Presidents have been as follows: Robert Snow, 1823-'32; Fanning C. Tucker, 1832-'40; Augustus Graham, 1840-'52; Charles M. Alcott, 1852-'4; Rollin Sanford, 1854-'8; Peter G. Taylor, 1858-'72; William Everdell, Jr., 1872-'9; John B. Woodward, 1879-'80; Jesse C. Smith, 1880-'4. The other officers for 1884 are: Dr. Andrew Otterson, Vice- Pres .; D. Littlejohn, Treas .; A. P. Baxter, Sec'y; I H. Froth- ingham, J. How, Crawford C. Smith, S. W. Sneeden, Trustees.

The Brooklyn Lyceum was organized Oct. 10th, 1833, its ohject being, besides affording rational amusement, to pro- mote the intellectual and moral improvement of its members and especially the interests of the young; also, "to improve the condition of schools and advance the cause of popular education." First OFFICERS: Hon. Peter W. Radcliff, Pres .; Gen. Jer. Johnson, Theo. Eames, Vice-Pres'ts; Gabriel Thur- man, Cor. Sec .; Alden J. Spooner, Rec. Sec .; Josiah Dow, Treas. Its membership embraced the élite of the city. A course of lectures was commenced November, 1833, and Oc- tober 31st, 1835, the corner of the fine granite front edifice on Washington street, now known as the Brooklyn Institute, was laid. Josiah Dow was the largest contributor to this building, which cost $34,000. Pecuniary difficulties led to its sale, in 1839, to Robert Bach, who held it until it was pur- chased, in 1848, by Mr. Augustus Graham, who presented it to the Apprentices' Library Association. The Brooklyn Ly- ceum of Natural History was organized here, February 22d, 1838, hy Maj. D. B. Douglass, Joseph Howard, Jr., W. R. Dwight, Jonathan Trotter, and many other well-known citi- zens, and for many years flourished well.

The Brooklyn City Library was incorp. February, 1839, under the provisions of the General Act relative to Public Libraries. The sum of $2,925 was subscribed by a number of our more prominent citizens, "for the purpose of procuring and erecting a public library;" a board of twelve Trustees were chosen, and the following Board of Officers elected: Rev. Evan M. Johnson, Pres .; Henry E. Pierrepont, Sec., and W. J. Cornell, Treas. This library was on the plan of the old Society Library of New York city, each subscriber to the stock being entitled to one share therein, for every $25 paid by him, and having certain rights which were not extended to the mere annual subscriber. The library accumulated about 3,000 valuable volumes, many of which were purchased especially for them, in England; but, finally, coming into desuetude, the books were placed on deposit with the Appren- tices' Library, in the Brooklyn Institute, and the association virtually became extinct. When the L. I. Historical Society was formed, in 1863, through the efforts of some of the officers of this society, who represented the majority of the stock of the old City Library, the books belonging to the latter society were exhumed from the dust under which they had been so long hidden, and were divided between the Apprentices' Library and the L. I. Historical Society, each association taking what was hest suited to its respective uses.

Garfield Building Law Library .- In a handsome, com- modious, and elegantly furnished room on the top floor of the

LITERATURE AND SCIENCE.

1303

BROOKLYN INSTITUTE.

WATERS-SON~N.Y.

THE BROOKLYN INSTITUTE.

"Garfield Building," is a law library, provided by Mr. A. A. Low, for the use of the many lawyers who occupy this building, of which he is the owner. It is admirably arranged and kept, and comprises a sufficiently large and well chosen collection of legal works of reference, to enable a lawyer to construct, by its aid, a very good brief.

The Law Library in Brooklyn originated in a subscription of $1,850 by twenty-four practitioners at law, residents of Kings county, who associated and incorporated themselves January 8, 1850, under the general act of 1796, and acts amendatory thereof. The qualification of membership was ownership of one or more shares of $50 each, and the pay- ment of annual dues of $10 each. In 1863, the Legislature organized a Law Library of the Second Judicial District, and appropriated $5,000 to the use of the Law Library of Brook- lyn, to be expended in the purchase of books of which they should have the custody. The money thus received from the State was carefully expended, and a valuable library formed, which is now kept in the County Court-House, and is open for the general use of the profession.

The Brooklyn Library .* (The Mercantile Library Associa- tion.)-As early as October, 1857, the subject of organizing a new library association, to be controlled and managed by the young men of Brooklyn, was discussed in private by two friends of the enterprise (Lewis Roberts and James P. Wal- lace); and at their personal solicitation about twenty gentle- men met at the Atheneum, November 19, as a preliminary step to more formal action on the subject. Among these twenty, besides Messrs. Roberts and Wallace, were: W. W. Tufts, A. E. Orr, John S. Ward, Charles A. Silliman, Charles Con- dit, H. P. Journeay, R. W. Ropes, Sidney Sanderson, Charles A. Townsend, Dr. A. Cook Hull. Under their action, a call was signed by about 600 citizens, and a public meeting held November 30. Some $13,000 was pledged by those present; a constitution adopted, and a meeting held on December 17, at which 826 subscribers and $8,865 receipts were announced. On the 23d, the following officers were elected: Lewis Roberts,

* For an extremely Interesting and detailed history of the library, see that prepared by James P. Wallace, Esq., and published in the Brooklyn Eagle, March 29, 1884.

1304

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

Pres .; Henry Hill, Vice-Pres .; Charles S. Farley, Cor. Sec .; Henry P. Journeay, Treas. The new association was given rent free for five years, the ample accommodations in the Athenæum, and the use of the 4,000 volumes in the library. The rooms were opened May 7, 1858, and a public meeting held to celebrate the event, at which more than $3,000 were subscribed. At the end of the first year the association had 1,511 members. The 4,000 volumes in the library at the open- ing increased to 11,400. A handsome gain to the association was yielded by a course of lectures by Rev. Dr. Storr's, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Rev. Dr. E. H. Chapin and Hon. George W. Curtis. Classes in French, German and Spanish languages and in book-keeping were organized, and steps taken to make the rooms head-quarters for the exhibition of fine arts. Mr. Wallace visited most of the Brooklyn studios, and secured a meeting of artists, at which he explained the proposed plan, and obtained their approval. In the follow- ing year the first Art Reception in Brooklyn was held in the rooms of the library, and from that has grown our Brooklyn Art Association. This much prominence is given to the origin and first year of the library, because it was the founda- tion of all that has followed; and because it will aid to pre- serve the memory of some who were active in building that foundation. It would be grateful to name them all, but that would exceed our limits.

The institution was incorporated March 15, 1859. Mr. Franklin Woodruff became president in March, 1864, and by annual re-elections held the office until March, 1869. He was supported by an able board, and under its administration the greatest advance of the library was accomplished. In the spring of 1864, ground was purchased on Montague st., for the erection of a permanent library building. By unre- mitting efforts, and the munificent aid of Messrs. S. B. Chit- tenden, J. H. Frothingham, Franklin Woodruff, A. A. Low, and H. B. Claflin, the necessary $125,000 was secured, and a new charter granted, with a permanent board of trustees. The corner-stone of the new edifice was laid October 27, 1867, and on the 18th of January, 1869, the building was opened by a public reception. It is the work of Peter B. Wight, architect, and is both elegant and well adapted to its purpose.

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The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884, Volume II, Part 166

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co Number of Pages: 1345

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345