Corporation of the City of New York collection, 1798-1873 (majority within 1806-1865)

Summary

Creator:

New York (N.Y.). Common Council.

Abstract:

This collection contains receipts, bills, accounts, court documents, and other materials related to the expenses and operations of the Corporation of the City of New York between 1798 and 1873.

Extent:

1 linear foot

Language:

English

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Cheney J. Schopieray and Meg Hixon, January 2012

Background

Scope and Content:

This collection contains receipts, bills, accounts, court documents, and other materials related to the expenses and operations of the Corporation of the City of New York between 1798 and 1873. The first 6 documents, written in 1798 and 1799, are minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York, concerning a bill to provide the city with fresh water in order to improve public health. The council's deliberations, with the input of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, focused on whether the water supply should be a municipal or a privately funded project. The council resolved to permit a private company, under direction of the city recorder, to provide the city with water on February 28, 1799 (paving the way for the unsuccessful waterworks enterprises of the Manhattan Company).

The bulk of the collection, dated between 1806 and 1865, pertains to the efforts of New York City's governing body to build and sustain a local infrastructure. Approximately 1,250 bills, receipts, requests for payments, and miscellaneous administrative documents provide financial information about the construction and repair of roads, wharves, piers, slips, and docks; the supply of fresh water; the employment of men for the night watch; the dredging of the river; and the regulation of city lighting. Some of the items reflect broader city events, such as the May 14, 1849, check for janitorial services which likely relates to the aftermath of the Astor Place Riot. Some receipts and accounts reflect the Common Council's 1811 plan to fix block and lot sizes, which resulted in Manhattan's gridded street pattern, and many documents, bills, and accounts provide insight into the city's interactions with individuals for goods and labor. The collection illustrates the increasing responsibilities and expenditures of the city government in the first half of the 19th century.

The collection also includes approximately 90 documents produced by the Marine Court of New York between 1872 and 1873. These summonses, affidavits of merit, and other court documents primarily regard individual complaints related to unpaid debts.

Biographical / Historical:

New Amsterdam was founded by the Dutch in 1625 and quickly grew into a center of commerce between North America and Europe. In 1664, the British seized control of the island from Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant, and renamed it New York City. In 1686, British Governor Thomas Dongan received a royal charter for the city. Governor John Montgomerie's charter of 1730/1731 established the city as a local government and as a corporation, allowing the city to own land and to hold legislative authority over its citizens. The Corporation of the City of New York took on an expanded bureaucratic role following the city's growth after the American Revolution. In the early 1800s, the Corporation began to fund public works projects such as road construction and repair, maintenance of the city's docks, procurement and delivery of fresh water, and the employment of night watchmen. The Corporation of the City of New York sustained this role throughout the 19th century.

Acquisition Information:

1991-1998, 2020-2022. M-2709, M-2747.2, M-3460.9, M-7233.1, M-7427.2, M-7427.4, M-7452.3 .

Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This collection has been processed according to minimal processing procedures and may be revised, expanded, or updated in the future.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged chronologically, with undated items and fragments placed at the end.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Related Materials

The Clements Library holds David T. Valentine's manuals for the Corporation of the City of New York and other related works. Search for "Corporation of the City of New York" in the University's online catalog.

Bibliography

Lankevich, George. "New York City." Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012.

Reubens, Beatrice G. "Burr, Hamilton and the Manhattan Company: Part I: Gaining the Charter." Political Science Quarterly 72:4 (December 1957), 578-607.

Schopieray, Cheney J. "Public Infrastructure." The Quarto 29 (Spring-Summer 2008), 2-4.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

City planning--New York (State)--New York.
Debtor and creditor--New York (State)--New York.
Infrastructure (Economics)--New York (State)--New York--History--19th century.
Municipal services--New York (State)--New York.
Municipal water supply--New York (State)--New York.
Public works--New York (State)--New York.
Roads--New York (State)--New York.

Formats:

Bills of sale.
Civil court records.
Financial records.
Legal documents.
Minutes.
Receipts (financial records)

Names:

Marine Court (New York)
New York (N.Y.) Board of Aldermen.
New York (N.Y.) Office of the Comptroller. New York (State)
Varick, Richard, 1753-1831.

Places:

New York (N.Y.)--Appropriations and expenditures.
New York (N.Y.)--History--18th century.
New York (N.Y.)--History--19th century.