THE OLD MERCHANTS OF NEW YORK CITY
        Second  Series

By  Walter Barrett, Clerk
     1863

     MERCHANT  DESCRIPTIONS

       CHAPTER  36


THE DELEVAN'S

I have frequently alluded to the old iron mongers, as the hardware merchants
were designated until about a half century ago. I mentioned that they
frequently had over their doors, on the front of their stores, peculiar
signs. One would have an old seythe snatch, painted handsomely, and perhaps
gilded. Another would have a golden padlock of immense size. That denoted
everything for sale, because it locks up everything. Another was a handsaw.
The scythe indicated that all sorts of farmers' utensils were kept, as it is
only within the recollection of many when agricultural stores have become a
specialty in this city. Another sign, and one that many will remember, was a
hardware store in Greenwich street. It was an immense long plane, nearly
half a foot square, that extended from the third down to the second story.
That indicated all sorts of carpenters' tools kept in that particular
hardware store. Other signs were equally significant-the "golden tea
kettle," "the anvil," as large as life, but made of wood, and painted iron
color. About the first of the hardware merchants that had the boldness to
move uptown, or go above Canal street, were the Delevan's.

Forty-two years ago the house of Edward C. Delevan was at 121 Pearl street,
and Mr. D. lived at 396 Broadway. In 1827, Robert J. Delevan opened a
hardware store up at 489 Broadway, near Broome street. The next year, Daniel
E. Delevan opened the same store under his own name. That was thirty-four
years ago. Daniel E. had been brought up to the business by E. C. Delevan,
the celebrated temperance benefactor at Albany, who built, and I believe
owns the Delevan House. He was here several years. He once did a very large
business. He had a commercial house in this city, and one in Birmingham,
England. He did a large business, and was a capital merchant.

When Daniel E. Delevan commenced uptown, you had to pass only a few streets
above to find, not a wilderness, but a very few houses. Niblo's garden, with
a boarding house in the centre, occupied the whole of the block where the
Metropolitan Hotel now stands. Opposite the block there were no buildings.
Collect street (now Centre) ran up to Grand street, where it connected with
Rynders (now Marion) street. Rynders and Cross streets had large sluices in
the middle, instead of being elevated, and when there was a freshet the
water rushed down like a small river, and poured over a wall at the junction
of what is now Howard and Centre streets, forming a complete water-fall.
There were no buildings above North (Houston) street, on the East river
side. Thirty-three years ago, too, the city had not advanced so far in
civilization. In it was the old Bridewell, the terror of every one who gazed
upon it. In the rear of the City Hall stood Scudder's Museum-a long
building. The museum that now belongs to Barnum was kept there, and was
only open on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The old debtor's prison cupola loomed up in the Park, and contained on an
average about two hundred unfortunate debtors. In these days, if such a
barbarous law existed, it would be the few who don't owe money that would
have to be locked up- there would not be room for the hundreds of thousands
who do owe money. However, locking up was not so close as it might have
been. There were jail limits, and these were easily known, because they were
lettered on boards, and these were nailed up in all parts of the city on the
corners.

There were but seven public school buildings, and the only one down town was
at No. 1 Tryon row, corner of Chatham street. That was the time when the
solid Fine Arts flourished here. Old honest John Trumbull was alive, and was
president of the American Academy of Fine Arts, and Gulian C. Verplanck was
vice president. May he live a thousand years longer! Col. William Gracie was
alive then, and next to John Trumbull was John Vanderlyn. The colonel had
bought the "Ariadne," and he introduced me then to the artist, and I knew
him years after-met him twenty years later, night after night, at the old
French coffee house kept by the famous Blin, at No. 9 Warren street. Blin
has wilted down to keeping a small cigar store in Hudson near Vandam street,
and he who has known and served the cleverest intellects in the country, now
sells two cent cigars to the roughs of the Eighth Ward.

I now return to my hardware merchant, Daniel E. Delevan. The merchants are
the legitimate monarchs of New York City. they should rule here undisputed,
and when I see one of the class step out of the usual beaten, two and two
make four tracks, of nearly all of them, and take a position in city
affairs, it does me good. I love New York city with all my heart and soul,
and I despise the pretentious suburbs in proportion. New York city has a
population today of nearly 1,500,000, if she exercised her just rights.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Astoria, Flushing, Fort Hamilton, and
Long Island generally, are really parts of New York; so is Staten Island; so
is Jersey City, Newark, Rahway, Elizabethtown, Saltersville, Hudson City,
Bergen, Hoboken, Weehawken, and New York city should stand upon its rights.
If these suburbs are not willing to be called New York, and be annexed to
New York, then pass a few such laws as these; "Any person living outside of
New York, and doing business therein, shall pay $10,000 annually to the said
city for the privilege; and any person failing to do so, so shall be
confined in the state prison. Any person living in any place, city, or town
in New Jersey, and coming in the city daily, shall be charged $500 annually
for the privilege."

This is the idea. It could be carried out in a thousand shapes, so as to
prevent anybody being allowed to live anywhere within twenty miles of New
York, unless they were willing to be classed as "New-Yorkers," and give her
what is justly her due in the census table. Every true New-Yorker feels
keenly upon this subject. I despise all those outside places. I would not
live in Brooklyn, Saltersville, or any of those illegitimate suckers upon
the teats of New York, if I was presented with a house and barn in either of
them. Any place in this region that does not add to the glory of New York, I
will have nothing to do with.

After this digression I once more return to Mr. Delevan. For several years
Daniel E., did business under his own name. Then he had his brothers Charles
H., and Christian S. In 1837, I think the firm was Delevan Brothers,
Christian being the partner.

Charles H. was at one time in the Broadway store, and thereafter he was in a
similar business on his own account in Maiden Lane. Probably Charles was one
of the most active men in the Whig campaign of 1840, for "Tippecanoe and
Tyler too." As a reward for such devotion, "Tyler too" appointed him to the
American Consular agency at the beautiful island of St. Thomas. He held it
for some years. Since his return he has been in commercial business, but
more recently has become deeply interested with insurance agencies.

Daniel E. Delevan is a fair sample of a New Yorker. With an integrity,
political, commercial and social, that he has never been questioned, Mr.
Delevan unites a fine old school personal appearance, that wins with all who
approach him. He has been connected, directly or indirectly, with everything
that could add to the strength of the city, or do her honor.

For a long time he was connected with her military matters, and hence his
designation of colonel and general. He made a splendid officer. In politics
he has ever held a commanding influential primary position, but used his
influence more for the benefit of others than himself.

At one time the Federal government of Mr. Pierce made him naval storekeeper
at this port. Since that time he has received and now holds the important po
sition of city inspector. For many years he has been connected with the
Tammany Society or Columbian Order. We have few more ancient or more useful,
and it has numbered among its members some of the first men in the nation.
On several elections Mr. Delevan has been chosen Grand Sachem. I find in
former years that much more was published about this society than now. Its
Sachems had a particular designation. There was the Sachem of the New York,
or Eagle Tribe; ditto of the New Hampshire, or Otter Tribe; ditto of the
Massachusetts, or Panther Tribe: ditto of the Rhode Island, or Beaver Tribe;
ditto of the Connecticut, or Bear Tribe; ditto of the New Jersey, or
Tortoise Tribe; ditto Pennsylvania, or Rattlesnake Tribe; ditto of the
Delaware, or Tiger Tribe; ditto of the Maryland, or Fox Tribe; ditto of the
Virginia, or Deer Tribe; ditto of the North Carolina, or Buffalo Tribe;
ditto of the South Carolina, or Raccoon Tribe; ditto of the Georgia, or Wolf
Tribe, etc.

Mr. Delevan was in mercantile life until within a few years. He did not
leave his hardware store in Broadway until 1850, and for more than one third
of a century he has lived in the eighth Ward. He is a man any party may be
proud of, and in his hands any interests of the city, no matter how
important, are perfectly safe. Few possess his general knowledge of the city
and its interests.

Mr. Daniel E. Delevan was for many years prominently connected with our
militia system. He served for fifteen years in the First Division under Gen,
Sandford, holding the first position of a staff officer, brigade inspector.
He was elected major, and afterward was lieutenant colonel and then colonel
in the Second Regiment of Gen. Storms' brigade, and he did active military
duty until within the last few years, when the new consolidation took place,
which rendered him a supernumerary and took him from active service. Colonel
Delevan used to be one of the old Knickerbocker Club. It met in Fulton
street, at Soneall's. It had among its members such men as Joseph C. Hart.
Levi D. Slamm, who was President of the Club, was then editing the New York
Daily Plebeian. Gen. Henry Storms, John J. Cisco, Charles A. Secor, Emanuel
B. Hart, and Thomas Jefferson Smith. There were some fine fellows in it, and
all New Yorkers. Jo. Hart was a lively person in such a club. He died many
years ago, at Santa Cruz, Teneriffe, to which place he had been appointed
United States Consul by President Pierce.

Gen. Henry Storms was an old New Yorker, and a merchant. Daniel E. Delevan
took an active part in supporting this old military worthy some years ago,
then an attempt was made to stop the celebration of Evacuation Day, in this
city, on the 25th November. Gen. Sandford, who was an Englishman by birth,
wished to abolish it; Gen. Storms, on the contrary, insisted that it should
be celebrated by a military parade, and took strong ground for it, going so
far as to say that if it was decided not to celebrate the day, he would do
it on his own responsibility. There was a great time made. Gen. Storms,
however, carried his point, and the day has been celebrated every year since
then. The view he took was deemed so patriotic that it was determined to
give him a massive silver salver, and two silver pitchers, all appropriately
inscribed. There was a grand dinner on the occasion, and I recollect that
Col. Delevan made a very happy speech upon the occasion. The Mayor and all
the principal people were present, and there was a gay time generally.

The Delevan's came from the good old Dutch stock. Their ancestors came out
here from North Holland two hundred years ago, and went and settled in
Westchester county. Col. Delevan's grandfather fought all through the
Revolutionary war, together with his eight brothers, including the father of
Col. Delevan. He finally rose to be a colonel, and was afterwards a general
in the war of 1812.

There is probably no politician of modern times who has passed through the
trying ordeal of party change and fluctuation, who has preserved a greater
degree of consistency than that which has marked the career of the Colonel.
As a leading member of the Democratic party he is governed by those
principles of upright dealing and manly candor that mark his character in
private life, and which have established for him a reputation that any man
might envy. Had his counsel been listened to at the Charleston Convention,
it is more than probable that Horatio Seymour, instead of Abraham Lincoln,
would today have been President of the United States.

It is as an officer of the City Government that Col. Delevan has made
himself conspicuously known to the inhabitants of our city. Without
questioning the ability of his predecessor, it is but justice to the Colonel
to give him a front rank by pronouncing him one of the most thorough-going
and efficient City Inspectors that New York has ever possessed. And this
efficiency would have been even greater, were the Department over which he
presides, placed solely under his control and management, without being
interfered with by outside politicians and managers, the bane of all good
government. But we must take the world as it is, and make all due allowance
for these political contra temps that follow in the wake of office, the
necessary consequence of our "peculiar institutions." The Colonel is yet a
young man, comparatively speaking, notwithstanding we have placed him under
the head of "Old Merchants," of which be it known, he is but a junior member.




Source:  The Old Merchants of New York City
Author:  Walter Barrett, Clerk           Second series
Publisher:  Carleton, Publisher, 413 Broadway
Entered according to the Act of Congress 1863
             _____________________________________

    Researched, Prepared and Contributed by Miriam Medina
                  For the Brooklyn Information Page

Back To The OLd Merchants of NYC 1863
Back To BUSINESS Main
Return to BROOKLYN Info Main Page