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THE NEW YORK CUSTOM HOUSE
Brooklyn Union-Argus
Monday 21 July 1879
It's Officers for Ninety Years-An Interesting Record
The Importer's Record gives a list of certain Federal offices in New York,
which we copy below. It seems that there have been twenty-five Collectors
of Customs at the port of New York since the Custom House was organized in
1789. Also twenty-five Naval Officers and twenty-three Surveyors.
The first Collector was a personage of much note in his day, having been
one of WASHINGTON'S most trusted officers in the Revolution. He was
appointed by WASHINGTON, against the protest of HAMILTON and others,
notwithstanding he was a political opponent.
LAMB was an extreme partisan; but WASHINGTON wanted to reward him for
his great service as a soldier. He was a wine merchant before the Revolution,
and was not, therefore, unacquainted with trade. He became involved by
the peculations of a subordinate to such an extent that he was compelled
to resign, and lost all his property in making up his deficiencies
to the Government.
There was David GELSTON, the third Collector. He was a confrere of LAMB
and an anti-Federalist. He was quite as active in politics as some of our
latter day Collectors. Nevertheless, that fact did not militate against
him as Collector of Customs. Politics in the Custom House is no new thing,
it would seem. Indeed, partisanship ran higher in the ancient days than
now. If one will follow down the list here given, he will see many
familiar names associated with important events, and in all the long roll
of appointees it will be noted that only two declinations are
recorded. These are noticeable features, both for their fewness and for
their wide departure from the general rule.
COLLECTORS OF CUSTOMS
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Names When appointed Remarks
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John LAMB Aug 06, 1789 Dismissed
Joshua SANDS May 28, 1797 Removed
David GELSTON Jan 26, 1802 Resigned
Jonathan THOMPSON Jan 13, 1821
Samuel SWARTOUT Mar 29, 1830 Com. expired
Jesse HOYT Mar 29, 1838 Resigned
John J. MORGAN Mar 01, 1841 Removed
Edward CURTIS Sept 10, 1841 Removed
Charles G. FERRIS ............ Rejected- June 14, 1841
C.P. VAN NESS Dec 18, 1844 Resigned-
July 01, 1845
Cornelius W. LAWRENCE Feb 24, 1846 Resigned
Hugh MAXWELL Sept 26, 1850 Removed
Daniel S. DICKINSON Mar 30, 1853 Declined
Greene C. BRONSON Apr 8, 1853 Removed
Heman J. REDFIELD Jan 26, 1854 Resigned
Augustus SCHELL Jan 14, 1858 Removed
Hiram BARNEY Mar 27, 1861 Resigned
Simeon DRAPER Mar 03, 1865 Resigned
Preston KING Sept 01, 1865 Deceased
C. P. CLINCH Nov 14, 1865 Act'g Coll'r until May 15, 1866
Henry A. SMYTHE May 16, 1866 Removed
Moses H. GRINNELL Apr 01, 1869 Removed
Thomas MURPHY July 31, 1870 Resigned
Chester A. ARTHUR Dec 15, 1871 Removed
Edwin A. MERLITT Jul 16, 1878 ---------------
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Names When Appointed Remarks
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Benjamin WALKER Aug 31, 1789 Resigned
Richard ROGERS Feb 20, 1797 Removed
Samuel OSGOOD Nov 18, 1803
John FERGUSON Feb 03, 1814
Enos T. THROOP Jan 10, 1833 1887 Resigned
William S. COE Mar 29, 1838 Removed
Thomas LORD Sep 10, 1841 Removed
Jeremiah TOWLE Jun 15, 1844 Removed
Michael HOFFMAN Mar 18, 184? Deceased
Cornelius S. BOGARDUS Jan 31, 184? Removed
Philip LONE Sep 25, 1850 Deceased
David A. BOKEE Feb 09, 1852 Removed
Heman J. REDFIELD Mar 30, 1853 Appointed Col'r.
John R. BROADHEAD Jan 31, 1854 Com. expired
Ausburn BIRDSALL FEb 15, 1858 Removed
George DENISON Jul 26, 1861 Com. expired
Moses F. ODELL Aug 31, 1865 Vice G. DENISON
C. S. FRANKLIN,
Special Deputy Jun 13, 1866 M. F. ODELL, de'd.
John A. DIX Oct 01, 1866 Resigned Nov 24, 1866
C. S. FRANKLIN,
Special Deputy Apr 01, 1867
E. A. MERRITT Apr 01, 1869
M. H. GRINNELL Aug 01, 1870 Vice, E. A. MERRITT
A. H. LAFLIN Apr 17, 1871 Vice, M.H.GRINNELL
A. B. CORNELL Feb 01, 1877 Vice,A.H. LAFLIN,
removed
Silas W. BURT Jul 16, 1878 Vice, A.B. CORNELL
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SURVEYORS OF THE CUSTOMS.
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Names When Appointed Remarks
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John LASHER Aug 03, 1789 Confirmed Aug 03, 1789
Wm. S. SMITH Feb 23, 1801
Peter A. SCHENCK Mar 21, 1806
John HAFF Feb 15, 1814 Removed
Joseph G. SWIFT Nov 30, 1818 Com expired
Peter STAGG Jan 22, 1827
M. M. NOSH Apr 25, 1829
Hector CRAIG J. 10, 1833'37
Eli MOORE Jan 24, 1840 Removed
Wm. TAGGARD Sep 10, 1842 do.
Henry C. ATWOOD ............. Temp'y com ex.
Elijah F. PURDY Mar 15, 1845 Com. expired.
Zebedee RING Mar 16, 1849 do.
John COCHRANE Mar 30, 1853 do.
Emanuel B. HART Jun 03, 1858 Removed
Rufus F. ANDREWS Jul 16, 1861 do.
Abram WAKEMAN Aug 25, 1864 do.
Alonzo B. CORNELL Apr 01, 1869 Resigned
James L. BENEDICT, Acting Surveyor Jul 01, 1873
George H. SHARPE Apr 01, 1873 Term expired.
James L. BENEDICT Acting Surveyor Dec 05, 1877
Edwin A. MERRITT Dec 21, 1877 Resigned.
Charles K. GRAHAM Jul 26, 1878 in office.
Transcriber Kathy Jost-Shouse
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