* Including additions made to committees after the transmission of this Report and prior to August 1, 1925. SOCIETY THIRTY YEARS OLD As the charter of this Society became a law with the approval of the Governor on March 26, 1895, the Society has just completed its thirtieth year. Thirty years is more than the average life of a purely civic organization; and the continued existence of this Society, with its growing vigor, increasing activity and greater public responsibilities reflects not only what we believe to be the value of its work, but also the wise foresight of its founder, Andrew H. Green. The work of the Society is very practical and democratic. We believe in the creation of public parks and the preservation of the beauties and wonder-places of nature, not simply for aesthetic pleasure, but because the people need them for their physical wellbeing. We cannot have good citizenship without healthy and happy citizens, and it is in the highest interest of the city, the state and the republic, to give the people opportunities for physical recreation in open places and to bring into their lives something of the beauty and wholesome joy that can be found nowhere more perfectly than in the haunts of Nature. It is also necessary to preserve the civic traditions of the nation in order to inspire the loyalty of the people by the knowledge of their historic background and by the remembrance of the price by which their liberties and institutions have been won. For that reason we believe it to be a civic duty to preserve and mark places identified with the brave, noble and helpful lives of preceding generations. We are happy to report a notable illustration of this spirit in a recent gift to the Society, of Hamilton Grange, the last home of Alexander Hamilton, in this city, and more fully described in the following pages. We know the people of this city, and of the country at large will feel a great obligation of gratitude to the generous citizen who has made possible the preservation of this interesting memorial of the Patriot and Statesman who was one of the Founders of the Republic, Founder of the National Treasury and Founder of the State Educational System. Hamilton's memory is inseparably linked with that of Washington, who was inaugurated first President of the United States on the site of the Sub-Treasury building at Wall and Nassau streets, almost directly opposite the site of Hamilton's Wall street residence. We are happy to report that the Treasury Department does not intend to use the vacant Sub-Treasury building for the Narcotic and Prohibition Divisions of that department, and that the officials of the department have received with much cordiality the overtures of this Society for the preservation and use of the Sub-Treasury as an historical headquarters. (See further reference to this subject in index.) The Society's work of the past year has included the administration of four properties belonging to the Society, namely Hamilton Grange in New York City. John William Draper Memorial Park in Hastings-on-Hudson, the Tappan Monument property in Rockland county, and Diamond Island in Lake George; and six State properties, namely, Philipse Manor Hall in Yonkers; Stony Point Reservation, 35 acres on the Hudson; John Boyd Thacher Park, 548 acres in the Helderbergs near Albany; Fort Brewerton, 1 acre, near Oneida Lake; Battle Island Park, 225 acres on the Oswego river; and Letchworth Park, 1,000 acres on the Genesee river. The value of the properties administered by the Society, including museums, is estimated at $825,000. In this connection, the President wishes to thank the chairmen of the committees which have had charge of the details of administering these properties, and who have made great sacrifice of time, thought, and in some cases of money, in the discharge of their duties, especially Judge Stephen H. Thayer of Yonkers, of the Manor Hall Committee; Dr. Frederick G. Zinsser of Hastings, of the Draper Park Committee; Judge Ellis J. Staley of Albany, of the Thacher Park Committee; Mr. Henry W. Sisson, of Lake George, of the Diamond Island Committee; Hon. Thomas P. Kingsford of Oswego, of the Fort Brewerton Committee; Mr. F. A. Emerick of Oswego, of the Battle Island Park Committee; and Mr. Wolcott J. Humphrey of Warsaw, of the Letchworth Park Committee. During the past year, the Society entered upon a new function by its representation on the State Council of Parks, and is cooperating in the development and enlargement of the State Park System on a scale unprecedented in the history of this or any other State. This development will be greatly furthered by the bond issue of $15,000,000 for the Forest Preserve and State Parks, the approval of which by the people at the last election is a matter for public congratulation. Since the organization of the Society thirty years ago, it has expended on public properties $415,760 of the State Funds and $139,324 of private funds; and has advised with the donors in the expenditure of $94,125 more. The total known gifts by the members of the Society for these and similar objects amount to $6,301,419, and their unknown gifts doubtless would carry the amount to a much larger figure. It may justly be said of our members that "by their fruits ye shall know them." The great growth in public sentiment, in this and other states, in favor of public parks is no doubt due in considerable measure to the nation-wide educational and advisory work in which the Society was a pioneer and which it has carried on for thirty years. An important auxiliary of this work has been its Annual Reports and books, aggregating more than 12.000 pages, with about 70,000 index references to names and subjects. These publications are in the leading libraries of the world. The President wishes to express very hearty thanks to the learned counsel of the Society. Mr. Reuben Leslie Maynard, who has so generously given of his advice in legal matters during the past year; to Captain N. Taylor Phillips, who has discharged with great sacri fice of time the exacting duties of Treasurer; to the Board of Trustees who have been very faithful in their attendance at the Board Meetings; to the members of the Society who have lent their sympathetic and generous support to the work; and to Dr. Hall, our faithful Secretary, who has been untiring in his efforts to advance the interests of our organization in so many ways; and also to make acknowledgment of the warm-hearted hospitality and strong moral support of the American Museum of Natural History, of which Prof. Henry Fairfield Osborn is President, whose recognition and cooperation we highly value, and to whose courtesy we were indebted for the use of its great auditorium for our annual meeting on January 9, 1925. (See index reference to lecture on Carlsbad National Monument). NECROLOGY During the year 1924 the Society recorded the deaths of the following members who for many years had given the Society's work their valuable support. Hon. George A. Blauvelt of Monsey, died Oct. 16, 1924 Dr. Herbert L. Bridgman of New York, died Sept. 24, 1924. John M. Diven of New York, died June 5, 1924. Rudolph Keppler of New York, died June, 1923. William L. Kingman of Yonkers, died May 7, 1924. Dr. T. Comerford Martin of New York, died in the Spring of 1924. E. J. Tompkins of Peekskill, died Oct. 15, 1924. Charles J. Peabody Mr. Charles J. Peabody of New York City and Brooklyn was the first of three members of the Board of Trustees of this Society to pass away last year. He was born in Columbus, Ga., in 1856, and in 1865 came to Brooklyn, where he lived the rest of his life. After working several years in a drygoods store and then as clerk in a Wall street house, he became connected with the banking house of Spencer Trask & Co., and occupied a prominent place in the financial world. He was deeply interested in educational and civic affairs and an active patron of the arts and sciences. He had a beautiful summer home on the western shore of Lake George, and, as Chairman of this Society's Diamond Island Park Committee, was devoted to the development of that charming resort for the pleasure of the public. He well illustrated in his life the principle that man is not born for himself alone, and he gave a generous part of himself to his country. His death will be mourned, not only by those who knew, respected and loved him personally, but also by the wider public who benefited by his good deeds. Herbert L. Bridgman Dr. Herbert L. Bridgman was another trustee and chairman of an administrative committee, namely, the John Boyd Thacher Park Committee. He was so active in public affairs and so young in heart that few of his acquaintances realized until the time came to measure the completed span of his life that he was more than 80 years old when he died, having been born in Amherst, Mass., on May 30, 1844. As journalist, writer, lecturer and explorer, he filled an unusually large place in the affairs of his generation. Among his notable achievements was his command of the Peary Auxiliary Expedition of 1899 and 1901. He was one of the most respected and beloved members of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and did much in that capacity and in other ways to promote education. He represented the United States as delegate to several international conventions, and had an international reputation. In recognition of his distinguished public services. he received from Amherst College (his Alma Mater) the honorary degree of LL.D.; from the Belgian government the cross of Chevalier of the Order of Leopold II, from the Bulgarian government the decoration of the Order of St. Alexander; and from numerous scientific, art and educational organizations their respective marks of honor. He sat in the councils of this Society for fourteen years as one of its most valued Trustees and Vice Presidents, and won the admiration and respect of his colleagues by his wisdom and their affection by his many lovable qualities. He gave his time, strength and thought generously for the benefit of others, and in the truest sense was a gentleman, a scholar and a patriot,-an explorer for truth, who ranged the world for knowledge, in order to share it with his fellowmen for the betterment of his generation. He died. at sea while acting as instructor on the cruise of the schoolship "Newport"; and in harmony with the work of many years, he passed away while teaching youth the ways of the world. George A. Blauvelt Hon. George A. Blauvelt, whose home was in Monsey, N. Y., but whose office was in New York City, was a prominent member of the bar of the State of New York and for many years was a member of the Legislature. He was a Trustee of this Society and was Chairman of our Stony Point Reservation Committee. He was deeply interested in historical matters, and both in public office and in his relations with this Society and other organizations performed notable public services along the lines of our work. As Counsel for the Palisades Interstate Park Commission he also materially assisted in the development of that great recreation ground. The people of the State will enjoy for many years to come the benefits of his self-sacrifice of thought, time, and strength in their behalf. In the councils of this Society. Mr. Blauvelt always commanded the respect of his colleagues by his judicious advice and he won their strong attachment by his many lovable qualities. |