Here’s a Pair of 1890s Letters Signed by New York City Gilded-Age Capitalist

EVAN THOMAS

The New York Produce Exchange from “Harper’s New Monthly Magazine,” July 1886

(1838 – 1906)

· PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK PRODUCE EXCHANGE FROM 1890-1894,

· 1^st PRESIDENT OF THE WATER-WITCH CLUB IN THE HIGHLANDS OF THE NAVESINK, NEW JERSEY – AN EARLY PLANNED COMMUNITY IN 1896,

· GILDED-AGE FOUNDER and PRESIDENT OF ‘EVAN THOMAS & CO.,’ GRAIN AND FLOUR MERCHANTS,

· 1892 WORLD’S FAIR COMMISSIONER,

· NEW YORK CITY WATER COMMISSIONER APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR FLOWER, and

· BRIDGE COMMISIONER APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR HILL.

According to R.D. Huret’s 2014 book, “American Tax Resisters,” Wealthy New Yorker, Evan Thomas, objected to an 1894 tariff bill in the New York State Legislature set to impose a state income tax, as unconstitutional! Many other NY businessmen agreed. While President of the NY Produce Exchange, he stated bluntly that an income tax was “so un-American and so partial in its injury” that it should not be tolerated among “free people.”

THE LETTERS SIGNED CONCERN LEGAL MATTERS, ONE CONCERNS A LAND DEED ON PROPERTY PURCHASED FROM THE HIGHLANDS OF NAVESINK IMPROVEMENT COMPANY. BOTH LETTERS ARE EXECUTED BY THOMAS ON HIS “NEW YORK PRODUCE EXCHANGE” LETTERHEAD, EACH 1p., DATED ON SEPT. 30, 1895 & FEB. 18, 1896.

The Correspondence is addressed to Prominent NJ Politician and Lawyer, as Counsel for the Highlands of Navesink Improvement Co.’s counsel

JOHN STILLWELL APPLEGATE

(1837-1916)

· CIVIL WAR MEMBER OF THE GOVERNOR'S LIGHT GUARD OF NEW JERSEY- AIDING IN RECRUITING NJ TROOPS AND IN THE VIGOROUS PROSECUTION OF THE WAR,

· NEW JERSEY REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR FROM MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ,

· CIVIL WAR BIOGRAPHICAL AUTHOR OF HIS CLOSE FRIEND COLONEL GEORGE ARROWSMITH, KIA AT THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG,

· ELECTED FIRST PRESIDENT (MAYOR) OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF RED BANK, NJ AFTER ITS INCORPORATION IN 1871, and

· INFLUENTIAL RED BANK, NJ LAWYER, ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS RAILROAD PRESIDENT and FOUNDER & PRESIDENT OF THE 2^nd NATIONAL BANK OF RED BANK.

Monmouth Hills - Water Witch Park & Club

Water Witch Park was conceived in 1895. As envisioned, it was to include all the land presently known as Monmouth Hills and the property to the northeast located between Navesink Avenue (present-day NJ Route 36) and Sandy Hook Bay. The Monmouth Hills portion of the Park was ultimately established by the Water Witch Club, a private summer club organized by a group of New York businessmen and architects led by New York real estate entrepreneur, Ferdinand Fish.

Prior to this venture Fish had been instrumental in establishing the communities of Highland Beach and Navesink Beach located at the north end of what is today Sea Bright.

The Park was named after a novel of the same name by James Fenimore Cooper, who is known to have visited the Highlands area in the 1830s. The romantic novelist Cooper described the areas as “the most beautiful combination of land and water in America.”

PROVENANCE: This letter came out of the John S. Applegate Red Bank, NJ Estate. John Applegate was a prominent State Senator and notable 19th century lawyer who did much legal work in connection with the Railroads and telegraph Companies. He worked with Civil War notables including General T. T. Eckert in railroad/telegraph company litigation. He also wrote a rare book about his friend and Hamilton College roommate, Colonel Arrowsmith, who was killed in action at Gettysburg in 1893 Titled: "Reminiscences and Letters of George Arrowsmith of New Jersey, Late Lieutenant-Colonel of the One Hundred and Fifty-seventh Regiment, New York State Volunteers" Col. Arrowsmith was KIA at Gettysburg from a bullet to the head. (Red Bank, NJ: John H. Cook, 1893. 254 p.)

BIOGRAPHY OF EVAN THOMAS

Evan Thomas,426 Produce Exchange, New York City, residence 1386 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City.

Thomas was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1838, and educated at Haverford College. He was founder and President of the firm of “Evan Thomas & Co.” and a member, and later President, of the New York Produce Exchange.

Thomas served as a New York State Presidential Elector and Secretary of Electoral College in 1898. He was appointed Water Commissioner by Governor Flower and Bridge Commissioner by Governor Hill. He also served as World's Fair Commissioner.

He was President of New York Produce Exchange for four terms from 1890-1894, Chairman of the Produce Exchange Arbitration Committee for six years, President of the Business Men's Democratic Association for three terms, and President of the Water Witch Club of New Jersey, a member of the Democratic Club, Seabright Golf Club and Water Witch Club (being a pioneer Water Witch Cottager).

Source: Biographical Directory of the State of New York, 1900

Evan Thomas

Birth	1838
Death	1906 (aged 68)
Burial	Amenia Island Cemetery, Amenia, Dutchess County, New York

HISTORY OF THE HISTORIC WATER-WITCH CLUB

The Water Witch Club Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

The Water Witch Club Historic District is significant in the areas of Community Planning and Development, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, and Entertainment/Recreation. The Water Witch Club Historic District, historically known as the Water Witch Club, is an important surviving example of a late-19th and early-20th century romantically designed summer community. Similar to Tuxedo Park in New York State, it was designed in its entirety by architects who were also members and residents of the Club. The architecture from the early years of the Club featured important examples of the Shingle, Colonial Revival and Rustic styles. The location of the Club on a steep wooded hill overlooking Sandy Hook Bay enhances the picturesque qualities of the site, and the strongly curvilinear street plan gives the site visual diversity and a sense of harmony with nature.

Historical Summary

Water Witch Club was part of a larger planned community to be known as Water Witch Park. The entire plan was conceived in 1895. As envisioned it was to include all of the land presently known as Monmouth Hills and the property to the northeast located between Navesink Avenue (present-day N.J. Route 36) and Sandy Hook Bay. The Monmouth Hills portion of the Park was ultimately established by the Water Witch Club, a private summer club organized by a group of New York businessmen and architects led by New York real estate entrepreneur, Ferdinand Fish. Prior to this venture Fish had been instrumental in establishing the communities of Highland Beach and Navesink Beach located at the north end of what is today Sea Bright. The Park was named after a novel of the same name by James Fenimore Cooper, who is known to have visited the Highlands area in the 1830s. The romantic novelist Cooper described the area as "the most beautiful combination of land and water in America."

Initially, all of the land today containing Monmouth Hills was owned by the Highlands of Navesink Improvement Company (HNIC) established by Fish in the spring of 1895. Later, in that same year, Fish established the Water Witch Club, an entity that would ultimately be the driving force behind the development of the Park. Immediately after its formation, the Club purchased the southeastern half of the Monmouth Hills portion of the Park property from the HNIC.

By June of 1895, Ferdinand Fish had launched a sophisticated campaign for the development of Water Witch Park. He created and published the Oracleth, a monthly paper to help promote the Park and his other real estate ventures (Highlands and Navesink Beach). The paper was printed on high quality paper and included colored illustrations and photographs. Charles Humphreys, architect and son-in-law of Fish, was its illustrator and F.R. Warley, a New York business manager, assisted with its content. Both Humphreys and Warley were members of the Water Witch Club.

In the early stages of the development of the Park, the Club also purchased property on Sandy Hook Bay for the construction of a boathouse and a bathing area. The bathing area was known as "Bathing Lot 14" and had a frontage of 66 feet and a depth of 1,000 feet. The Park also had its own stop on the Central Railroad of New Jersey, the station being named "Water-Witch." In addition, plans for a commercial section along Bay Avenue were formulated. This area was to contain stores, office buildings, stables, an ice house, docks and additional cottages. Although this area appears to have continued to be described as the Water Witch Park into the at least the second quarter of the 20 century, the actual Park as Ferdinand Fish envisioned was never realized. The Monmouth Hills portion of the Park, historically known as the Water Witch Club, wound up to be the only portion to be fully developed.

The Water Witch Club was managed by a President, Secretary, Treasurer and six directors. Each member was elected annually, but could only serve three terms. A $250.00 membership fee was levied to join the Club, but this included one lot of the Club's property located in present-day Monmouth Hills. Subsequent lots could be purchased, but no member was allowed to own more than four. The purpose of the club was outlined in the constitution, a portion of which, reads: "To buy, improve, and apportion land among its members; to provide suitable club buildings, water, lighting, and sewerage systems, to promote social intercourse among its members, and to encourage aquatic and athletic sports."

Civil Engineer, F. Adelbert Dunham of Plainfield, New Jersey was brought on board and by November 1895 he had made surveys of both the lands of the Club and of those of the HNIC. He divided the property into several lots all fronting on curvilinear roads. The first map filed with the County Clerk's Office of Water Witch Park showing the proposed roads and lots was drafted in December of that year. The first two lots of the Water Witch Club's property (southeast portion of Monmouth Hills) were officially sold to Ferdinand Fish on April 22, 1896. The first three houses erected within the Water Witch Club portion of the Park are believed to be the Frank A. Wright House (34 Sea View Terrace), the Livingston Middleditch House (39 East Twin Road) and the William B. Taber House (40 East Twin Road). All three were completed and occupied by June 1896. Development within the HNIC portion of Monmouth Hills was not planned until around 1898.

In 1896, the Club hired the Highlands Water & Light Company "to lay down and maintain water pipes, sewer mains, electric mains and connections underground in the streets, etc. for the purpose of operating water works, gas works, sewerage systems and electric works." By April 1897, the company had completed the water works. A well had been established at the foot of the hill and water was pumped to a holding tank and then supplied via underground pipes by gravity to those residents of the club.

Construction of the first clubhouse of the Water Witch Club was started in the summer of 1896 and finished on June 15,1897. It was designed by Richard Lamb and Charles A. Rich of Lamb and Rich. The opening day register from the clubhouse, dating from July 1897, indicates that the clubhouse functioned as a community center for the Club. In addition to housing some of the Club's guests, the clubhouse was used for social events and community meals. Records indicate that Charles A. Rich and Lyman A. Ford signed the register.

In 1898 Ferdinand Fish and others of the HNIC began promoting the development of the remaining portion of present-day Monmouth Hills. It appears as though they wanted to develop this portion of the Park as a separate entity to be known as the Navesink Country Club. The organization plan was very similar to that of the Water Witch Club. In fact, several of the architects connected with the Water Witch Club planned to be part of this new venture. Plans for the Navesink Country Club included a Club-hotel, tennis courts, croquet grounds, a beach clubhouse and a boathouse. The first sale of the lots took place in May of that year.

However, there appears to have been rifts among the majority stock holders (Ferdinand Fish being one of those) of the HNIC and by the close of 1899, Ferdinand Fish had given up his interests in the development of the Navesink Country Club. In 1900, the Navesink Country Club merged with the Water Witch Club, a situation that became official on May 1,1901.

In 1899, the year before the Navesink Country Club and the Water Witch Club merged, the Water Witch Club had 70 members, most being New York businessmen. By this time, 14 cottages had been constructed and five more were being built.

In 1902 a committee was appointed to investigate the feasibility of building a new clubhouse. Although a competition was held and six sets of plans were submitted, nothing further was done for the next two years. In June 1904, another committee was appointed to look into raising funds to build "a Casino and a small lodge." The Board's recommendations, similar to those in 1902, were to move the present clubhouse to the north side of West Twin Road and make it an annex to the new Casino. On September 26, 1904 it was resolved to move the clubhouse across the road and build a casino. It was designed by Frederick P. Hill and constructed in the following year. The Casino and the original clubhouse (now relocated) are shown on the Sanborn Map of Water Witch Park in 1907. At this time, the Club community contained 39 cottages. In 1911, the original clubhouse was destroyed by fire. In that same year, Lyman A. Ford designed and built a large addition to the Casino that would serve as the new clubhouse containing a dining room, sitting room and five bedrooms.

By the close of the first decade of the 20th century, some of the residences of the Water Witch Club began to be fitted with electricity. Up until this time the cottages were equipped with gas only. Gas was first installed in the Casino in 1910. Nine more years would pass before it switched over to electricity.

Prior to the 1920s, only a few members used their cottages year-round. During the winter the Club's main water supply was turned off and those residents who did stay had cisterns built to collect water from their roofs. By the mid-1920s, however, a few homes began to be supplied with metered water service from the Borough of Highlands. By 1940, all of the cottages were equipped with metered water supplied by the Monmouth Consolidated Company, who re-installed the water mains below the frost line.

As was the case with many Americans, the Great Depression of the 1930s changed the social life of the Club members and the composition of the community forever. Unable to maintain two residences, some members sold their townhouses and winterized their summer homes, while others are likely to have sold their cottages all together. By the late 1940s, the Water Witch Club became a year-round community, but with less of a recreational emphasis. It did, however, continue to function as a club and the spirit of club life continues in the community to this day with the Club Casino as its focus.

By 1950, out of the 40 cottages originally built within the Water Witch Club, 26 remained extant. In 1957, Monmouth Hills, Inc. purchased all of the remaining property of the HNIC situated within present-day Monmouth Hills. It was around this time that the first new house was built within Monmouth Hills. Since that time, approximately 18 additional new houses have been constructed and four more of the original cottages have been razed (three destroyed by fire and one demolished). Today, the Water Witch Club entity has been replaced by Monmouth Hills, Inc. The Water Witch Club Casino, now owned and managed by the Monmouth Hills, Inc., is still used for recreational purposes. Presently, a total of 22 of the original cottages still exist. Many have been altered to facilitate year-round living, but the area still retains its essential historic and natural character.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK PRODUCE EXCHANGE

The New York Produce Exchange was a commodities exchange headquartered in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It served a network of produce and commodities dealers across the United States. Founded in 1861 as the New York Commercial Association, it was originally headquartered at Whitehall Street in a building owned by the New York Produce Exchange Company. The Association was renamed the New York Produce Exchange in 1868 and took over the original building in 1872.

Between 1881 and 1884, the Produce Exchange built a new headquarters on 2 Broadway, facing Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan. The structure, designed by George B. Post, was the first in the world to combine wrought iron and masonry in its structural construction. The main feature of the structure was an exchange floor that measured approximately 220 by 144 feet (67 by 44 m). The Produce Exchange was profitable following the building's completion. By the 1880s, it had the largest membership of any exchange in the United States, with a maximum of three thousand members. By 1900, the exchange was doing $15 million a day in business.

In the early 20th century, activity on the Produce Exchange started to decline due to competition from other cities. The Produce Exchange sold off its building for development in the 1950s; the headquarters was demolished to make way for a skyscraper called 2 Broadway. The exchange had its trading floor in the skyscraper from 1959 until 1973, when it was restructured as the Produce Exchange Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust.

The documents measure 8” x 6” and are in excellent condition.

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