Town Government and Elected Officials (Town of Babylon History Book, Chapter 4)
Town of Babylon History Book - Town Government and Elected Officials (chapter 4; February 2025)
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TOWN GOVERNMENT and ELECTED OFFICIALS
In present time, the Town of Babylon is governed by the Town
Board, which is comprised of the Supervisor and the Town Council, the four (4)
elected council-members. There are seven (7) elected positions in the Town of
Babylon:
- Town Supervisor
- Four (4) Councilpersons
- Town Clerk
- Receiver of Taxes
The Supervisor's Office oversees operations within the Town
of Babylon, and all departments in the town report to the Supervisor's Office
for direction.
The Town Clerk is the chief records keeper for the town. The
Town Clerk’s Office maintains the minutes for all Town Board meetings, and
other boards governing the town. In addition to records management, the Town
Clerk is also the register of vital statistics (birth and death records), the
marriage officer and the licensing officer.
The Receiver of Taxes is an administrative office, not a
policy making office (it does not set tax rates), and collects taxes in
accordance with New York State and Suffolk County tax laws.
When the Town of Babylon was created in 1872, the Town Board
was comprised of the Supervisor and four (4) elected Justices of the Peace. In
1872, the first year of the Town of Babylon government, there were twenty (20)
elected positions:
- Town Supervisor
- Four (4) Justices of the Peace
- Town Clerk
- Tax Collector
- Three (3) Assessors
- Three (3) Highway Commissioners
- Two (2) Overseers of the Poor
- Four (4) Constables
- Game Constable
Other elected positions that were used
in the past are Bay Constables and Excise Commissioners.
First Town
Board, 1872
The first Town Board
meeting was held on April 2, 1872, at the American House hotel, Babylon, which
stood at the northwest corner of Deer Park Avenue and West Main Street,
represented by:
Elbert
Carll, Supervisor
John D.
Capen, David Larned, William Gauckler, and John R. Walker, Justices of the
Peace
Other
“Firsts” Among Elected Officials
Town Clerk –
John James Robbins
Tax
Collector (Receiver of Taxes) – Ira Ketcham
Highway
Commissioners – Jesse Conklin, Solomon Smith, Elbert Strong
Tax
Assessors – Charles Bishop, Richard J. Cornelius, Jackson Mott
Overseers of
the Poor – Solomon Ketcham Jr., Thomas J. Winslow
Constables –
James F. Noe, Smith Robbins, Frederick Torns, Edward J. Udall
Game
Constable – Andrew F. Smith
Excise
Commissioners (1875) – Scudder C. Jarvis, J. Otis Smith, Philip Strack
Bay
Constable (1876) – Alexander Sammis
Highway
Superintendent (1909) – Gilbert P. Williams
Councilperson
(1942) – Carl F. Berger
 |
Town Board meeting, 1969. The previous year, 1968, was the first year
that two women were elected to Town positions – Edna Eagan, as Town Clerk, and
Sondra Bachety, Counilwoman.
| (l-r) Town Clerk Edna Eagan, Councilwoman Sondra Bachety, Supervisor Aaron Barnett, and Councilmen Frank Schaeffer, Rowland Scott and Patrick Waters. |
“Firsts” Among Women Elected in the Town of
Babylon
Anna Wild was appointed an Overseer of the Poor in 1924,
making her the first woman to serve in an elected position, in the Town of
Babylon. Mrs. Wild ran for the position in 1926, making her the first woman
elected in Town of Babylon government, serving 1924-1929.
Following her appointment by the Town Board, Florence A.
Dollard was the first woman to serve as Town Clerk, in 1929. However, the first
woman elected to the position was Edna Eagan, serving 1968-1969.
The first women elected to the Town Council was Sandra
Bachety, serving 1968-1979. Francine V. Brown, the second woman elected to the
Town Council, served from 1982-2001 and is the Town’s longest serving
Councilperson (over 19 years).
Alice M. Beck was the first woman
elected to the position of Receiver of Taxes, serving 1978-1982.
“Firsts”
Among People of Color Elected in the Town of Babylon
Elected to a Constable position in 1893, Charles D. Brewster
was the first person of color to be elected in the Town of Babylon. Brewster
was a Native American and Civil War veteran (a Private in the 20th U.S. Colored
Infantry Regiment), who lived in North Amityville. Brewster Lane, off Albany
Avenue, is named for his family.
Janice Tinsley-Colbert, who served as Town Clerk from 2000-2008, was the first African-American elected in the Town of Babylon. Jacqueline A. Gordon (serving 2008-2020) was the first African-American, and Antonio A. Martinez (serving since 2008) was the first Hispanic-American, elected to the Town Council.
_______________________
Supervisors (1872-present)
From 1872
to 1893, the Supervisor was elected to a 1-year term, starting in April. In
1894, the Supervisor position was extended to a 2-year term, starting in April;
except for 1898 when the Supervisor was elected to a 1-year term, presumably to
reorganize the elections to a 2-year term commencing in odd years.
In 1919, elections were moved from April to
November, and officials took office the following January 1. The Supervisor
position continued to be a 2-year term until 2006 when the term was extended to
4-years.
_____________
Elbert Carll, our first Town
Supervisor, is the oldest person elected Supervisor, at age 64 years, 6 months
and 14 days; Henry A. Brown was older but was appointed rather than elected.
The youngest Supervisor was Stephan Titus, who was just 24; John E. Ireland was
27. When elected in 1992, Rich Schaffer was widely reported as being the
youngest Supervisor in Town of Babylon history, at age 29, but this information
was incorrect; he was, however, the youngest Babylon Town Supervisor in the 20th
century.
For over 100 years, Edward
Daily held the record for longest serving Supervisor; he died having served 13
years, 1 month, and 21 days. In 2016, Rich Schaffer surpassed Daily’s tenure,
and has served as Supervisor ever since, with more than 19 years as Babylon
Town Supervisor. (Rich Schaffer was Town Supervisor from 1992-2001, and then
returned to the position in 2012.)
Thirty
people have held the position of Town Supervisor:
·
7 have returned to the position for a
non-consecutive term
·
3 have been appointed to the position following the
death of their predecessor; 1 of them went on to be elected to the position in
their own right
·
4 have been appointed to the position following
predecessor’s resignation; each of them went on to be elected to the position
in their own right
Several of the Supervisors have held public offices outside of the Town
of Babylon:
· 3 have been
Mayors of the villages of Amityville and Babylon
· 3 served in the
New York State Assembly
· 1 served in the
New York State Senate
· 1 was Suffolk
County Sheriff
· 4 were Suffolk
County Justices
· 2 served as
Suffolk County Legislators
· 1 has been elected Suffolk County Executive
|
|
Supervisors (birth-death) |
Term of Service |
|
|
1. |
Elbert
Carll (1807-1887) |
April 2, 1872 to April 1, 1873** |
|
|
2. |
John
E. Ireland (1845-1913) |
April 1, 1873 to April 6, 1875 |
|
|
--- |
Elbert
Carll * |
April 6, 1875 to April 4, 1876 |
|
|
3. |
Charles
T. Duryea (1832-1899) |
April 4, 1876 to April 5, 1881 |
|
|
4. |
Stephen
A. Titus (1856-1917) |
April 5, 1881 to April 1, 1884** |
|
|
5. |
George A. Hooper (1854-1894) |
April 1, 1884 to April 7, 1885** |
|
|
--- |
Stephen
A. Titus * |
April 7, 1885 to April 6, 1886** |
|
|
--- |
George
A. Hooper * |
April 6, 1886 to April 5, 1889** |
|
|
6. |
Richard
Higbie (1857-1900) |
April 5, 1889 to April 6, 1893 |
|
|
7. |
William
G. Nicoll (1845-1919) |
April 6, 1893 to April 7, 1896 |
|
|
8. |
Thomas
Powell (1838-1907) |
April 7, 1896 to April 4, 1899 |
|
|
9. |
Edward
Daily (1851-1912) |
April 4, 1899 to May 25, 1912^ |
|
|
10. |
Henry
A. Brown (1835-1933) |
June 27, 1912† to April 1, 1913 |
|
|
11. |
Frederick
Sheide (1877-1944) |
April 1, 1913 to April 4, 1917 |
|
|
12. |
John
Clinton Robbins (1861-1925) |
April 4, 1917 to December 31, 1919** |
|
|
13. |
William
T. Louden (1865-1922) |
January 1, 1920 to August 16, 1922^ |
|
|
14. |
William
S. Willmarth (1864-1926) |
September 6, 1922† to December 31, 1923 |
|
|
--- |
John
Clinton Robbins * |
January 1, 1924 to October 16, 1925^ |
|
|
15. |
Frederic
J. Wood (1887-1964) |
October 16, 1925† to December 31, 1925** |
|
|
16. |
Joseph
P. Warta (1926-1931) |
January 1, 1926 to December 31, 1931 |
|
|
17. |
Henry
S. Johnson (1875-1951) |
January 1, 1932 to December 31, 1935 |
|
|
--- |
Frederic
J. Wood * |
January 1, 1936 to December 31, 1941 |
|
|
18. |
Donald
E. Muncy (1900-1990) |
January 1, 1942 to December 31, 1947** |
|
|
19. |
William
F. Wolter (1899-1971) |
January 1, 1948 to December 31, 1951 |
|
|
--- |
Donald
E. Muncy * |
January 1, 1952 to December 31, 1957 |
|
|
20. |
Arthur
M. Cromarty (1919-2014) |
January 1, 1958 to February 8, 1963‡ |
|
|
21. |
William
T. Lauder (1922-2024) |
February 15, 1963† to February 1, 1965‡ |
|
|
22. |
Gilbert
G. Hanse (1914-2004) |
February 3, 1965† to December 31, 1967 |
|
|
23. |
Joseph
A. Stabile (1930-2022) |
January 1, 1968 to February 26, 1969‡ |
|
|
24. |
Aaron
Barnett (1918-2018) |
February 25, 1969† to December 31, 1975 |
|
|
25. |
Thomas
Fallon (1934-2002) |
January 1, 1976 to December 31, 1977 |
|
|
26. |
Raymond
C. Allmendinger
(1935-2002) |
January 1, 1978 to October 26, 1982‡ |
|
|
27. |
Anthony
Noto (1937-2009) |
November 10, 1982† to December 31, 1987 |
|
|
28. |
Arthur
G. Pitts |
January 1, 1988 to September 17, 1992‡ |
|
|
29. |
Richard
H. Schaffer |
November 19, 1992§ to December 31, 2001** |
|
|
30. |
Steven
C. Bellone |
January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2011 |
|
|
--- |
Richard
H. Schaffer * |
January 3, 2012† to present |
|
†
Appointed to fill a vacancy. ‡ Resigned.
^ Died in office.
_______________________
Deputy Supervisors (1968-present)
The position
of Deputy Supervisor is not an elected position. Appointed by the Town
Supervisor, the Deputy Supervisor aids the Town Supervisor in operation of the
Town. If the office of Town Supervisor becomes vacant, the Deputy Supervisor
assumes the responsibilities of Town Supervisor until a successor is appointed
or elected.
Since the
inception of the position, in the Town of Babylon, the title has typically been
held by elected officials (e.g. Tax Receivers and Councilman) and by other Town
employees.
____________________
The first Deputy Supervisor was Ronald Glickman, who also served as
Receiver of Taxes, 1968-1969.
|
|
|
Supervisor |
Term Start |
Term End |
|
1. |
Ronald
Glickman |
Joseph
Stabile |
March 5,
1968 |
January 7,
1969 |
|
2. |
Frank A. Schaeffer (1931-2019) |
Aaron
Barnett |
January 17,
1969 |
May 25, 1970 |
|
3. |
Anthony Noto (1937-2009) |
Aaron
Barnett |
May 25, 1970 |
December 29,
1970 |
|
4. |
Henry F. Wrieth |
Aaron
Barnett |
January 5,
1971 |
December 31,
1973 |
|
5. |
John T. Pearsall (1923-2001) |
Aaron
Barnett |
January 2,
1974 |
December 31,
1975 |
|
6. |
Helen Calderone |
Thomas
Fallon |
January 2,
1976 |
December 31,
1977 |
|
7. |
William J. Canary |
Raymond
Allmendinger |
January 1,
1978 |
November 1982 |
|
8. |
Louis Maestri (1934-2017) |
Anthony Noto |
November 16,
1982 |
December 31,
1985 |
|
9. |
Gordon Canary |
Antony Noto |
January 2,
1986 |
December
1987 |
|
10. |
Thomas Melito |
Arthur G.
Pitts |
January 1988 |
March 1993 |
|
11. |
Patrick Haugen |
Rich
Schaffer |
January 4,
1994 |
December 31,
1999 |
|
12. |
Ellen T. McVeety |
Steve
Bellone and Rich Schaffer |
January 1,
2000 |
December
31, 2011 |
|
13. |
Antonio A. Martinez |
Rich
Schaffer |
January 1,
2012 |
present |
_______________________
Councilpersons (1942-present)
The Town
of Babylon is governed by the Town Board, which is comprised of the Supervisor
and four Councilmembers.
The first
Councilperson was elected in November 1941, and took office January 1, 1942.
From 1942-1943, the Town Board was comprised of one Councilperson and three
Justices of the Peace; from 1944-1957, there were two Councilpersons and two
Justices of the Peace. Since 1958, there have been four Councilpersons, who are
elected to 4-year terms.
____________________
The first Councilman was Carl F. Berger, who
previously served as a Justice of the Peace. At one time, Berger was active in
the East Farmingdale Fire Department, serving as its chief from 1936-1939.
Other Councilmen who also served as Justices of the Peace were John C. Robbins
and Charles A. Woehning. Councilpersons who also served as Town Clerk were
Rowland Scott, Ellen McVeety and Carol Quirk; John F. Schroeder was also
elected Receiver of Taxes.
The first women elected to the Town Council was
Sandra Bachety. Serving over 19 consecutive years, Francine V. Brown was the
longest serving Councilperson. Jacqueline A. Gordon was the first
African-American, and Antonio A. Martinez was the first Hispanic-American, elected to the Town Council.
Three Councilmen have subsequently served as Town
Supervisor, Arthur M. Cromarty, Raymond C. Allmendinger and Steven Bellone.
Councilpersons Raymond C. Allmendinger and Anne M. Allmendinger were husband
and wife.
|
|
Councilpersons |
Term of Office |
|
1. |
Carl F. Berger (1904-1973) |
January 1, 1942 -- October 3, 1950‡ |
|
2. |
John F. Schroeder
(1891-1961) |
January 1, 1944
-- December 31, 1951 |
|
3. |
John C. Robbins
(1886-1958) |
October 14, 1950†
-- December 31, 1951 |
|
4. |
Nat Marino
(1908-1978) |
January 1, 1952
-- December 31, 1955 |
|
5. |
Kenneth K. Rohl
(1920-1999) |
January 1, 1952
-- December 31, 1953 |
|
6. |
Charles A. Woehning
(1904-1965) |
January 1, 1954
-- November 8, 1955‡ |
|
7. |
William J. Albin
(1894-1978) |
December 20, 1955†
-- December 31, 1957 |
|
8. |
Arthur M. Cromarty
(1919-2014) |
January 1, 1956
-- December 31, 1957‡ |
|
9. |
Thomas Henry
(1894-1975) |
January 1, 1958
-- July 31, 1968‡ |
|
10. |
Rowland Scott
(1910-1994) |
January 1, 1958
-- December 31, 1973 |
|
11. |
Paul H. Silverthorn
(1912-1986) |
January 1, 1958
-- December 22, 1967‡ |
|
12. |
Clifford Spelman
(1914-1997) |
January 1, 1958†
-- December 31, 1963 |
|
13. |
George J. Granelle
(1917-1989) |
January 1, 1964
-- December 22, 1967‡ |
|
14. |
Sondra M. Bachety
|
January 1, 1968
-- December 31, 1979 |
|
15. |
Frank A. Schaeffer
(1931-2019) |
January 1, 1968
-- December 31, 1971 |
|
16. |
Richard M. DiNapoli
(1923-1975) |
January 1, 1969
-- February 24, 1969 |
|
17. |
Patrick B. Waters
(1922-2002) |
February 25, 1969†
-- December 31, 1973 |
|
18. |
Vincent Manna
(1924-1989) |
January 1, 1972
-- December 31, 1975 |
|
19. |
Raymond C. Allmendinger (1935-2002) |
January 1, 1974
-- December 31, 1977 |
|
20. |
Harold J. Withers (1941-2022) |
January 1, 1974
-- December 31, 1983‡ |
|
21. |
Louis J. Maestri
(1934-2017) |
January 1, 1976
-- December 31, 1987 |
|
22. |
Wallace H. Boyle
|
January 1, 1978
-- February 2, 1982‡ |
|
23. |
William J. Canary
|
January 1, 1980
-- July 17, 1984‡ |
|
24. |
Francine V. Brown
|
March 30, 1982† -- December
31, 2001 |
|
25. |
Anne M. Allmendinger
(1929-2014) |
March 20, 1984†
-- December 31, 1989 |
|
26. |
William A. DalCol
|
July 17, 1984†
-- December 31, 1987 |
|
27. |
Patrick Haugen
|
January 1, 1988
-- December 31, 1999 |
|
28. |
Robert E. Kaufold
|
January 1, 1988
-- December 31, 1999 |
|
29. |
Anthony A. Tafuri
(1935-2003) |
January 1, 1990
-- December 31, 1997 |
|
30. |
Steven Bellone
|
January 1, 1998
-- December 31, 2001 |
|
31. |
David Bishop |
January 1, 2006† -- December 31, 2006 |
|
32. |
Wayne Horsley
|
January 1, 2000
-- December 31, 2005‡ |
|
33. |
Ellen T. McVeety
|
January 1, 2000
-- November 15, 2012 |
|
34. |
Lindsay P. Henry
|
January 1, 2002
-- December 31, 2017 |
|
35. |
Carol Quirk
|
January 1, 2002
-- May 19, 2008‡ |
|
36. |
Jacqueline A. Gordon
|
January 1, 2007
-- January 2, 2020‡ |
|
37. |
Antonio A. Martinez
|
July 15, 2008†
-- Present |
|
38. |
Thomas F. Donnelly
|
January 1, 2012
-- December 31, 2017‡ |
|
39. |
Anthony N. Manetta
|
January 1, 2018 -- Present |
|
40. |
Terrence F. McSweeney
|
January 2, 2018† -- Present |
|
41. |
DuWayne Gregory
|
January 15, 2020† -- Present |
†
Appointed to fill a vacancy. ‡ Resigned.
_______________________
Town Clerks (1872-present)
The Town
Clerk is the chief records keeper for the town. The Town Clerk’s Office
maintains the minutes for all Town Board meetings, and other boards governing
the town. In addition to records management, the Town Clerk is also the
register of vital statistics (birth and death records), the marriage officer
and the licensing officer.
From 1872
to 1893, the Town Clerk was elected to a 1-year term, starting in April. From
1894 to 1917, the Town Clerk was elected to a 2-year term. In 1919, elections were moved from April to
November, and officials took office the following January. The Town Clerk
position continued to be a 2-year term until 2006 when the term was extended to
4-years.
_____________
The first Town Clerk, John James Robbins, owned a
men’s clothing store in Babylon village. James E. Tooker was the longest
serving Town Clerk – 24 consecutive years – and later served as Town Historian.
Following her appointment by the Town Board, Florence A. Dollard was the
first woman to serve as Town Clerk. However, the first woman elected to the
position was Edna Eagan. Janice Tinsley-Colbert was the first African-American
elected in the Town of Babylon.
Years before his election as Town Clerk, Charles Warta, Jr. was a Town
Constable, and his brother Joseph P. Warta later served as Town Supervisor.
Joseph A. Moore and Frank E. Moore were brothers, and Florence A. Dollard was
the niece of John B. Dollard.
Frederick Sheide later served as Town Supervisor.
Three Town Clerks have also been elected Councilpersons, Rowland Scott, Ellen
T. McVeety, and Carol Quirk.
|
|
Town Clerks |
Term of Office |
|
1. |
John James Robbins
(1844-1891) |
April 2, 1872
-- April 6, 1875 |
|
2. |
Woodhull Skidmore
(1834-1920) |
April 6, 1875
-- April 4, 1876 |
|
3. |
Daniel J. Runyon
(1837-1906) |
April 4, 1876
-- April 4, 1882 |
|
4. |
Frederick P. Conklin
(1852-1924) |
April 4, 1882
-- April 3, 1883 |
|
5. |
James R. Gulick
(1857-1884) |
April 3, 1883
-- April 1, 1884 |
|
6. |
Theodore C. Fletcher
(1851-1925) |
April 1, 1884
-- April 7, 1885 |
|
7. |
Joseph A. Moore
(1858-1930) |
April 7, 1885
-- April 3, 1888 |
|
8. |
Frank E. Moore
(1856-1943) |
April 3, 1888
-- April 5, 1889 |
|
9. |
Joseph A. Douglas
(1859-1940) |
April 5, 1889
-- April 2, 1890 |
|
10. |
Henry de Languillette
(1857-1923) |
April 2, 1890
-- April 6, 1892 |
|
11. |
Eugene Velsor
(1863-1938) |
April 6, 1892
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
12. |
Willis B. Inglee
(1870-1950) |
April 4, 1899
-- April 3, 1907 |
|
13. |
Frederick Sheide
(1877-1944) |
April 4, 1907
-- April 7, 1911 |
|
14. |
Charles Warta, Jr.
(1869-1914) |
April 4, 1911
-- July 8, 1914 ^ |
|
15. |
John B. Dollard
(1872-1949) |
August 15, 1914†
-- April 6, 1915 |
|
16. |
Ellis A. Taylor
(1870-1950) |
April 6, 1915
-- December 31, 1928‡ |
|
17. |
Florence A. Dollard
(1891-1958) |
January 1, 1929†
-- December 31, 1929 |
|
18. |
James E. Tooker
(1876-1864) |
January 1, 1930
-- December 31, 1953 |
|
19. |
Rowland Scott
(1910-1994) |
January 1, 1954
-- December 31, 1957 |
|
20. |
Jack Pellicano
(1914-1977) |
January 1, 1958
-- December 31, 1967 |
|
21. |
Edna Eagan
(1909-1989) |
January 1, 1968
-- December 31, 1969 |
|
22. |
Isabelle S. Fajans
(1908-1970) |
January 1, 1970
-- September 29, 1970^ |
|
23. |
Raye D’Abramo
(1919-2000) |
January 1, 1972
-- December 31, 1991 |
|
24. |
Ellen T. McVeety
|
January 1, 1992
-- December 31, 1999 |
|
25. |
Janice Tinsley-Colbert
|
January 1, 2000
-- April 8, 2008‡ |
|
26. |
Carol Quirk
|
May 19, 2008†
-- December 31, 2017 |
|
27. |
Geraldine Compitello
|
January 1, 2018
-- Present |
^
Died in office. † Appointed to fill a
vacancy. ‡ Resigned.
_______________________
Receivers of Taxes (1872-present)
The
Receiver of Taxes is not a policy making office, it is an administrative
office, and taxes are collected in accordance with New York State and Suffolk
County tax laws. From 1872 to 1898, the Tax Collector was elected to a one-year
term, starting in April. From 1899 to
1917, the Tax Collector was elected to a two-year term, starting in
April.
The title
“Tax Collector” was changed to “Receiver of Taxes” in the 1911 election. In 1919, elections were moved from April to
November, and officials took office the following January. The Tax Collector
position continued to be a 2-year term until 2006 when the term was extended to
4-years.
_____________
The first Tax Collector was Ira Ketcham, of
Amityville. The longest serving Receiver of Taxes – over 24 years – was Paul
Diehl, Jr., of Amityville. With his father and brother, Diehl operated Paul
Diehl & Sons bottling company, before joining Town of Babylon government.
Alice M. Beck was the first woman elected to the
position of Receiver of Taxes. Walter A. Saxton served terms as a Justice of
the Peace, and later served as Town Historian. Richard M. DiNapoli was also
elected as a Councilman. Ronald Glickman was also appointed Deputy Supervisor.
|
|
Receivers of Taxes |
Term of Office |
|
1. |
Ira Ketcham
(1829-1906) |
April 2, 1872
-- April 6, 1875 |
|
2. |
James Baylis
(1833-___) |
April 6, 1875
-- April 3, 1877 |
|
3. |
Charles W. Powell
(1849-1890) |
April 3, 1877
-- April 4, 1882 |
|
4. |
Carll Jackson
(1845-1917) |
April 4, 1882
-- April 7, 1885 |
|
5. |
Joshua H. Smalling
(1847-1923) |
April 7, 1885
-- April 3, 1901 |
|
6. |
Joel S. Davis
(1836-1904) |
April 3, 1901
-- December 1, 1904^ |
|
7. |
Edward S. Alley
(1869-1927) |
December 6, 1904†
-- April 7, 1909 |
|
8. |
James B. Kent
(1869-1952) |
April 7, 1909
-- December 31, 1923 |
|
9. |
Paul Diehl, Jr.
(1888-1948) |
January 1, 1924
-- May 6, 1948^ |
|
10. |
Thomas F. Newton
(1895-1974) |
May 18, 1948†
-- December 31, 1951 |
|
11. |
John F. Schroeder
(1891-1961) |
January 1, 1952
-- December 31, 1957 |
|
12. |
Walter A. Saxton
(1911-2002) |
January 1, 1958
– January 31, 1959 |
|
13. |
Richard M. DiNapoli
(1923-1975) |
February 1, 1959†
-- November 20, 1962‡ |
|
14. |
Earl W. Cooke
(1927-2004) |
November 20, 1962†
-- December 31, 1967 |
|
15. |
Ronald Glickman
|
January 1, 1968
-- December 31, 1969 |
|
16. |
Anthony Cesare
(1907-1981) |
January 1, 1970
-- December 31, 1977 |
|
17. |
Alice M. Beck
|
January 1, 1978
-- June 30,
1982‡ |
|
18. |
Carol Canning
(1934-1999) |
August 3, 1982†
-- February 3, 1999^ |
|
19. |
Corrine DiSomma
|
April 6, 1999†
-- December 31, 2019 |
|
20. |
Jennifer C. Montiglio
|
January 1, 2020
-- Present |
^
Died in office. † Appointed to fill a
vacancy. ‡ Resigned.
_______________________
Justices of the Peace (1872-1965)
In 1872, four Justices were elected to
terms of 1-year, 2-years, 3-years and 4-years, beginning in April. As those
terms expired, the terms were then four-years, with one position voted on each
year.
Starting in 1890, Justices were elected in
April, to four-year terms commencing the following January. Starting in 1901,
two Justices were elected every two years, to four-year terms commencing the
following January. In 1919, elections
were moved from April to November, and officials took office the following
January.
In 1942, the number
of Justices was reduced to three, and further reduced to two Justices in 1944.
From 1960 to 1963, the number of Justices was increased to three; returning to
two Justices in 1964. The Justice Court was abolished January 1, 1966, and was
superseded by the District Court system, thereby ending the Justice of the
Peace position.
_____________
The first Justices of the Peace were John D. Capen,
David Larned, William Gauckler and John R. Walker. John D. Capen, of
Amityville, was a former manufacturer of soap and candles. David Larned, of
Babylon, was a watchmaker and served in the U.S. Army in the 1840s. William
Gauckler, of Breslau (later Lindenhurst), was an insurance and real estate
agent. John R. Walker, of Babylon, was an attorney.
James B. Cooper, Sr. was the longest serving with a
combined total of over 25 years. After Justice Cooper’s death in 1907, his son
James B. Cooper, Jr. was appointed to fulfill his term. James B. Cooper, Jr.
later founded the Babylon Leader newspaper.
Justices William G. Nicoll, Henry A. Brown, Frederic
J. Wood, William F. Wolter and William T. Lauder each served as Town
Supervisor. Justice Carl. F. Berger was elected the first Town Councilman in
1942.
|
|
Justices of the Peace |
Term of Service |
|
1(a). |
John D. Capen
(1832-1907) |
April 2, 1872
-- December 31, 1893 |
|
1(b). |
David Larned
(1820-1898) |
April 2, 1872
-- October 2, 1873 |
|
1(c). |
William Gauckler
(1840-1877) |
April 2, 1872
– May18, 1877^ |
|
1(d). |
John R. Walker
(c.1838-__) |
April 2, 1872
-- March 5, 1880‡ |
|
5. |
James B. Cooper, Sr.
(1825-1907) |
October 3, 1873†
-- April 1, 1879** |
|
6. |
Ferdinand Beschott
(c.1830-1885) |
April 2, 1878§
-- April 6, 1880** |
|
7. |
Warren D. Lewis
(1829-1890) |
April 1, 1879
-- August 22, 1890^ |
|
8. |
Charles Wagner
(c.1843-1895) |
April 6, 1880
-- April 1, 1884** |
|
9. |
John M. Butler
(1810-1913) |
April 6, 1880§
-- March 1881‡ |
|
--- |
James B. Cooper, Sr.*
|
April 5, 1881§
-- April 4, 1882** |
|
10. |
George W. Conklin
(1829-1908) |
April 4, 1882
-- April 6, 1886 |
|
--- |
Ferdinand Beschott*
|
April 1, 1884
-- July 30, 1885^ |
|
11. |
George S. Pearsall
(1852-1929) |
April 6, 1886
-- April 6, 1887‡ |
|
12. |
Jacob Oeffinger
(1845-1914) |
April 6, 1886§
-- April 8, 1888 |
|
--- |
James B. Cooper, Sr.*
|
April 6, 1887
-- December 31, 1894** |
|
--- |
Charles Wagner*
|
April 3, 1888
-- December 31, 1892 |
|
13. |
William G. Nicoll
(1845-1919) |
April 8, 1891
-- December 31, 1895 |
|
14. |
Holmes W. Sweezey
(1832-1914) |
January 1, 1894
-- December 31, 1897 |
|
15. |
Arthur Neville
(1870-1906) |
January 1, 1893§
-- December 31, 1899 |
|
16. |
Henry A. Brown
(1835-1933) |
January 1, 1895
-- December 31, 1901** |
|
--- |
James B. Cooper, Sr.*
|
January 1, 1896
-- February 24, 1907^ |
|
17. |
Tredwell C. Willmarth
(1839-1918) |
January 1, 1898
-- December 31, 1905 |
|
18. |
Alvin G. T. Parthe
(1849-1902) |
January 1, 1900
-- April 19, 1902^ |
|
19. |
Herman Donner
(1857-1918) |
January 1, 1902
-- December 31, 1907 |
|
20. |
George W. Irmisch
(1862-1937) |
May 23, 1902†
-- December 31, 1919 |
|
21. |
Frank T. Wells
(1874-1961) |
January 1, 1906
-- December 31, 1913 |
|
22. |
James B. Cooper, Jr.
(1871-1940) |
April 3, 1907§
-- December 31, 1923 |
|
--- |
Henry A. Brown*
|
January 1, 1908
-- December 31, 1913 |
|
23. |
Laclede Wilson
(1886-1949) |
January 1, 1914
-- December 31, 1917 |
|
24. |
Franklin S. Purdy
(1857-1934) |
January 1, 1914
-- December 31, 1917 |
|
25. |
Henry A. Edwards
(1863-1952) |
January 1, 1918
-- December 31, 1925 |
|
26. |
Arthur R. Burns
(1884-1959) |
January 1, 1918
-- January 9, 1918‡ |
|
27. |
Paul Bailey
(1885-1962) |
January 9, 1918†
-- December 31, 1921 |
|
28. |
Frederic J. Wood
(1887-1964) |
January 1, 1920
-- December 31, 1935 |
|
29. |
Claud J. Lapsley
(1877-1964) |
January 1, 1922
-- December 31, 1933 |
|
30. |
William F. Wolter
(1899-1971) |
January 1, 1924
-- December 31, 1947 |
|
31. |
Charles A. Fisher
(1876-1963) |
January 1, 1926
-- December 31, 1941 |
|
32. |
Frederick W. Frost
(1902-1967) |
January 1, 1934
-- December 31, 1941 |
|
33. |
John C. Robbins
(1886-1958) |
January 1, 1936
-- December 31, 1943 |
|
34. |
C. Herbert Hendrickson
(1904-1964) |
January 1, 1942
-- October 31, 1943‡ |
|
35. |
Bradley W. Thorpe
(1888-1951) |
November 1, 1943†
-- October 3, 1950‡ |
|
36. |
Walter A. Saxton
(1911-2002) |
January 1, 1948
-- December 31, 1951** |
|
37. |
Carl F. Berger
(1904-1973) |
October 3, 1950†
-- September 1951** |
|
38. |
Franklin T. Voelker
(1903-1969) |
September 25, 1951†
-- December 31, 1953 |
|
--- |
Carl F. Berger*
|
January 1, 1952
-- December 31, 1955 |
|
39. |
Charles F. Pfeifle
(1895-1970) |
January 1, 1954
-- December 17, 1956‡ |
|
40. |
Charles A. Woehning
(1904-1965) |
January 1, 1956
-- December 31, 1959 |
|
41. |
J. Stanley Pease
(1912-1995) |
January 22, 1957†
-- December 31, 1961 |
|
--- |
Walter A. Saxton*
|
January 1, 1960
– October 2, 1962‡ |
|
42. |
Ernest J. Signorelli
(1924-1999) |
January 1, 1960
-- December 31, 1963 |
|
43. |
Gilbert C. Hanse
(1914-2004) |
January 1, 1962
-- February 3, 1965‡ |
|
44. |
William T. Lauder (1922-2024) |
November 20, 1962†
-- February 15, 1963‡ |
|
45. |
Charles J. Cowan
(1926-2018) |
March 12, 1963† --
December 31, 1965≠ |
|
46. |
John V. Vaughn
(1931-2012) |
February 2, 1965† --
December 31, 1965≠ |
* Previously elected to a non-consecutive
term. ** Re-elected to a non-consecutive
term.
§
Special election to fill vacancy. † Appointed to fill a vacancy. ‡ Resigned.
^ Died in office. ≠ Position eliminated.
_______________________
Commissioners of Highways (1872-1911)
and
Superintendents of Highways (1909-1995)
In 1872, three Commissioners were elected to terms of
1-year, 2-years, and 3-years, beginning in April. As those terms expired, the
terms were then three-years, with one position voted on each year.
From 1899
to 1909, three commissioners were elected every two years for two-year terms.
In 1909, three Highway Commissioners were elected, along with a Highway
Superintendent.
Starting
in 1911, only a Highway Superintendent was elected. The position was eliminated in 1995, and the functions absorbed into the
Department of Public Works.
_________________________
The first three Highway Commissioners were Elbert Strong, Jesse Conklin,
and Solomon Smith. Born in 1833, Elbert Strong was a farmer who grew up in the
area that would later become Lindenhurst; he served just one term as a Highway
Commissioner.
Under the Town of Huntington, Jesse Conklin served as Tax Collector and a
Commissioner of Highways. Affectionately known as “Uncle Jesse,” Conklin was
the proprietor of a hotel on Fire Island known as “Castle Conklin.” Solomon
Smith was a farmer and life-long resident of Babylon.
The first Highway Superintendent, Gilbert P. Williams of Amityville,
previously served as a Highway Commissioner. Four Highway
Commissioners/Superintendents later served as Town Supervisor – Edward Daily,
Henry A. Brown, William S. Willmarth and Henry S. Johnson.
|
|
Commissioners
of Highway |
Term
of Office |
|
1(a). |
Elbert
Strong |
April
2, 1872 -- 1873/1874 |
|
1(b). |
Jesse Conklin |
April
2, 1872 -- 1873/1874 |
|
1(c). |
Solomon Smith |
April
2, 1872 -- 1873/1874** |
|
4. |
Frederick L. Weed |
April
1, 1873 -- April 4, 1876 |
|
5. |
Ezekiel K. Smith |
April
7, 1874 -- April 6, 1887 |
|
6. |
Elbert H. Walters§ |
April
7, 1874 -- April 3, 1877 |
|
7. |
George L. Ketcham |
April
4, 1876 -- April 7, 1885 |
|
8. |
Edward Daily (1851-1912) |
April
3, 1877 -- April 3, 1883 |
|
9. |
Henry A. Brown (1835-1933) |
April
3, 1883 -- April 6, 1886 |
|
10. |
Charles Hirsch,
Jr. |
April
7, 1885 -- April 8, 1888 |
|
11. |
John E. Arnold |
April
6, 1886 -- April 6, 1892 |
|
12. |
William Denton |
April
6, 1887 -- April 2, 1890 |
|
13. |
Valentine
Helling |
April
3, 1888 -- April 4, 1894** |
|
14. |
Edward H.
Morris |
April
2, 1890 -- March 1, 1892‡ |
|
15. |
Egbert V.
Strong |
April
6, 1892 -- April 5, 1895 |
|
16. |
Frederick W.
Smith |
April
6, 1892§ -- April 6, 1893 |
|
17. |
Nathaniel P. Williams (1835-1915) |
April
6, 1893 -- April 7, 1896 |
|
18. |
John S. Krueger |
April
4, 1894 -- April 4, 1899 |
|
19. |
Solomon Smith* |
April 5, 1895 -- April 5,
1898 |
|
20. |
Stephen R. Austin |
April 7, 1896 -- April 8,
1903 |
|
21. |
Charles W. Conklin |
April 5, 1898 -- April 3, 1901 |
|
22. |
George S. Pearsall, Jr. (1852-1929) |
April 4, 1899 -- April 5,
1905** |
|
--- |
Valentine Heling* |
April 4, 1899 -- April 5,
1905** |
|
23. |
Charles E. Smith |
April 8, 1903 -- April 5,
1905 |
|
24. |
Burtis F. Mott |
April 5, 1905 -- April 3,
1907 |
|
25. |
John Griebel |
April 5, 1905 -- April 7,
1911≠ |
|
26. |
Zachariah Hendrickson |
April 5, 1905 -- April 3,
1907 |
|
--- |
Valentine Heling* |
April 3, 1907 -- April 7,
1909 |
|
27. |
Gilbert P. Williams |
April 3, 1907 -- April 7, 1909** |
|
--- |
George S. Pearsall, Sr.* |
April 7, 1909 -- April 7,
1911≠ |
|
|
Superintendents of Highways |
Term of Office |
|
1. |
Gilbert P. Williams* |
April
7, 1909 -- April 7, 1911 |
|
2. |
Charles Heling (1880-1938) |
April
7, 1911 -- November 1, 1917 |
|
3. |
William S. Willmarth (1864-1926) |
November
1, 1917 -- December 31, 1921 |
|
4. |
Henry S. Johnson (1875-1951) |
January
1, 1922 -- December 31, 1925 |
|
5. |
John S. Wolf |
January
1, 1926 -- December 31, 1931 |
|
6. |
William E. Hirsch |
January
1, 1932 -- December 31, 1933 |
|
7. |
Thomas Bradford Sprague |
January
1, 1934 -- December 31, 1935 |
|
8. |
George Stephan |
January
1, 1936 -- December 31, 1951 |
|
9. |
Charles J.
Vogel |
January
1, 1952 -- December 31, 1963 |
|
10. |
Robert A. Hanington
(1926-2013) |
January
1, 1964 -- December 31, 1983 |
|
11. |
James J. Harrington
(1943-2020) |
January
1, 1984 -- December 31, 1995≠ |
_______________________
Tax Assessors (1872-1957)
In 1872, three Assessors were elected to terms of 1-year,
2-years, and 3-years, beginning in April. As those terms expired, subsequent
terms were then 3-years. The 3-year positions continued until 1898.
In 1899, the Assessor positions were revised, and elected
to 2-year terms. From 1911 to 1957, Assessor positions were for 2 or 4 years.
In 1919, elections were moved from April to November, and officials took office
the following January.
In 1958, Tax Assessor became a position appointed by
the Town Board. Today, the Department of Assessment is responsible for placing
an assessment on each parcel of land in the town for the purpose of
equalization of the tax base.
________________________
A brief look at the first Tax Assessors. Charles Bishop, of Babylon, made
his living as a dentist, but was also a musician; he served a total of 17 years
as a Tax Assessor. Jackson Mott, a farmer who lived near East Farmingdale,
served 5 years. Richard J. Cornelius, of Amityville, had served as a Tax
Assessor for the Town of Huntington, however, he died just three months into
his term for the Town of Babylon.
Four Tax Assessors later served in other elected positions. Thomas Powell
and Joseph P. Warta served terms as Town Supervisor, Charles F. Pfeifle was a
Justice of the Peace, and Thomas F. Newton served as Receiver of Taxes.
|
|
Tax Assessors |
Term of Office |
|
1(a). |
Charles Bishop |
April 2, 1872
-- April 6, 1887** |
|
1(b). |
Richard J. Cornelius |
April 2, 1872
-- July 16, 1872^ |
|
1(c). |
Jackson Mott |
April 2, 1872
-- April 5, 1877 |
|
4. |
Terry Ketcham |
April 1, 1873
-- April 4, 1876** |
|
5. |
Thomas Powell (1838-1907)
|
April 4, 1876
-- April 4, 1882** |
|
6. |
Philip Strack |
April 3, 1877
-- April 6, 1880 |
|
7. |
Christian F. Wild |
April 6, 1880
-- April 5, 1889 |
|
--- |
Terry Ketcham* |
April 4, 1882
-- April 7, 1885 |
|
--- |
Thomas Powell* |
April 7, 1885
-- April 8, 1888 |
|
8. |
William C. Vail |
April 6, 1887
-- March 1888‡ |
|
--- |
Charles Bishop* |
April 3, 1888§
-- April 2, 1890 |
|
9. |
Jesse Purdy |
April 3, 1888
-- April 8, 1891 |
|
10. |
Frederick Mohr |
April 5, 1889
-- April 5, 1895 |
|
11. |
William A. Ketcham |
April 2, 1890
-- April 6, 1893 |
|
12. |
William Denton |
April 8, 1891
-- April 1, 1900** |
|
13. |
John B. Scudder |
April 6, 1893
-- April 3, 1901 |
|
14. |
William Hirsch |
April 5, 1895
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
15. |
Charles Hartt |
April 4, 1899
-- April 5, 1905 |
|
16. |
Treadwell B. Kellum |
April 4, 1899
-- April 5, 1905** |
|
17. |
Frederick O. Schneider |
April 3, 1901
-- April 3, 1907 |
|
18. |
George S. Mott |
April 5, 1905
-- April 3, 1907 |
|
--- |
William Denton* |
April 5, 1905
-- April 7, 1909 |
|
--- |
Treadwell B. Kellum* |
April 3, 1907
-- April 7, 1909 |
|
19. |
William F. Becht |
April 3, 1907
-- April 6, 1915 |
|
20. |
Carll Jackson |
April 7, 1909
-- December 31, 1919 |
|
21. |
Francis M. Denton |
April 7, 1909
-- April 7, 1911 |
|
22. |
Christian Molle (1857-1930) |
April 7, 1911
-- December 31, 1931 |
|
23. |
Joseph P. Warta (1926-1931)
|
April 6, 1915
-- December 31, 1921 |
|
24. |
Henry Van Weelden |
January 1, 1920
-- December 31, 1925 |
|
25. |
Charles P. Behrens |
January 1, 1922
-- December 31, 1927 |
|
26. |
Edward E. Henry |
January 1, 1926
-- December 31, 1937 |
|
27. |
Chester A. Lunt |
January 1, 1928
-- December 31, 1941** |
|
28. |
Adam C. Molle (1883-1969) |
January 1, 1932
-- December 31, 1935 |
|
29. |
Stephen L. Ketcham |
January 1, 1936
-- December 31, 1947 |
|
30. |
Charles F. Pfeifle (1895-1970) |
January 1, 1938
-- December 31, 1943 |
|
31. |
Thomas F. Newton (1895-1974) |
January 1, 1942
-- December 31, 1947 |
|
--- |
Chester A. Lunt* |
January 1, 1946
-- December 31, 1951 |
|
32. |
Arthur R. Burns (1884-1959) |
January 1, 1948
-- December 31, 1949** |
|
33. |
Alex Jaeger (1902-1986) |
January 1, 1954
-- December 31, 1955 |
|
--- |
Arthur R. Burns** |
January 1, 1954
-- December 31, 1957≠ |
|
34. |
Vincent J. Forcillo |
January 1, 1956
-- December 31, 1957≠ |
_______________________
Constables (1872-1933)
From 1872
to 1898, Constables were elected to one-year terms, starting in April. From 1872 to 1882, Constables were elected to
specified districts – 1st Babylon, 2nd Amityville, 3rd
Breslau, 4th Deer Park. (In 1891, the community of Breslau
changed its name to Lindenhurst.)
Starting in 1883, the districts were not specified in the election results,
however, it is believed that the Constables were assigned districts, including
one in the East Farmingdale area, starting in the early 1900s.
From 1899 to 1917, Constables were elected to two-year terms, starting in April. In 1919, elections were moved from April to
November, and officials took office the following January 1. Constables earned
fees based on their work, including arrests and issuing summons.
Starting
in 1934, Constables were appointed by the Town Board and paid a salary. The
Town of Babylon Police Department was started in 1947, headed by Chief Percy
Hempstead who was a former Constable. The Town of Babylon Police Department was
dissolved and merged into the Suffolk County Police Department which started
January 1, 1960.
_____________________
A brief look at the first four Constables. John F. Noe, a brick mason
from Babylon, served seven consecutive terms. Smith Robbins, a Deer Park farmer,
was elected to two consecutive terms, and was later appointed to another term.
Frederick Torns, of Breslau (later Lindenhurst), was later re-elected to a
second term as Constable, and was a long-term Postmaster in Lindenhurst. Edward
J. Udall, of Amityville, served just one term as Constable and was the keeper
of the Fire Island Lighthouse for many years.
|
|
Constables |
Term of Service |
|
1(a). |
James F. Noe |
April 2, 1872
-- April 1, 1879 |
|
1(b). |
Smith Robbins |
April 2, 1872
-- April 7, 1874** |
|
1(c). |
Frederick Torns |
April 2, 1872
-- April 1, 1873** |
|
1(d). |
Edward J. Udall |
April 2, 1872
-- April 1, 1873 |
|
5. |
Alanson Weeks |
April 1, 1873
-- April 7, 1874 |
|
6. |
Christian F. Wild |
April 1, 1873
-- April 1, 1879 |
|
7. |
Arden Wicks (or Weeks) |
April 7, 1874
-- April 3, 1877** |
|
8. |
Solomon P. Wanser |
April 7, 1874
-- April 3, 1877 |
|
--- |
Smith Robbins* |
May 1876†
-- April 3, 1877 |
|
9. |
Charles Heartt |
April 3, 1877
-- April 2, 1878 |
|
10. |
George W. Larned |
April 3, 1877
-- April 5, 1881 |
|
11. |
Alonzo Cornelius |
April 2, 1878
-- April 1, 1884 |
|
12. |
George W. Finger |
April 1, 1879
-- April 4, 1882 |
|
--- |
Arden Wicks (or Weeks)* |
April 1, 1879
-- April 6, 1880 |
|
13. |
Willis Smith |
April 6, 1880
-- April 3, 1883 |
|
14. |
William P. Weeks |
April 5, 1881
-- April 4, 1882** |
|
--- |
Frederick Torns* |
April 4, 1882
-- April 3, 1883 |
|
15. |
Peter Kiefer |
April 28, 1882†
-- April 1, 1884 |
|
16. |
Charles W. Conklin |
April 3, 1883
-- April 6, 1886** |
|
17. |
John T. Wood |
April 3, 1883
-- April 20, 1891^ |
|
18. |
William Hirsch |
April 1, 1884
-- April 6, 1886 |
|
--- |
William P. Weeks* |
April 1, 1884
-- April 7, 1885** |
|
19. |
John J. Corlett |
April 7, 1885
-- April 6, 1886 |
|
20. |
Lyman H. Ketcham |
June 4, 1885
-- April 6, 1886 |
|
21. |
George W. Finger, Jr. |
April 6, 1886
-- April 5, 1889 |
|
22. |
Edward Purtill |
April 6, 1886
-- April 6, 1887** |
|
23. |
Stanhope C. Renwick |
April 6, 1886
-- April 3, 1888 |
|
--- |
William P. Weeks* |
April 6, 1887
-- April 3, 1888 |
|
--- |
Edward Purtill* |
April 3, 1888
-- April 5, 1889 |
|
24. |
Garrett O. Haff |
April 3, 1888
-- April 5, 1889 |
|
25. |
Michael Brosch |
April 5, 1889
-- April 6, 1892 |
|
--- |
Charles W. Conklin* |
April 5, 1889
-- April 2, 1890 |
|
26. |
Orlando Morris |
April 5, 1889
-- April 2, 1890 |
|
27. |
Roger S. Williams |
April 2, 1890
-- April 8, 1891 |
|
28. |
George Brown |
April 8, 1891
-- April 4, 1894 |
|
29. |
Marcus Zeilner |
April 8, 1891
-- April 6, 1892 |
|
30. |
Oscar L. Balchen |
June 13, 1891†
-- April 4, 1894** |
|
31. |
Spencer B. Griffin |
April 6, 1892
-- April 4, 1894 |
|
32. |
William Rall |
April 6, 1892
-- April 6, 1893 |
|
33. |
Charles Corlett |
April 6, 1893
-- April 7, 1897 |
|
34. |
Charles Metzger |
April 6, 1893
-- April 5, 1895 |
|
35. |
James G. Shea |
April 6, 1894
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
36. |
Henry M. Southard |
April 6, 1894
-- April 7, 1896 |
|
37. |
Charles Warta, Jr. |
April 5, 1895
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
38. |
William H. Southard |
April 7, 1896
-- April 5, 1898 |
|
39. |
Charles Watkins |
April 5, 1897
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
--- |
Oscar L. Balchen* |
April 5, 1898
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
40. |
Robert L. Crandall |
April 4, 1899
-- April 3, 1901 |
|
41. |
Michael Dunn |
April 4, 1899
-- April 3, 1901 |
|
42. |
Michael Miller |
April 4, 1899
-- April 3, 1901 |
|
43. |
Theodore P. Weeks |
April 4, 1899
-- April 5, 1905 |
|
44. |
Michael Finger |
April 3, 1901
-- April 5, 1905 |
|
45. |
Louis T. Ketcham |
April 3, 1901
-- April 8, 1903 |
|
46. |
John R. Walker |
April 3, 1901
-- April 8, 1903 |
|
47. |
Edwin H. Stratton |
April 8, 1903
-- December 31, 1919 |
|
48. |
John H. Wood |
April 8, 1903
-- April 7, 1911 |
|
49. |
August Hirshman |
April 5, 1905
-- April 3, 1907** |
|
50. |
Edward Taylor |
April 5, 1905
-- April 3, 1907 |
|
51. |
Frank H. Arnold |
April 3, 1907
-- April 1, 1913 |
|
52. |
Ambrose Seaman |
April 3, 1907
-- April 7, 1909 |
|
53. |
Peter Ott |
April 7, 1909
-- April 4, 1917 |
|
54. |
Luke Devin |
April 7, 1911
-- April 1, 1913** |
|
55. |
Raymond Pearsall |
April 1, 1913
-- April 6, 1915 |
|
56. |
Wisner Verity |
April 1, 1913
-- December 31, 1925 |
|
--- |
Luke Devin* |
April 6, 1915
-- April 4, 1917 |
|
57. |
Thomas Gallagher |
April 4, 1917
-- December 31, 1921 |
|
58. |
Adam C. Molle (1883-1969) |
April 4, 1917
-- December 31, 1925 |
|
--- |
August Hirshman* |
January 1, 1920
-- December 31, 1921 |
|
59. |
Douglas Hazel |
January 1, 1922
-- December 31, 1925 |
|
60. |
Charles Rohls |
January 1, 1922
-- December 31, 1923 |
|
61. |
Christian Hanbie |
January 1, 1924
-- December 31, 1925 |
|
62. |
Charles Barcelona |
January 1, 1926
-- January, 1929‡ |
|
63. |
Robert Fallot |
January 1, 1926
-- December 31, 1927 |
|
64. |
William Lamm |
January 1, 1926
-- December 31, 1927 |
|
65. |
Walter W. Weeks |
January 1, 1926
-- December 31, 1933≠ |
|
66. |
John G. Abrams |
January 1, 1928
-- December 31, 1929 |
|
67. |
Jacob Bendizheimer |
January 1, 1928
-- December 31, 1929 |
|
68. |
Joseph Colichio |
January 1, 1930
-- December 31, 1931 |
|
69. |
George E. Miller |
January 1, 1930
-- December 31, 1933≠ |
|
70. |
Joseph Pfost |
January 1, 1930
-- December 31, 1931 |
|
71. |
William Klein |
January 1, 1932
-- December 31, 1933≠ |
|
72. |
Thomas B. Sprague |
January 1, 1932
-- December 31, 1933≠ |
_______________________
Game Constables (1872-1901)
In 1871,
the State of New York adopted an act related to “the preservation
of moose, wild deer, birds and fish.” Towns were authorized to hold yearly
elections for a game constable who received, as compensation, one-half of the
fines recovered from prosecutions under the game
laws.
From 1872
to 1898, the Game Constable elected to a one-year term, starting in April. In
the final election for this position, in 1899, the Game Constable was elected
to a two-year term, starting in April. This elected position was eliminated in
1901, and became an appointed position.
____________
Andrew F. Smith, a
life-long bayman, was the first Game Constable. Elected in 1893, Charles D.
Brewster was the first person of color to be elected in the Town of Babylon.
Brewster was a Native American and Civil War veteran (a Private in the 20th
U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment), who lived in North Amityville. Brewster Lane,
off Albany Avenue, is named for his family.
|
|
Game Constables |
Term of Service |
|
1. |
Andrew F. Smith |
April 2, 1872
-- April 1, 1873 |
|
2. |
James Noe |
April 1, 1873
-- April 3, 1877** |
|
3. |
Arden Weeks (or Wicks) |
April 3, 1877
-- April 2, 1878 |
|
--- |
James Noe |
April 2, 1878*
-- April 1, 1879 |
|
4. |
n/a |
April 1, 1879
-- April 6, 1880 |
|
5. |
Alexander Sammis |
April 6, 1880
-- April 5, 1881 |
|
6. |
John Heyer |
April 5, 1881
-- April 4, 1882 |
|
7. |
Henry Baylis |
April 4, 1882
-- April 3, 1883 |
|
8. |
John E. Arnold |
April 3, 1883
-- April 1, 1884 |
|
9. |
William Hirsch |
April 1, 1884
-- April 7, 1885 |
|
10. |
T. Harvey Austin |
April 7, 1885
-- April 6, 1886 |
|
11. |
Willis Smith |
April 6, 1886
-- April 6, 1887 |
|
12. |
Thomas Willets |
April 6, 1887
-- April 3, 1888 |
|
13. |
Charles E. Smith |
April 3, 1888
-- April 5, 1889 |
|
14. |
Charles Heartt |
April 5, 1889
-- April 2, 1890 |
|
15. |
Marcus Zeilner |
April 2, 1890
-- April 8, 1891 |
|
16. |
Louis Hyens |
April 8, 1891
-- April 6, 1893 |
|
17. |
Charles D. Brewster |
April 6, 1893
-- April 4, 1894 |
|
18. |
John Gleis |
April 4, 1894
-- April 5, 1895 |
|
19. |
August Bopps |
April 5, 1895
-- April 7, 1897 |
|
20. |
Charles Metzger |
April 7, 1897
-- April 5, 1898 |
|
21. |
Joseph Zeilner, Jr. |
April 5, 1898
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
22. |
George W. Bulger |
April 4, 1899
-- April 3, 1901≠ |
_______________________
Bay
Constables
(1876-1917)
In 1875,
the New York State Legislature passed the Bay Constable Act, requiring elected
Bay Constables to “enforce all laws for the protection, preservation and
regulation of the fisheries for shellfish” within the town.
From 1876
to 1898, Bay Constables were elected to one-year terms, starting in April. From
1899 to 1915, Bay Constables
were elected to two-year terms, starting in April. This elected position was
eliminated in 1917, and became an appointed position.
___________________________
Alexander
Sammis was the first Bay Constable, and later served a term as Game Constable.
Under the Town of Huntington, Sammis has served several years as a law
enforcement Constable. The well-known bayman had also been a member of the U.S.
Life-Saving Station at Oak Beach.
|
|
Bay Constables |
Term of Service |
|
1. |
Alexander Sammis |
April 4, 1876
-- April 2, 1878 |
|
2. |
Willis Smith |
April 2, 1878
-- April 1, 1879 |
|
3. |
James H. Hewlett |
April 1, 1879
-- April 6, 1880 |
|
4. |
Jesse Muncy |
April 6, 1880
-- April 5, 1881 |
|
5. |
Charles E. White |
April 5, 1881
-- April 4, 1882** |
|
6. |
Frederick Mohr |
April 4, 1882
-- April 3, 1883 |
|
7. |
Solomon P. Wanser |
April 3, 1883
-- April 1, 1884 |
|
8. |
Charles Chichester |
April 1, 1884
-- April 7, 1885 |
|
9 |
Philip T. Sammis |
April 7, 1885
-- April 6, 1886 |
|
--- |
Charles E. White* |
April 6, 1886
-- April 6, 1887 |
|
10. |
Andrew J. Sammis |
April 6, 1887
-- April 3, 1888** |
|
11. |
David W. Anderson |
April 3, 1888
-- April 5, 1889 |
|
12. |
Smith Oakley |
April 5, 1889
-- April 2, 1890 |
|
--- |
Andrew J. Sammis* |
April 2, 1890
-- April 6, 1891 |
|
13. |
John E. Pearsall |
April 6, 1891
-- April 6, 1892** |
|
14. |
Frederick Kovernick |
April 6, 1892
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
15. |
Max J. Gnilka |
April 4, 1899
-- April 3, 1901** |
|
16. |
Theodore Stratton |
April 3, 1901
-- April 8, 1903 |
|
--- |
John E. Pearsall* |
April 8, 1903
-- April 5, 1905 |
|
17. |
August F. Smalling |
April 5, 1905
-- April 7, 1907 |
|
18. |
n/a |
April 7, 1907
-- April 7, 1909 |
|
--- |
Max J. Gnilka* |
April 7, 1909
-- April 7, 1911 |
|
19. |
Charles Heartt, Jr. |
April 7, 1911
-- April 4, 1917≠ |
_______________________
Overseers
of the Poor
(1872-1929)
Overseers of the Poor reviewed applications for
financial, housing and medical assistance from residents in need. Although a
locally elected position, Overseers of the Poor reported to the Town Board,
which reported to the Suffolk County Superintendent who, in turn, reported to
the New York State Board of Charities. Suffolk County established an Almshouse –
an institution for people who cannot care for themselves, supported by local
government – around 1870 and a Children’s Home in 1879, both in Yaphank.
From 1872 to 1892, two Overseers were elected to
one-year terms. In 1893, one Overseer was elected to a two-year term and
another to a one-year term; in the following years, one Overseer was elected to
a two-year term, each year, until 1898. From 1899 to 1928, two Overseers were
elected to two-year terms.
In
1919, elections were moved from April to November, and officials took office
the following January. The elected position was eliminated in 1929 with the
adoption of the Public Welfare Law of 1929, which created the Department of
Social Welfare.
____________
The first two
Overseers of the Poor were Solomon Ketcham, Jr. and Thomas J. Winslow. Solomon
Ketcham, Jr., of Amityville, who worked as a carriage maker and insurance
broker, had been an Overseer of the Poor under the Town of Huntington.
Edward Daily, who
owned an undertaking business in Babylon, was later elected Town Supervisor.
Ellis A. Taylor was later elected Town Clerk.
Anna Wild was
appointed an Overseer of the Poor by the Town Board in 1924, making her the
first woman to serve in an elected position, in the Town of Babylon. (Her
husband, Charles Wild, died during his 12th year in the position,
and the Town Board appointed Anna Wild to fill the remainder of his term.) Mrs.
Wild ran for the position in 1926, making her the first woman elected in the Town of Babylon. In
1930, following adoption of the Public Welfare Law, Anna Wild was appointed a Deputy
Welfare Commissioner for the Town of
Babylon, by Suffolk County. Anna Wild was the daughter of John and Margaret
Feller, of Lindenhurst, who had a brewery on East John Street. Feller’s Pond is
named in her family’s honor.
|
|
Overseers of the Poor |
Term of Service |
|
1(a). |
Solomon Ketcham, Jr. (x-1928) |
April 2, 1872
-- April 6, 1875 |
|
1(b). |
Thomas J. Winslow |
April 2, 1872
-- April 6, 1875 |
|
3. |
Jesse Purdy |
April 6, 1875
-- April 7, 1885 |
|
4. |
Stephen J. Wilson |
April 6, 1875
-- April 4, 1876 |
|
5. |
William Conklin |
April 4, 1876
-- April 3, 1888 |
|
6. |
Jacob C. Smith |
April 7, 1885
-- April 6, 1886** |
|
7. |
George J.E. Holbein |
April 6, 1886
-- April 6, 1887 |
|
--- |
Jacob C. Smith* |
April 6, 1887
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
8. |
Edward Daily (1851-1912)
|
April 3, 1888
-- April 8, 1891 |
|
9. |
Henry Schnurr |
April 8, 1891
-- April 4, 1899 |
|
10. |
John H. Arink |
April 4, 1899
-- April 3, 1907 |
|
11. |
Frank Endler |
April 4, 1899
-- April 3, 1903 |
|
12. |
George Jommes |
April 3, 1903
-- April 5, 1905 |
|
13. |
Charles S. Goercken |
April 5, 1905
-- April 3, 1907 |
|
14. |
Ellis A. Taylor (1870-1950) |
April 3, 1907
-- April 7, 1909** |
|
15. |
John Dietz, Jr. |
April 3, 1907
-- April 7, 1909** |
|
16. |
Charles Wild |
April 7, 1909
-- April 7, 1911** |
|
17. |
Peter Kleindienst |
April 7, 1909
-- April 4, 1917 |
|
--- |
John Dietz, Jr.* |
April 7, 1911
-- April 1, 1913 |
|
--- |
Ellis A. Taylor* |
April 1, 1913
-- April 6, 1915 |
|
--- |
Charles Wild* |
April 6, 1915
-- August 10, 1924^ |
|
18. |
George S. Pearsall, Jr.
(1852-1929) |
April 4, 1917
-- December 31, 1929≠ |
|
19. |
Anna Wild (1880-1936) |
September 10, 1924†
-- December 31, 1929≠ |
_______________________
Excise Commissioners (1875-1896)
Excise
Commissioners levied taxes on certain items and issued licenses for selling
alcohol to merchants, restaurants and hotels. Starting in 1875, Excise
Commissioners were elected to 3-year terms in districts identified as 1st Babylon,
2nd Breslau, and 3rd Amityville. (In 1891, the community of Breslau changed its
name to Lindenhurst.)
It
appears that the New York State Liquor Tax Law of 1896 (known as the Raines
Law), which took effect on April 1, 1896, eliminated the need for Excise
Commissioners.
________________________
The first
three Excise Commissioners were J. Otis Smith, Philip Strack, and Scudder C.
Jarvis. Scudder C. Jarvis was a farmer and life-long resident of Copiague. J.
Otis Smith, a dentist and farmer, resigned after only 8 months and later moved
to Commack. Philip Strack was a native of Germany who moved to Breslau in 1871
(later named Lindenhurst), after serving on the U.S. Navy frigate Potomac,
during the Civil War. Philip Strack later served as a Tax Assessor.
|
|
Excise Commissioner |
District |
Term of Service |
|
1(a). |
J. Otis Smith |
1st, Babylon |
April 6, 1875
-- January 6, 1876‡ |
|
1(b). |
Philip Strack |
2nd, Breslau |
April 6, 1875
-- April 3, 1877 |
|
1(c). |
Scudder C. Jarvis |
3rd, Amityville |
April 6, 1875
-- April 2, 1878 |
|
4. |
Leonard C. Petit |
1st, Babylon |
January 6, 1876†
-- April 7, 1885 |
|
5. |
Charles Wagner |
2nd, Breslau |
April 3, 1877
-- April 6, 1880 |
|
6. |
Woodhull Skidmore |
3rd, Amityville |
April 2, 1878
-- March 5, 1880‡ |
|
7. |
Anton Langsdorf |
2nd, Breslau |
April 6, 1880
-- April 3, 1883 |
|
8. |
Solomon P. Wanser |
3rd, Amityville |
April 6, 1880§
-- April 5, 1881 |
|
9. |
Joshua Heartt, Jr. |
3rd, Amityville |
April 5, 1881
-- April 6, 1887 |
|
10. |
Tredwell B. Ketcham |
1st, Babylon |
April 7, 1885
-- April 8, 1891 |
|
11. |
August Schmalkuche |
2nd, Breslau |
April 6, 1886
-- April 5, 1889 |
|
12. |
Joseph H. Petty |
3rd, Amityville |
April 6, 1887
-- April 2, 1890 |
|
13. |
Frederick Torns |
2nd, Breslau |
April 5, 1889
-- April 1, 1896≠ |
|
14. |
Tredwell C. Wilmarth |
3rd, Amityville |
April 2, 1890
-- April 6, 1893 |
|
15. |
Charles S. Hendrickson |
1st, Babylon |
April 8, 1891
-- April 4, 1894 |
|
16. |
Charles F. Hart |
3rd, Amityville |
April 6, 1893
-- April 7, 1896≠ |
|
17. |
Thomas Wood |
1st, Babylon |
April 4, 1894
-- April 1, 1896≠ |
† Appointed to fill a vacancy. § Special election to fill vacancy. ‡ Resigned. ≠ Position eliminated.
_______________________
Town Historians
The Local
Government Historian Law (Arts & Cultural Affairs Law § 57.07), adopted by
the New York State Legislature in 1919, mandates that “A local historian shall be appointed … for
each city, town or village.” The
law further directs that “Each local government historian shall promote the
establishment and improvement of programs for the management and preservation
of local government records with enduring value for historical or other
research; encourage the coordinated collection and preservation of
nongovernmental historical records by libraries, historical societies, and
other repositories; and carry out and actively encourage research in such
records in order to add to the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the
community's history.”
It is the role of a Municipal Historian to be
a researcher, writer and presenter of local history topics, and promote
historic preservation and commemoration.
The following people have served as Town Historian for the Town of
Babylon:
|
|
Town Historian |
Term of Service |
|
1. |
Chauncy L.C. Ditmars (1871-1939) |
1920-1939 |
|
2. |
Jessie Howell
(1894-1943) |
1940-1943 |
|
3. |
James E. Tooker
(1876-1964) |
1944-1963 |
|
4. |
Henry P. Connelly |
c.1964-1977 |
|
5. |
Robert Mills Smith (1931-2002)
|
c.1978-1982 |
|
6. |
Helen Volz (1912-1994) |
1983-1984 |
|
7. |
Walter A. Saxton (1911-2002) |
1985-1987 |
|
--- |
Robert Mills Smith |
1988-1992 |
|
8. |
Madeline Fitzpatrick |
1993-1997 |
|
9. |
William H. Frohlich |
2000-2003 |
|
10. |
Thomas B. Smith
(1937-2023) |
2004-2013 |
|
11. |
Mary Cascone |
2014-present |
