About Archives & Special Collections
|
Brooklyn Voter Registries (1872-1897, 1930-1937)
The Brooklyn Historical Society’s collection of voter registries represents the voting population in Brooklyn both before and after its consolidation as part of the City of New York. Registries reflecting Brooklyn as an independent city prior to consolidation span the period 1872-1897, while post-consolidation registries only cover the years 1930-1937. Currently, all registries are available to researchers in their original physical format.
The organization of the voter registries is mainly a numerical scheme, with the broadest level of arrangement being contingent on ward number (or, in the case of the post-consolidation registries, assembly district number). Each ward or assembly district is further broken down numerically by election district, then alphabetically by street. Finally, within each street listing, individual voters are listed by their residence numbers. Some registries, particularly those dating from the earlier periods, are also accompanied by an alphabetical index to street numbers, as well as a description of election district boundaries.
Each registry also contains specific personal information regarding every registered voter that may be helpful to researchers. For example, all registries include such details as a voter’s age; how long each voter has lived in the state, county, and district; as well as any special remarks deemed useful by the Board of Elections, such as whether a voter is an African American, and whether a voter is illiterate or disabled. Some registries include further descriptive information, such as a voter’s height, weight, hair color, and distinguishing features.
This collection is an especially excellent resource for researchers interested in Brooklyn’s housing history and/or genealogy. While there is no appointment necessary to view the collection, please be advised that the majority of the registries are in extremely fragile condition and should be handled with the utmost care.
Brooklyn (N.Y.) Neighborhood Renewal and Development Collection, 1962-1987. 3 boxes (1 document box, 1 record carton, 1 oversize box), 2.25 cubic ft.
ArMs 1987.002
The Brooklyn Neighborhood Renewal and Development Collection was compiled by Robert H. Vadheim, M.D., a physician and long-time resident of Brooklyn Heights. Dr. Vadheim is an active member of the Brooklyn community and is recognized as a medical doctor, family man, and philanthropist. The collection contains materials dating from 1962 to 1987 focusing on revival, renewal, and renovation efforts within Brooklyn’s diverse neighborhoods and cultural institutions. These changes are reflected in newspaper clippings, magazine articles, social announcements, invitations, neighborhood tour pamphlets, and other memorabilia. The collection also includes ephemera relating to the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Bridge - including the 1983 Brooklyn Bridge Centennial - and other notable subjects, including brownstones and building restoration.
The borough of Brooklyn, N.Y. began experiencing significant surges of change and renewal in the 1960’s. Efforts to renovate and preserve Brooklyn’s diverse landscapes were sparked by local concern for neighborhoods suffering from neglect or in need of preservation, and by general interests in Brooklyn’s history, architecture, and geographic location. Proposals for “urban renewal” and “gentrification” garnered support not only from Brooklynites, but from outside land developers, business investors, and potential home owners attracted by the intact federal and Victorian houses in many Brooklyn neighborhoods. The steady renewal of buildings and physical landscapes in the 1970’s and 1980’s drew new attention and financial interests to Brooklyn as new resident populations and businesses began moving into the borough’s various neighborhoods. As renewal efforts continued, property values rose in spectacular leaps and continued to rise as revitalization continued.
Access Points:
- Brooklyn Museum
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- The Phoenix
- Brooklyn Heights Press & Cobble Hill News
- Urban renewal
- Renovation (Architecture)
- City planning
- Brownstone buildings
- Brooklyn Bridge (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
View Full Finding Aid
The Records of the Vasa Order of America, 1906-1974. 8 boxes (5 manuscript boxes, 1 record carton, 1 miscellaneous box, 1 folder in oversize), 3.75 cubic feet.
ArMs 1986.009, 1990.003, 2005.015
This collection consists of documents and ephemera from a number of Brooklyn- and Bronx-based member lodges of the Vasa Order of America, the largest Swedish-American fraternal organization in the United States. The bulk of the collection is comprised of minutes of lodge meetings, lodge membership records, yearly and twice-yearly financial reports from the individual lodges, and ephemera, covering the period 1906 to 1982, with the bulk of the material spanning the 1920’s to the 1970’s. The collection also contains a limited amount of lodge correspondence, correspondence and records from subsidiary Vasa organizations, and constitutions and by-laws. Earlier materials are in Swedish that gradually switched to English around mid-twentieth century, and provide a glimpse into the process of lodge and member assimilation.
The collection also includes a small amount of material from other Swedish-American organizations-especially Agne Lodge #101 of the Independent Order of Vikings, which shared the same meeting house. These non-Vasa materials have been given their own series within the collection.
Access Points:
- Vasa Order of America
- Grand Lodge, Vasa Order of the United States of America
- Independent Order of Vikings
- Fraternal organizations - New York (State) New York.
- Swedish Americans - History
- Swedish Americans - New York (State) New York - Social conditions
- Scandinavian Americans - New York (State)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) - History 20th century
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) - Social life and customs 20th century
- Bylaws
- Constitutions
- Correspondence
- Minutes
- Printed ephemera
View Full Finding Aid
Henry H. Van Dyck Correspondence, 1840-1869. 2 linear feet (4 boxes).
ArMs 1977.045
The Henry H. Van Dyck Correspondence comprises 1.5 cubic feet of communications received by Henry H.Van Dyck (1808-1888) from 1840-1869 inclusive. The bulk of the materials are letters from Hugh McCulloch, Secretary of the Treasury, 1865-1869. The content of the collection covers a range of topics related to Treasury business in the turbulent years following the Civil War, including imports and exports, inflation, national debt, personnel and politics, bond issues, draft issues, fractional currency, transportation of monies, customs policy, discussion of currency designs, counterfeiting, fraud and embezzlement. There is also a small amount of material dated earlier than 1865 relating to Van Dyck’s role as Agent for the Seneca Nation. Materials were donated by E.M. Van Dyck in 1897 and are in good condition.
Henry H. Van Dyck (1808-1888) was an editor, financier and politician who held a variety of public and private offices throughout his lifetime. He was elected democratic N.Y. state senator for the 2nd District, which at the time included Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster and Sullivan Counties, from 1837-1840. He was a proprietor and editor at the Albany Argus from 1840-1842. He sold his share in the Argus in 1842 and bought a stake in the Albany Atlas, an organ for the “Soft-Shell” Democratic Party, which he owned until 1856. That year he shifted his political allegiance to the newly formed Republican Party, an affiliation he maintained for the rest of his life, and ran unsuccessfully for Albany’s congressional seat. In 1857 he was elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction, an office he held until 1861 when he was appointed the Superintendent of State Banking Department for New York. In 1859 he also became the representative agent for the Seneca Nation before the New York State Legislature. In 1865 President Lincoln appointed him Assistant U.S. Treasurer in New York. He was commissioned again by President Johnson in 1866 and served through 1869 under two Secretaries of the Treasury, Hugh McCulloch (1865-1869) and George S. Boutwell (1869-1873). After leaving the Treasury Department he became President of New York & Boston Railroad from 1869-1883, and President of Erie Transportation Co. 1869-1883, and finally President, American Safe Deposit Co. 1883-1888. At the time of his death he was living at 5 Spencer Place, Brooklyn. He was also a member of Elm Place Congregational Church in Brooklyn and elected to the Holland Society, New York on March 14, 1885. He is buried in Albany.
Subjects:
- Van Dyck, Henry H. (Henry Herbert), 1809-1888
- McCulloch, Hugh, 1808-1895Spinner, Francis Elias, 1802-1890
- Chandler, William E. (William Eaton), 1835-1917
- Jordan, Edward
- Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
- Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875
- United States. Dept. of the Treasury
- Seneca Nation of New York
- Indians of North America-Government relations
- Currency question-United States-History-19th century
- Gold standard-United States-History-19th century
- Inflation (Finance)-United States-History-19th century
- Education-New York (State)-History
- Republican Party (N.Y.)-History-19th century
- Democratic Party (N.Y.)-History
View Full Finding Aid
|
Recently Added Collections
|
