New York State Engineer and Surveyor
Encyclopedia
The New York State Engineer and Surveyor was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 between 1848 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith
Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...

, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the Department of Public Works which was absorbed in 1967 by the New York State Department of Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...

.

History

The office was established as Surveyor General in 1781.

Until 1822, the Surveyor General was appointed by the Council of Appointment
Council of Appointment
The Council of Appointment was a body of the Government of New York that existed from 1777 to 1822.-History:...

 for an indefinite term. The second holder of the office, Simeon De Witt
Simeon De Witt
Simeon De Witt was Geographer and Surveyor General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and Surveyor General of the State of New York for the fifty years from 1784 until his death.-Life:He was one of fourteen children of physician Dr...

, was considered the most qualified person for the office, and was re-appointed without regard to party politics. Even the Bucktails
Bucktails
The Bucktails may refer to one of two organizations that were particularly characterized and identified by the wearing of a bucktail in their headgear....

 did not oust him when they were struggling with his first cousin DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...

. The office was at first mostly occupied with surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...

 the uncharted area of the State and issuing official maps. In 1817, the Surveyor General became a member of the Erie Canal Commission
Erie Canal Commission
The New York State Legislature appointed in 1810 a Commission to Explore a Route for a Canal to Lake Erie, and Report which became known as the Erie Canal Commission...

.

From 1823 to 1845, the Surveyor General was elected by joint ballot of the New York State Legislature for a term of three years. Simeon De Witt was re-elected in 1823, 1826, 1829 and 1832, and died in office in 1834.

The Constitution of 1846 renamed the office as State Engineer and Surveyor, and the office's major concern was to be the supervision of the maintenance and enlargement of the Canal network. The candidates were required to be practical engineers.

From 1847 on, the State Engineer and the other state cabinet officers were elected by the voters at the state elections in November in odd years to a two-year term, so that, until 1877, they served in the second half of the term of the governor in office and the first half of the term of the succeeding governor, since the governors at the time were elected to a two-year term in even years. From 1877 on, the Governor served a three-year term, while the State Engineer continued to be elected for two years. The State Engineer elected in 1895 received an additional year and served a three-year term, and from 1898 on, the State Engineer and other state officers were elected in even years to a two-year term at the same time as the Governor, and they served concurrently.

Surveyors General

Name Took office Left office Party Notes
Philip Schuyler
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...

March 30, 1781 May 13, 1784
Simeon De Witt
Simeon De Witt
Simeon De Witt was Geographer and Surveyor General of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and Surveyor General of the State of New York for the fifty years from 1784 until his death.-Life:He was one of fourteen children of physician Dr...

May 13, 1784 December 3, 1834 Democratic-Republican/Clintonian died in office after 50 years os service, re-appointed and re-elected several times
William Campbell
William Campbell (NY surveyor)
For other persons with a similar name see William Campbell William Campbell was an American physician, merchant, surveyor and politician from New York.-Life:...

January 20, 1835 February 5, 1838 Democratic
Orville L. Holley
Orville L. Holley
Orville Luther Holley was an American writer, newspaper editor, historian and politician.-Life:...

February 5, 1838 February 7, 1842 Whig re-elected to a second term in 1841, but in 1842 all state officers were removed by Dem. legislature
Nathaniel Jones
Nathaniel Jones (representative)
Nathaniel Jones was an American banker and politician from New York.-Life:...

February 7, 1842 February 3, 1845 Democratic
Hugh Halsey
Hugh Halsey
Hugh Halsey was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:He was the son of Dr. Stephen Halsey, Jr., and Hamutal Howell Halsey . He graduated from Yale College...

February 3, 1845 December 31, 1847 Democratic office abolished by Constitution of 1846, and replaced with State Engineer and Surveyor

Engineers and Surveyors

Name Took office Left office Party Notes
Charles B. Stuart
Charles B. Stuart
Charles Beebe Stuart was an American engineer, United States Navy and Union Army officer and politician.-Biography:...

January 1, 1848 December 31, 1849 Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

Hezekiah C. Seymour
Hezekiah C. Seymour
Hezekiah C. Seymour was an American civil engineer and politician.-Life:From 1835 to 1849, he worked for the New York and Erie Railroad, first as engineer, later becoming General Superintendent....

January 1, 1850 December 31, 1851 Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

William J. McAlpine
William J. McAlpine
William Jarvis McAlpine was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:...

January 1, 1852 August 1, 1853 Democratic resigned
Wheeler H. Bristol
Wheeler H. Bristol
Wheeler H. Bristol was an American engineer, railroad executive and politician.-Life:...

September 21, 1853 1853 Democratic appointed to fill unexpired term, ran for the office at the State election in November, was defeated, and resigned
Henry Ramsay
Henry Ramsay (NY engineer)
Henry Ramsay was an American civil engineer and for a short time New York State Engineer and Surveyor in 1853.-Life:...

December 10, 1853 December 31, 1853 appointed to fill unexpired term
John T. Clark
John T. Clark
For other people with a similar name see John ClarkJohn T. Clark was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:He lived at Utica, Oneida County, New York....

January 1, 1854 December 31, 1855 Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

Silas Seymour
Silas Seymour
Silas Seymour was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:...

January 1, 1856 December 31, 1857 American
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...

Van Rensselaer Richmond
Van Rensselaer Richmond
Van Rensselaer Richmond was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:...

January 1, 1858 December 31, 1861 Democratic two terms
William B. Taylor January 1, 1862 December 31, 1865 Union
National Union Party (United States)
The National Union Party was the name used by the Republican Party for the national ticket in the 1864 presidential election, held during the Civil War. State Republican parties did not usually change their name....

two terms
J. Platt Goodsell January 1, 1866 December 31, 1867 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

Van Rensselaer Richmond
Van Rensselaer Richmond
Van Rensselaer Richmond was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:...

January 1, 1868 December 31, 1871 Democratic two terms
William B. Taylor January 1, 1872 December 31, 1873 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

Sylvanus H. Sweet
Sylvanus H. Sweet
Sylvanus Howe Sweet was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1874 to 1875.-Life:...

January 1, 1874 December 31, 1875 Democratic
John D. Van Buren, Jr.
John D. Van Buren, Jr.
John Dash Van Buren, Jr. was an American civil engineer, naval engineer, lawyer and politician from New York...

January 1, 1876 December 31, 1877 Democratic
Horatio Seymour, Jr.
Horatio Seymour, Jr.
Horatio Seymour, Jr. was an American civil engineer, surveyor and politician from New York.-Life:...

January 1, 1878 December 31, 1881 Democratic two terms
Silas Seymour
Silas Seymour
Silas Seymour was an American civil engineer and politician from New York.-Life:...

January 1, 1882 December 31, 1883 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

Elnathan Sweet
Elnathan Sweet
Elnathan Sweet was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1884 to 1887.-Life:...

January 1, 1884 December 31, 1887 Democratic two terms
John Bogart
John Bogart
John Bogart was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1888 to 1891.-Life:...

January 1, 1888 December 31, 1891 Democratic two terms
Martin Schenck
Martin Schenck
::The article is about Martin Schenck . For Martin Schenck , see Martin Schenck von Nydeggen.Martin Schenck was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1892 to 1893.-Life:He graduated C.E...

January 1, 1892 December 31, 1893 Democratic
Campbell W. Adams
Campbell W. Adams
Campbell W. Adams was an American civil engineer, surveyor and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1894 to 1898.-Life:...

January 1, 1894 December 31, 1898 Republican two terms (1894-95, 1896-98)
Edward A. Bond
Edward A. Bond
Edward Austin Bond was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1899 to 1904.-Life:...

January 1, 1899 May 1, 1904 Republican resigned during his third term
Henry A. Van Alstyne
Henry A. Van Alstyne
Henry Arthur Van Alstyne was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1904 to 1906.-Life:...

May 10, 1904 December 31, 1906 Republican appointed to fill unexpired term, then re-elected
Frederick Skene
Frederick Skene
Frederick Skene was an American civil engineer and politician from New York...

January 1, 1907 December 31, 1908 Dem./Ind. League
Frank M. Williams
Frank M. Williams
Frank Martin Williams was an American lawyer, civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1909 to 1910, and from 1915 to 1922.-Life:He graduated from Colgate University in 1895...

January 1, 1909 December 31, 1910 Republican
John A. Bensel
John A. Bensel
John Anderson Bensel was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was President of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1910. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1911 to 1914.-Biography:...

January 1, 1911 December 31, 1914 Democratic two terms
Frank M. Williams
Frank M. Williams
Frank Martin Williams was an American lawyer, civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1909 to 1910, and from 1915 to 1922.-Life:He graduated from Colgate University in 1895...

January 1, 1915 December 31, 1922 Republican four terms
Dwight B. LaDu
Dwight B. LaDu
Dwight B. LaDu was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was New York State Engineer and Surveyor from 1923 to 1924.-Life:...

January 1, 1923 December 31, 1924 Democratic
Roy G. Finch
Roy G. Finch
Roy G. Finch was an American civil engineer and politician from New York. He was the last New York State Engineer and Surveyor, in office from 1925 to 1926.-Life:...

January 1, 1925 December 31, 1926 Republican last State Engineer and Surveyor, office merged into Department of Public Works
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK