Moses H. Grinnell
Encyclopedia
Moses Hicks Grinnell
was a United States Navy officer, congressman
representing New York
, and Central Park Commissioner.
. After attending public schools, he took his first paying job at the age of 15, working in a "counting room" in New York City
. He became a successful merchant and shipper
and was subsequently appointed as president of the New York Chamber of Commerce. However, unlike his brother Joseph Grinnell
, who represented Massachusetts
for four terms, Moses was not by disposition a political animal. He was first a Democrat
, then became a Whig
in the 1830s, and then a member of the newly-founded Republican Party
, for which he served as a presidential elector in 1856.
In February 1860, president-elect Abraham Lincoln
, on his way to Washington, D.C., visited the Manhattan
home of Grinnell's daughter, whose father had invited many of New York City's most prominent businessmen to meet the first Republican president. Grinnell subsequently wrote Lincoln with introductions for others, becoming something of a conduit of political power, if not a wielder of such himself.
Perhaps best remembered for his work as Central Park
Commissioner during the early years of the urban park's design and construction, Moses Grinnell died in Manhattan on November 24, 1877. His funeral service was at the Unitarian Church of All Souls
and he was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
, Sleepy Hollow, New York
.
was a United States Navy officer, congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
representing 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...
, and Central Park Commissioner.
Biography
Grinnell was born in New Bedford, MassachusettsNew Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
. After attending public schools, he took his first paying job at the age of 15, working in a "counting room" in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He became a successful merchant and shipper
Grinnell, Minturn & Co
Grinnell, Minturn & Co. was one of the leading transatlantic shipping companies in the middle 19th century. It is probably best known today as being the owner and operator of the Flying Cloud, arguably the greatest of the clipper ships.-History:...
and was subsequently appointed as president of the New York Chamber of Commerce. However, unlike his brother Joseph Grinnell
Joseph Grinnell (politician)
Joseph Grinnell was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, and the brother of Moses Hicks Grinnell.Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Grinnell completed preparatory studies....
, who represented Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
for four terms, Moses was not by disposition a political animal. He was first a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, then became a 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...
in the 1830s, and then a member of the newly-founded Republican Party
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...
, for which he served as a presidential elector in 1856.
In February 1860, president-elect Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, on his way to Washington, D.C., visited the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
home of Grinnell's daughter, whose father had invited many of New York City's most prominent businessmen to meet the first Republican president. Grinnell subsequently wrote Lincoln with introductions for others, becoming something of a conduit of political power, if not a wielder of such himself.
Perhaps best remembered for his work as Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
Commissioner during the early years of the urban park's design and construction, Moses Grinnell died in Manhattan on November 24, 1877. His funeral service was at the Unitarian Church of All Souls
Unitarian Church of All Souls
The Unitarian Church of All Souls in New York City was the first Unitarian Universalist church in New York City. It is one of the largest and most influential congregations in the United States...
and he was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York is the resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, whose story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set in the adjacent Old Dutch Burying Ground. Incorporated in 1849 as Tarrytown Cemetery, it posthumously honored Irving's...
, Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line.Originally...
.