Tonights speaker harry albert is a retired accountant who immersed himself in historical and Cultural Community of worcester for the past. 13 years. Harry complete preservation worcesters comprehensive docent course in 2018 and he was the recipient of preservation. 200 2023 towson of Distinction Award harry spent two years researching Andrew Haswell green. His research included weeks of study at the New York Historical society and then new york public library, perusing thousands of newspaper articles related to Andrew Greene and also reading greenes volumes of brain diary and letters. Im pleased present harry albert. Good evening. The world would stop on friday, november. 1903. Andrew has grain. Worcesters native and internationally known as the father of Greater New York city, died at 1 30 p. M. He was a visionary civic leader, plan owner, attorney and preservation scientist. Today, few people of his contributions to our society. Last week i enjoyed dinner with a member of the new yorks central park conservancy. A he wasnt familiar with the legacy of Andrew Haswell green brain amazing. A few years i purchased a large Coffee Table Book with steve tell, the creation of central park. There were only two sentences referring to green and there were criticisms defaming him as a cheap skinned flint. Those were plagiarized his from a 1950s pamphlet written by a member of the central park garden club. The 2019 exhibit at the new york public, detailing its creation had no reference Andrew Haswell green. How could this be . I will attempt add logic and fact to an understanding of this man responsible. The consolidation of the five boroughs and to we know as new york city, his country to the creation of central park the new york public library, the metropolitan museum of art National Museum of Natural History, bronx zoo, Mass Transportation of Niagara Falls and more are immeasurable. Of course, you will learn about the life and legacy of today. In many ways, his is a paradox. I hope you remember one very important fact the history you learn is as factual as the historian. Telling it to be. Ill repeat that the history you learn is as factual as the historian telling it intended to be. What i convey is the result of my embracing . Andrew greens diaries as well as thousands of archive letters, the newspaper accounts . Let me bring you back to the year 1903 with the conflict thing time of reform in journalism. Well, joy and serenity that Greenhill Worcester much of disaster driven, prosperous seed and celebrity craze world wasnt too different from today ive ive had a few neardeath experiences where much flashed through my mind in just a few seconds. This video though flashes similarly i welcome you to 1903. The last year of andrew greens life. This video you are to see is comprised of only in 1903 worcester, mass. Newspaper headlines in andrew greens personal photos. See how they contrast. In. And. Of. He was shot five times in front of his park avenue home. Murdered. A case of mistaken identity. This is the headline appeared in the worcester evening gazette, 4 hours after the death van drew green. Similar headlines appeared throughout country most without fact and spreading rumors of illicit activity. The murders spawned headlines of an insane, jealous lover, a corrupt doppelganger, kept woman, a greedy bookkeeper, and even a volcano. His life can summed up by five words. The vicious. The virtuous. Taken from a quote he made regarding his for a central park. It to wall. It describes many people deemed or good in his life saga. For most of my life, i intimidated by his straight folks, a 19th century photo students real. It wasnt until greens diaries that was able to bond with. Nevertheless, these photos looked so stiff. Different. It wasnt. I realized my nephew josh looked similar to greens portrait that i could genuinely relate. Places i embraced a child and young adult he traversed throughout his life. My goal is to introduce to you to his persona and humanity. He was one of the most visibly men in america. Transformed our country and became a superstar in death. There is one nearly forgotten man made monument, dedicated his legacy. Yet his tireless, selfless interest in the Common People grandeur of nature. The simple logic to improve society and preserve what is best prevails. Some believe he was ahead of his time. I believe he was the vision or a man of his time. Rather than address his accomplishment. My goal is to give to you a perspective on the real, the personal, the human. Andrew haswell green early life for andrew beautiful on green hill, the seventh child of william chagrin esteemed attorney justice of the peace. In time there were ten children ranging in age from 30 to 6. It was like to families living in one home. William without lived for wives. Andrews mother, julia. Of mayflower lineage was the third living just the town proper. The greens would be snowed in for long winter passing times with games conversation. They were truly a loving family. He attended school half days had both morning and afternoon chores, and was tutored in Foreign Language by Charles Thurber inventor. An early typewriter. His fondest memories of lying on long summer grasses on hill as if in the bottom of the Worlds Largest bowl looking up at the evening marveling at the wonders of the world. Life became of legends, lists and rules on. How to be a good person. Looming overall, on the living room wall, hung rules to live by all children would memorize each rule and endeavored to live by them the rules would remain the household. Eight decades after andrew first learned them, the trajectory of andrews life would abruptly change. On tuesday, february 12th, 1833. His 12 and a half. His mother died. Andrew was age 12. He had five older siblings and younger. William, age 56, with so many children and would need to do something in hurry. He would marry fourth wife and some of the children would need to abruptly mature. Within two years, andrew would be in school in roxbury. Four months later, he went live in new york city, where his sisters, lucy and mary ran a school for young ladies. He was and a half when he left home. Here he would work in linen and clothing shops in the jewelry district and ponder what it would take advance from his meager existence. He concluded further ringers education was his sense knowing what to do with the education was more important. He thought that perhaps learning bookkeeping would provide better life. Two years later, aged 16. An excerpt, a letter to his father dated february 20th, 1837. You say that you are going to get a cooking for the kitchen this winter. I think it is going to be a useless expense and one that we cannot afford. It is no saving of fuel and a great deal more trouble than a fireplace. How how ever you cado is you like, you know better than i do about it. I would to you the priority of setting up a milk establishment. I have not the least doubt that it would succeed amicably. Here we have this 618 year old lecturing us father. I can envision my 16 year old grandchild lecturing her father. His sense of frugality and safety surface. He also demonstrates a business of the most profitable component of the family farm. He will need all when he becomes president and treasurer of the new yorks Central Park Commission in less than 20 years. The above stove was most popular during the 1837 1838 winter. It the invention of Lester Tilden relative of someone to most influential in his. Within three years andrew would be working drapers auction house. He would be embracing a relationship with Dorothy Catherine draper. Her brother john. William draper, a professor of chemistry at new yorks university, soon put an end to the relations. Thinking andrew was much too young for his sister and that he had few prospects in life. He was 19 and she was 32 and then terez think. Fact is that, this was 1839 and she was the person to be photographed. The United States. John draper improved upon the girl type process and introduced it to this country. Although this photo, its in Poor Condition and its my favorite. I believe that between the ages of 24 and 26, he more from a philosophizing cautious, unsure young into the professional. We know. He looked so different from the teenage andrew. Yet more like people we know in the 21st century. January. 1845. He expresses uncertainty about the new year. His at a legal firm and attending studying to pass the new york state bar exam. His life is consumed, work and studies. Its only free time. Its on. But she spends morning to night attending services at multiple churches in philosophy rises continuously during his 24th year. Hes morphing into the man that will eventually the Andrew Haswell green that most people know. Over the next few months, the trajectory of his life will change. Hes invited to join law firm of a new acquaintance, Samuel Jones Tilden. Samuel will likely be the most influential person in his life. Theyre extremely individuals. Yet their friendship will span an excess of four decades. Andrew, aged 24. Excerpts from his diary july 1845. Aged in such condition that its quite impossible for me to use them with any comfort. It read somewhat. Im corporations had a talk with mr. Tilden on political. He to study and bothered by i. His eyes will fail considerably throughout life. He wears glasses, but really in Public Notice steady to refers to his boss. Samuel jones tilden as tilden. And that rolling conversation is a political. Much will change over the next year. Ive studied the more industrial yet humble person as greene when asked in an interview in 1900 what the greatest and evil the world is, he says, lay and the quest for fame. I traced the source back 55 years to this diary entry july 3rd, 1845. If a man had curse after fame he made big goodbye to an unshackled spirit. But if condemned to work on amidst the sneers and smiles of those around fearless and regardless of will, some power, he will leave a name behind him which may last and be remembered. Perhaps not well. He lives. This is an excellent of him philosophizing. Although this is just a thought from his diary, it states with him his entire life. It may have a rigid from the rules to live by. He never seeks. Five days late or he meets a young lady at the astor household tell his diary account is likely the most telling, foreshadowing an uncommon to life. Sex and priorities. July 8th, 1845. Evening i spent 2 hours with her. Of all the women i have ever seen, this young is one of the very few who have made any peculiar on me. She is without deception, gentle soul, confiding, unable to think ill no one. She is one of the purest as she read over and no tears gathered in her full black eyes. Then she seemed to show in her face the tenderest affection i have never seen such a fortune of feelings. But she was going away tomorrow morning to be married to a young gentleman up the river. There is one consolation about this two men often marry the women that they most often esteem or love. Judging from my own field, a mans affection placed on one person to regard for her business would lead him to distrust himself and to think of her future enjoyment, to him to gratify his own dearest wishes. I unconsciously. And then the next page is door torn from the diary. Whats happening here . Is he questioning his sexuality or perhaps recognizing the need to, in some, insulate himself from love in order to meet its goals . Gay or not. Ill address that later. Two weeks later, andrew was vacationing newport at the Ocean House Hotel with his sister mary and family relations from private the arnolds. His cousin and closest friends, arnold would introduce him to his fiancee. Andrew his first tuxedo for Samuel Arnolds wedding. He kept that tuxedo throughout his life. He and its still in existence. It is. He boarded a john davis and joans new york city paying only. One dollars. He is relaxed, having fun at ocean house. Taking a break from work studies. The ice cream churn was invented five years earlier. Throughout life, andrew never loses his love of ice cream. This is the last summer of his youth. He enjoys a game of and played the piano and can speak three languages, all of which he learned at green helm. His fun and embracing nature. He even buys flannel bathing suit. The ocean houseas one of newports premier hotels. On sunday, august 3rd, there were 350 guests. The formal dining room was filled to capacity the guests were enjoying dinner. Many full and satisfied guests to their rooms. For an afternoon nap. Fire broke in the kitchen and spread throughout the hotel. This is his diary. Excerpt from that day. Beautiful day. This morning i walked to trinity church. No sermon being. It was communion. Sunday while at dinner, the fire bells rang. The ocean house was on fire. I said it to get out the baggage of mr. Arnold. It was burnt and very. When done, continued to help with other things. The afternoon. The hotel was completely destroyed. In the afternoon. I walked up with miss throckmorton from new york to look after her things which were at the ocean house. All we found her bathing calf. Since he left greenhill years earlier, he witness tried to dig repeatedly from. He would learn the importance of safety, accident prevention and diplomacy. He saw the great fire of december 1835, which covered city blocks and destroyed hundreds of buildings. It preventable. He witnessed the flower riot of 1837 where a crowd of 5000 hungry workers froze striated by runaway high prices. Plundered warehouses to the financial panic of 1837. He again felt it could have been prevented in writing to be the least way to resolve issue. He knew the house fire could have been prevented. This was the last summer of. Andrews youth. His life will change within few short months. A new year aged 25. Excerpt diary. Diary january 15th, 1846. In albany underwent examination with the class 60 members in two divisions for our degree of at law. There was a black member of the class who was rejected more on account color than otherwise. After this i passed the examination as solicitor very well well busy. Profound in that it underscores will become his interest the barnburner movement fighting slavery. The black man would have worked seven years to take that bar exam. Only be rejected largely because of race. Greene would fight for the rights of all people. Greene was no longer a student. He shared sheldons political and became law partner. Andrew, a company in Samuel Tilden to a political meeting where he made a speech on the convention from former the new york state constitu nation. He was hooked. Such began in eventful journey. Tilden 16 years. Andrews senior was to become its mentor and Business Partner and close friend in three decades. Tilden become new york state governor and president ial candidate. Although tilden won the popular for president in 1876, a backroom ensured the end of reconstruct election and declared rutherford be hayes winner. Both men became close and remained closed until tilden dies. 41 years later, in 86. Many they were gay lovers. May have had and may have an agenda promoting such a research. Both men great lee i question motives of anyone such assumptions. Ive read so many diaries letters. There is none in there to leave me to think that andrew gay. It is likely that andrew was a sexual. I find it interesting that this topic surfaces frequently than inquiries into his accomplished months under the tutelage of political activist and railroad Samuel Tilden. Andrew became not only a railroad turning but a corporate mining attorney. He would be on the board of directors for several national as railroad has expanded across the country and demand for coal increase. So did their fortunes grow andrew would be not only the executor of the William Brogden estate paul bearer for the wealthy chicago politician and railroad executive. I find it interesting was asked to be a pallbearer many times throughout his life and. The late 1940s, andrew saved greenhill from financial loss. It would be transferred to him for 10,000 multiple by that times 30 rate of inflation would grow as. He purchased adjoining farms and became his summer respite from manhattan. Stress. Aged 25 and a half. Diary excerpt, august 12, 1846, at greenhill. Among the new mown hay much of the day, the prospects from the farm. Beautiful. I laid in the hay scene before me, rare to. See the country around seem in some form within circle of hills in. The farmhouses in yellow fields, tall pines in the active ity among the farmers all are this season, beautiful to behold. I enjoyed my retirement from the city thus very much therefore i should be of some of my brothers here to enjoy it with me in less than ten years. He would be elected to the new york board of education. And in 1855 elected its present president william m tweed, elected the same year. They take very different paths in life. You can see there names as winning the election. There were 138,000 students in public schools, only 42 . Daily attendance. He really his teachers played the pivotal for education in education was, essential to advance society. Anyone in this fraternity or former teacher. Quite a few. He would be a leader in. The democratic party. He would influence equal Public Education curriculum in our civ class each day for all children, regardless of economic status and more importantly, regardless of race, in firmly believe that municipal government must provide essential services. In addition, there are environmental duties undertaken municipalities to enhance environment and their welfare of its citizens. Things like parks, zoos and other recreation. By 1857, he would be elected president of the new Central Park Commission, approving calvin poe and Frederick Olmsted screen green square plan. This park will rival birdseye while impr