Since it is almost election day, I’ll thought I’d post something political that happened in 1875.

This postcard has nothing to do with 1875, but it was mailed in 1907.  I found it today at our local Andover Antique Mall.  There is an incredible stall at the antique mall that is filled with postcards, old “Life” magazines & other historical paper items.

“Vote for Mugs”, mailed in 1907

My 3rd Great Grandfather Chester Lamb got caught up in Boss Tweed’s Tammany Hall escapades.

Chester Lamb (1816 – 1891)
is your 3rd great grandfather

William George Lamb (1842 – 1898)
Son of Chester

William Chester Lamb (1878 – 1946)
Son of William George

Florence Adele Lamb (1903 – 1984)
Daughter of William Chester

Grace Adele Britt (1928 – 1975)
Daughter of Florence Adele

Janet K. Page (aka Ellen Britt)
You are the daughter of Grace Adele

The following is an article from the “New York Daily Tribune“, Wednesday, December 8, 1875.  Chester Lamb was also before the Grand Jury and closely questioned for providing carriages for the Tweed Party’s escape.  Chester Lamb had a livery stable in New York City.  (please see earlier posts about dear Grandfather Chester)

The following is a quote from “Wikipedia” regarding Tammany Hall —

Tweed regime
Main article: William M. Tweed

Tammany’s control over the politics of New York City tightened considerably under Tweed. In 1858, Tweed utilized the efforts of Republican reformers to rein in the Democratic city government to obtain a position on the County Board of Supervisors (which he then used as a springboard to other appointments) and to have his friends placed in various offices. From this position of strength, he was elected “Grand Sachem” of Tammany, which he then used to take functional control of the city government. With his proteges elected governor of the state and mayor of the city, Tweed was able to expand the corruption and kickbacks of his “Ring” into practically every aspect of city and state governance. Although Tweed was elected to the State Senate, his true sources of power were his appointed positions to various branches of the city government. These positions gave him access to city funds and contractors, thereby controlling public works programs. This benefitted his pocketbook and those of his friends, but also provided jobs for the immigrants, especially Irish laborers, who were the electoral base of Tammany’s power.[26]

Under “Boss” Tweed’s dominance, the city expanded into the Upper East and Upper West Sides of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge was begun, land was set aside for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, orphanages and almshouses were constructed, and social services – both directly provided by the state and indirectly funded by state appropriations to private charities – expanded to unprecedented levels. All of this activity, of course, also brought great wealth to Tweed and his friends. It also brought them into contact and alliance with the rich elite of the city, who either fell in with the graft and corruption, or else tolerated it because of Tammany’s ability to control the immigrant population, of whom the “uppertens” of the city were wary.

It was therefore Tammany’s demonstrated inability to control Irish laborers in the Orange riot of 1871 that began Tweed’s downfall. Campaigns to topple Tweed by the New York Times and Thomas Nast of Harper’s Weekly began to gain traction in the aftermath of the riot, and disgruntled insiders began to leak the details of the extent and scope of the Tweed Ring’s avarice to the newspapers.

Tweed was arrested and tried in 1872. He died in Ludlow Street Jail, and political reformers took over the city and state governments.[26] Following Tweed’s arrest, Tammany survived but was no longer controlled by just Protestants and was now dependent on leadership from bosses of Irish descent.[19]