222 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



Mr. Decker stated that exact dates and more complete memoranda 

 would be included in a future communication. 



H. H. Cleaves, 



Recorder. 



SECTION OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH 

 Two meetings were held, as follows : 



Annual Meeting, January 13, 1917 



The meeting was called to order by the chairman, Dr. Arthur Hollick. 



Present : Arthur Hollick, William T. Davis, George W. Tuttle, Edward 

 M. Stothers, S. McKee Smith. 



The minutes of the meeting of February 7, 1916, were read and approved. 



The following officers were elected for the ensuing year : chairman, 

 George W. Tuttle; recorder, S. McKee Smith. 



The following items were presented and discussed : 



By Doctor Hollick — (i) From Mr. Edward C. Delavan, Jr., a photo- 

 graph of the "Hessian Springs," on the former John C. Green estate, be- 

 tw.een Westervelt Avenue and Jersey Street (fide Blood's map of 1845). 

 The photograph was taken about 1902. The view is from Fifth Street 

 looking toward Crescent Avenue. The site is now obliterated by " im- 

 provements," as we all know, hence it may be of interest to recall the 

 following note, which appeared in the Richmond County Mirror of Janu- 

 ary 20, 1838: "Hessian Springs Garden. — We are rejoiced to learn that 

 these dehghtful springs are no longer to be permitted to repose in unde- 

 served and inglorious seclusion. We learn that a company of enterprising 

 gentlemen is about forming to purchase the old Hessian Spring from the 

 New Brighton Association, with the contiguous valley through which its 

 waters find their way to the Kill Van Kuyl. It is proposed to lay out the 

 whole valley as a garden, with vine-hung arbors. This enterprise is in 

 better taste than anything we have heard of lately. The celebrated quali- 

 ties of the old Hessian Springs, where whilom our Dutch ancestors were 

 wont to regale their appetites, are too valuable any longer to remain un- 

 noticed. Tall trees bend their cooling shade over the streamlet that leaps 

 from this antiquated source ; and the hills come sloping in gradually from 

 every direction. Everything seems to have conspired to render this sweet 

 retreat a perfect paradise. This is the first step which we have noticed 

 toward improving the real natural advantages of this place; and we hope 

 it may not be lost sight of." 



(2) From Mrs. E. L. Blake, the original muster roll of Company B, 

 73d Regiment, N. Y. State Militia, June 18 to August 15, 1861, consisting 

 of the signatures of twenty-nine residents of Staten Island, including 

 Edward Blake as captain and Edw. B. Underbill as first lieutenant. 



By Mr. Tuttle — (i) Memorandum and reference to a "Map of Staten 



