Show MONUMENT MERELY citizens of new york planned to honor washington but the idea was abandoned sixty S alve years ago go the chief topic of interest among the citizens of anew f new york apart from the mexican var par which was then in progress was abe he great washington monument which it was proposed to erect la in Il hamilton amilton square which covered the blocks now contained between third and fifth ait sixty sixth and sixty ninth streets t that was six years before central park bad had been outlined hamilton square was wait a 3 portion of the old common lands ands of the city and in the new dow city map prepared in 1807 bythe 91 street et commissioners who laid out the city on its present rectangular lines this plot was retained intact as a park it appears on the maps of ot the city up to 1869 et ift which time it was wiped out of existence the western part pad being sold and the eastern including everything ast of park aye nue being allotted by the thi city 3 to various institutions as the normal college the seventh regiment the new york foundling asylum aay um mount and ad hahnemann hospitals most of which wh ic h still occupy large sections of the old square the very name of hamilton square 0 quare as a well as all the towering monument for which several thOU dollars i 41 A f 1 WM aued am are among the shiar which have passed into history hi atory they bare have well sigh been forgotten tej washington monument Bonu meat got As a far as a the tha laying of the cornerstone cornor stone it waa was 4 b ig sart teat calling forth what was w aid to hare have been the lanest ad enthusiastic parade liell hold la in the city alty up to that ture george the most popular M of ko tio to in boyr occa alon the boorn goorn or of the eteve the mayor of the city and ad a bobot lecer lesser lights bad and claim were 0 U backed by in known know A the W ington monument eat association ancor t borated by the legislature and tag ing if its trustees many maur of the thi merchants of the city the basked ati tard afrey to the tills completion compie tion of a M monument onu coating at least 1000 ch to rice rise to sucha uch helit on the high land ot 01 hamilton square As to make it visible to mariner mariners so 50 ellef all es at oba ea 4 the history of oil th Wb ington to monument PO which reached if chimal OB on october 19 1847 and thea then suddenly ud denly lapsed d into oblivion date dates froal from 1833 when headed by gov leals a targe large number of in flu citizens determined that new now york hould should arec reef to the memory memo ryot of george washington the brandit gran dit monument tn in the country COU try they were incorporated by the ax as the washington monument no ull effort aplean to 10 hare have been made to raice money la in 1843 the project waa was renewed but this atao met det with no better success sparred spurred on by the effort of isaac a 8 lyon one of the noteworthy characters oi 01 tho the time whose occupation was that of a humble ca the third association under the ame same came wa was incorporated in march 1817 and thie this was the only onit one that bowed alfay ay activity lyona efforts for he the cause consisted chiefly clif etly in a pamphlet which b wrote and widely t circulated entitled the rhe washington shall it be DO buller an ad tress new he dedicated to the citi of new york in in 1846 1840 let fat it be uch such a monument aa as 1 earth a r th never aw saw before he laid id for 4 will 1 be dedicated to the memory ama mal aass of eartha earths paragon of human greef great ness let it its foundation be l deep ia in the olid solid eart earth it and let its summit tower nigh high above all surrounding ob jata the ile delight and admiration of every b colder beautiful in the aun sun abl G majestic in fit the storm the laet last object that hall shall linger in the gae gau of the wanderer as he steams down our noble bay and the first that ball shall break upon hie his eP enraptured vision when be he re turna the bumble humble cartman estimated trie probable pro bablo cot cost of the monument at although the designas design aa afterwards adopted called for ah an expenditure of about 91 lOuV lyon how ever worked out a crople method for railing raising the money and bad had the citizens responded there would ably now be a towering haft shaft aa as a memorial to washington within block or eo so of the normal college building I 1 A correct census of the chy city explained lyon would probably exhibit a population of souls 1 one ono fourth at least of whom would be able to contribute towar a uch such a noble work suppose that of our population should agree to contribute one dollar a year for or are five years toward defraying the ex pEnSeL at the end of five year years we should present tb tin country with a monumental structure to the memory ot george eorge washington such aa an n no 0 country has ever reared to the memory of ita its most distinguished benefactor |