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PHILIPSTOWN MOSAIC
Cold Spring... "New Spring - New Change"
by Donald MacDonald
For quite some time there was heard a buzzing throughout the village of Cold Spring concerning its incorporation. The local foundry was approaching its zenith, having become, since its inception in 1818, a nationally recognized force in the production of anything iron. Buildings along Main Street continued rising along both sides of the dusty thoroughfare with bubbly assurance for the future. Cold Spring’s population was growing, greatly heightened by opportunities of employment in the dinful foundry. Expectations were running high regarding one’s desire toward openinga business in the bustling industrial hamlet. Religious denominations in the village had been rising steadily and prominently to the forefront. Having become well recognized and generously attended over the years, the churches would account expressively for the communal solidarity of the smokey little town. Filling out the potpourri of reasons for Cold Spring having expanded its growth were two elementary schools, situated conveniently in the village. These rural seats of instruction, strongly generated in commitment, were deeply ingrained in the village conscience from the early 1830’s forward. Theirs was to extend critical direction to youth growing up midst the smoke, clamor and dust of the small industrious Hudson River community.
Against this backdrop of prosperity and unity, the time and mood, during the middle 1840’s, seemed logical enough to nudge Cold Spring into incorporation. The introduction of local governmental leadership was perhaps, at that time, looked upon as an experiment that would hopefully propel the village’s purpose and individualism into a much more structured and cohesive state.
James K. Polk, eleventh president of the U.S., was well into serving his first (and only) term of office, in 1846. The U.S.-Mexican War would erupt on the national scene in May of that year. 1846 saw Elias Howe inventing the sewing machine. That year also saw the Mormons, under Brigham Young, heading west from Illinois, in search of a new home. Such was a small portion of the more notable activity in the U.S. when Cold Spring was considering incorporation.
How long before March 24, 1846 the bill for Cold Spring’s incorporation was introduced is not known as of this piece. But the New York State Assembly, on that date, after having read the bill for a third time to its members, voted by two-thirds of all members of the elected assembly to accept and pass the Bill of Incorporation of Cold Spring. 28 days later, April 20, 1846, the New York State Senate, following the identical procedure of the Assembly, accepted the bill as passed. Silas Wright, governor of NY State, signed into law the Bill of Incorporation of Cold Spring on April 22, 1846. Cold Spring’s initial organizational meeting, and incoporation, was convened on May 20, 1846.
Names of those first Cold Spring trustees under incorporation, lost perhaps to memory, yet not forgotten in local history, bear respectful mention: Joshua Haight, President of the Board of Trustees; William Longfield, James Duffy, Solomon Baxter and Oliver Elwell, trustees; William M. Johnston, clerk of the board; John W. Low, collector; John Nelson, constable; Elisha Nelson, Jr, Treasurer; and Osmond M. Baxter (position illegible). Contemplating a new era in the history of Cold Spring, it was to these leaders that would be entrusted thelabor of creating a framework of municipal government conducive to the needs and temperament of their village.
Incorporation would necessarily bring with it change; change in ways certain entities would be administered to; change in heretofore accepted ways of doing things; change in those areas where former ideas and services might require reinterpretation, and perhaps the most enduring change of all, Cold Spring’s citizenry would now embrace the opportunity of electing administrators whom they believed would exercise positive judgement concerning the future welfare of their village. Autonomy must now step aside, clearing the way for allowing a completely new experience in village political administration to shape itself. The previous self-governing manner in which things were accomplished wasn’t all that bad - incorporation would simply build on the yearss-old foundation already set in place, administering within a systematic code of regulations and principles that would appear most advantageous in serving and ensuring Cold Spring’s future growth and spirit.
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