The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-20
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After IN nsis,ence ~ forty years the
Fourteenth Assembly district IL no more.
The nov nppnr, comment has split Maekerels
vile, like ancient Onul. into three paFtsI
and itA inhn hitanfa may be expected hence-
forth 20 mako new alliances. The dls,rtce
lies south ~ Fourteenth street and north
~ Tompkirs Square between Third avenuS
and tho Fast Rtver.
Tho name Mackereiville had a coms
mercial and not a political origin. Many
years ago. whom the lower part Of the
Seventeenth ward between Houston and
Seventh streets was an almost exclusively
German neighborhood. n number n Irish
fish dealers settled in the upper part OF
the Seventeenth ward between Seventh
and Fourteenth streets.
They did not come from the counties OF
Ireland for which fisheries are a source Of
revenue. Galway. Mayo, Limerick, Donegal
! and Clare. but chiefly from Cavan ana
Ferma IA Oh. two counties noted for their
ira Yelling pedlers. These NJ wcomers did
not catch fish. They sold at n profit the
catch Of others.
Their wagons we're known all over the
East Side at a time when fish was bought
from wagons more generally than is the
case now. On Fridays especially the
Mackerelville wagons had plenty OF GUS
toners and 1t came to be recognized that
retail dealers in fish we're from Mackerel-
vile generally and 80 the n~eighborhood
got its name, which has adhered to It ever
since.
The large Democratic majorities II gave
made the Fourteenth or Mackerelville
district a force in Tammany Hall, and the
determination Of its leaders to resist any
change in its boundaries kept control OF
political matters within the Leading families.
At each successive apportionment 1t was
proposed to cut up the district, which long
ago lost it's former distinctive character.
The fish dealers moved away, some OF
them to buy houses uptown. Throughout
the western portion of the district Russian
newcomers in great numbers found homes,
while in the extreme eastern portion, along
Avenues B and c, Italians settled in large
numbers.
cutting up of the district until this year.
when under the new apportionment the
norton west of Second avenue and south OF
Fourteenth street is Joined to a West Side
district. The portion bet ween Avenue A!
to an uptown district, and the remaining
portion, between Tenth and Fourteenth
streets, Avenue A and Second avenue, 10
Joined to a downtown district.
mnCReTelVllle mas TOileu up ldiRtr iul-
~iorities for Tammany Hall and has pro-
duced at the same time fewer Tammany
leaders thar probably m other district
of New York. For a great many years
the two Reilly brothers, Bernard and John;
were recognized as being at the helm Of
affairs for Tammany in the Fourteenth
district and both gained in time their politl-
cal reward. Bernard Reilly became Sheriff
and John Reilly became Register. Each
remained in the political harness until he
died.
Charles q. Cornell was for a considerable
period prominent in the affairs Of this dis
trict. Other graduates from the old Four
teenth are Supreme Cour Justices P. II.
Dugro and Henry Bisohof, City Court JUS
tice Conlan, former Tai Commissioner
Thomas j. Dreamer, Senator James DAILY
and Congressman Sulzer.
Changes which nave taken place on the
Fast Side have altered the character ~
many neighborhoods, Mackerelville among
them. Instead Of old fashioned small
houses with all the residents OF them friends
as well as neighbors, there are now generally
through the greater part of this district
new law tenements designed SO far as posi-
BILE to keep families apart, and about the only
reminder Of Mackerelville now to be seen
ia the fish market on First avenue,