Cord Meyer (New York politician)

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Cord Meyer II (October 9, 1854 – October 14, 1910) was an American businessman and politician from New York.

Life

Meyer was born on October 9, 1854[1] in Newtown, New York,[2] the son of Cord Meyer Sr. and Catharine Benson. His father was a German immigrant from Hanover founded the sugar refining firm Dick & Meyer.[3]

Meyer went to the City College of New York under Professor Doremus. In 1874, he left the university at his father's request to begin his business career. He initially worked for the Acme Fertilizer Company and quickly moved his way up into an executive position in the company. He then cooperated with his father's sugar refining firm and formed Wall Street connections through the brokerage house C. L. Rathborne & Company. After his father died in 1891, he purchased a large tract of land and developed into a residential neighborhood called Elmhurst. He developed the neighborhood through the Cord Meyer Company, which he created and would later be taken over by his sons Charles G., J. Edward, and George C., with his brother Christian M. as its president. In order to provide Elmhurst with water, he founded the Citizens' Water Supply Company of Newtown, with his brother and sons in later put charge of the company until it was acquired by New York City in 1922. In 1904, he began developing Forest Hills through the Cord Meyer Development Company, with his son George serving as its manager from the beginning.[4]

Meyer was also a leading figure in the Continental National Bank, and upon its merger with the

Equitable Trust Company), the Colonial Safe Deposit Company, the Newtown Railway, and the Maspeth Development Company. He was also a director or trustee of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company (later part of the United States Steel Corporation), the Atlanta & Birmingham Railroad Company, the Kings County Trust Company, the Western New York and Pennsylvania Traction Company, St. Paul's Mining Company, the Lanyon Zinc Company, the American Agricultural and Chemical Company, the Hanover National Bank, and the Trust Company of America.[4]

Shortly after reaching his majority, he became associated with the Democratic Party in Queens County. He fought for control of the county with Long Island City mayor Patrick Gleason and won. He served on the New York State Democratic Committee from 1884 to 1889, serving as the secretary for a time.[2] In 1892, Governor Flower appointed him a World's Fair Commissioner. In the 1893 election, he was the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State of New York.[2] He lost the election to John Palmer. He was Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee from 1904 to 1906, and was opposed to William Randolph Hearst's nomination as gubernatorial candidate in the 1906 election.[5]

Meyer was a member of the

United States Diplomatic Service.[4]

Meyer died at his home in

ptomaine poisoning on October 14, 1910. He bought the estate, known as The Cove, several years beforehand.[5] He was buried in the All Saints Churchyard in Great Neck.[6]

References

  1. ^ Biographical Director of the State of New York, 1900. New York, N.Y.: Biographical Directory Company. 1900. p. 312 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c Kelsey, J. S. (1896). History of Long Island City, New York. The Long Island Star Publishing Company. p. 178 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ The National Cyclopædia of American Biography. Vol. XVI. New York, N.Y.: James T. White & Company. 1918. p. 221 – via Google Books.
  4. ^
    ISBN 9780788449840 – via Google Books
    .
  5. ^
    The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Vol. 71, no. 286. 15 October 1910. p. 19 – via Brooklyn Public Library
    : Historical Newspapers.
  6. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Vol. 71, no. 289. New York, N.Y. 18 October 1910. p. 20 – via Brooklyn Public Library
    : Historical Newspapers.

External links
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee
1904–1906 		Succeeded by
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