Meet the First Man to Invest in Land Development on Long Island
May 5, 2015 by admin
Filed under Business Services
By Phin Upham
Daniel Denice Conover is notable for being the first person to invest in land development on Long Island. The projects he brought to the region completely changed the coastline.
He was born in 1822, and got involved with New York politics as a growing man. That transitioned him into a lifetime of political activism as he joined several prominent clubs. He also became involved in both municipal and national elections, raising support for the New York City Volunteer Fire Department. An organization that he remained close to throughout most of his life.
Governor John King appointed him street commissioner in 1857, but there was a problem. He was about to assume his post when Conover forcibly ejected from the building! In something of a shakeup, Conover was informed that the position had gone to another man, a move made by Mayor Fernando Wood. The papers were reporting that the other man had paid the tidy sum of $50,000 directly to the mayor, an allegation denied by both parties. Wood was eventually arrested, but released within an hour.
Conover responded by attempting to arrest the mayor for inciting a riot. The confrontation became known as a the Police Riot of 1857, a clash over power.
Records indicate mayor Wood never faced trial, despite his arrest. Several injured policemen were able to successfully sue the mayor at a later date, each claiming $250 to cover injuries they’d suffered during that time. Conover was the victor in the public eye, and he became a prominent industrialist after that moment. He helped grow New York’s street railway systems, and fought for a charter that eventually led to the creation of the Thirty-Fourth Street line.
Phin Upham is an investor from NYC and SF. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or LinkedIn page.
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