What the Minutes Say

Intrigued by the notion of renaming Front Street, I asked Tracy Delaney, our very efficient and helpful city clerk, to let me see the Common Council minutes for 1913 to learn what discussion had taken place in the Council when this proposal was before them. Here's what I discovered in the minutes for August 28, 1913. Just so you know the players, Alderman Connelly represented the First Ward, Alderman Connors the Second, and Alderman Ham the Fifth. 

Alderman Connelly reported that he had discussed the matter of changing the name of Front St. with a number of the residents along that street and that he found that Sheriden [sic] Ave. was agreeable to all concerned. This name being selected out of a long list submitted to the residents. 

Alderman Connors state that the residents of No. Front desired to have it called Broadway.

Alderman Ham stated that as he understood the matter the aldermen from the lower wards were to get together and agree upon the name which he believed the Council would readily adopt.

Alderman Connelly moved that that section of the city called North and South Front Street be changed to North and South Sheriden Avenue.

Alderman Ham, as an amendment to Alderman Connelly's resolution, moved that the matter go over until Tuesday Evening, September 2nd. The amendment was lost by the following vote. Ayes [erasure] Connelly, DeLamater, Gillete, Ham -4- Nayes: Recorder, Connors, Finigan, Lenehan, McAree -5-

The vote on Connelly's motion also failed, with Ham casting a nay vote that time.

Curious to know who the aldermen for the various wards of the city were in 1913, I did some further investigation in the 1913 Hudson city directory and discovered the following:

FIRST WARD
Patrick B. Finigan
Finigan was a dealer in scrap iron, metals, rags, and rubber. The address of his business is given in the directory as "ft S. Front." He lived at 20 Allen Street.
Thos. Connelly
Connelly was a baker, and his address, which seems to have been both his business and his home, was 233 Warren.

SECOND WARD
John Lenahan
No occupation is given for Lenahan in the city directory. but his address is given as 221 Robinson Street.
Thomas Connors
Connors was a railroad laborer who lived at 44 North Front Street.  

THIRD WARD
Martin Vincent 
Vincent was a grocer. His store was located at 721 Warren Street, and he lived across the street at 744 Warren Street.
John E. Gillette
No occupation is given for Gillette in the city directory. His address is given as 601 Union Street, sometimes called the Terry-Gillette Mansion.

FOURTH WARD
James McAree
McAree was a laborer who lived at 304 State Street.
J. Gamwell Aldcroftt
Aldcroftt was a dentist. The only address given for him in the city directory is 432 Warren Street.

FIFTH WARD
William J. DeLamater
DeLamater was a lawyer who lived at 602 Gifford Place.
Alfred W. Ham
Ham was a grocer. His store was located at 602 Warren Street, and he lived at 540 Warren Street.

RECORDER
Milton M. Hall
Hall was a lawyer, whose office was at 607 Warren Street. He lived at 110 Green Street.