This statue of William E. Dodge Sr. stands in New York City’s Bryant Park. Virtually forgotten today, Dodge (1805-1883) was one of the great merchant princes of the nineteenth century. The Dodge and Roosevelt families were friends for generations. Mr. Dodge was a representative at the February 1861 Peace Conference that made one last ditch effort at avoiding the Civil War. Partway through the conference Dodge gave up his fancy suite and Willard’s Hotel for Abraham Lincoln, who had just arrived from Baltimore. The next morning Lincoln sent for Dodge, who found the president-elect tinkering with his inaugural address. When the war came the Dodges and Roosevelts were all active in the Union League Club among other things. Dodge served on the Arrangements Committee that organized Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. (KM) (Images: The Dodge statue in Bryant Park behind the New York Public Library. Lincoln’s funeral procession passing Union Square with a young Theodore and Elliott Roosevelt watching from their grandparents’ house.)
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 13:12:34 +0000
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