Myndert Van Schaick (September 2, 1782 in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

– December 1, 1865 in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

) was an American politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and co-founder of Children's Village with 23 others.

Early life

He was the son of Brigadier General Goose Van Schaick (1736–1789), a

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

officer during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, and Maria (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Ten Broeck) Van Schaick (1750–1829). His paternal grandparents were Sybrant Van Schaick, who served as

Mayor of Albany, New York From its formal chartering on 22 July 1686 until 1779, the mayors of Albany, New York, were appointed by the royal governor of New York (state), New York, per the provisions of the original city charter, issued by Governor Thomas Dongan. From 1 ...

from 1756 to 1761, and Alida (née Rosebloom) Van Schaick. His mother was the eldest of ten daughters born to John Tobias Ten Broeck (himself the son of

Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck (December 18, 1638 – November 24, 1717), also known as Dirck Wessels, was a prominent early settler of Albany, New York. He is known as "the progenitor of the Albany family of Ten Broecks." Early life Dirck Ten Broe ...

Career

Van Schaick was a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

(New York Co.) in

1832 Events January–March * January 6 – Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison founds the New-England Anti-Slavery Society. * January 13 – The Christmas Rebellion of slaves is brought to an end in Jamaica, after the island's white pla ...

, and an Alderman of New York City (5th Ward) in 1832-33. At the same time he was Treasurer of the Board of Health of New York City, while a

cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...

epidemic ravaged the city. He was a member of the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

(1st D.) from 1833 to 1836, sitting in the 56th, 57th, 58th and

59th New York State Legislature The 59th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to May 26, 1836, during the fourth year of William L. Marcy's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provi ...

s. He was also an Assistant Alderman of New York City (5th Ward) in 1835-36. He resigned his seat in the State Senate on May 22, 1836. During his tenure in the City Council, Assembly and State Senate, he was the driving force behind the planning, and enacting of the pertinent legislation, of the construction of the

Croton Aqueduct The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water supply network, water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842. The great aqueduct (water supply), aqueducts, which were among the first in t ...

. When the aqueduct was inaugurated in 1842, Van Schaick was appointed to the Water Board, and remained in office until 1848, part of the time as Chairman. He was President of the Board of Commissioners of the Croton Aqueduct Department from 1855 to 1860.

Personal life

In 1815, he married Elizabeth Hone, daughter of John Hone and niece of

Philip Hone Philip Hone (October 25, 1780 – May 5, 1851) was Mayor of New York City from 1826 to 1827.Minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York, 1784-1831. Volume XV, November 10, 1825 to December 25, 1826'. New York: City of New York, 1917. p. ...

(1780–1851), also a

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...

. Together, they were the parents of: * Mary Van Schaick, who married William B. Oddie in 1849. * Joanna Van Schaick (d. 1819), who died young. * John Hone Van Schaick (d. 1841). * Henry Van Schaick (1825–1914), who married Charlotte Sargent Gray (1832–1912), daughter of Samuel C. Gray. Van Schaick died at his residence on December 1, 1865. He was buried at the

New York Marble Cemetery The New York Marble Cemetery is a burial ground established in 1830 in what is now the East Village of Manhattan. It occupies the interior of the block bounded by 2nd Street, Second Avenue, 3rd Street, and the Bowery. ...

Descendants

Through his daughter Elizabeth, he was the grandfather of Elizabeth Van Schaick Oddie, who married Grenville Winthrop (1837–1869), the son of Thomas Charles Winthrop (1797–1873) and brother of Robert Winthrop (1833–1892). Through his son Henry, he was the grandfather of Mary Van Schaick (1858–1858), who died young, Henry Sybrant Van Schaick (1859–1901), who died unmarried, George Gray Van Schaick (1861–1924), who married Alice Monson (1871–1953), Elizabeth Van Schaick (b. 1863), who married Count Alexander in

Florence, Italy Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence was a centre of medieval European t ...

on June 8, 1886, and Eugene Van Schaick (1865–1916), who married Minnie Delamater Haulenbeck (1863–1922), daughter of Peter Delamater and Ellen (née Kronkjeit) Haulenbeck.

References

External links

Portrait of Van Shaick
at the

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Schaick, Myndert 1782 births 1865 deaths New York (state) state senators New York (state) Jacksonians Members of the New York State Assembly New York City Council members Burials at New York Marble Cemetery 19th-century members of the New York State Legislature