Читать книгу History of Westchester County, New York, Volume 3 - Группа авторов - Страница 15

For thirty years this well-known resident of Mamaroneck has made his home in this flourishing little village, and during the past score of years has risen to a position of prominence and influence in its affairs, commercial and otherwise. He has been an important factor in local politics, being a worker in the ranks of the Democratic party, and was the receiver of taxes for two years and excise commissioner for three years.

The parents of our subject were William F. and Ellen (Collins) McCabe. He was born in East Morris, now included within the limits of Greater New York, in 1857. At the age of one year William F. accompanied his father to Mamaroneck, and has since looked upon this place as his home. He received his higher education in Saint Francis Xavier College, in New York city, but left his studies when eighteen years of age in order to enter upon his business career. He was associated with his father in contracting until twenty-five years of age, when he embarked upon independent work. His first important task was the construction of the reservoir dam for the New Rochelle waterworks, and having executed this contract to the entire satisfaction of all concerned he had no difficulty in obtaining further contracts at other points and for various kinds of public works. One of the finest pieces of work that he has accomplished is the Byron bridge, connecting New York and Greenmont, Connecticut. This structure has a beautiful double arch of cut stone. Though he has taken contracts for a great many private parties, he is especially qualified to take much more important pieces of work, and caters to large public improvements.

Among those for whom he has carried out contracts are Mr. Schoonmaker, of Scarsdale, and William H. Macy and Porter A. Harrison. For three years and eight months he was engaged upon the construction of the new Croton dam for the New York city water works, and excavated the first yard of rock for that remarkable piece of work. Few public works have been carried out in this, town without his co-operation, and many of the more important improvements in Mount Vernon have been managed by him. He built six miles of macadam road in Richmond, and has the most complete facilities for this kind of enterprise, as he owns a stone-crusher and steamrollers, and in other work he has the most approved modern steam drills {eight in number), hoisting machines, etc., and keeps twenty-two horses for use in his various departments of business. It is conceded that, for the execution of street paving and public works in general, he has the most complete machinery and equipments of any contractor in this county. He employs as many as four hundred and fifty men at a time, and his pay roll frequently amounts to eight thousand dollars a month, while his contracts for two years footed up about two hundred thousand dollars.

Though he is quite devoted to his business affairs Mr. McCabe always finds time to discharge his duties as a citizen. He has been active in the work of the fire department, as for five years he was identified with the Mamaroneck Hook & Ladder Company; was for three years a member of the Croton Hook & Ladder Company and was in the patrol department here for some time, being at present an honorary member of the same. Fraternally, he is a member of the orders of Foresters and Red Men.

The marriage of Mr. McCabe and Miss Minnie Anthes was celebrated April 18, 1889. Mrs. McCabe is a daughter of Frederick and Dorothea {Miller) Anthes, of this place. The four children born to our subject and wife are William F. ; Ellen Dorothea, deceased; May; and Irene.

William F. McCabe, as an honored old citizen of Mamaroneck, deserves special mention. He is a native of county Kildare, Ireland, born about 1830. He came to America prior to his marriage and engaged in contracting after he had been on these shores for a few years. At first, however, he was employed on farms as a manager of the same. He has made a specialty of building seawalls and other similar works of public improvement, but for the past fifteen years he has lived practically retired from active labors. He has been influential in the affairs of the local Democratic party and for twenty-four years occupied the office of road commissioner, at the expiration of which period he resigned, refusing to retain the office longer. Among many other works of improvement here with which he was identified was the construction of the Mamaroneck water main. Both he and his estimable wife have arrived at the age of sixty-eight years. Of their ten children five survive, namely: Sarah Carroll, William F., Thomas, Ellen and Richard.