30 MAY 2019 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY
Dear Astoria Historical
Society,
“I was going through pa-pers
and came across several
paragraphs of notes of Ken W.
Sanford (a former neighbor).
Says his Uncle Horatio was
the last mayor of Long Island
City. Thought your organization
would welcome a copy.
“This narrative was writ-ten
to his children - I know
Mr. Ken Sanford had at least
one son, but I do not know his
name or how to contact him.
I am attaching Mr. Sanford’s
handwritten and typed notes…
Don’t know if you can make
out his writing from the scans.
If not I can try to email you what I can
make out …
James M.
* * *
The Sanford family had a sizable
family estate bordering on the East
River which separated the property
from the New York City owned Black-well's
Island the location of prisoner
hospitals and other city institutions.
In fact we allowed New York City to
place a guard on our property to watch
prisoners who attempted to escape
by swimming the river.
The property was located at 891
Vernon Ave in the Ravenswood section
of Long Island City, N.Y. That location
today embraces northern half of Rainy
Park. The Sanford family must have
been of some importance. In fact,
Horatio S. was the last mayor of Long
Island City before it became part of
New York City.
This estate was jointly owned by
Drurie S. Sanford, Clarence T. Sanford
(my father) and Horatio S. Sanford.
Aside from the homestead there was
also building for the making of Dr.
Sanford's Liver Invigorator, invented
by your great grandfather and a rea-sonably
successful patent maker of
the time. That building was a few
blocks south of the family homestead
on Vernon. Incidentally Dr. Sanford
was not an M.D. but was a pharmacist
from Kingston, N.Y.
Here is something of considerable
interest and something you can be
proud of. While Horatio S. was mayor,
a couple of N.Y.C. cops arrived in town,
got drunk, and were put in jail over-night.
The next morning, who should
show up, but Teddy Roosevelt, the
Police Commissioner of New York City!
He talked to my uncle for two or
three minutes and the cops were al-lowed
to go home in his care.
After quitting the mayoralty Horatio
S. moved to the little town of Ashland,
Oregon. Some 15 years later, Teddy
Roosevelt was on a speaking tour
hoping to gain the presidency. He
stopped at Ashland and everyone
went to the station to shake his hand.
When he spotted my uncle Horatio
some 20 feet away in line he called
out "If you weren't so far away from
home I would say you were Sanford
of Long Island City.”
Teddy was famous for remembering
people. Incidentally, your grandmother
was invited to go to the White House
to play with the Roosevelt children
when Teddy was elected president...
Ken W. Sanford
G.A.H.S. Has Moved! Legends
New Home! New Look!
Astoria History @ Court Square
Our new office is:
Greater Astoria Historical Society
LIC Arts Building # Suite 219
44-02 23rd Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
718-278-0700 / info@astorialic.org
Serving the communities of
Old Long Island City:
Blissville
Sunnyside
Sunnyside Gardens
Hunters Point
Dutch Kills
Ravenswood
Astoria Broadway
Norwood
Old Astoria Village
Ditmars
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