The New York State Engineer and Surveyor was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York between 1848 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the New York State Department of Public Works, which in turn was absorbed by the New York State Department of Transportation in 1967.nysarchives.org History of the office, at NY State Archives
History The office was established as Surveyor General in 1781.Google Books The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (page 37; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
Until 1822, the Surveyor General was appointed by the Council of Appointment for an indefinite term. The second holder of the office, Simeon De Witt, was considered the most qualified person for the office and was re-appointed without regard to party politics. Even the Bucktails did not oust him when they were struggling with his first cousin DeWitt Clinton. The office was at first mostly occupied with surveying the uncharted area of the State and issuing official maps. In 1817, the Surveyor General became a member of the Erie Canal Commission.
From 1823 to 1845, the Surveyor General was elected by joint ballot of the New York State Legislature for a term of three years. Simeon De Witt was re-elected in 1823, 1826, 1829, and 1832, and died in office in 1834.
The Constitution of 1846 renamed the office as State Engineer and Surveyor, and the office's major concern was to be the supervision of the maintenance and enlargement of the Canal network. The candidates were required to be practical engineers.
From 1847 on, the State Engineer and the other state cabinet officers were elected by the voters at the state elections in November in odd years to a two-year term, so that, until 1877, they served in the second half of the term of the governor in office and the first half of the term of the succeeding governor, since the governors at the time were elected to a two-year term in even years. From 1877 on, the Governor served a three-year term, while the State Engineer continued to be elected for two years. The State Engineer elected in 1895 received an additional year and served a three-year term, and from 1898 on, the State Engineer and other state officers were elected in even years to a two-year term at the same time as the Governor, and they served concurrently.
Surveyors General
Name Took office Left office Party NotesPhilip SchuylerMarch 30, 1781May 13, 1784Simeon De WittMay 13, 1784December 3, 1834Democratic-Republican/Clintoniandied in office after 50 years of service, re-appointed and re-elected several timesWilliam CampbellJanuary 20, 1835February 5, 1838DemocraticOrville L. HolleyFebruary 5, 1838February 7, 1842Whigre-elected to a second term in 1841, but in 1842 all state officers were removed by Dem. legislatureNathaniel JonesFebruary 7, 1842February 3, 1845DemocraticHugh HalseyFebruary 3, 1845December 31, 1847Democraticoffice abolished by Constitution of 1846 and replaced with State Engineer and Surveyor
Engineers and Surveyors
Name Took office Left office Party NotesCharles B. StuartJanuary 1, 1848December 31, 1849WhigHezekiah C. SeymourJanuary 1, 1850December 31, 1851WhigWilliam J. McAlpineJanuary 1, 1852August 1, 1853DemocraticresignedWheeler H. BristolSeptember 21, 18531853Democraticappointed to fill an unexpired term, ran for the office at the State election in November, was defeated, and resignedHenry RamsayDecember 10, 1853December 31, 1853appointed to fill an unexpired termJohn T. ClarkJanuary 1, 1854December 31, 1855WhigSilas SeymourJanuary 1, 1856December 31, 1857AmericanVan Rensselaer RichmondJanuary 1, 1858December 31, 1861Democratictwo termsWilliam B. TaylorJanuary 1, 1862December 31, 1865Uniontwo termsJ. Platt GoodsellJanuary 1, 1866December 31, 1867RepublicanVan Rensselaer RichmondJanuary 1, 1868December 31, 1871Democratictwo termsWilliam B. TaylorJanuary 1, 1872December 31, 1873RepublicanSylvanus H. SweetJanuary 1, 1874December 31, 1875DemocraticJohn D. Van Buren, Jr.January 1, 1876December 31, 1877DemocraticHoratio Seymour, Jr.January 1, 1878December 31, 1881Democratictwo termsSilas SeymourJanuary 1, 1882December 31, 1883RepublicanElnathan SweetJanuary 1, 1884December 31, 1887Democratictwo termsJohn BogartJanuary 1, 1888December 31, 1891Democratictwo termsMartin SchenckJanuary 1, 1892December 31, 1893DemocraticCampbell W. AdamsJanuary 1, 1894December 31, 1898Republicantwo terms (1894-95, 1896-98)Edward A. BondJanuary 1, 1899May 1, 1904Republicanresigned during his third termHenry A. Van AlstyneMay 10, 1904December 31, 1906Republicanappointed to fill an unexpired term, then re-electedFrederick SkeneJanuary 1, 1907December 31, 1908Dem./Ind. LeagueFrank M. WilliamsJanuary 1, 1909December 31, 1910RepublicanJohn A. BenselJanuary 1, 1911December 31, 1914Democratictwo termsFrank M. WilliamsJanuary 1, 1915December 31, 1922Republicanfour termsDwight B. La DuJanuary 1, 1923December 31, 1924DemocraticRoy G. FinchJanuary 1, 1925December 31, 1926Republicanlast State Engineer and Surveyor, office merged into the Department of Public Works
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