Joy,

The Encylopedia of New York City, in its article on sewers, mentions the
following dates (among others):

1849    Croton Aqueduct Department reorganization with the mandate to
build a comprehensive sewer system (driven in part by a previous cholera
epidemic.)

1850-1855       Seven miles of sewers constructed.

1890s   464 miles of sewers by early in the decade.

1902    Over 1400 miles of sewers.

The article then goes on to detail the probelms of sewage disposal in the
remainder of the twentieth century. Any large library should have the
encyclopedia and it might be worth your while to hunt down the article.

Good luck,

David Minor

>Hello i am wondering with the History you mention and the reference library
>you have accumulated if you would know about the following.
>
>My Great Great Grandfather came over from Fermanagh Ireland to New York.
>the story goes that he came over about 1880, and he dug trenches for the
>putting in of the New york City Sewer system.
>
>Is there a time frame for the installation of the modern Sewer system in
>NYC?
>
>I know this may seem to be an odd question, but I've always wondered if this
>was a true story.  He also was supposed to have worked as a bar tender in
>NYC.  But later in life he was in favor of Prohibition.  Maybe  if he did
>work in a bar he say to many lives ruined and that's why he felt strongly
>about it in later life.
>
>This again could just be a family 'story'.
>
>Thanks for your time.
>
>sincerely, Joy
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: A LISTSERV list for discussions pertaining to New York State
>> history. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Emily Leonard
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 1999 4:45 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: NY CITY History
>>
>>
>> >In a message dated 99-01-05 09:30:33 EST, you write:
>> >
>> ><< [log in to unmask] (Emily Leonard) >>
>> >Emily,
>> >Have you looked at the book "GOTHAM" a History of New York City
>> to 1898? The
>> >cover of the book states: A monumental History of New York City, from the
>> >earlisest Indian peoples to its consolidation as Greater New
>> York in 1898. The
>> >authors are Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace. I bought the book
>> thru The-
>> >Book-of the-Month Club, but I think I also saw it at Barnes &
>> Noble or else at
>> >Walden's Book store.
>> >Lanah De Witt
>> Lanah:
>>
>> I have "Gotham" and the Encyclopedia of New York City and a
>> floorto ceiling
>> bookcase filled with books about the City. What I don't have is an easy
>> acquaintance with source materials, the kind of 'in the pores' knowledge
>> most upstate historians seem to have. As a novelist, I'm a pretty good
>> historian, but not as good as I would like to be. As a novelist, the book
>> competes with the research for research's sake.
>>
>> But thankyou so much for your suggestion, I do appreicate your interest.
>>


David Minor
Eagles Byte Historical Research
Rochester, New York
716 264-0423
[log in to unmask]

http://home.eznet.net/~dminor