Historic Map Comes Home to Clarkstown

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Jean Adams Bolton for her donation to the Clarkstown Town Clerk’s Office of a replica of a Rockland County map drawn by R.F. O’Connor in 1854. The historic map had hung in the office of her father, Charles R. Adams, Jr., who was employed by the Town of Clarkstown from 1946 to 1975. During his tenure with the town, Mr. Adams served as Deputy Town Clerk, Coordinator of Sewer Construction, Director of Purchasing, and Comptroller.
His daughter was also kind enough to include an old newspaper clipping about her father’s retirement in 1975. In it, Charles R. Adams, Jr. was quoted as saying, “You should have seen New City in 1946. Just 1500 people, a one truck fire dept., and no street lights.” He went on to talk about his days as a Volunteer Fireman with the West Nyack Fire Co., “when there were no hydrants. We used to fight fires with water pumped from lakes, ponds, streams, and wells.”
Needless to say, MUCH has changed in New City, with a population of approximately 35,000, totaling nearly 85,000 for all of Clarkstown. While Mr. Adams spoke of doing calculations without benefit of calculators or computers, we are about to embark on a digital imaging project of the town clerk’s records, having been recently awarded a state grant.
I am very appreciative of Mrs. Bolton’s thoughtfulness in donating this beautiful map. She stated in her letter to me, “I know my father would have enjoyed its return to 10 Maple Avenue.” Indeed, now Charles R. Adams, Jr.’s map sits proudly on the wall of the Town Clerk’s Office office, having come full circle to its original home. Any residents who wish to come view the map are welcome to do so at the Town Clerk’s Office. I am grateful to Mrs. Bolton for her generous donation and for sharing her father’s long history of service to Clarkstown, as I look forward to having the honor of serving the people of Clarkstown for many years to come.