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Henry D. Cogswell

August 23, 2023

Henry Daniel Cogswell (March 3, 1820 – July 8, 1900) was an American dentist and a crusader in the temperance movement. Cogswell and his wife Caroline also founded Cogswell College in San Jose, California. Another campus in Everett, Washington was later dedicated in his honor.

Henry D. Cogswell
Henry D. Cogswell, ca. 1850-52
Born(1820-03-03)March 3, 1820
Tolland, Connecticut, US
DiedJuly 8, 1900(1900-07-08) (aged 80)
OccupationDentist
Known forTemperance

Life

Born in Tolland, Connecticut, as a youth, he worked in the New England cotton mills and studied by night. He became a dentist in Providence, Rhode Island at age 26. When the California Gold Rush started, the Cogswell family decided to go west. They did not do any mining themselves. He offered dentistry services to miners and invested in real estate and mining stocks, becoming one of San Francisco's first millionaires. A pioneer in his field, Cogswell designed the vacuum method of securing dental plates and was the first in California to perform a dental operation using chloroform.[1]

Philanthropy

Temperance fountains by Henry D. Cogswell
 
Boston Common, ca. 1890
 
Destruction of Cogswell's fountain in San Francisco, 1894
 
Tompkins Square Park, New York City
 
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
 
Washington, D.C.

Cogswell believed that if people had access to cool drinking water they wouldn't consume alcoholic beverages. It was his dream to construct one temperance fountain for every 100 saloons across the United States, and many were built.[2] These drinking fountains were elaborate structures built of granite that Cogswell designed himself.

Cogswell's fountains are found in Washington, D.C., Tompkins Square Park New York City,[3] Washington Square, San Francisco[4][5] Pawtucket, Rhode Island,[6][7][8][9] and Rockville, Connecticut.[2][10][11] Other examples were erected and then razed at: Buffalo, Rochester, Boston Common,[12][13][14] (removed 1900)[15] Fall River, Massachusetts, Pacific Grove, California,[16][17] San Jose, California,[18] and San Francisco (California and Market Streets).[19] The concept of providing drinking fountains as alternatives to saloons was later implemented by the Women's Christian Temperance Union.[20][21]

These grandiose statues were not well received by the communities where they were placed.[22] Washington, DC's Temperance Fountain has been called "the city's ugliest statue"[23] and spurred city councils across the country to set up fine arts commissions to screen such gifts.[24]

Although the D.C. statue survived mostly unscathed, the San Francisco one was torn down by "a lynch party of self-professed art lovers" including Gelett Burgess (who was subsequently fired from his job at University of California at Berkeley)[25] and one in Rockville, Connecticut, was thrown into Shenipsic Lake.[26] In Dubuque, Iowa, a statue of Cogswell that sat in Washington Park was pulled down by a group of vandals in 1900 and buried under the ground of a planned sidewalk. The next day the sidewalk was poured and the object was entombed. However, when new sidewalks were laid in the early 2000s, the statue was not found.[27]

Death and legacy

 
Cogswell's tomb in Oakland

Cogswell also designed the statue for his own tomb, a 400-ton granite tower, complete with fountains and statues of Hope, Faith, Charity and Temperance. He is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.[28]

The diaries of Cogswell and his wife Caroline cover 37 years (1860–1897) and are an unusually long and consistent record of busy personal and financial life in the western United States. They are kept at the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley.

References

  1. ^ . Cogswell Polytechnical College. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Foster, Lee (April 6, 2004). "Town Plans to Restore Fountain as Part of Park Project". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  3. ^ "Tompkins Square Park Highlights - Temperance Fountain". New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  4. ^ CA000016 OR CA000029 - Smithsonian Institution Research Information System
  5. ^ . Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  6. ^ "God's Free Gift to Man and Beast". Read the Plaque. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  7. ^ Duffy, Kathrinne. "God's Free Gift to Man and Beast". Rhode Tour. Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  8. ^ "Cogswell Fountain, (sculpture)". Save Outdoor Sculpture, Rhode Island survey. 1993. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  9. ^ Elizabeth J. Johnson, James L. Wheaton, Susan L. Reed (2003). Pawtucket: Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-7385-1287-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  10. ^ Monica Polanco (August 4, 2005). "Dr. Cogswell Returns To Central Park". The Hartford Courant.
  11. ^ Rowe, Jason (May 19, 2006). "Cogswell Fountain restoration earns RDA an award". Journal Inquirer. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  12. ^ "Current News of the Fine Arts" (PDF). The New York Times. January 14, 1894.
  13. ^ Jane Holtz Kay (2006). Lost Boston. University of Massachusetts Press. p. 254. ISBN 978-1-55849-527-2. cogswell fountain boston.
  14. ^ American architect and architecture. Vol. 41. 1893. p. 918.
  15. ^ Reports of proceedings ... Municipal Printing Office. 1901.
  16. ^ Kent Seavey (2005). Pacific Grove. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-2964-6.
  17. ^ . Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. September 8, 2005. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  18. ^ Carlson, Eric (June 20, 2005). "Statue of Yore". San Jose Inside. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  19. ^ "Image Breakers: Dr. Cogswell's Stature Overturned Under Shadow of Night By a Silent Gang of Hoodlum Miscreants". San Francisco Call. January 3, 1894. p. 8.
  20. ^ "Temperance Water Fountain". Read the Plaque. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  21. ^ Krinehart (March 28, 2013). "Petaluma and the WCTU". Sonoma County Library. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  22. ^ "Weeding Out Bad Sculpture" (PDF). The New York Times. March 13, 1894.
  23. ^ "...Toasted Temperance". Washington Post. September 21, 2003. pp. C02. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  24. ^ Rash, Bryson (1983). Footnote Washington. EPM Publications. ISBN 0-914440-62-4.
  25. ^ Kitsock, Greg (January 3, 1992). "Fountain of Hooch". Washington City Paper. Retrieved October 10, 2009.
  26. ^ Ciparelli, Jessica (November 1, 2005). "Back where he belongs: Dr. Henry Cogswell statue once again graces Rockville's Central Park". Rockville Reminder. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  27. ^ "Monument Park". Geocaching.org. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  28. ^ Cohn, Abby (January 5, 2001). "They're 6 Feet Under, But Pioneers Draw Crowds to Oakland". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 10, 2007.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry D. Cogswell.
  • Cogswell Papers at the Bancroft Library
  • Cogswell Family Association
  • eccentric dentist from San Francisco who made a fortune from real estate and mining stocks, donated a life-sized zinc statue of himself holding a glass of water in one hand
  • Frederick C. Moffatt, "The Intemperate Patronage of Henry D. Cogswell", Winterthur Portfolio, Vol. 27, No. 2/3 (Summer - Autumn, 1992), pp. 123–143
  • Carol A. Grissom (2009). Zinc sculpture in America, 1850-1950. Associated University Presse. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-87413-031-7.

August 23, 2023
henry, cogswell, henry, daniel, cogswell, march, 1820, july, 1900, american, dentist, crusader, temperance, movement, cogswell, wife, caroline, also, founded, cogswell, college, jose, california, another, campus, everett, washington, later, dedicated, honor, 1. Henry Daniel Cogswell March 3 1820 July 8 1900 was an American dentist and a crusader in the temperance movement Cogswell and his wife Caroline also founded Cogswell College in San Jose California Another campus in Everett Washington was later dedicated in his honor Henry D CogswellHenry D Cogswell ca 1850 52Born 1820 03 03 March 3 1820Tolland Connecticut USDiedJuly 8 1900 1900 07 08 aged 80 OccupationDentistKnown forTemperance Contents 1 Life 2 Philanthropy 3 Death and legacy 4 References 5 External linksLife EditBorn in Tolland Connecticut as a youth he worked in the New England cotton mills and studied by night He became a dentist in Providence Rhode Island at age 26 When the California Gold Rush started the Cogswell family decided to go west They did not do any mining themselves He offered dentistry services to miners and invested in real estate and mining stocks becoming one of San Francisco s first millionaires A pioneer in his field Cogswell designed the vacuum method of securing dental plates and was the first in California to perform a dental operation using chloroform 1 Philanthropy EditTemperance fountains by Henry D Cogswell Boston Common ca 1890 Destruction of Cogswell s fountain in San Francisco 1894 Tompkins Square Park New York City Pawtucket Rhode Island Washington D C Cogswell believed that if people had access to cool drinking water they wouldn t consume alcoholic beverages It was his dream to construct one temperance fountain for every 100 saloons across the United States and many were built 2 These drinking fountains were elaborate structures built of granite that Cogswell designed himself Cogswell s fountains are found in Washington D C Tompkins Square Park New York City 3 Washington Square San Francisco 4 5 Pawtucket Rhode Island 6 7 8 9 and Rockville Connecticut 2 10 11 Other examples were erected and then razed at Buffalo Rochester Boston Common 12 13 14 removed 1900 15 Fall River Massachusetts Pacific Grove California 16 17 San Jose California 18 and San Francisco California and Market Streets 19 The concept of providing drinking fountains as alternatives to saloons was later implemented by the Women s Christian Temperance Union 20 21 These grandiose statues were not well received by the communities where they were placed 22 Washington DC s Temperance Fountain has been called the city s ugliest statue 23 and spurred city councils across the country to set up fine arts commissions to screen such gifts 24 Although the D C statue survived mostly unscathed the San Francisco one was torn down by a lynch party of self professed art lovers including Gelett Burgess who was subsequently fired from his job at University of California at Berkeley 25 and one in Rockville Connecticut was thrown into Shenipsic Lake 26 In Dubuque Iowa a statue of Cogswell that sat in Washington Park was pulled down by a group of vandals in 1900 and buried under the ground of a planned sidewalk The next day the sidewalk was poured and the object was entombed However when new sidewalks were laid in the early 2000s the statue was not found 27 Death and legacy Edit Cogswell s tomb in OaklandCogswell also designed the statue for his own tomb a 400 ton granite tower complete with fountains and statues of Hope Faith Charity and Temperance He is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland California 28 The diaries of Cogswell and his wife Caroline cover 37 years 1860 1897 and are an unusually long and consistent record of busy personal and financial life in the western United States They are kept at the Bancroft Library at the University of California Berkeley References Edit Historical Overview Cogswell Polytechnical College Archived from the original on June 9 2007 Retrieved June 10 2007 a b Foster Lee April 6 2004 Town Plans to Restore Fountain as Part of Park Project The Hartford Courant Retrieved June 10 2007 Tompkins Square Park Highlights Temperance Fountain New York City Department of Parks amp Recreation Retrieved August 8 2011 CA000016 OR CA000029 Smithsonian Institution Research Information System FRANKLIN Benjamin statue in Washington Square in San Francisco California Archived from the original on September 3 2014 Retrieved August 27 2014 God s Free Gift to Man and Beast Read the Plaque Retrieved November 13 2015 Duffy Kathrinne God s Free Gift to Man and Beast Rhode Tour Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage Retrieved November 13 2015 Cogswell Fountain sculpture Save Outdoor Sculpture Rhode Island survey 1993 Retrieved August 9 2011 Elizabeth J Johnson James L Wheaton Susan L Reed 2003 Pawtucket Images of America Arcadia Publishing p 103 ISBN 978 0 7385 1287 7 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint uses authors parameter link Monica Polanco August 4 2005 Dr Cogswell Returns To Central Park The Hartford Courant Rowe Jason May 19 2006 Cogswell Fountain restoration earns RDA an award Journal Inquirer Retrieved August 8 2011 Current News of the Fine Arts PDF The New York Times January 14 1894 Jane Holtz Kay 2006 Lost Boston University of Massachusetts Press p 254 ISBN 978 1 55849 527 2 cogswell fountain boston American architect and architecture Vol 41 1893 p 918 Reports of proceedings Municipal Printing Office 1901 Kent Seavey 2005 Pacific Grove Arcadia Publishing ISBN 978 0 7385 2964 6 Pacific Grove The Chautauqua Years Birdseye View of Pacific Grove Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History September 8 2005 Archived from the original on July 27 2011 Retrieved August 8 2011 Carlson Eric June 20 2005 Statue of Yore San Jose Inside Retrieved August 8 2011 Image Breakers Dr Cogswell s Stature Overturned Under Shadow of Night By a Silent Gang of Hoodlum Miscreants San Francisco Call January 3 1894 p 8 Temperance Water Fountain Read the Plaque Retrieved November 13 2015 Krinehart March 28 2013 Petaluma and the WCTU Sonoma County Library Retrieved November 13 2015 Weeding Out Bad Sculpture PDF The New York Times March 13 1894 Toasted Temperance Washington Post September 21 2003 pp C02 Retrieved June 10 2007 Rash Bryson 1983 Footnote Washington EPM Publications ISBN 0 914440 62 4 Kitsock Greg January 3 1992 Fountain of Hooch Washington City Paper Retrieved October 10 2009 Ciparelli Jessica November 1 2005 Back where he belongs Dr Henry Cogswell statue once again graces Rockville s Central Park Rockville Reminder Retrieved June 10 2007 Monument Park Geocaching org Retrieved June 10 2007 Cohn Abby January 5 2001 They re 6 Feet Under But Pioneers Draw Crowds to Oakland San Francisco Chronicle Retrieved June 10 2007 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry D Cogswell Cogswell Papers at the Bancroft Library Cogswell Family Association eccentric dentist from San Francisco who made a fortune from real estate and mining stocks donated a life sized zinc statue of himself holding a glass of water in one hand Frederick C Moffatt The Intemperate Patronage of Henry D Cogswell Winterthur Portfolio Vol 27 No 2 3 Summer Autumn 1992 pp 123 143 Carol A Grissom 2009 Zinc sculpture in America 1850 1950 Associated University Presse p 459 ISBN 978 0 87413 031 7 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henry D Cogswell amp oldid 1130790268, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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