Carlos Munson

Carlos Walter Munson was a Cuban-American businessman, philanthropist, and politician, and was the former president of the Munson Steamship Line. He was a key figure in the incorporation of Flower Hill, New York as a village, as well as the establishment of St. Francis Hospital in Flower Hill.

Carlos Walter Munson
Village Trustee of Flower Hill, New York
In office
1931–1939
Personal details
BornNovember 1, 1869
Havana, Cuba
DiedJuly 7, 1940 (aged 70)
Port Washington Doctor's Sanitarium, Port Washington, New York
SpouseMabel Munson (born Williams)
RelativesWalter D. Munson (father)
Frank C. Munson (brother)
Alma materAdelphi Academy
OccupationBusinessman; philanthropist; politician
Known forMunson Line; Flower Hill, New York; St. Francis Hospital

Career

Prior to becoming an executive of the Munson Steamship Line, Carlos began working for his father as a freight checker.[1] In 1908, Carlos Munson became the president of the Munson Steamship Line, taking over for his father, following his death.[2][3] He held this position until 1913, when he handed it to his brother, Frank.[2] After handing his brother the position of president, Carlos became the chairman of the Munson Steamship Company's board. He then became president of the company again, following his brother's death in 1936.[2][4]

In 1939, Munson created the Carlos W. Munson Corporation, which operated foreign flag cargo ships.[2]

Biography

Early life and education

Carlos Munson was born in Havana, Cuba on November 1, 1869 to Walter David Munson, the founder of the Munson Steamship Line.[1][2][5] When he was 14, he and his family moved from Cuba to Brooklyn, New York.[2]

Munson graduated from Adelphi Academy in 1889, where he met his wife, Mabel Williams.[1][2][5]

Adult life

Around 1904, Carlos and Mabel Munson moved to what is now the Village of Flower Hill, purchasing a large piece of property from the Hewlett family, which Munson named Elderfields.[6][7]

After moving in, Carlos and Mabel walked to the center of modern-day Flower Hill during an evening in the summertime. During this time, a tavern was located there, and it was a gathering point for drunken men.[6] Unhappy to be living adjacent to the drunks, Carlos purchased the land in the area to resolve the issue.[6]

Around the time of this land purchase, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary approached the Munsons to try and sell handmade linens.[6][8] After forming a friendship with the sisters, Carlos offered 15 acres (6.1 ha) of his property to the Franciscan Missionaries; this offer was accepted.[7][8][9][10] The sisters then developed the 15-acre (6.1 ha) parcel of land that Munson gave them into St. Francis Hospital.[6][8][9] Until his death, Munson would often visit the hospital to read children's books to sick children at the hospital.[6]

Additionally, Munson began having portions of Elderfields developed, laying out roads and houses, and erecting a real estate office on Bonnie Heights Road, which was located on the property where Flower Hill Village Hall now sits.[1][11][12][13][14] It was within Carlos Munson's real estate office that local residents voted unanimously in favor of incorporating Flower Hill as a village, and was the location of the first village trustee meeting.[11][15]

Munson was originally chosen to be the first Mayor of Flower Hill in 1931.[5] However, he turned down the position and was instead appointed as a Trustee of Flower Hill, serving in that capacity from 1931 until 1939.[5]

He is regarded as being the founding father of Flower Hill.[5][16]

Bankruptcy, 1935

In 1935, Carlos Munson filed for bankruptcy, when the Munson Steamship Line was heavily impacted by the Great Depression.[2] Tax records show that he struggled to pay his taxes during this time, and he began selling his large portions of his land to developers such as Newell & Daniel, who would develop a portion of Munson's estate into the Colonial Estates subdivision of Flower Hill.[7][17][18]

Death

Carlos Munson died on July 7, 1940, at the Port Washington Doctor's Sanitarium in Port Washington.[2][1] He bequeathed $50,000 (1940 USD) of his fortune to St. Francis Hospital.[4]

Legacy

A green space on Elderfields Road in Flower Hill is named Carlos W. Munson Green, in honor of Munson.[19][20]

Personal life

Munson was a Quaker, and he did not have any children.[2][10]

References
  1. "Death of Carlos Walter Munson". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1940-07-09. p. 11. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  2. "CARLOS W. MUNSON, A SHIPPING LEADER; Former President of Munson Steamship Line Dies in Port Washington at 70 FOUNDED FREIGHT FIRM Latter Corporation Formed After the Older Company Suspended Operations (Published 1940)". The New York Times. 1940-07-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  3. "Munson Steamship Line | Maritime Matters | Cruise and Maritime News". Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  4. "C.W. MUNSON LEFT $50,000 TO A HOME; Head of Ship Line Bequeathed the Sum to Franciscan Mission at Roslyn LEGACIES TOTAL $240,000 French Hospital and Audubon Society Will Receive Gifts of $25,000 Each (Published 1940)". The New York Times. 1940-07-20. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  5. "Proceedings of a Regular Meeting -- Board of Trustees of the Incorporated Village of Flower Hill, Nassau County, New York." July 8, 1940. Flower Hill Board Minutes. Village of Flower Hill. July 8, 1940.
  6. Brennan, Eileen (December 13, 1986). "Heritage Carefully Cultivated". Newsday – via ProQuest.
  7. "Elderfields History | The Art Guild of Port Washington, Inc". Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  8. "St. Francis Hospital's History of Caring and Compassion | St. Francis". stfrancisheartcenter.chsli.org. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  9. "St. Francis Sanitorium". Newsday. January 30, 1941 – via ProQuest.
  10. "Mother M. Malachy At 84; Rites Today". Newsday. November 12, 1968 – via ProQuest.
  11. "Flower Hill Newsletter - Spring 2018" (PDF). villageflowerhill.org. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
  12. Map: "Map of Part A, Section 1, the Real Estate Development of Flower Hill, Long Island". September 24, 1923 – via Nassau County Public Records.
  13. Map: "Map of Part A, Section 2, the Real Estate Development of Flower Hill, Long Island". January 9, 1924 – via Nassau County Public Records.
  14. Map: "Map of Part B, Section 1, the Real Estate Development of Flower Hill, Long Island". December 21, 1923 – via Nassau County Public Records.
  15. Winsche, Richard A. (1999). The History of Nassau County Community Place-Names. Interlaken, New York: Empire State Books. ISBN 978-1557871541.
  16. "Village of Flower Hill Board of Trustees Meeting, December 7, 2020" (PDF). Village of Flower Hill. December 7, 2020. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  17. Village of Flower Hill Tax Assessment Roll 1935. Nassau County, New York. 1935.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  18. "To Celebrate Opening of New Development". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 25, 1938. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  19. "Village of Flower Hill » Flower Hill Historic Trail". villageflowerhill.org. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  20. "Carlos W. Munson Green · Elderfields Rd, Flower Hill, NY 11030". Carlos W. Munson Green · Elderfields Rd, Flower Hill, NY 11030. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
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