DAM CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY SHEET ANSWERS

 The construction of the Kensico Dam needed many day laborers.  The Cesari family was among them.  In fact, most of the laborers were from Europe  — many Italians, some Germans, and others  — who couldn’t speak English so that a night school was established to teach them.  Elpidio Cesari, who was a merchant, probably provisioned camp personnel.  Vincenzo, his brother worked as a laborer on the dam.

  CENSUS FOR 1925

1.  From the 1925 Census name the members of Elpidio Cesari’s immediate family.

Edith, wife

Doris, daughter

Albert, son

CERTIFICATE OF ARRIVAL  

2.  According to the Certificate of Arrival, Elpidio arrived in this country in the year, 1906.    His port of entry was New York, NY. His manner of arrival was, SS Konig Albert (ship).

DECLARATION OF INTENTION

3. The first step in becoming a citizen is to file a Declaration of Intention to Naturalize. Elpidio was sworn before the office of the clerk in the year, 1924.

PETITION FOR CITIZENSHIP

4.  The second step in becoming a citizen was to file a Petition for Citizenship.  Name the town where Elpidio was born Gualdo, Italy, on May 3, 1882.

5. The Petition for Citizenship gave his occupation as Merchant.

 RECORD OF MARRIAGES

6. According to the Record of Marriages, Elpidio married Edith Olive Carretti (include his wife’s maiden name).  They applied for a marriage license on the 2nd, day of March in the year, 1920.  Mrs. Cesari was born in the town of   Croton-On-Hudson in the State of, New York.  She was, 23 years old at the time of her marriage.  She was a Trained Nurse by profession.

An act of Congress was passed on March 2, 1907, in which section 3 stated that “any American woman who married a foreigner shall take the nationality of her husband.”  Although this section was repealed on September 22, 1922, a native-born American woman who had married an alien had to file a petition for naturalization.   In order to regain her citizenship she had to supply proof and witnesses to the facts of her petition and good character, take an oath of allegiance to the United States, and then she  received her certificate of naturalization.

PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION

7. On the bottom of Mrs. Cesari’s Petition for Naturalization it states that she took the oath of allegiance 

for citizenship in February of the year, 1924.

Elpidio Cesari’s brother, Vincenzo, who also immigrated to the United States, lived for a time in New York.  He died while helping to build the Kensico dam.

RECORD OF DEATHS 

8.   According to the Record of Deaths, what job did Vincenzo Cesari do at the dam? Steam driller. He died on June 30th, 1913 at the age of 37.

PETITION, BOND, OATH AND ORDER OF ADMINISTRATION

9.   According to the Surrogate Court Petition, Bond, Oath and Order of Administration of July 14,1913, for Vincenzo Cesari, his family consisted of:

  Name                                                          Residence                                  Relationship         

Antonio                                                       Gualdo, Italy                              Father 

Pietro                                                          Valhalla, NY                              Brother

Elpidio                                                          Valhalla, NY                               Brother

Cesari                                                           Gualdo, Italy                               Brother

Guiseppi                                                       Gualdo, Italy                              Brother

Vittoria                                                         Gualdo, Italy                               Sister  

Lauda                                                           Valhalla, NY                                Sister   

 

10.   Refer to page 4 of the Surrogate Court Petition, Bond, Oath and Order of Administration.  Vincenzo was killed while working in the employ of the contracting firm Rinehart & Dennis as a result of being killed by an explosion of dynamite, which was being used on the job.

11.  Refer to page 8 sections III of the Surrogate Court Petition.  The company did contracting

and   engineering work in connection with the building of the aqueduct for the City of New York.

SURROGATE COURT PETITION

In the Surrogate Court Petition, Carlo Mariotti was appointed Administrator of Vincenzo’s goods, chattels, and credits.   But because Vincenzo was a citizen of Italy, it was Mariotti who caused a suit for negligence to be brought against the company. The main defense of the company in the lawsuit was denial.  On pages 11-12 in the sixth reply they said:

12.  Based on what you’ve read, do you think the company was responsible for Vincenzo’s death?

 Opinion

 13.   Using page 13 of the Surrogate Court Petition, the company was ordered to pay  $2,000 to his next of kin.