alfredbrooksfry

Chief of Staff of New York Naval Militia in February, 1917. See

Thanks Art, we'll update this catalog record as well.

In early February, 1917, New York's Governor Charles Whitman mobilized the New York National Guard to guard major infrastructure such as the harbor, bridges and subway system from German sabotage. Alfred Brooks Fry (1860-1933) was the Chief of Staff of the New York Naval Militia at the time, charged with defending New York's bridges. They are shown in surrounding pictures patrolling the bridges. According to a New York Times account on February 5, 1917: "ARMED GUARDS PATROL BRIDGES; Aqueduct System from Croton South Watched by Militiamen. WHOLE GUARD NOT OUT 2,000 Special Officers Protect Subway System;-Armed Tugs in Harbor. Only Part of Guard Called. Close Watch on Bridges. ARMED GUARDS PATROL BRIDGES Orders to Boat Owners. Tug Patrol in East River. Police Censorship. Co-operate with Neutrality Squad. Aviation Field Closed to Visitors. New York yesterday had its first sight of the military patrolling of bridges, water works, aqueducts, and other strategical points since the days of the Spanish war." His New York Times obit, from 1933: query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F0CEED9173AE4... A 1909 biographical sketch of Fry: "Alfred Brooks Fry, marine, mechanical and civil engineer, Advisory Board of Engineers, was born in New York city March 3, 1860. He is a son of Major Thomas William Gardiner Fry, U. S. A., who died of wounds received in Civil War; and a great-grandson of Captain Benjamin Fry, of the Fourth Rhode Island Continental infantry in the Revolution. He was educated at Morse's and other private schools and entered the engineering course at Columbia College in 1877, but gave up the same on going to sea. He worked as a rodman and draftsman from 1877 to 1879; and as a machinist and marine and stationary engineer from 1879 to 1886. He was Assistant Engineer and Chief Engineer under the United States Treasury Department from 1886 to date. He is now on duty as Chief Engineer and Superintendent of United States Public Buildings and of engineering work under the Department of Commerce and Labor and United States Treasury Department, Port of New York. He has served as an engineer in the Naval Militia since its formation in 1892. At present he is Chief of Staff of the Naval Militia, State of New York, with the rank of Lieutenant-Commander. He served in the United States Navy as a Passed Assistant and Acting Chief Engineer in Cuban waters during the Spanish-American War; and has served as a consulting civil, mechanical, and electrical engineer for some of the largest corporations in the Eastern States. [...] He married in 1890 Emma V, daughter of the late Brigadier-General George A. Sheridan, U. S. A., and has one son, Sheridan Brooks Fry, born 1893." files.usgwarchives.net/ny/state/bios/rb1909/fry-alfredb.txt A photo spread on the NYNM, with Brooks' picture, from April, 1917: chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030431/1917-04-08/ed-... A 1909 biographical sketch of Fry: "Alfred Brooks Fry, marine, mechanical and civil engineer, Advisory Board of Engineers, was born in New York city March 3, 1860. He is a son of Major Thomas William Gardiner Fry, U. S. A., who died of wounds received in Civil War; and a great-grandson of Captain Benjamin Fry, of the Fourth Rhode Island Continental infantry in the Revolution. He was educated at Morse's and other private schools and entered the engineering course at Columbia College in 1877, but gave up the same on going to sea. He worked as a rodman and draftsman from 1877 to 1879; and as a machinist and marine and stationary engineer from 1879 to 1886. He was Assistant Engineer and Chief Engineer under the United States Treasury Department from 1886 to date. He is now on duty as Chief Engineer and Superintendent of United States Public Buildings and of engineering work under the Department of Commerce and Labor and United States Treasury Department, Port of New York. He has served as an engineer in the Naval Militia since its formation in 1892. At present he is Chief of Staff of the Naval Militia, State of New York, with the rank of Lieutenant-Commander. He served in the United States Navy as a Passed Assistant and Acting Chief Engineer in Cuban waters during the Spanish-American War; and has served as a consulting civil, mechanical, and electrical engineer for some of the largest corporations in the Eastern States. [...] He married in 1890 Emma V, daughter of the late Brigadier-General George A. Sheridan, U. S. A., and has one son, Sheridan Brooks Fry, born 1893." files.usgwarchives.net/ny/state/bios/rb1909/fry-alfredb.txt In the 1930's Fry became mayor of Coronado, California and died in office in 1933. www.newporthistory.org/2013/history-bytes-john-stevens-sh... www.ecoronado.com/profiles/blogs/r-h-dana-place-a-fascina... A 1909 biographical sketch of Fry: "Alfred Brooks Fry, marine, mechanical and civil engineer, Advisory Board of Engineers, was born in New York city March 3, 1860. He is a son of Major Thomas William Gardiner Fry, U. S. A., who died of wounds received in Civil War; and a great-grandson of Captain Benjamin Fry, of the Fourth Rhode Island Continental infantry in the Revolution. He was educated at Morse's and other private schools and entered the engineering course at Columbia College in 1877, but gave up the same on going to sea. He worked as a rodman and draftsman from 1877 to 1879; and as a machinist and marine and stationary engineer from 1879 to 1886. He was Assistant Engineer and Chief Engineer under the United States Treasury Department from 1886 to date. He is now on duty as Chief Engineer and Superintendent of United States Public Buildings and of engineering work under the Department of Commerce and Labor and United States Treasury Department, Port of New York. He has served as an engineer in the Naval Militia since its formation in 1892. At present he is Chief of Staff of the Naval Militia, State of New York, with the rank of Lieutenant-Commander. He served in the United States Navy as a Passed Assistant and Acting Chief Engineer in Cuban waters during the Spanish-American War; and has served as a consulting civil, mechanical, and electrical engineer for some of the largest corporations in the Eastern States. [...] He married in 1890 Emma V, daughter of the late Brigadier-General George A. Sheridan, U. S. A., and has one son, Sheridan Brooks Fry, born 1893." files.usgwarchives.net/ny/state/bios/rb1909/fry-alfredb.txt

Thanks for all the additional information Art Siegel. We'll update the catalog record.