Eleazar Lord

Eleazar Lord taken from a miniature likeness painted on ivory when he was 36 years old, and which was a gift from him to his betrothed, in 1824. Eleazar Lord (September 9, 1788 – June 3, 1871) was an American author, educator, deacon of the First Protestant Dutch Church and first president of the Erie Railroad.

Lord was engaged in banking; founded the Manhattan insurance company, and served as its president 1821–34; was the first president of the Erie Railroad company; was a prominent friend of the New York university, and assisted in founding theological seminaries at East Windsor, Connecticut, and Auburn, New York.

His principal works are Principles of currency; Geological Cosmogony: and an edition of Lempriere's Biographical Dictionary, with numerous additions.

In 1821 Eleazar Lord obtained the charter for and organized the Manhattan Fire Insurance Company of New York, of which he was president twelve-years. During the management of Lord the Manhattan Company paid annually dividends of nine per cent.

Lord started living at Piermont, on the Hudson just north of the New Jersey state line. The village's name, in earlier years known as Tappan Landing, was given by Lord. Later in 1847 the cemetery of Sparkill, New York was created by Eleazar Lord. That Cemetery is known as Rockland Cemetery.

The Cemetery was organized by Eleazar Lord in 1847. He envisioned a cemetery that would become prominent as the final resting place for not only the deceased of the New York City area, but would be a magnet for notables on a national scale.

"Lord's busiest years were doubtless those of the Erie Railroad period, yet from 1831 to 1844 he wrote and published five books on scientific and religious subjects, besides numerous papers for magazines on similar subjects. From that time until 1866 he added to his literary work many volumes, having for their subjects finance, general and doctrinal theology, history and science, besides innumerable reviews for magazines and periodicals. During the same time he was in constant correspondence with most of the leading men in this and foreign countries. In 1866 the degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon him by the University of New York. In 1855 he published his 'Historical Review of the New York and Erie Railroad.'"

Family "Lord married, July 12, 1824, Elizabeth Pierson, only daughter of Hon. Jeremiah H. Pierson, of Ramapo, N. Y. She died May 3, 1833. December 31, 1835, he married Ruth Thompson, daughter of Deacon Eben Thompson, of East Windsor, Conn. Seven children were born to him by his first wife. None survive but Sarah Pierson Lord Whiton, wife of W. H. Whiton, Esq. This daughter and her husband occupy the Lord homestead at Piermont-on-the-Hudson, where Eleazar Lord died, June 3, 1871, aged 83 years."

Publications Eleazar Lord (1813) A Compendious History of the Principal Protestant Missions to the Heathen. Volume 1, and Volume II John Lemprière, Eleazar Lord (1825) Lempriere's Universal Biography: : Containing a Critical and Historical Account of the Lives, Characters, and Labours of Eminent Persons, in All Ages and Countries. Together with Selections of Foreign Biography from Watkin's Dictionary, Recently Published, and about Eight Hundred Original Articles of American Biography. Volume 2 Eleazar Lord (1829) Principles of currency and banking Eleazar Lord (1831) Memoir of the Rev. Joseph Stibbs Christmas Eleazar Lord (1843) Geological Cosmogony. Or, An Examination of the Geological Theory of the Origin and Antiquity of the Earth, and of the Causes and Object of the Changes it Has Undergone New York: Robert Carter. Eleazar Lord (1845) The Mediatorial Work of Our Lord Jesus Christ Eleazar Lord (1851) The scripture doctrine contrasted with geological theory. Eleazar Lord (1853) The messiah Eleazar Lord (1855) A historical review of the New York and Erie Railroad Eleazar Lord (1858) The Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures