George J. Rickert, a knowledgeable but soft-spoken gentleman, compiled the longest tenure in the office of city clerk of Niagara Falls, serving nearly three decades.
Rickert was appointed city clerk in 1917 in the administration of Mayor George W. Whitehead and served until his retirement on Nov. 1, 1945.
Although city clerk is an appointed position, it is generally considered a political position. But Rickert was unlike the typical politician in that he often kept his opinions to himself. Perhaps, in the volatile world of politics, that may be the main reason he kept his job so long.
Edward T. Williams, longtime city historian and himself a rather formidable politician, said of Rickert, "He followed the injunction of some parents to their children to speak only when spoken to."
He noted that most politicians "like to talk their heads off," while not heeding the advice given to the parrot, "Polly, you talk too damned much."
Williams added that election campaigns may come and go, but Rickert "was simply engaged in the discharge of his public duties." While Rickert "knew all of the details of city government," he only spoke when information was requested.
After Whitehead, Rickert continued to serve in the administrations of mayors Maxwell M. Thompson, William Laughlin, Frank A. Jenss, Dr. W. Levell Draper, Ernest W. Mirrington, Eugene C. Butler and Stephen A. Lamb.
At the point of Rickert's retirement, only two Niagara Falls residents had rendered longer public service. N. Franklin Maddever served 30 years on the board of education, and James F. Trott served 50 years on that board. School board service was non-paid.
Much of Rickert's service was under the commission manager form of government. Williams said under this form, the city manger was the executive officer and as such not active in a partisan sense.
"The theory of the commission manager form of government is that the city manger is the executive officer and should manage, and that the city council is a legislative body only. Every well-informed person knows that the theory does not work," Williams said.
In that era, William D. Robbins lasted as city manager for about 18 years but, Williams commented, "in one respect was only a clerk as have been his successors and predecessors, and he knew that his tenure depended upon the execution of the wishes of a majority of the city council."
Rickert was a Niagara Falls native and his father, August Rickert, was a pioneer businessman who served as an alderman in the early days of the city.
Rickert not only knew all about city government and its ordinances, but "he was a stickler for compliance with the law. At the same time, he did not intrude his personal opinion unless a request was made."
Rickert's decision to retire, Williams said, was unique because "it is often said of salaried public officials that few die and none resign." He added that Rickert proved an exception to that rule and "breaking precedents seems to be Mr. Rickert's favorite indoor sport."
Williams said, "The recent testimonial dinner tendered in honor of George J. Rickert was an unusual affair and the plaudits of those who spoke were wholly deserved."
Waxing poetic, Williams said that particular testimonial dinner will linger in memory until "The valley has gone to sleep/ The birds in their nests are still./ And the bowing Maples bend and break/ Over the leafy hill."
OLD FORT Ñ In the annals of Niagara Frontier history, Fort Niagara at Youngstown and Fort Schlosser at the upper end of the Portage gain most of the fame, but almost as important was old Fort Gray.
This small fortification was built during the War of 1812 on the upper escarpment in Lewiston near what is now the Niagara Falls Country Club. However, its beginnings go all the way back to the days of the Devil's Hole Massacre.
Historian Williams related that in September 1763, the Devil's Hole Massacre took place when Indians attacked a wagon train led by portage master John Stedman. After that disaster, the commander of Fort Niagara, Sir William Johnson, ordered means taken to protect the portage. The British Commander of the area, General Bradstreet, sent an engineer, Captain John Montresor, to build a series of blockhouses along the portage. These small fortifications, designed just to hold a few military guards each, were built every 1,200 yards along the portage.
Montresor also built the inclined railway from the bottom of Lewiston Landing to the top of the escarpment to facilitate movement of goods up the mountain. Montresor had a blockhouse built there to guard the inclined railway, along with some military trenches and earthworks.
When the War of 1812 came along, American forces decided to build a small fort there to protect against British invasion from Canada. While building Fort Gray, the soldiers dug up the foundation of Montresor's blockhouse and it became the site of Fort Gray, named after its principal builder, Nicholas Gray.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | December 16 2008 |