The first movers in its foundation were Douglass Taylor, then secretary of the Tammany society, Street Commissioner George W.McLean, S.L.M.Barlow of the "World," Judge Hilton, the Hon.

A.Schell, A.L.Robertson, and John T.Hoffman, later Governor of New York State from 1869 till 1872.

The earlier meetings were held in the old Delmonico's, at the corner of Fourteenth Street and Fifth Avenue, and then the Manhattan moved into its first real home at No.

96 Fifth Avenue, just a block above the famous restaurant, where many of the meetings continued to be held.

John Van Buren was the first president, with Augustus Schell first vice-president, A.L.