Excise Commissioners (1875-1896)

Excise Commissioners levied taxes on certain items and issued licenses for selling alcohol to merchants, restaurants and hotels. Starting in 1875, Excise Commissioners were elected to 3-year terms in districts identified as 1st Babylon, 2nd Breslau, and 3rd Amityville. (In 1891, the community of Breslau changed its name to Lindenhurst.)

It appears that the New York State Liquor Tax Law of 1896 (known as the Raines Law), which took effect on April 1, 1896, eliminated the need for Excise Commissioners. 

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The first three Excise Commissioners were J. Otis Smith, Philip Strack, and Scudder C. Jarvis. Scudder C. Jarvis was a farmer and life-long resident of Copiague. J. Otis Smith, a dentist and farmer, resigned after only 8 months and later moved to Commack. Philip Strack was a native of Germany who moved to Breslau in 1871 (later named Lindenhurst), after serving on the U.S. Navy frigate Potomac, during the Civil War. Philip Strack later served as a Tax Assessor.


Excise CommissionerDistrictTerm of Service

1(a).

J. Otis Smith

1st, Babylon

April 6, 1875 -- January 6, 1876‡ 

1(b).

Philip Strack

2nd, Breslau

April 6, 1875 -- April 3, 1877 

1(c).

Scudder C. Jarvis

3rd, Amityville

April 6, 1875 -- April 2, 1878 

4.

Leonard C. Petit

1st, Babylon

January 6, 1876† -- April 7, 1885 

5.

Charles Wagner

2nd, Breslau

April 3, 1877 -- April 6, 1880 

6.

Woodhull Skidmore

3rd, Amityville

April 2, 1878 -- March 5, 1880‡ 

7.

Anton Langsdorf

2nd, Breslau

April 6, 1880 -- April 3, 1883 

8.

Solomon P. Wanser

3rd, Amityville

April 6, 1880§ -- April 5, 1881 

9.

Joshua Heartt, Jr.

3rd, Amityville

April 5, 1881 -- April 6, 1887 

10.

Tredwell B. Ketcham

1st, Babylon

April 7, 1885 -- April 8, 1891 

11.

August Schmalkuche

2nd, Breslau

April 6, 1886 -- April 5, 1889 

12.

Joseph H. Petty

3rd, Amityville

April 6, 1887 -- April 2, 1890 

13.

Frederick Torns

2nd, Breslau

April 5, 1889 -- April 1, 1896≠ 

14.

Tredwell C. Wilmarth

3rd, Amityville

April 2, 1890 -- April 6, 1893 

15.

Charles S. Hendrickson

1st, Babylon

April 8, 1891 -- April 4, 1894 

16.

Charles F. Hart

3rd, Amityville

April 6, 1893 -- April 7, 1896≠ 

17.

Thomas Wood

1st, Babylon

April 4, 1894 -- April 1, 1896≠ 

† Appointed to fill a vacancy.  § Special election to fill vacancy.  ‡ Resigned.   ≠ Position eliminated.