Have you ever stumbled upon a seemingly ordinary landmark, only to discover it's tied to a shocking scandal? That's exactly what happened to me on the Upper West Side, and it all started with a dog and what might – or might not – be a dolphin.
It all began on West 76th Street and Riverside Drive. My dog, Lieutenant Louie, became inexplicably fixated on a particular spot. He simply refused to budge. His unusual behavior eventually led me to the fountain nestled against the wall of Riverside Park. It was a pleasant enough sight; I admired the large eagle perched atop it, and even ran my hand over the cool marble. But Louie continued his relentless sniffing. Boredom started to creep in, and that's when I decided to actually read the plaque.
The inscription was filled with interesting details, but one particular claim stopped me dead in my tracks. It described the "lavishly carved fountain" as being surmounted by an eagle with wings spread (check), a coat of arms (yep), and a dolphin's head spray feature. A dolphin?! I scanned the fountain again. I'm a big fan of marine mammals; I would have definitely noticed a dolphin. What I saw, however, resembled a rather grumpy carp, at best. Its expression had a certain… agitation that just didn't scream "dolphin" to me. I even adopted a whale as a teenager, complete with a certificate and everything, so I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of the dolphin aesthetic.
I diligently searched for any other spray features, hoping to find the elusive dolphin elsewhere. But there were none. Fine, I conceded, maybe this googly-eyed carp is a dolphin. Let the art historians have their dolphin. I was willing to let it go.
But the plaque held more secrets. The Hamilton Fountain wasn't named after the Alexander Hamilton, but his great-grandson, Robert Ray Hamilton. He bequeathed $9,000 to the city to create and install the fountain. Today, it's celebrated as one of the "finest and last surviving examples of the decorative horse troughs that once dotted the cityscape.” It’s a charming thought, picturing the Upper West Side bustling with horses, their riders stopping at fountains like this to refresh both "man and beast."
But my mind kept drifting back to the supposed dolphin. So, back home, I started digging, hoping to find some historical mention of the dolphin in turn-of-the-century news reports. And while I didn't find anything about the dolphin, I unearthed something far more captivating: a juicy scandal.
Robert Ray Hamilton, it turned out, was a well-educated, wealthy businessman, landowner, and politician. But he was also embroiled in a scandalous affair with a woman named Evangeline Steele. Newspapers later painted her as a "notorious woman" with a "disreputable life," who conveniently neglected to mention that she was already married. And this is the part most people miss… The story gets even wilder. According to historian Tom Miller, Evangeline and her husband allegedly conspired to purchase a baby from an illegal orphanage for $10, deceiving Hamilton into believing he was the child's father. Tragically, the baby died of starvation because Evangeline couldn't produce breast milk. In a truly shocking move, the couple allegedly bought another baby for $10, this time ensuring its survival. Hamilton, completely unaware of this scheme, dutifully married Evangeline in 1889. They moved in together, with Evangeline’s actual husband renting a place nearby, happily living off Hamilton's wealth and the fact that politicians are often away on business.
But here's where it gets controversial... The newlyweds argued constantly, especially over the baby nurse, who seemed to see right through Evangeline's facade. One day, the tension reached a boiling point. A physical altercation erupted between the two women. Initially, the nurse seemed to have the upper hand, but the fight ended with her sprawled dead on the sofa, a knife plunged into her heart, courtesy of Evangeline.
The story exploded, dominating the front pages of New York newspapers and countless others across the nation for two solid weeks. A Hamilton! Embroiled in a tale of secret husbands, purchased babies, and murder! Hamilton, understandably, fled to the Rocky Mountains. In 1890, at the young age of 39, he was "found drowned in the Snake River under suspicious circumstances," according to Miller. New York investigators later exhumed his body from a shallow grave, discovering he'd been unceremoniously stuffed into a box far too small for his frame.
Despite the chaotic nature of his life, Hamilton did leave behind a will and a deep appreciation for fountains. He stipulated that one be built in New York City. However, his family fiercely opposed his wishes, publicly declaring in The New York Times in 1891 that they wanted to "let him be forgotten." But the city persevered, albeit slowly. The then-fledgling architectural firm of Warren & Wetmore – who would later achieve fame for designing Grand Central Terminal and the Con Edison Tower – was commissioned to design the fountain. By 1906, it was finally completed and operational. Evangeline, having served her prison sentence and died penniless in 1904, never had the chance to see it.
There's still one more intriguing layer to this story. The fountain, built into a wall along the sidewalk, is widely believed to have served as a horse trough. But historian Tom Miller points out that on the other side of that wall, in the lower section of Riverside Park, there used to be a small marble bowl. Could that have been the intended drinking spot for the horses? Did they never actually drink from the stunning fountain itself? It makes you wonder, doesn't it?
The bowl was eventually buried under dirt. It might still be there – who knows? Not me, because I'm not particularly inclined to venture into the undergrowth in search of forgotten horse troughs. I'm simply a city walker, grateful to have paused at that fountain and allowed the neighborhood to surprise me with such a captivating story. And honestly, doesn't this whole saga just scream for a second Hamilton musical? What do you think?
What are your thoughts on this scandalous story? Do you think the fountain was primarily intended for horses, or was the marble bowl the real trough? And most importantly, do you see a dolphin, a carp, or something else entirely? Share your opinions in the comments below!
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