Tilden Trust

The Tilden Trust was incorporated in 1887 after the death in 1886 of Samuel J. Tilden, attorney, governor of New York in 1874 and 1875, and U.S. presidential candidate in 1876. Tilden's will stipulated that the bulk of his estate was to make up the Tilden Trust for the creation of a public library and reading room in New York City. His heirs contested the will and the subsequent lawsuits were not settled until 1892. Funds from the estate were used for the formation of the New York Public Library in 1895 but the books of the Trust were not closed until 1930. Executors of Tilden's estate included John Bigelow, Andrew Haswell Green, George B. Smith, and later, Smith's widow, Emma B. Smith.

From the guide to the Tilden Estate and Trust records, 1886-1930, 1890-1915, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)