On October 11, 1842, former President John Quincy Adams discovered he had overlooked multiple invitations to serve as a distinguished guest at the Croton Water Celebration. His diary entry documented this oversight: "on turning over my letters recently received, to endorse and file them, I found one which I had totally forgotten" regarding "a festival to be held on the 14th of this month, in celebration of the introduction of the Croton water into the city."

Though numerous dignitaries received invitations to this grand October 14, 1842 celebration, historical evidence contradicts popular accounts. Former Presidents John Quincy Adams and Martin Van Buren, then-President John Tyler, and New York Governor William H. Seward did not attend, despite claims in some publications and online sources, including Wikipedia.

The contemporary newspaper coverage of the event exhaustively documented participating fire departments, trade organizations, temperance societies, and civic officials, yet made no mention of the President or former presidents. Charles King's 1843 memoir actually published the letters declining attendance from all four men.

Pierre Van Cortlandt Jr., who had legitimate concerns about the Croton River diversion through past litigation and the devastating 1841 dam failure, did accept the invitation in a letter dated October 8, 1842, though his actual attendance remains undocumented.