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JACOB H. SCHIFF
ENDOWMENT FOR THE PROMOTION
OF STUDIES IN
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1918
Cornell University Library
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V.3
History of Long Island
3 1924 026 113 914
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A HISTORY
OK
LONG ISLAND
From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time
BY
^W^ILLIAM S. PELLETREAU, A. M.
VOL. Ill
the lewis publishing company
New York and Chicago
1905
INDEX
A
Abbott, George B 94
Abrams, James F 427
Abrams & Stockton 427
Ackerson, T. Benton 398
Allan, John T 338
Assip, John 388
B
Ballard, Gayton 68
Barnes, Charles C 280
Barton, Charles T 107
Bass, Charles H 38
Battey, William J 5
Bauer, August 363
Bauer, Henry C 378
Baylis, Abraham B., Jr 124
Baylis, Abraham B., Sr 123
Bell, James A. W 51'
Bergen, DeWitt 234
Bierschenk, Philip igg
Birdsall, George N S6
Blackford, Eugene G 196
Boardman, Elbridge H 162
Boardman, George M log
Boerum, Folkert R 299
Boerum, Henry 296
Bonert, Louis 442
Bonnlander, Nicholas 346
Bowen, William T . . . 3So
Brandlein, Christian 344
Brewer, John H 200
Brown, Henry J 371
Brown, James N 182
Brown, John W 31
Buehl, Charles 406
Bungart, Peter J 231
Burkhardt, Stephen 358
Burr, Wilfred 390
Burrell, F. A. M , 242
Burroughs, H. F 80
Burtis, John H 238
Burtis, Samuel W 28
Burwell, M. J 434
Byrnes, Thomas F 274
c
Cabbie, Elijah 89
Cadman, Samuel P 205
Calder, Alexander G 340
Calder, William M 335
Carleton, Thomas J 108
Carlin, Patrick J 352
Chandler, Albert B 211
Chrichton, Alexander F 129
Church & Gough 356
Claasen, Arthur ' 13
Clarke, Frederick D 122
Cochrane, William 24
Comey, George P 39
Cook, Elisha W 244
Corbin, John R 445
Corrigan, Thomas 292
Cert, William K 268
Cosgrove, James F 188
Cozine, Chauncey G 382
Cummings, James J 455
Cutter, Ralph L 210
D
Dale, James 266
Davol, William H 288
Dawe, James 337
Dean, James E 21s
Denison, Charles H 366
DeSilver, Carll H 131
Dobbins, John 389
Dole, William H 34
Downing, Richard F 292
Dreher, John 369
Duryea, Sanford B 27
Dutcher, Charles H 275
E
Eason, John W 134
Egbert, George W 396
Eisenbach, George 405
Elderkin, John, Sr 313
Eppig, Leonhard 203
Evans, Norris ig
IV
INDEX.
F
Ferguson; Thomas 136
Findeisen, Ernst 422
Fique, Carl 88
Firth, Christopher C 3So
Fish, Ferdinand 318
Fitzhugh, Edward J ISS
Flanagan, WilHam 360
Fletcher, George 359
Fraser, John 429
Eraser, Thomas H 430
Friedmann, Christian 238
Froeb, Charles 64
Fuller, Junius A 102
G
Garrison, William '^F 285
Gascoine, Jamfes 92
Gardes, Herman 33'
Gildersleeve, James 73
Gilligan, Jerre J 331
Gleason, Robert W 310
Gload, Adolphus 438
Grattan, Harry 364
Gray, Allen 282
Greenman, W. B 4IS
Gregg, David 186
Gurney, Richard So
H
Hall, William A So
Hamilton, Alfred 384
Hamilton, Charles 387
Hansen, Harry 436
Harman, John W 243
Haskell, Charles S 33
Haskell, Samuel S 74
Hassan, William S 420
Haw ley, Henry R 49
Hazzard, William H 376
Healy, A. A 94
Heath, Henry R 206
Heisenbuttel, Henry D 79
Hendrix, Joseph C 217
Herod, William 383
Herring, William J 225
Hesterberg, Henry 185
Hicks, Edgar S 242
Hilis, John 60
Hobbs, Edward H 169
Hoffman, J. Paul 394
Hommel, Charles D 4S2
Hooker, Edward 138
Howell, James 47
Hoyt, Charles A 221
Huggins, Joseph D 157
Hull, Johnson C I94
J
James, Darwin R I49
Johnson, Leonard 436
Johnson, Nels 435
Johnson, William H 397
K
Kaiser, Frederick W 408
Kaufmann, Edward 119
Kay, William E 357
Keim, George F 329
Kerrigan, Thomas A 290
Koehler, Charles 364
L
Lam.b, Albert J 4l8
Lamb, William 14
Larsen, Peter 10
Lauer, Daniel 390
Leary, James D 1 17
Lethbridge, Robert P 58
Longworth, David 145
Loretz, John M 158
Loughran, John _ 52
Lusher, Walter R - 410
.Lyon, William H 142
M
Mack, Andrew T 446
Macomber, Walter H 233
Magilligan, John J 407
Mahegin, Jere D 34S
Marchant, Thomas 308
Martin, Charles C 100
Martin, Thomas F 437
Martin, William B 408
Maske, William 346
Mason, John W ; 237
Matheis, Gustave X 444
Matthews, Azel D 64
McCarroll, William ■ 87
McCooey, John H 257
McGerald, Arthur 59
Mclndoe, Samuel 40
Mclntyre, Hugh D ' 230
McKelway, St. Clair i
McNulty, Peter H 302
McTiernan, Patrick 416
McWilliams, Daniel W ' 34
Mechanics' and Traders' Exchange 323
Metz, Adam 370
Metz, Herman A no
Miller, Charles R 9
INDEX.
Modern Brooklyn ' 328
Moody, Leonard 79
Morgan, Henry P 115
Morrison, George N 419
Morse, Lyman D 75
Mulvihill, Michael 176
Mundell, William A 381
N
Napier, A. Milton 422
Nesmith, Henry E 276
Newton, Albro J. . . 279
Nichols, George 229
Nichols, Othniel F 379
Noonan, William T 295
Norris, Fred B 449
Nostrand, Louis P 251
o
O'Keeffe, Arthur J : . 289
Olsen, Andrew 339
O'Rourke, John H 120
P
Palmer, Henry U 76
Patterson, Calvin 191
Pearsall, Alva 73
Peters, John , 375
Pettersen, Gustave 34S
Phelps, Ellsworth C 177
Pipe, George W 387
Planet, The Mills 129
Planten, H. Rolff 146
Polhemus, Henry D 41
Pool, Joseph C 141
Powell, David B 272
Powell, Leander T 273
Pratt, Henry L 258
Putnam, Harrington 90
Q
Quimby, David S 245
R
Randall, Stephen M 37o
Raymond, Benjamin C 33°
Rexer, William 414
Roberts, George H 224
Rosenthal, Charles 450
Rutz, Louis 6
S
Salmon, Hamilton H 104
Sbrignadello, Anton 107
Schmidt, Henry 422
Schmidt & Findeisen 421
Schultheiss, John 103
Schwarzmann, Adolph 192
Scoville, F. H 171
Sillcocks, Warren S '. 307
Silver, WilHam H 254
Singer, Otto 433
Smith, Edmund T 205
Southard, George H 301
Spencer, Albert 19
Stack, Thomas 231
Steel, Charles F 232
Stevens, Gerard M 85
Stiner, Munroe 372
Stockton, James K 428
Swanstrom, J. E 252
T
Tate, Samuel 414
Taylor, James A 42
Taylor, William 45
Thallon, Robert 127
Thompson, Joseph 451
Tillson, George W 417
Treboss, Henry V 4SS
Troetschel, Hugo 12
Tuthill, Charles E 18
Twitchell, Herbert K 181
Twyeffort, Louis P 3
U
Ulrich, Louis 426
V
VanDerwerken, F. Stanley 175
VanDerwerken, Yates 172
Venth, Carl 96
W
Wallace, William C 26
Walther, August 82
Warren, Horace M 114
Wechsler, Joseph 262
Wells, Albert P 25
Westernacher, Gottfried 244
Wheeler, J. D 137
Wheelock, A. D 11
White, George W 20
White, Robert 249
White, William E 226
Whitney, Abijah 167
Williams, William H ii6
Wilson, George 175
Wilson & Morgan 381
Wing, Halsey F 351
Wise, William 140
Wood, Boyd H 413
Woodman, R. H 163
TWs plate furnished by courtesy of the editor and publisher.
ST. CLAIR McKBLWAY, EDITOR BROOKLYH EAGLE.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
ST. CLAIR McKELWAY.
St. Clair McKelway, editor-in-chief of the
"Brooklyn Eagle," was born in Columbia, Mis-
souri, March 15, 1845. He is descended from
a blended Scotch and Irish ancestry, and in
him are united the robust physical vigor arid
strong mental traits of both races. His par-
ents were Alexander J. and Mary A. (Ryan)
McKelway, bom respectively in Glasgow,
Scotland, December 6, 1812, and in Philadel-
phia, Pennsylvania, October i, 1812. His pa-
ternal grandparents were John and Isabella
Buchanan (McGregor) McKelway, both na-
tives of Scotland ; the former named was edu-
cated in the classics and in medicine at the uni-
versity in Edinburg, his birthplace, and died
at Trenton, New Jersey, in 1877, aged ninety-
one years, his wife having died about three
years before. The m.aternal grandparents of
our subject were Patrick A. and Mary Ryan,
born in Dublin, Ireland, and baptized into the
Church of England ; both died in Philadelphia,
the former named by drowning, in 1853, and
the latter named from old age, many years
later.
Alexander J. McKelway, father of St. Clair
McKelway, came with his father to the United
States in 1817. He was graduated in the
classics at Princeton about 1830, and after-
ward in medicine at Jefterson Medical College,
Philadelphia. He married Mary A. Ryan, in
Philadelphia, in 1834. For some years he prac-
ticed medicine in New Jersey, and then moved
to Missouri, where four of his seven children
were born. He returned to New Jersey in
1853, and at the beginning of the Civil war
was commissioned surgeon of the Eighth Reg-
iment of New Jersey Volunteers. He served
until the end of the war and was honorably
discharged in 1866. He resumed the practice
of his profession in New Jersey, and died of
complications resultant from his war 'service,
in Williamstown, Camden county, in Novem-
ber, 1885, in his seventy-fourth year. His
widow died of extreme age in Philadelphia in
1898, in her eighty-sixth year. Both were
Presbyterians.
St. Clair McKelway attended a classical
academy in Blackwood, New Jersey, the acad-
emy in Trenton, and the State Normal School
in that city. In 1863 he was prepared for ad-
mission to Princeton College, which he did not
enter, preferring newspaper work, which then
opened to him. In Trenton he, combined news-
paper work with the study of law under the
late Augustus C. Richey, and continued jour-
nalism in New York city on the "World" news-
paper of that day, completing his law studies
in the office of Blatchford, Seward & Gris-
wold, and being admitted to the bar in May,
1866. He did not enter upon law practice,
h<pv/ever, but continued in journalism, serving
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
in 1868-69 ^s the correspondent at Washing-
ton of the "World," and of the "Brooklyn
Eagle." January i, 1870, he became an edi-
torial writer on the latter named paper, and
continued as its leader writer until August 15,
1878. He then became editor-in-chief of the
"Albany Argus" until December 8, 1884, when
he returned to the "Eagle," became its editor-
in-chief, and has continuously occupied that
position to the present time. With thorough
training, true journalistic instinct, broad
knowledge of aflfairs and intimate acquaint-
ance with leaders in all departments of the
world's progress, he reflects honor upon his
pi^ofession, and in his conduct of the "Eagle"
he has made it the exponent of the highest
interests of the community, of the state and
of the nation.
Aside from his newspaper work, Mr. Mc-
Kelway has performed considerable literary
labor of great merit, but is the author of no
books except such as have been formed from
his addresses upon educational, scientific and
ethical subjects, such as "Colleges and Men,"
"Wealth and Learning," "The Lawyer and
the Times," "The Doctor and the Times," "A
Plea for Old-Fashioned Preaching," "Medical
Experts and Other Experts," "Makers of
Modern America," and a large number of dis-
courses delivered before universities, colleges,
academies, scientific societies and the like. On
occasion he has been an effective speaker be-
fore assemblages of national importance. He
was chosen as orator for Brooklyn Day at the
Chicago Exposition, at the Atlanta Exposi-
tion, and at the Nashville Exposition, and also
as orator for the State of New York at the
Pan-American Exposition. At the request of
President McKinley he spoke for New York
on National Day at the Omaha Exposition.
He has spoken before educational and social
assemblages in Great Britain as well as in va-
rious portions of the United States.
Mr. McKelway has never sought political
preferment, but he has received appreciated
recognition from and in connection with va-
rious educational institutions. In 1883 he' was
elected a member of the board of regents of
the State of New York to succeed Robert S.
Hale, deceased, this being a life office. In 1890
he was elected an honorary member of Clio
Hall, Princeton University. In 1891 he re-
ceived from Colgate University the degree of
Master of Arts, and in 1893 from Syracuse
University the degree of Doctor of Laws. In
1898 he received from Union University the
degree of Doctor of Literature (D. C. L.), and
from St. Lawrence University the degree of
Doctor of Humane Letters (L. H. D.). He
is a member of the Medico-Legal Society of
New York ; of the New York Commandery of
the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, in de-
scent from his father ; an honorary member
of the Long Island Historical Society and of
the Suffqlk County Historical Society ; a char-
ter member and director of the American So-
cial Science Association, and a member of the
American Institute of Arts and Letters.
Mr. McKelway is a member of the foUow-
mg clubs in Brooklyn: The Montauk, the
Hamilton, the Twentieth Century and the
Brooklyn ; and in Manhattan (old New York),
of the Metropolitan, the National Arts, the Re-
form and the Barnard.
Mr. McKelway is six feet high, of robust
and erect carriage, has blue eyes, brown hair,
and weighs a little over two hundred pounds.
His travels have comprised a considerable por-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
tion of the United States in their range, and
several European trips, in which he has stud-
ied England, Scotland, prance, Belgium and
Italy, not merely as a tourist, but as a student
of their political and social conditions.
He was married December 19, 1866, to
Eleanor Hutchison, the sister of the late Dr.
Joseph Chrisman Hutchison, of Brooklyn, his
wife being a native of Booneville, in Missouri,
near Columbia, where her father, Dr. Nathan-
iel Hutchison, had practiced medicine often in
consultation with the father of St. Clair Mc-
Kelway. Two sons, Lee McKelway, born in
T872, and Nathaniel C. McKelway, born in
1874, resulted from this marriage. The
younger son died in the flower of his youth,
July 29, 1896. The elder son is now con-
nected with the Bureau of the " Brooklyn
Eagle," in Paris, France. Mr. McKelway's
first wife died in Albany, February 28, 1884.
January 25, 1888, he married Virginia^ Brooks
Thompson, daughter of Samuel W. Thomp-
son, disbursing officer of the New York cus-
tom-house.
LOUIS PHILLIPE TWYEFFORT.
Louis P. Twyeffort, for many years prom-
inently identified with large mercantile inter-
ests in New York city, was a man whose no-
bility of character challenged the admiration
and commanded the affection of all with whom
he was brought into association. Foreign by
birth, he was intense in his devotion to his
adopted country, and made a brilliant military
record during the period of the Civil war.
He was born in Brussels, Belgium, Feb-
ruary 21, 1843, a son of Antoine Frederick
and Ann Catherine (Van der Perren)
Twyeffort. His father was a printer by trade,
and of an inventive turn of mind, enjoying the
distinction of being the first in Belgium to- in-
stall and operate a power printing press. The
mother was of Flemish extraction, and her
family was long connected with furniture-
making enterprises. The senior Twyefifort
brought his family to America in 1858, but re-
turned a few years later, leaving behind them
the son Louis Phillipe, who had beco^me too
much enamored of the countiy and its insti-
tutions to think of casting his destiny else-
where.
Louis Phillipe Twyefifort was ten years of
age when he came to the United States. He
was already well grounded in the essentials
of an education, and, with energy and enthu-
siasm, he set himself to learning the language
of the people to whose midst he came, and
their business methods. His genteel instincts
led him to attendance at Plymouth Church,
Brooklyn, then under the pastorate of the
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, and he also be-
came an earnest and active member of the
Young Men's Christian Association. These
facts afford an indication of his moral fibre
in his very boyhood, and he preserved an im-
maculate personal life and geniality and equa-
bility of disposition throughout his life. Soon
after coming to the country he obtained em-
ployment in a mercantile establishment in
Nev/ York city, and here laid the foundations
for a career which was destined to be as suc-
cessful as it was honorable. About the time
of the opening of the Civil war, attracted by
the rapid development of what was then "the
west," he went to Chicago, where he entered
the employ of Kinsey & Co., one of the largest '
dry goods firms of the city at that time. Irj
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
1862, being then eighteen years old, he aided
in forming a military company which was al-
most altogether made up of members of the
Young Men's Christian Association, with
which body he had connected himself on locat-
ing there. This company was mustered into
the service of the United States as Company
D, Seventy-second Regiment Illinois Volun-
teers, Colonel (afterward Brigadier-General)
Fred A. Starring, commanding. This com-
mand made a most creditable record from the
time it took the field until the end of the war.
It was at once assigned to the Army of the
Tennessee, under Major-General Ulysses S.
Grant, and its first service was under him in
the operations which led up to the investment
of Vicksburg, including the engagements on
the Yazoo river and at Champion Hills. Dur-
ing the long protracted siege of Vicksburg
which followed, continuing for nearly two
months, the regiment was almost constantly
under fire,' at the same time being continually
engaged in throwing up earthworks as the be-
sieging force advanced, sometimes by day,
sometimes by night. The writer of this nar-
rative was serving in a companion regiment,
and has full knowledge of these events, and is
able to testify to the dreadful conditions
which prevailed, owing to the troops being
confined to narrow limits, in near proximity
to the wagon trains, the only water supply be-
ing from shallow streams contaminated with
the ofifal of the camps and corrals. The ex-
posure and unsanitary surroundings brought
down thousands of men, and among them
young Twyeffort, who contracted a fever
which his strong moral courage and vigorous
constitution enabled him to overcome, while
scores of his comrades faded away and found
graves under the trees which shaded their
tents from the fierce suhimer sun. The regi-
ment subsequently took part in the operations
against Mobile, including the assault upon
Spanish Fort, and then traversed the interior
of Alabama and Georgia, taking part in the
engagements at Franklin and Montgomery.
During these stirring campaigns young
Twyei?ort acquitted himself like the model
soldier he was, at all times enjoying the ap-
probation of his superiors and the esteem of
his comrades. He was advanced from grade to
grade until October 25, 1864, when he was
commissioned second lieutenant, a few months
after he had attained his majority. As a
commissioned officer he served on the staff of
General A. J. Smith, and for a time occupied
the responsible and onerous position of pro-
vost marshal at Montgomery, Alabama.
The war over, and honorably discharged
from the army, Mr. Twyeffort established
himself in New York city, where he entered
the employ of Butler, Bloom & Qapp. He
subsequently was placed in charge of the no-
tion department of Dunham, Buckley & Co.,
with whom . he remained until he became a
member of the firm of George Borgfeldt &
Co., with which he was associated for the fol-
lowing twelve yeiars and until his death. The
resident partner of the firm, he acted as its
principal purchasing agent, dividing his time
about aqually between New York and Paris,
in order to keep closely in touch with all the
requirem.ents of the extensive business. As
an incident of his career it is to be noted that
he was really the first (in the middle seven-
ties) to organize a' department for the distri-
bution of small goods — an innovation which
afforded a foundation for the five and ten-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
cent departments afterward opened by other
houses.
Mr. Twyeffort had apparently not yet
•reached the meridian of his powers when he
incurred an illness which resulted in his death.
On the advice of his physician he left Paris
for home, where he arrived May 13, 1902.
He had but recently purchased property at
Bridgehampton, Long Island, and had in
course of erection a home which he expect-
antly regarded as the place where he would
pass the remainder of his days in pleasant
semi-retirement. His desires were not to be
gratified, however, for he continued to grad-
ually decline, and passed away on May 28,
little more than a fortnight after his coming.
The sad event came as a personal affliction to
all the many with whom he had been in any
way associated, and to whom he was endeared
as the embodiment of all that was becoming
to the ideal Christian gentleman. Of pleasing
address and great cordiality of manner, he
was the delight of whatever social gathering
he graced. In the busy walks of mercantile
life he was the soul of honor and integrity.
As a citizen he held to the loftiest conception?
of principle and behavior. His love of and
devotion to his adopted country never wav-
ered. He was no less public-spirited, enthu-
astic and useful as a citizen than he had been
patriotic and brave as a soldier. He took a
keen interest in all pertaining to the social,
religious and political welfare of the commu-
nity, although his want of personal ambition
foibade him to aspire to any public position.
He was a consistent member of the Classon
Avenue Presbyterian Church, in which he for
some years was an elder. His interest in the
work of the Young Men's Christian Associa-
tion was unabated from the days of his boy-
hood to his very last year. He aided in estab-
lishing the Association in Paris, France, in the
Rue de Trevise, and served it as a director,
and he was also treasurer of the American
Chapel in the Rue de Berri, in the same city.
He was one of the six founders of the Union
League Club of Brooklyn, and he was an early
member of the New York Commandery of the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion, an asso-
ciation of ex-officers of the army arid navy
during the Civil war.
A son of Mr. Twyeffort, Louis, was assist-
ant to his father in Paris, and during the
Spanish-American war served in Troop C, of
Brooklyn. A daughter, Lucille, became the
wife of William K. Wardner, connected with
the mercantile house of Mills & Gibb.
WILLIAM J. BATTEY.
William J. Battey, of W. J. Battey & Co.,
66-72 Leonard street. New York, and presi-
dent of the Pawcatnck Woolen Mills, West-
erly, Rhode Island, is a descendant of Samp-
son Battey, who was born in the south of
Scotland, took up his residence in England
for a period of time, and in 1680 came to
America, settling at Jamestown, Rhode Island.
His descendants removed to Massachusetts,
and later to Vermont.
Jonathan Battey, father of William J. Bat-
tey, was a noted nurseryman of northern New
York. Pie was prominently identified with
the Society of Orthodox Friends. In 1848 he
was united in marriage to Anna Greene
Keese, a daughter of William Keese, a
descendant of an honored revolution-
ary stock, and a lineal connection of General
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Nathaniel Greene, and Fitz* Greene Halleck.
Seven children were horn to Mr. and Mrs.
Battey, six of whom are now living (1905),
Mr. Battey died in 1875, and his wife eighteen
years later in 1893.
William J. Battey, son of Jonathan and
Anna G. (Keese) Battey, was born in Keese-
ville, New York, (which was named in honor
of his maternal great-grandfather) May 13,
i860. He attended the public schools of
Brooklyn, and Friends' Academy, Union
Springs, New York, obtaining a common
school education. In 1875 he commenced his
business career by entering the employ of
Hardt & Co., commission merchants in for-
eign and domestic woolens. In 1883 he went
into business for himself as a commission mer-
chant in domestic woolens, and by earnest
effort won success, being now a part owner of
several mills and agent for the product of
others. Recently Mr. Battey organized a cor-
poration known as the Pawcatuck Woolen
Mills, of Westerly, Rhode Island, and is now
president of the same. He was also instru-
mental in organizing and building up the
Dunn Worsted Mills of Woonsocket, Rhode
Island, of which mills he has been seUing
agent since their organization. In 1878 Mr.
Battey joined the Twenty-third Regiment
New York Militia, and was elected corporal,
then sergeant, and finally first lieutenant of
Company I ; he resigned his commission in
1885. He is a member of the Wool Club of
New York, the Marine and Field Club, and
the Parkway Golf Club of Brooklyn.
On October 10, 1885, Mr. Battey married
Miss Florence Vail Walbridge, daughter of
Augustus Walbridge, of Brooklyn; their chil-
dren are William Earle and Donald Ellerby
Battey. The ancestors of Mrs. Battey on both
the paternal and m»aternal sides were active
participants during the revolutionary period,
one of the paternal ancestors being General
Ebenezer Walbridge, of Vermont. Mr. Bat-
tey and the members of his family are mem-
bers of St. James Protestant Episcopal
Church, of Brooklyn, Mr. Battey being one of
its vestrymen. Mrs. Battey is interested in
the work and progress of several women's
clubs. Since 1899 the family have resided at
No. 599 St. Mark's Avenue, Brooklyn ; their
summer home is at Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
LOUIS RUTZ.
Louis Rutz, a representative of the younger
element of business men in the borough of
Brooklyn, New York, who is actively identi-
fied with various enterprises of great magni-
tude and importance, was born at Carlstadt,
Bergen county, New Jersey, April 26, 1873, a
son of Carl Rutz, whose family consisted of
seven children, five sons and two daughters.
Carl Rutz (father) was born in Germany, was
reared, educated and married in his native
land, and in 1871, attracted by the possibilities
of the new world, emigrated thither and at
once took up his residence in Carlstadt, New
Jersey, where for several years he served in
the capacity of superintendent of the Forten-
bach Watch Case Company. Subsequently he
located in Brooklyn, New York, and estab-
lished a plumbing and gas fitting business at
No. 1467 Myrtle avenue, which is now being
conducted by his son. Carl Rutz is an expert
mechanic and inventor, the author of numer-
ous valuable patents, the most important being
The Lewis PuliUshyn^ Co.
HISTORY OP LONG ISLAND.
an edge cutter and binder used in the tailor-
ing trade, and at tlie present time (1905) is
actively interested in experimental and inven-
tive work.
Louis Rutz obtained his early educational
advantages* in the common schools of Carl-
stadt, and after his removal to Brooklyn with
his parents, at the age of seventeen years,
graduated from the public schools of that bor-
ough, supplementing this knowledge by atten-
dance at night school. He then served an
apprenticeship with his father at the trade of
machinist, which he followed two years there-
after, and in 1894 became connected with the
firm of C. Rutz & Co., at No. 1467 Myrtle
avenue, near Bleeker street, one of the oldest
plumbing establishments in that section of the
city. They have a large trade in sanitary
plumbing, gas fitting, steam, hot water and
green house heating, the fitting of boilers, en-
gines and pumps, and jobbing work of all
kinds. This requires the services of from
thirty to forty men, and the enterprise is not
only of benefit to the proprietors but also aids
very materially many others. In addition to
this Mr. Rutz is a member of the firm of
Koehler & Rutz, speculative builders, many
houses in the Ridgewood district standing as
monuments to their skill and ability, and he is
also interested in the produce business at
Vineland, New Jersey. His transactions are
conducted in an honorable and conscientious
manner, and he therefore merits the success
which has attended his eflforts. As a citizen
and business man he has the confidence and
respect of all with whom he comes in contact,
and in social life he has made a host of warm
personal friends. He is a member of the Ma-
sonic order, and of the Schwabischer Saen-
gcrbund. He is a Republican in politics.
Mr. Rutz married Miss Martha Rudel, a
native of New Jersey, and they are the par-
ents of one child.
CHARLES RUSSELL MILLER.
In the death of Charles R. Miller, which oc-
curred at his residence on Highland boulevard,
near Barbey street. East New York, on Sun-
day, September 20, 1903, the borough of
Brooklyn was called tO' mourn the loss of one
of the very few of the men now remaining
who were actively and prominently identified
with the aiifairs of the.old town of New Lots,
a half century ago, and subsequently with the
Twenty-sixth Ward of Brooklyn, as the dis-
trict has long been known. Mr. Miller was a
man of rare intellectual attainments, vigorous
and progressive in business affairs, enthusias-
tic and public spirited in municipal concerns
and in behalf of the general welfare, and in
all the relations of life, whether public or pri-
vate, he displayed the characteristics of a
model citizen and a true Christian gentleman.
He was born October 26, 1818, in Middle-
town, Connecticut, where he resided until he
attained his majority, serving for a number
of years in the capacity of assistant postmas-
ter. He removed to Cuyahoga Falls, Summit
county, Ohio, and accepted a position as agent
of Judge Joshua Stone, of Middletown, Con-
necticut, who was the owner of extensive
lands in the Western Reserve. In conjunc-
tion with his brother-in-law, the late Horace
A. Miller, also in later years one of the in-
fluential residents of East New York, now
the Twenty-sixth Ward, Mr. Miller aided ma-
terially in the development of Cuyahoga
10
llISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Falls, and built an extensive paper mill and
flour mill, which were for many years im-
portant industries of the town. In 1845 Mr.
Miller located in Toledo, Ohio, where he de-
voted his attention to, the banking business.
He also founded a newspaper, the "Toledo
Commercial," in the columns of which he
warmly championed the cause of one of his ,
closest friends, Hon. Salmon P. Chase, in vari-
ous great political contests in Ohio, and was a
prominent factor in political affairs.
In 185 1 Mr. Miller came to Brooklyn. It
was at the time when an active interest began
to be manifested in the outlying districts of
Brooklyn, and the steam railroad made access
to the city possible within a limited space of
time. Mr. Miller foresaw the great possibili-
ties of certain sections, and in association with
Horace A. Miller and James Butler he pur-
chased about one hundred acres of farm land
from the Wyckoff and Van Siclen families,
two of the oldest and most prominent families
■ of Brooklyn. These lands were laid out into
lots, hundreds of dwellings were erected
thereon, and thus was begun the phenomenal
development of what was formerly known as
"East New York." The panic of 1857, fol-
lowed somewhat later by the Civil War, caused
considerable delay and. difficulty in the accom-
plishment of this work, but the remarkable
perseverance and optimistic spirit of Mr.
Miller' sustained his associates during this
period of financial crisis and trial. He was one
of the first advocates of the consolidation of
Brooklyn and New Lots, which proved to be
an advantageous alliance, and aided largely in
encouraging the Hebrew immigration into that
portion of the Twenty-sixth ward known as
Brownsville. He did not, however, confine his
operations to the property which he was m-
strumental in laying out, but sold lots and
erected houses in all portions of the ward and
throughout Queens county. In 1867 he sold
for Mr. J. I. Sackman five hundred lots on
Fulton street, west of Rockaway avenue, and
erected many of the handsome residences of
the Arlington section.
Mr. Miller was a staunch advocate of the
principles of Republicanism, and at one time
was the leader of that party in the section in
which he resided. He was a member of Trin-
ity Protestant Episcopal Church, in which he
served as vestryman for many years.
Mr. Miller, in his eighty-fifth year, died
from advanced age and a complication of ail-
ments following an illness extending over one
year. The interment was in Cypress Hills
Cemetery.
Mr. Miller leaves surviving him his wife.
Harriet Ann Miller, whom he married in Mid-
dletown, Connecticut, in 1841 ; a widowed
daughter, Mrs. Mary Eliza Cook; another
daughter, Mrs. Ellen A., wife of David J.
Molloy; and a son, William Morris Miller.
PETER LARSEN.
Peter Larsen, a representative citizen of the
borough of Brooklyn, residing at No. 259
Garfield Place, who since 1889 has been suc-
cessfully engaged m speculative building, his
speciahy being the building of Apartment
Houses, is a native of Denmark, in which
country he obtained his education and served
an apprenticeship at the trade of carpenter.
During his young manhood he traveled ex-
tensively, visiting among other countries In-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
11
dia and So^ith America, and the knowledge
and experience thus gained proved of vahiable
assistance to him in his business career and
also made him a most pleasing conversation-
alist.
In 1865 Mr. Larsen located in Boston, Mas-
sachusetts, where he made his home for fif-
teen years, and from there he came to Brook-
lyn, New York, where he worked at his trade
as journeyman and shortly afterward com-
menced taking contracts on his own account,
performing considerable work for Mr. James
Jack, for many years an honored and suc-
cessful builder of Brooklyn, whose death oc-
curred recently. In 1889 he engaged in speC'
ulative building, and during the intervening
years has erected houses in the various sec-
tions of Brooklyn. His first operations in this
line were on First street, between Fifth and
Sixth avenues ; he then built sixteen apart-
ment houses of four stories on First street,
near Sixth avenue; six four-story apartment
houses on State street, near Third avenue;
three double apartment houses on Prospect
Park West, corner of Tenth street and Ninth
avenue; three double and eight single apart-
ment houses of four stories on Garfield Place
and Eighth avenue, all of which are of a high
class of architecture, modern in all their ap-
pointments. He also erected four private
houses on First street, between Fifth and
Sixth avenues. Mr. Larsen devoted his en-
tire time and attention to his business, and
therefore deserves the success which has at-
tended his well directed efforts. He is a mem-
ber of ttie Builders' Association of Brooklyn.
In Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Larsen was
united in marriage to a native of Denmark,
and their family consists of two children.
A. D. WHEELOCK.
By the death of A. D. Wheelock Brooklyn
sustained an irreparable loss and was deprived
of the presence of one whom it had come to
look upon as a guardian, benefactor and
friend. He had fostered many benevolent
and charitable enterprises, was prominently
connected with municipal affairs and was the
promoter of business interests of far-reaching
eft'ect in the commercial and financial activity
of the borough.
A native of Massachusetts, Mr. Wheelock
was born in the town of Upton, Worcester
county. May 26, 1823, and a few years later
his parents moved to Mendon, a village about
five miles distant, in the public schools of
which Mr. Wheelock acquired his early educa-
tion. While stiil a boy hejeft Massachusetts
and came to New York, where he obtained
employment in a wholesale shoe house, thus
entering upon a line of business which chiefly
claimed his attention until his practical retire-
ment from mercantile circles. His early busi-
ness training and experience were received
when an employe of the shoe firm of Samuel
Daniels & Company, and he afterward was
made manager of the shoe department in the
large mercantile enterprise of H. B. Claflin.
During the period of the Civil war the firm of
Bell, Wheelock & Company was formed and
continued in business until Mr. Wheelock re-
tired to enter public office in the borough of
Brooklyn. His mercantile career had been
characterized by consecutive progress and
gratifying success. At a later date he figured
in financial circles of Brooklyn as president of
the Nassau Trust Company.
In the meantime Mr. Wheelock had been
12
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
connected with the management of the finan-
cial interests of the borough for nineteen
years. He was an advocate of Repubhcan
principles, but placed the city's welfare before
partisanship and the public good before per-
sonal aggrandizement. He ever strongly op-
posed misrule in municipal affairs and cham-
pioned the measures for reform, progress and
clean government. He was appointed deputy
city treasurer and his ability and unquestioned
fidelity in office were evidenced by the fact
that for nineteen years he served as deputy
or chief in the treasurer's office, being ap-
pointed to the higher position by Mayor Low
and again by Mayor Chapin, thus serving
until he accepted the presidency of the Nassau
Trust Company, when he retired permanently
from public office.
In early manhood Mr. Wheelock was mar-
ried to Miss Laura Ann Wood, of Upton,
Massachusetts, who died in 1888. Their liv-
ing children are a son and five daughters.
While Mr. Wheelock was devotedly at-
tached to his family he yet found time, aside
from his important business interests and pub-
lic labors, to exemplify his broad humanita-
rian principles and benevolent spirit in active
co-operation in many charitable institutions and
movements "for the amelioration of life's un-
favoring conditions. He was the founder of
the Good Samaritan Society and was prom-
inently connected with the City Mission. He
was president of the Brooklyn Association for
Improving the Conditions of the Poor and
was treasurer of the Eye and Ear Hospital.
At the time of his death he was one of the
oldest members of Plymouth church, attend-
ing services there from 1847. He achieved
both character and fortune, and because his
life was ever dominated by the noble purpose
of uplifting his felloW men he created a mem-
ory whose perpetuation does not depend upon
brick or stone but upon the spontaneous and
freewill offering of a grateful and enlightened
people.
PROF. HUGO TROETSCHEL.
Professor Hugo Troetschel, organist and
choir master of the German Evangelical Luth-
eran Church of Brooklyn, New York, was
born in Weimar, Germany, June 25, 1859, the
son of Gottlof and Emma (Gerstenberg)
Troetschel, the former named, although not
being a professional musician, was an enthu-
siast in this line.
Professor Troetschel obtained a good clas-
sical education in the schools of his birth-
place, and, having manifested a great love for
music in his early childhood, availed himself
of the best advantages of the noted Musical
Conservatory in Weimar, and became an ac-
complished musician at the age of twelve
years. He studied the piano under the effi-
cient direction of Professors Gottschalg, Mul-
ler, and Hartung, and the organ under the
competent training of Bernhard Sulze. He
took two trips to Russia, was the sole organist
for one winter with the Bilse Orchestra, and
repeatedly played for Professors Liszt, Haupt
and Scharwenka. In 1887 he came to the
United States and settled in Brooklyn, New
York, where he received the appointment of
organist .and choir master of the German
Evangelical Lutheran Church, situated on
Schermerhorn street, near Court street, Brook-
lyn, a position he has held up to the present
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
13
time (1903). His organ recitals have been
numerous, and the importance of the service
thus rendered for the widespread stimulation
of musical culture can hardly be overestimated.
His work to this end has been the more suc-
cessful and striking owing to the fact that he
has the peculiar and rare faculty of rendering
classical pieces so that they will be compre-
hensive and entertaining tO' the average audi-
ence. Professor Troetschel conducts a mu-
sical studio at 384 Bainbridge street, Brook-
lyn, New York, and he enjoys an enviable rep-
utation in this department of his professional
activities. He is also connected with the mu-
sical department of the Brooklyn Institute of
Arts and Sciences, serving as a member of
the advisory board for many years. He is one
of the leading musicians of the city, and his
name is inseparably identified with the prog-
ress of musical culture.
Professor Troetschel was united in mar-
riage in 1890, with Miss Clara Folger, also
a native of Weimar, Germany.
ARTHUR CLAASSEN.
Arthur Claassen, widely and favorably
known both as a composer of music and a
musical director, was born February 19, 1859,
in Germany, and is the son of John and Louisa
(Lentski) Claassen. He was reared at his
birthplace, and j-eceived excellent educational
advantages in the Gymnasium of the city of
Danzig.
Mr. Claassen early developed an innate love
for music, and his boyish thoughts and ambi-
tions naturally took a musical tendency. From
childhood he had a preference for the violin,
and without a teacher attained great pro-
ficiency upon this instrument. He decided to
make devotion to music his life-calling, and
pursued his studies in the Weimar Conserva-
tory of Music. He then served in the army
one year, and afterward entered on his career
as a conductor of music in several theatres,
among them the theatres at Goettingen and
Magdeburg. Subsequently he traveled with
the "Feichtingen Opera Company through Bo-
hemia, and in 1885 came to the United States.
On his arrival he became, through the influ-
ence of Dr. Leopold Damrosch, conductor of
the New York Eichenkranz. At present he
is director of the German Liederkranz of New
York, the greatest and best singing society in
the United States. He is also director of the
Arion Society, the festival's of which organi-
zation are always notable events in the mu-
sical world. As conductor of the United Sing-
ers of Brooklyn he won two prizes in New
York and one in Philadelphia, namely, the
monuments of Mozart and Beethoven in Pros-
pect Park.
Mr. Claassen's memorable series of concert
tours throughout the country attracted uni-
versal attention and commendation. The im-
portance of the services thus rendered for the
widespread stimulation of musical culture can
hardly be overestimated. His work to this
end was the more successful and striking from
the peculiar facility shown by him in his per-
formances to make classical pieces comprehen-
sible and entertaining to the average audi-
ence. As a composer his career began early.
At the age of sixteen he produced an orches-
tral composition, and among his other works
14
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
the " Festival Mass," first given in St. James's
Cliurch in Philadelphia, attracted the attention
and commendation of the entire press of the
city and was performed four times in one
week. " The Battle," another composition,
was sung September 27, 1891, in Madison
Square Garden, under the conductorship of
Anton Seidl. A great many works for chorus,
orchestra and Piano-Gomposition and songs
are published here and in Germany. Mr.
Claassen is vice-president of the Department
of Music of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts
and Sciences, and chairman of the Orchestral
Committee. He was the founder of the So-
ciety of the United German Choral Conduct-
ors, and has succeeded Dr. Paul Klengel- as
director of the Manhattan Deutscher Lieder-
kranz. Mr. Claassen has done much toward
raising the standard of pecuniary compensa-
tion for musical directors.
Mr. Claassen married, in 1887, Miss Emma
Figge, a native of Brooklyn. Their family
consists of four children, three sons and one
daughter.
WILLIAM LAMB.
The history of mankind is replete with the
fact that it is only under the pressure of ad-
versity and the stimulus of opposition and
competition that the best and strongest in men
are brought out and developed. Perhaps the
history of no people so forcibly impresses one
with this truth as the annals of our own re-
public. If anything can inspire the youth of
our country to persistent, honorable and laud-
able endeavor it should be the life record of
such men as William Lamb, who, without spe-
cial family or pecuniary advantages to aid
him at the outset of his career, battled ear-
nestly and energetically in the business world
and achieved both character and fortune.
There stand as monuments to his life of in-
dustry maiiy of the finest buildings in Brook-
lyn and also in Manhattan, for from a humble
apprenticeship he rose to a leading position in
his chosen field of labor, that of the building
industry.
Mr. Lamb was a native of Glasgow, Scot-
land, born March 12, 1835. When only about
a year old he was brought by his parents to
America, the family home being established in
lower New York, where they remained for
about seven years. They then removed to the
eastern district, and thus it was that William
Lamb became a -student in the public schools
of Brooklyn. No college course prepared him
to meet the responsible duties of a business
career, for when he had mastered the branches
taught in the public schools he entered upon
his business career as an apprentice to Thomas
Gibbons, under whose direction he learned the
mason's trade. His close application and en-
ergy enabled him to thoroughly master the
work and well equipped him to enter building
circles on his own account when his term of
apprenticeship was ended. His success is un-
doubtedly due in a large measure to the fact
that he persevered in the Hue of business in
which as a young tradesman he embarked, and
did not shift his energies from one field of
activity to another. The concentration of his
forces, his thorough understanding of the
principles of the builder s art, his unflagging
energy and his reliable business methods,
formed the foundation upon which he builded
his prosperity and enviable reputation, while
r /
r PuliUiihin^ t
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
17
his efforts were proving an important factor
in the upbuilding of his city. After a few
years in business alone he formed a partner-
ship with his brother Thomas under the firm
name of W. & T. Lamb, and they opened an
office in Brooklyn and another in New York,
soon securing large contracts in both cities.
Mr. Lamb was connected with the construc-
tion of the Manufacturers' Bafik, the Nassau
Trust Company, and the Municipal and Gar-
field buildings, in the eastern district, and he
was awarded and executed the contracts for
the construction of many large school edifices
in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Thus, as the years advanced, his business grew
in volume and importance, and to some extent
he co-operated in other enterprises. He be-
came a director of the Broadway Bank of
Brooklyn, was a trustee • and official of the
Williamsburg Savings Bank, and a trustee of
the Nassau Trust Company. He was also ap-
praiser of real estate for the Williamsburg
Savings Bank, and his opinions in business
circles were regarded as wise and practical.
A patriotic interest in the welfare of his
country was always one of Mr. Lamb's strong
characteristics, and' was manifest at the period
of the Civil War, when, putting aside all busi-
ness and personal interests, he joined the For-
ty-seventh Regiment of New York Volun-
teers, with which he did active service for the
Union. He continued to take a deep interest
in military affairs after his return to Brook-
lyn, served eleven years as captain in his regi-
ment, and was a leading member of the Vet-
erans' Association.
Mr. Lamb was married in 1872 to Miss
Louise Wurster, a sister of Frederick Wurs-
ter, ex-mayor of Brooklyn, and to them were
born six children : Janet McKay, the wife of
Clarence M. Lowes; Louise, the wife of
Thomas E. Lamb; Gertrude, Kate and Jessie,
who are with their mother; and William, who
is a student in Williams College. The family
attend the Ross Street Presbyterian Church,
of which Mr. Lamb was an active member,
and although his business interests made
heavy demands upon his attention he always
found opportunity to assist in church work.
During his earlier manhood he belonged to
the Throop Avenue Presbyterian Church and
was a member of its board of trustees when
he decided to transfer his membership to the
Ross street church. The board, however, re-
fused to accept his resignation, and he there-
fore remained a member. Time and means
were given in co-operation with the various
lines of church activity, as he earnestly de-
sired the growth of the ehurch and the exten-
sion of its influence. He regarded it the duty
as well as the privilege of the American citi-
zen to support the political measures deemed
best for the promotion of good government,
and, as his own ideas were in harmony with
the platform of the Republican party, he gave
to that organization his earnest allegiance, al-
though he never sought nor would accept of-
fice as a reward for party fealty.
Death came to him' suddenly. He was en-
gaged in active business duties on the second
day of October, 1903, and in the night " a
hand, as from the darkness, touched him, and
he slept.'' His personal qualities had en-
deared him to many friends. The full depth
of his nature and his kindly spirit were known
to only his immediate family, and yet his
broad sympathies, his geniality, his deference
for the opinions of others, made him popular.
18
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
and his friends found him a most companion- Brooklyn's commercial advancement and for
able gentleman. He belonged to the Hanover many years he conducted a hardware estab-
Club, and each Saturday night he met there his lishment on Myrtle avenue near Bedford.
two lifetime friends, Andrew D. Baird and
Bernard Gallagher, discussing the questions of
the day, and often times talking over the trip
which the three made to Europe together
seven years before. Outside of this weekly
meeting at the club, Mr. Lamb devoted all of
his leisure hours to the church and to his
family, where his loss is most keenly felt. His
influence on the material, social and moral
progress of the city was a strong, desirable
and beneficial factor.
NORRIS EVANS.
Norris Evans, for many years active in the
business life of- Brooklyn as a hardware mer-
chant and real estate dealer, was born here
when, the borough was a small village, his
birth occurring in the family home, which was
an old colonial residence that stood at the cor-
ner of Washington and Johnson streets where
the postofifice building is now located. His
natal day was May 17, 1824, and for eighty
years he was a witness of the development
and progress of Brooklyn as it emerged from
the conditions and environments of a small
town to take its place with the leading cities
of the nation.
Reared and educated here, he served as one
of the two first tax assessors appointed in
Brooklyn, and ever manifested a deep and
com.mendable interest in community affairs,
giving hearty aid and co-operation to many
measures that tended to promote public prog-
ress. His business activity was a factor in
About 1884 he retired from that line and be-
gan operating in real estate, handling much
valuable property and negotiating many im-
portant realty transfers.
Mr. Evans' .widow survives him, together
with their two- sons. Dr. George Evans and
Charles A. Evans. He was a great admirer
of Henry Ward Beecher and always a con-
stant attendant at Plymouth church during
the pastorate of that well known divine. He
was also one of the oldest members of the
Society of Old Brooklynites and took great
interest in its meetings. The circle of his
friends constantly broadened as the circle of
his acquaintance was extended, and his death,
which occurred in 1904, was the occasion of
deep and widespread regret to many of Brook-
lyn's citizens who had known him for long
years.
CHARLES EDWARD TUTHILL.
Professor Charles Edward Tuthill, de-
ceased, one of the best known educators con-
nected with the public-school system of
Brooklyn and for twenty-five years principal
of the Lafayette Avenue school, was born in
New York and was himself a product of the
public-school system. He continued his edu-
cation in Manhattan until he was graduated
from the high school and immediately after-
ward began teaching, which profession he fol-
lowed without intermission throughout his en-
tire business career. His course was marked
by steady progress and he advanced in effi-
ciency until he was known as one of the fore-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
19
most representatives of his chosen calHng in
the borough of Brooklyn.
His first position was in one of the public
schools of New York, where he remained for
seven years, and on the expiration of that
period he removed to Brooklyn, accepting the
principalship of public school No. 5 on Gold
street. He was afterward transferred to
school No. 25 on Walworth street, and when
the new school building was erected on La-
fayette avenue Professor Tuthill was ap-
pointed principal and continued in charge for
a quarter of a century. He thoroughly or-
ganized the work there, inspired teachers and
pupils with much of his own zeal and interest
in the cause of education, and rendered the
work done therein a valuable preparation to
the pupils for life's practical and responsible
duties. He was continually seeking out new
methods which would render his labors and
those of the teachers under him more effective,
and his school was not only in touch with
modern ideas of education, but was often-
times a leader in some new movement of
educational advancement. He won the high-
est commendation of the public — and no posi-
tion is more open to that of universal criticism
than that of the teacher.
Professor Tuthill's widow is still living at
the family residence at No. 388 Vanderbilt
avenue: They had one son, William H., and
one daughter, Emma T. Tuthill, who reside
with the mother. The family hold member-
ship in the Lafayette Presbyterian church, to
which Professor Tuthill belonged. He had
deep interest in the moral as well as the in-
tellectual development of mankind, was an in-
terested and earnest worker in the church and
served as one of its deacons. He gave capable
assistance to the former honored pastor of the
church. Rev. Theodore Cuyler, and was
equally loyal to the church organization when
under the leadership of Rev. Dr. David
Gregg, both of whom held him in the highest
regard.
CAPTAIN ALBERT SPENCER.
Captain Albert Spencer, deceased, long oc-
cupied a representative position among the
American shipmasters and owners, and was
at one time president of the New York Marine
Society. Throughout his entire life he was
connected with the sea or with shipping in-
terests. His bh-th occurred in Saybrook, Con-
necticut, on the 27th of February, 1829, and
during a school vacation he made his first
sea voyage with his father. Subsequent to
this time he took up the study of navigation
in the Saybrook Academy, and while still but
a boy he went to- sea in the ship Westminster,
a London and New York packet vessel. This
was in 1843, ^i^d during the succeeding four
years he won successive advancement until he
had become third officer of the ship Northum-
berland. He was afterward made second offi-
cer of the Westminster, and when he had
sailed on two voyages in that capacity he
was chosen commander and remained in
charge for twenty years. Later he was trans-
ferred to the Hendrick Hudson and subse-
quently to the Ocean Queen. The latter ves-
sel was commanded by Robert Griswald, who
v^as seventy years old and partially blind, and
in 1854 when Captain Griswald was taken ill
off the isle of Wight Mr. Spencer, as first
officer, brought the vessel to New York in
twenty-six days with, seven hundred steerage
20
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
passengers and forty cabin passengers on
board. At the end of that voyage he was
made captain, being promoted to the position
when about twenty-five years of age. After
one year's service on the Ocean Queen he
was placed in command of the Palestine, a
vessel belonging to the same line. Captain
Spencer was noted for his intense carefulness
and skill, the only disaster which he ever en-
countered being while in command of the
Yorktown, of which he took charge for her
captain in 1868. She was dismasted and
sprang a leak on her voyage to New York
from Liverpool and put into Fayal under jury
rig, where she was condemned. Captain Spen-
cer afterward purchased a captain's interest
in the Cornelius Grinnell in 1858, and sailed
in command of that vessel for eleven years.
On the expiration of that period he accepted
the position of assistant surveyor of the port
of Brooklyn for the bureau Veritas, and after
serving froin 1870 until 1883 was made chief
inspector on the retirement of Captain Hard-
ing. In 1895, on the twenty-fifth anniversary
of his appointment, Captain Spencer was pre-
sented with a bronze statue of David slaying
' Goliath as- a token of esteem from the com-
pany.
Many interesting incidents were experi-
enced by Captain Spencer during the period
of his connection with seafaring life and ship-
ping interests. He was a member of the boat's
crew which rowed President Harrison ashore
from the United States steamer Dispatch at
the time of the centennial celebration of the
inauguration of Washington held in New
York April 30, 1889. His deep interest in
everything pertaining to the welfare of sea-
men was manifest in many practical, helpful
ways. From 1891 until 1893 he served as vice-
president of the New York Marine Society and
in the latter year was chosen its president. Both
of these offices made him a trustee of the Sail-
ors' Snug Harbor for a term of six years. His
continuance in active business covered a per-
iod up to within six years of his death, when
he retired, spending his remaining days in the
enjoyment of a well earned rest. He died
April 18, 1904, at the advanced age of seven-
ty-five years.
GEORGE W. WHITE.
George Washington White, whose life rec-
ord covered seventy-two years — years of activ-
ity, crowned with honor and success — was ac-
corded a position of leadership in financial
circles of Brooklyn, where for a half century
he was known as a representative of the Me-
chanics' Bank, serving as its president for al-
most two decades. Without extraordinary
family or pecuniary advantages to aid him at
the outset of his career, he achieved through
energy, indomitable courage and integrity,
both character and fortune. Imbued in youth
with a laudable ambition, he steadily advanced
in those walks of life demanding intellectual-
ity, business ability and fidelity, and at the
same time his geniality and good nature found
expression in his warm-hearted interest in his
fellow men.
Mr. White was born in Brooklyn in 1829,
and was a son of Sylvanus and Mary (Degen-
dorf) White, the former at one time a super-
visor of Brooklyn. He benefited by the in-
struction afforded in the public schools of this
borough, and entered upon his business career
as a clerk in the shipping house of Johnson
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
23
& London, in New York, with whom he re-
mained continuously until 1852, when he re-
signed in order to enter upon a more lucra-
tive position as bookkeeper in the newly or-
ganized Mechanics' Bank of Brooklyn. He
was at his place in that institution when it
first opened its doors for business, and he re-
mained as one of the foremost factors in its
successful control until his death, covering
more than fifty years. It was in the more
humble positions in the bank that he laid the
foundation of his future career of a bank
president, through his unflagging industry and
scrupulous care in the performance of every
task assigned him. His worth was soon recog-
nized in promotion that gave him additional
opportunity for advancement and for the ac-
quisition of further knowledge concerning
financial affairs. After three years' service
as bookkeeper he was made receiving teller,
later became paying teller, and not long after-
ward was appointed assistant cashier. When
the cashier became ill he acted in his stead, and
in 1857, just five years after entering the bank,
a young man of twenty-three years, with no
experience in banking, he was made cashier.
That position he filled meritoriously until
1883, when he was elected president of the
bank to succeed Daniel Chauncey at his death,
and was annually re-elected, so that he re-
mained at the head of the institution until his
death. No other single individual did as
much to shape the policy of the bank or con-
tributed in so large a measure to its stability
and success. His connection with the institu-
tion was characterized as that of " long and
faithful service, of satisfactory performance
of every official duty, of fidelity to every
trust.'' He made it the largest and strongest
bank on Long Island, and one of the elements
of his success, aside from his excellent man-
agement and strong executive force, was his
characteristic good nature manifest in cor-
diality to the patrons of the institution, and
his deep and friendly interest to all employes,
especially young men, in whose advancement
and prosperity he ever rejoiced. He took a
very prominent part in the erection of the new
bank building, one of the finest business struc-
tures of the city, and manifested a just pride
in the institution when it was located in its
new quarters on the site of the old bank build-
ing.
Through his industrial energy and integrity
Mr. White placed himself in the foremost
rank among financial men, and became identi-
'fied with a number of prominent projects in
Brooklyn. He was the vice-president of the
Brooklyn City Safe Deposit Company, and a
director and trustee of the State Trust of
Manhattan until about five years prior to his
demise. He took a deep though impersonal
interest in Brooklyn politics and actively co-
operated in many movements that conserved
the welfare of the borough, rejoicing, in its
advancement along all lines of substantial up-
building. He served on many of the city com-
mittees at various times, and though he never
sought to figure prominently before the pub-
lic he never allowed any personal feeling to
interfere with the full performance of his
duty as a citizen. The suggestion for the
Brooklyn Bridge met with his co-operation,
and he was actively identified with its prog-
ress. He also took great interest in the new
East River Bridge, and watched the rapid
growth of the structure with great personal
interest. He belonged to the Society of Old
24
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Brooklynites, but to no secret or fraternal
organization. His religious faith was that of
the Dutch Reformed Church, and his funeral
services were held at the Marble Collegiate
Church in Manhattan, after which his remains
were interred in Kensico cemetery.
At his death, the bank of which he had so
long stood at the head, passed the following
resolution :
"His connection with thife bank was co-
existent with its life. He was here when the
doors were first opened for business in 1852,
and during fifty years he labored as clerk,
teller, cashier and president, for the welfare
of the stockholders. During many financial
crises he exercised such rare discretion that
serious financial complications were averted.
His personality was marked by the posses-
sion of sound common sense and great good
humor. He had hosts of friends, and his as-
sociate directors were nearest and dearest to
him. His loss is to each of us a personal sor-
row. He leaves behind him a record of deeds
well done, and his memory will be cherished
as a precious recollection and loving incidents
in his life and ours.
"Resolved : That this minute be inscribed
in the records of the bank, and a copy thereof
be sent to the widow with an expression of
our deepest and tenderest sympathy."
Mr. White was survived by his wife, but
they had no children. He married Miss Jose-
phine W. Ballard, a daughter of the Rev.
Joseph Ballard, of New York, and after a
number of years' residence in Brooklyn they
removed to New York, residing at the Berke-
ley Hotel for twenty years. To his wife he
displayed his most tender and deep devotion,
and yet the claims of friendship were fully
acknowledged by him, and he gave to nature
a full measure of appreciation. In the tur-
moil of business and amidst the most har-
assing cares of the financial world he never
ceased to feel the deepest interest in the works
of nature, of art and of literature. The forests,
the fields and the gardens were dear to him,
as were all things that mirrored the beauty or
strength of form or color, or uplifting mental
attitudes. For this, reason he surrounded him-
self with the works of many a master's brush,
possessing a very choice and valuable collec-
tion of paintings. Those who knew him best
acknowledged his rare personality. Said one
who knew him well : "The friendship of Mr.
White was sincere, tender and self-regardless;
his companionship was always cheerful, merry
and spontaneous as a child's. His first thought
was always for the other man, or woman, or
child, and never of himself. His perfect trust
and faith that 'all things work together for
good' could have found root only in his deep
but unobtrusive religious convictions. He
possessed a most buoyant temperament, a pure
and noble spirit, a manly and courageous heart,
with active intellectual gifts and a strong will,
which, united, always held the helm true to the
course dictated by the highest standards of
morality and humanity."
WILLIAM COCHRANE.
William Cochrane, who throughout his en-
tire life was connected with shipping interests,
was born in Charlottetown, Nova Scotia, and
in early boyhood enlisted in the English navy.
He served through two wars and was awarded
a gold medal in recognition of bravery dis-
played at the battle of San Juan de Like, while
by both Admiral LaPrince and Commander
Williams he was commended for bravery. He
traveled extensively in the Holy Land under
orders from Queen Victoria, and on several
occasions had the distinction of being chosen
from among the crew of the queen's gig, of
which he was coxswain, to carry her majesty
ashore. His naval service was characterized
by the utmost loyalty and by an efficiency
which won him promotion. After receiving
an honorable discharge he continued upon the
sea as a member of the famous British Mer-
chant Marine, but the business possibilities of
the new world attracted him and he engaged
in ship rigging on South street. New York.
To that enterprise he devoted his energies
throughout his remaining days and became
one of the best known men in the shipping
world. He rigged most of the large merchant
vessels of this country and many of the best
known yachts, notably the famous Greyling,
the Mayflower and the Wanderer. A rapidly
developing business based upon the sure and
safe foundation of excellent workmanship and
honorable dealing brought to him constantly
growing success, and as the years advanced he
became the possessor of a competence that en-
abled him to spend his last years in honorable
retirement from all business cares.
Mr. Cochrane removed from New York to
Brooklyn and was for many years actively in-
terested in the work of the Catholic church,
with which he united in early life. He gave
valuable assistance to Bishop Laughlin and
was most generous in his contributions to the
church. Mr. Cochrane became the father of
four children. At the time of his death there
were also five grandchildren and two great-
grandchildren. He passed away when he had
attained the very venerable age of ninety-four
years.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND. 25
ALBERT PEARSON WELLS.
Albert Pearson Wells, former president of
the Fifth Avenue Bank of Brooklyn, was for
eighteen years at the head of that institution
and therefore a notable figure in financial cir-
cles of his native borough. He was born on the
nth of 'August, 1838, a son of Albert Terry
and Elizabeth R. (Jagger) Wells. His father
was a builder and resided at Northville, Long
Island, while his mother, prior to her mar-
riage, lived at Westhampton. His education
was acquired in the public schools of Brook-
lyn, and his business training was that of the
practical school of experience. Following the
completion of his course of study in the public
schools, he accepted a position as bookkeeper
and later was employed in a similar capacity
by his uncle Thomas Truesdell, where the op-
portunity for advancement was open to him as
he displayed the ability to cope with the prob-
lems of a cotton brokerage business, in which
he continually worked his way upward until
admitted to a partnership in this New York
enterprise.
Mr. Wells' successful solution of the finan-
cial problems presented in connection with the
cotton brokerage business drew to him the at-
tention of others active in the world of trade,
and led to his selection for the presidency of
the Fifth Avenue Bank of Brooklyn, upon its
organization in the year- 1885. His intense
and well directed efforts were also a potent
factor in the formation of the bank, and he
was the only man who occupied the chair of
chief executive of that institution, holding the
office from 1885 until the absorption of the
bank by the Mechanics' Bank, in 1903. At
that date he became a member of the direc-
26
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
torate of the latter enterprise, and thus served
up to the time of his death. The elements
which made his business career one of con-
secutive progress were close application, a
thorough mastery of every situation, however
intricate or difficult, and an unflagging perse-
verance, and his conservative course com-
mended itself to all who understand the risks
attendant upon activity in the financial world.
Mr. Wells was at one time a member of the
Brooklyn board of trade, and he also held
membership for some years with the Atlantic
Yacht Club, but at the time of his demise was
connected with only the exclusive Hainilton
Club of Brooklyn. He preferred home to club
life and was a man of very domestic tastes,
his interest centering in his family, for whose
happiness and welfare his best efforts were
put forth. He ^yas married April 15, 1861, to
Miss Tuttle, a daughter of William Tuttle, of
Eastport, Long Island, who was a seafaring
man. Mr. and Mrs. Wells had six children,
of whom three are living : Arthur T., a manu-
facturer of Manhattan ; Charles L, a produce
merchant ; and Pearson L., who is engaged in
the practice of patent law.
HON. WILLIAM COPELAND
WALLACE.
Plon. William Copeland' Wallace, lawyer
and statesman and a leader in thought and
action in the public life of Brooklyn through
almost a quarter of a century, was a represen-
tative of one of the old and honored families
of the borough. His father, William H. Wal-
lace, was an iron and steel merchant of Brook-
lyn. The son, born May 21, 1856, supple-
mented his preliminary education by a course
in Adelphi Academy, where he. prepared for
college, and then entered the Wesleyan Uni-
versity at Middletown, Connecticut, as a mem-
ber of the class of 1876, with which he was
graduated, winning high honors.
He had early determined to prepare for a
professional career, and on the completion of
his literary course entered upon the study of
law in Columbia College of New York. Fol-
lowing his admission to the bar he accepted
a position as clerk of the United States court,
and in 1880 acted as assistant district attor-
ney under General Woodford. On the latter's
retirement from office Mr. Wallace became his
partner, and the firm was recognized as one
of the strongest in the city of New York. Mr.
Wallace continued in the active practice of law
for almost a quarter of a century. His mind
was analytical, logical and inductive, and the
intricate and complex problems of the law he
mastered with apparent ease. In his practice
he largely represented corporate interests, and
was counsel for the Dime Savings Bank of
Brooklyn, of which he was also a trustee,
while of the Hamilton Trust Company he was
a director.
His influence in political circles was a
potent factor, and for a number of years his
opinions carried great weight in the local
councils of the Republican party. He was
largely instrumental in organizing the Brook-
lyn Young Republican Club, and for some
time was president of the Twentieth Ward
Republican Association. In 1888 he received
his party's nomination for Congress from the
third district, and, resigning the presidency of
the Young Republican Club, he entered act-
ively upon campaign work, winning the elec-
tion by a majority of three' thousand. In the
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
27
council chambers of the nation he rendered to
Brooklyn services of great vahie, and through
his championship important legislation in-
dicated his progressive and public-spirited
citizenship. In 1890 he was again made his
party's candidate for Congress and was again
opposed by William J. Coombs, who in the
second contest was successful, and Mr. Wal-
lace, retiring from office, resumed the private
practice of law in New York.
Mr. Wallace married Miss Kate Douglas, a
native of Middletown, Connecticut, and they
became the parents of one daughter. They
were well known in the social circles of Brook-
lyn, and Mr. Wallace was connected w'ith
many of the leading clubs of the city, belong-
ing to the Hamilton, Barnard, Riding and
Driving, the University, the Lawyers', the
Players', the Metropolitan Whist and the
Dyker Meadow clubs, and of the Oxford Club
he was the first president. He was also a
member of the Alumni Association of Wes-
leyan University, and belonged to the Church
of the Messiah. With strong intellectual en-
dowments and laudable ambition that won him
prominence at the bar he combined the ad-
mirable traits of character which made him
personally popular and made his death, in
1904, the occasion of sincere and lasting re-
gret to his extended circle of friends in Brook-
lyn and Manhattan.
SANFORD B. DURYEA.
Sanford B. Duryea, for more than sixty
years a resident of Brooklyn, covering the
entire period of his business career, was born
in North Hempstead, Long Island, February
22, 1833. His ancestral history was one of
long and close connection with this part of the
Empire state, the Duryea family having been
established on Long Island at an early period
in its colonization, while the Willetts and the
Hewletts, with which he was also connected,
were associated for an equally extended per-
iod with events forming the history of Kings
and Queens counties.
In his boyhood days Sanford B. Duryea ac-
companied his parents on their removal to
Brooklyn, where he acquired his education.
His attention throughout his business career
was devoted to photography, and for about
a third of a century he conducted a studio at
No. 253 Fulton street, his proficiency gaining
him prestige as a representative of that art.
Upon the foundation of close application, un-
flagging perseverance and native and acquired
ability, he builded the superstructure of his
success'. He continued in business until about
six years prior to his demise, when failing
health caused his retirement, and he went to
Los Angeles, California, to visit his son, Carl-
ton B. Duryea. Benefited by his sojourn in
the west he then returned to Brooklyn and
spent his last days in the home of his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Ernest Smith, where he died March
19, 1903.
Mr. Duryea's widow survives him. They
were the parents of four sons and two daugh-
ters : Dr. Hesse T. Duryea and Dr. Chester F.
Duryea, both of Brooklyn; Hewlett F., of
Westfiekl, Massachusetts ; Carlton B., of Los
Angeles, California ; Mrs. Ernest Smith ; and
Mrs. Herbert Frost.
Mr. Duryea was a member of Amaranth
Council No. 161, Royal Arcanum, but he
never cared to enter actively into the social
and fraternal interests of the city, preferring
2t
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
to devote his attention, aside from that
claimed by his business and given to his home,
to the upbuilding of the Greene Avenue Pres-
byterian church, of which he was one of the
organizers. His deep interest in its work
never faltered and he was a co-operant factor
in many of its activities.
SAMUEL WRIGHT BURTIS.
Among the families that are conspicuous for
their long and honorable connection with the
history of New York city and vicinity, may
be mentioned the name of Burtis, which has
appeared in association with public and private
affairs for more than three centuries. The first
representatives of the family to settle in
America were three brothers — Abraham,
Henry and John, who were owners of a farm
and tobacco plantation on ground now covered
by the city of New York. Shortly afterward
they removed to Foster's Meadows, Long
Island, became extensive land owners, and
in that neighborhood many of their descend-
ants resided and were active and prominent
in the administration of local aflfairs. The
family narhe was formerly spelled Alburtis,
and the original founder of the family owned
a tobacco plantation which extended from the
Battery, Manhattan, to Wall and' Broad
streets. Samuel W. Burtis traced his lineage
to Henry Burtis, above mentioned, who with
his brothers came to New York in the year
1642.
Abrahaili Burtis, father of Samuel W.
Burtis, resided at Foster's Meadows, Queens
county, Long Island, on a farm adjoining the
famous Mannus estate, from whence he re-
moved to Brooklyn, New York, locating at
High and Pearl streets. He then engaged in
the grocery business, and in conjunction with
this purchased a large amount of real estate,
and built and sold houses extensively in what
was then the Eleventh Ward of Brooklyn,
many of which are still standing as monu-
ments to his skill and ability. He removed
from that section of the city to Bridge street,
between Willoughby and Fulton streets, resid-
ing there up to the time of his decease. He
was an active and prominent member of the
old Dutch Reformed Church in Henry street,
Brooklyn, serving in the capacity of deacon
for many years. He was honorable and con-
scientious in all his transactions with his fel-
low-men, and well merited the confidence re-
posed in him. His wife, Hannah (Wright)
Burtis, bore him ten children, all of whom at-
tained years of maturity, and three of whom
are living at the present time (1904). Their
children were: Martha, Samuel Wright,
Mary, Hannah, Phoebe, Clarissa, Nathaniel
M., Abraham, Rhoda S., and Henry M. Bur-
tis. The maiden name of the mother of Abra-
ham Burtis (father) was Elizabeth Foster,
and it is thought probable that some relation-
ship existed between her family and that of the
original settler of Foster's Meadows, Long
Island.
Samuel Wright Burtis, eldest son of Abra-
ham and Hannah (Wright) Burtis, was born
in Foster's Meadows, Long Island, February
23, 1816. His educational advantages were
obtained at the common schools in what is
now Queens county. He was reared on his
father's farm on the Merrick road, and as-
sisted with the labors thereof until between the
age of seventeen and eighteen years, when he
left home. He then served an apprenticeship at
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
31
the trade of wheelwright, at Jamaica, but after
thoroughly mastering all the details turned his
attention to the grocery and hardware business
at the corner of High and Bridge streets, then
the important section of Brooklyn. He then
for a quarter of a century was engaged in the
hardware and house furnishing business at
Myrtle avenue and Duffield street, Brooklyn.
In i860 he severed his connection with that
business, and for a number of years there-
after was actively interested in real estate in-
vestments, his operations being both extensive
and successful. Owing to his honorable and
unsullied reputation in the business circles of
Brooklyn, he was chosen to serve in the ca-
pacity of president of the Nassau Building As-
sociation, director of the Mechanic's Bank, and
the Phoenix, Lafayette and Montauk Fire In-
surance Companies of Brooklyn.
Mr. Burtis- was of a strong religious turn
of mind, and during his early manhood be-
came a member of Plymouth Church, which
was then under the pastoral care of the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher. His membership con-
tinued for twenty-five years, and during that
time he served both as deacon and usher. He
filled the latter named position during the
civil war period, when Mr. Beecher's bitter
anti-slavery sermons antagonized the luke-
warm patriots and southern sympathizers, of
whom there were quite a number in New York
at that time, and during that period the office
of usher required the display of considerable
courage and executive ability. For the last
thirty years of his life Mr. Burtis was a mem-
ber of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian
Church, whose pastor at that time was the
venerable and distinguished theologian, Dr.
Theodore L. Cuyler. Mr. Burtis was of an
extremely quiet disposition, and all who came
to know him were his friends.
Mr. Burtis married, September 23, 1840,
Priscilla A. Ludlam, daughter of Nehemiah
Ludlam, of Jamaica, Long Island, and of the
seven children born of this union three are
living at the present time : Samuel E., Mrs.
Mortimer G. White, and Mary P. Burtis.
After a brief illness, Mr. Burtis died, August
3, 1903, in the Colonial Hotel, Kitchawan,
New York, aged eighty-seven years. His
wife, Priscilla A. (Ludlam) Burtis, died in
April, 1891. The funeral services over the
remains of Mr. Burtis were conducted at his
late home, 215 Carlton avenue, Brooklyn, and
the interment was in Greenwood Cemetery.
The following is an extract from Dr. Cuyler's
letter of sympathy to the family upon the
death of his long-time friend, Mr. Burtis, and
it was read at the services :
"For more than thirty-five years your father
has been my sincerely beloved friend. My
intimate acquaintance with him has enabled
me to know him thoroughly. I do not hesi-
tate to say that he was one of the truest, purest,
kindest and most consecrated Christians I
have ever known. His religion shone brightly
every day of the week and everywhere; for
him to live, was Jesus Christ, and he con-
tinued to bring forth spiritual fruit in his ven-
erable old age. The white lilies I brought him
on his last birthday were emblems of his purity
and beautv of character."
JOHN W. BROWN.
John W. Brown, prominent in the social,
art and literary circles of Brooklyn, was also
widely known outside of this city, in connec-
tion with the important manufacturing enter-
prise which constituted his life work and in
32
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
association with the men who are the foremost
representatives in the United States of this
line of productive industry. They conferred
upon him the distinction of leadership in rela-
tion to the management of affairs affecting
all, and thus he became a factor in promoting
legislation relative to the regulation of the
brewing business throughout the entire coun-
try. His preparation for the important duties
thus devolving upon him brought to him a
knowledge of legislative manipulation and
parliamentary law that the layman seldom
possesses, and the result of his investigation
was given to the Vv^orld in the compilation of
a valuable work on parliamentary usages.
Mr. Brown was a native son of Brooklyn,
born March 22, 1844, his parents being Ar-
thur A. and Mary A. (Cartwright) Brown,
who were also natives of this city. In his
early boyhood days he became a resident of
Cooperstown, New York, where his youth was
passed and where he mastered the branches of
learning usually taught in the public schools
of this country. He entered upon his busi-
ness career in New York, where for a number
of years he was connected with the export
trade, dealing in malf and hops and incident-
ally familiarizing himself with the brewing
business in the establishment founded by his
father in 1871. The knowledge thus gained
proved of practical value to him when a few
years later he became the head of the concern.
The business was enlarged and incorporated
in 1877, at which time John W. Brown was
chosen vice-president, and two years later he
succeeded to the presidency, upon the death of
his father in 1879. Many a man of less reso-
lute spirit or of more limited business capacity
would have failed in extending the scope of
this enterprise in accordance with the rapidly
develpping and therefore constantly changing
conditions of the business vvorld, but the meth-
ods and measures instituted by Mr. Brown
were in full accord with the progressive spirit
of the times, and the limited brewery with
which he became connected in the years of his
early manhood was transformed under his
guidance until it became one of the largest in
Brooklyn, and he became one of the best
known m.en m his line in the United States.
He believed that the consumption of whole-
some malt beverages in America was a dis-
tinct gain for public health, morals and tem-
perance, and under the influence of this con-
viction he carried on his business conscien-
tiously and with enthusiasm. A conscientious
pui-pose was ever one of the wellsprings of
his action, and was as strongly manifest in
his commercial career as in other walks of
life. He became a recognized leader among
those who were engaged in the conduct of
similar enterprises, and at the time that ill-
ness necessitated his retirement from the act-
ive business world he was vice-president of
the United States Brewers' Association and
the chairman of its most important commit-
tee, that on federal relations. He was
chosen at four consecutive elections to the
presidency of the Ale Brewers' Association of
New York, his term of service extending over
a longer period than that of any other presi-
dent in the history of the organization. For
several years he was the vice-president of the
Lager Beer Brewers' Board of Trade of New
York.
Mr. Brown was so frequently presiding
officer at different gatherings that he gained
a comprehensive and accurate knowledge of
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
33
parliamentary law, and in 1890 published a
book on that subject. His study and research
extended to many lines touching the general
interests of society. Along business lines he
was connected with the New York Produce
Exchange and the Manufacturers' Associa-
tion ; fraternally, he was a Mason ; and so-
cially he was identified with the Athletic Club
and the Montauk Club of Brooklyn. His in-
terest was never half-hearted for whatever
elicited his attention received from him loyal
support and, if circumstances warranted, his
active co-operation. His appreciation and love
of art were manifest in the many beautiful
paintings and works of statuary which
adorned his home, making his one oi the most
valuable private collections in Brooklyn.
Mr. Brown was married in 1865 to Miss
Lilla Whitcomb of Brooklyn, who survives
him, together with their two daughters and
a son. The duties of business and the de-
mands of social life were never so great that
he allowed them to encroach upon the time
which he devoted to the welfare and happi-
ness of his family, and their home at No. 137
is noted for its elegance and comfort as well
as its art treasures. While he achieved suc-
cess in business and local prominence in social
nfe, he was without that personal ambition
which caused one to seek to figure conspicu-
ous before the public in office, being content
to spend his life among those with whom he
was reared and in the enjoyment of the ties
of friendship and home,
public-school system and who at the time of
his death was district superintendent of
schools in Brooklyn, was born in Auburn,
Maine. His early educational privileges were
supplemented by a course of instruction in
Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and he was
a gi'aduate of that institution. He then en-
tered upon educational work, for which his
native talent, acquired ability and taste well
fitted him, and he won an enviable reputation
as an educator. For several years he was su-
perintendent of the schools of Jersey City, and
resigned that position in order to become dis-
trict superintendent of schools in Brooklyn.
Professor Haskell's widow survives him.
They occupied an enviable position in cultured
society circles of this borough. They had a
summer home at Falmouth Foreside. Pro-
fessor Haskell was laid to rest in the cemetery
in his native town of Auburn, Maine.
CHARLES S. HASKELL.
Charles Sumner Haskell, who throughout
his business career was connected with the
HERMAN GERDES.
Herman Gerdes, deceased, well known be-
cause of his active connection with the real
estate business of the borough of Brooklyn
and ranking high in local fraternal circles,
was born in Germany, and his death occurred
when he was in his sixtieth year. For a quar-
ter of a century he made his home in Brook-
lyn and throughout that period was engaged
in the real estate business. He secured a good
clientage, and the extent and importance of
his operations resulted in winning for him
prosperity, while his reliable and progressive
business methods won for him the confidence
and trust of the business world. Mr. Gerdes
was well known in the Odd Fellows and Ma-
sonic lodges. He served as chaplain of Charles
34
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
T. Smith Lodge No. 348, I. O. O. R, and
was grand secretary for the state of New
York for Peter Cooper Lodge No. 119, O. D.
H. S. He was also treasurer of the Peter
Cooper Accumulating Association. He held
membership in Schiller Lodge No. 304, F. &
A. M., and in Brooklyn Chapter No. 221,
O. E. S.
Mr. Gerdes married Miss Sophia Gorlich,
and they became the parents of four sons and
a daughter : Herman, Arthur, John, Henry
and Gesine. To the welfare and happiness of
his family he was greatly devoted, and his
loyalty in friendship was also numbered
among his salient characteristics.
WILLIAM HARTLEY DOLE.
William Hartley Dole, to those who knew
him through business relations, was a man
of unquestioned probity, of keen sagacity and
of unabating energy, while those who came
within the circle of his intimate friendship
recognized in him a nobility of character, a
charm of manner and a cordial, unaffected dis-
position that awakened their admiration and
won respect and love.
Mr. Dole was born in Maine on the 28th
of October, 1835, and spent his youth and
the years of his early manhood in New Eng-
land. Llaving completed his education he en-
tered upon his business career in Boston,
Massachusetts, and when in the prime of life
removed to Brooklyn, conducting a grain busi-
ness at 44 Pearl street of Manhattan up to
within a year of his death. His name in
trade circles was a synonym for business in-
tegrity and fair dealing, and a high measure
of success followed his enterprising and in-
telligently directed efforts. When he retired
from business he was one of the leading mer-
chants in his special branch of grain trade in
the eastern part of this country.
Mr. Dole married and had two children :
Frank, who is engaged in business in Buf-
falo, New York, and Jane. For many years
the family home was at No. i Varona Place, but
for about a year prior to his death Mr. Dole
with his wife and daughter resided at the Hotel
St. George in Brooklyn. He was very devoted
to his family, finding his greatest happiness in
ministering to his wife and children. He was
for more than two decades numbered among
the highly esteemed and useful citizens of
Brooklyn, and was at all times actuated by
high and honorable motives that made his life
record worthy of the greatest respect. His
life was largely the embodiment of the golden
rule, and while he sought to be good to all
his kindliness, his charity and benevolences
were entirely without ostentation, and in fact,
all display was to him utterly abhorrent. Be-
cause of this, comparatively few recognized
the true depth of his generosity and the
breadth of his helpful nature. The circle of
his friends was select rather than large, but
in the minds of those who knew him intimate-
ly his memory is enshrined because of the
greatness of his character, the quiet charm of
his manner and his unfaltering fidelity to duty.
DANIEL W. McWILLIAMS.
Daniel W. McWilliams, prominent in rail-
way affairs, and deeply interested in education
and kindred causes, residing in Brooklyn, was
born in Hamptonburgh, Orange county, New
I^oJLjL y^^^#«^^:^=^^*-.S
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
37
York, May 29, 1837. His parents were John
A. McWilliams and Susan A., daughter of
Daniel Wilkin.
He was educated in the academies at Mont-
gomery and Elmira, giving particular atten-
tion to civil engineering. At the age of eigh-
teen he became connected with and continued
for two years with the engineering corps of
the New York & Erie Railroad, then engaged
in straightening and double-tracking the lines
of that company. For five years following he
wai employed in the Chemung Canal Bank
at Elmira, New York, controlled by Hon. John
Arnot. In March, 1861, he was elected secre-
tary and treasurer of the Toledo, Peoria &
Western Railroad Company, with office in
Peoria, Illinois, where he remained five and
one-half years. After the successful reor-
ganization of that railroad he returned east,
having accepted a confidential position in the
banking house of Henry G. Marquand, after-
wards becoming a partner.
When Hon. Thomas Allen and Mr. Henry
G. Marquand bought the St. Louis & Iron
Mountain Railroad from the State of Mis-
souri, they extended that road southward to
the Mississippi River, and also built three
other lines, all of which became the consoli-
dated St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern
Railroad, and constituting one of the important
railroad enterprises of our country. During
this time and for a period of twelve years Mr.
McWilliams was treasurer of these various
roads. In November, 1881, he resigned to ac-
cept the position of secretary and treasurer of
the Manhattan Railway Company. In 1903 he
was elected treasurer of the Manhattan Rail-
way Division of the Interborough Rapid
Transit Company, and in August, 1905, treas-
urer of the last named company. He was one
of the incorporators of the Kings County
Trust Company in 1889, and has been a di-
rector and one of the vice-presidents from that
time to the present. He was an early director
of the Fulton Bank of Brooklyn, and when
that institution was coqsolidated with the
Mechanics' Bank he becajne a member of the
latter's board of directors. He is also a di-
rector of the Standard Coupler Company, and
of the Underwood Typewriter Company.
He was appointed by Mayor Wurster one
of the original directors of the Brooklyn Pub-
lic Library, was elected vice-president, and
continued in that capacity until the consolida-
tion with the Brooklyn Library. Andrew
Carnegie and the city of New York named
him, in association with Hon. David A.
Boody, Hon. R. Ross Appleton and John W.
Devoy, as their representatives in the building
of the Brooklyn branches of the Carnegie Pub-
lic Libraries. He is also a trustee and the
treasurer of the Polytechnic Institute of
Brooklyn.
In 1858, having just attained his majority,
he united with the First Presbyterian Church
of Elmira, New York. He became superin-
tendent of its Sunday school, which was held
in the morning, and he also superintended a
mission Sunday school held in the afternoon
in the suburbs. On removing to Peoria he
united with the Second Presbyterian Church.
With others, he instituted a Sunday school in
a passenger car on the Qiicago & Rock Island
Railroad, in a ward where there was no place
of worship, and from this little beginning
grew in time the now flourishing Gracfe Pres-
byterian Church.
In 1866 he united with the Lafavette Ave-
38
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
nue Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, the Rev.
Theodore L. Cuyler, D. D., pastor, and for
several years served as an elder. Soon after
identifying himself with this church he be-
came assistant superintendent of the Cumber-
land Street Chapel Sunday school. In 1874
he was elected superintendent of the Lafayette
Aveune Church Sunday school, and served as
such during a period of twenty-seven years,
continuing (one year excepted) uninterrupted-
ly until 1902. He has long been a member of
the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presby-
terian Church, and of the advisory committee
on evangelistic work of the General Assem-
bly of the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. McWilliams has always been deeply in-
terested in the work of the Young Men's
Christian Association. He was one of the
founders (in 1858) of the Elmira Association.
He served for two terms as president of the
Brooklyn Association, and is a director and
one of its board of trustees which has control
of its real estate and endowment fund, and
secretary and treasurer of the board of trus-
tees, and is also a member' of the advisory
board of the Interna:tional Committee of the
Young Men's Christian Association. He is
a trustee of the Brooklyn Young Women's
Christian Association ; an honorary vice-presi-
dent of the American Sunday School Union ; a
trustee of the Foreign Sunday School Union ; a
trustee of the Bible Teachers' Training School,
New York city; a member of the advisory
board of the Brooklyn City Mission and Tract
Society; and a member of the advisory board
of the Brooklyn Home for Consumptives.
He was elected a trustee of the Northfield
Seminary at its organization, and out of his
share as residuary legatee under the will of
Frederick Marquand he erected "Marquand
Hall," which has become so well known in
connection with the institution. He was also
trustee and treasurer of the D. L. Moody
Memorial Endowment Fund of the three
Moody schools. The latter position was one
which peculiarly appealed to him from the fact
that in Chicago, in 1861, he made the acquaint-
ance of the great evangelist, between whom
and himself sprang up an intimate friendship
which was destined to be lifelong.
Mr. McWilliams married Miss Helen
Frances Marquand, daughter of Mr. Josiah
P. Marquand, of New York.
CHARLES H. BASS.
Charles H. Bass, who was a leading and in-
fluential factor in public life in Brooklyn in
an early epoch of the city's development and
who throughout his business career was iden-
tified with mining interests, eventually becom-
ing a mine owner and operator, for many
years president of the Florencedale Coal Com-
pany, was born in New Brunswick, New
Jersey, m 1826. In his early boyhood he ac-
companied his parents on their removal to
Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and, reared in that
mining district, his early business life was
naturally one of close connection with what
was the leading industry of that portion of
the country, He gradually worked his way
upward in the business world, and his ca-
pacity for successful management was shown
during his long incumbency in the presidency
of the Florencedale Coal Company. He studied
closely the possibilities for the expansion of
the business and placed his dependence upon
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
39
the sure qualities of energy, honorable dealing
and progressiveness. His operations were
therefore crowned with a high measure of
success, and his property possessions were
long such as to render him one of the substan-
tial citizens of Brooklyn.
Mr. Bass made his home in Brooklyn for
fifty years, spending that entire period at No.
300 Union street. He was classed among the
older residents of that section of Brooklyn and
was a member of the Society of Old Brook-
lynites. Public affairs in an early day claimed
his deep interest and oftentimes his hearty
co-operation, and as a public-spirited citizen
he took an active part in everything pertain-
ing to general progress and improvement. His
political allegiance was given to the Republi-
can party.
Mr. Bass is survived by his two daughters
and one son, Mrs. William S. Hopkins, Mrs.
William G. Dean and Albert R. He died
April 26, 1904, when in his seventy-eighth
year. His was a kindly, benevolent spirit
which shone forth from his eyes and made the
expression of his face such as won confidence,
respect and honor.
GEORGE PRENTISS COMEY.
George Prentiss Comey, whose identifica-
tion with the business interests of Brooklyn
as a manufacturer of straw goods covered
nearly fifteen years and whose progression in
the commercial world to the head of .a lead-
ing establishment in his line was the direct
result of his close application, earnest effort
and sound, reliable judgment, was born in
Foxboro, Massachusetts, Miarch 30, 1825.
The family was of Scotch lineage.
In his boyhood days Mr. Comey attended
the public schools of his native state, and
when twenty-foui- years of age he sought a
broader field of labor in the business oppor-
tunities of Brooklyn, where he entered the
employ of a firm engaged in the manufacture
of straw goods. There he applied himself so
diligently to the mastery of the tasks assigned
him and showed such aptitude in learning the
business in both principle and detail that he
won consecutive promotion and eventually be-
came the senior member of the firm control-
ling the house which he first entered in a
humble capacity. The business was conducted
under the firm style of Rogers, Comey & Com-
pany at No. 584 Broadway, Brooklyn, and the
output of the house was increased year after
year owing to the excellent reputation won by
the firm by reason of honorable business
methods and the superior quality of its manu-
factured goods. Having accumulated a com-
fprtable fortune Mr. Comey retired from Act-
ive connection with manufacturing interests
and spent his last six years in the enjoyment
of a well merited rest.
Mr. Comey was married in early manhood,
and he and his wife became the parents of a
son and three daughters who are yet living :
George Prentiss ; Mrs. John J. Bate ; Mrs. El-
lison, the wife of Rev. Dr. D. J. Ellison, of
Indianapolis, Indiana; and an unmarried
daughter. As his financial resources per-
mitted, Mr. Comey became a generous sup-
porter of various benevolent, church and mis-
sionary organizations and contributed liber-
ally to the educational institutions connected
with the church. He was long a member
and zealous worker in the Strong Place Bap-
tist church, in which he held the office of
40
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
deacon. Death came to him suddenly on the
6th of January, 1903, when he was going
from his home at No. 225 DeGraw street,
Brooklyn, to Manhattan, Physicians gave the
cause of his death as heart failure. He passed
away at the age of seventy-eight years, leav-
ing behind a record of business activity
crowned with success and characterized by
all that is honorable in man's relations with
his fellow men.
CAPTAIN SAMUEL McINDOE.
Captain Samuel Mclndoe, deceased, who
was a veteran of the naval service of the
Mexican and Civil wars and a well known
shipbuilder and navigator, was born in Glas-
gow, Scotland, in 1829, and from his earliest
boyhood had a deep attachment for the sea.
In fact, it had such a fascination for him
that when ten years of age he ran away from
home and became a stowaway on board a ves-
sel sailing for South America. After the ves-
sel sailed he was made a cabin boy, and his
deep interest in nautical affairs and the knowl-
edge which he gained through intelligent in-
quiry and observation made him within a year
as familiar with a boat, its construction and
its operation as an ordinary sailor. He re-
mained on the sea until he had attained his
majority, when he became identified with ship-
building interests, and was soon regarded as
an expert in that line. He built many clipper
vessels, including the William Douglas, which
was considered the most rapid boat of its type
afloat in the '50s. It was more like a schooner
yacht than a freight vessel, and made a mar-
velous run between Baracoa, Cuba, and New
York that became a matter of sea-faring his-
tory.
Captain Mclndoe served as a member of
both the English and American navies, being
connected with the latter during the Mexican
war, and when public sentiment in the United
States was divided over the slavery question
and the rights of secession he espoused the
cause of the north and at the time of the Civil
war served under Admiral Farragut on the
flagship Hartford. Although born across the
water there was nO' more loyal defender of
the Union or one more faithful to his duties
as a representative of the naval service. When
hostiHties had ceased Captain Mclndoe turned
his attention to the fruit trade, and at different
times was the commander of a number of sail-
ing vessels carrying fruit cargoes. When the
United Fruit Company was organized in Man-
hattan he became manager of its shipping in-
terests and was thus identified with the busi-
ness for many years. At length at the earnest
solicitation of his children he retired from
business life when about seventy years of age,
but maintained his deep interest in all naval
affairs, and a short time prior tO' his death ex-
pressed the desire to make one more voyage
upon the deep sea. During the course of his
business connection with the West Indies in
the fruit-shipping trade he learned to speak
the Spanish language fluently and he made
many friends on those islands. His residence
in Brooklyn covered many years, and in this
borough he gained the warm personal regard
and esteem of the large majority of those with
whom he came in contact. His life was at
all times actuated by honorable and manly
principles and by a religious faith which was
manifested in his daily career. He long held
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
41
membership in the Green Avenue Baptist
church and was one of its deacons.
Captain Mclndoe and his wife became the
parents of two sons and three daughters, who
arc yet living, namely : Sheridan and Eugene
Mclndoe, Mrs. George A. When, Mrs. James
Ralston and Miss Mabel Mclndoe. The death
of Captain Mclndoe occurred on the' 25th of
January, 1904.
HENRY D. POLHEMUS.
Henry D. Polhemus, who figured promi-
nently in the business and social life of Brook-
lyn during the days of its villagehood and also
during the period of its metropolitan promi-
nence, was the last in his line of a family that
has been represented on Long Island for al-
most two hundred and fifty years. He was
a descendant of the Rev. Johanas Theodosius
Polhemus, who came frorn Holland to Amer-
ica in 1655 "^nd was pastor of the First Dutch
Reformed church on Long Island. He had
gone as a missionary from the Netherlands to
Itamarca, Brazil, whence he sailed for North
America, and entered upon his ministerial la-
bor at Flatbush. Successive generations of
the family resided upon a farm which covered
a district now bounded on twO' sides by Fifth
avenue and President street, Brooklyn, and
the family home which stood near the inter-
section of those thoroughfares was the birth-
place of Henry D. Polhemus, who was the
youngest of the four sons of Theodore Pol-
hemus. His brothers, Theodore, Jr., and Dit-
mas Polhemus, are deceased, and the sister,
Mrs. J. B. King, is living in Europe.
Henry D. Polhemus was born in 1830, and
throughout his entire life made Brooklyn his
home, although in his later years he spent sev-
eral months of each year in travel and recre-
ation in other parts of the country. His edu-
cation was acquired in the public schools, and
he then entered upon a business career in
which he made steady advancement, finding
in each transition stage opportunity for further
development and greater scope for more ex-
tensive investments until he eventually be-
came connected with many of the financial
and commerial interests and productive in-
dustries that constitute the basis of Brooklyn's
business activity and prosperity. His name
figured in mercantile circles for many years.
About the time of the Civil war he became an
active partner in the firms of Fox & Polhemus
and of Brinkerhoff & Polhemus, connections
which were maintained for a long period. The
latter firm, located in Beaver street, Manhat-
tan, was engaged in the manufacture and sale
of ducking and was awarded a number of
large contracts by the government. Mr. Pol-
hemus became a director of many organiza-
tions including the Long Island Bank, the
Brooklyn Gas Light Company, the American
District Telegraph Company, the Brooklyn
Heights Railroad Company, the Delaware,
Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company,
and the Morris & Essex Railroad Company.
His sound business judgment and counsel
were also sought in other fields outside the
strict path of business activity, and he became
a trustee of the Eye and Ear Hospital, a di-
rector of the Brooklyn Academy of Music
and of the Long Island Historical Society. He
was especially interested in the last named and
delighted in the research and investigation
which preserved the annals of the island and
42
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
the events constituting the record of its ad-
vancement and achievements.
In the early days before Brooklyn took up-
on itself the metropolitan proportions which
made necessary the conversion of various pub-
lic services into paid departments of the city
government, he belonged to the volunteer fire
department as a member of Engine Company
No. 14, located in Pierrepont street. No. 14
had a hand engine, and the company was the
pride of the Heights, all of the best families
of the district being represented among . its
members. Mr. Polhemus also took great de-
light in outdoor sports and won considerable
local fame as a baseball player, belonging to
Excelsior team, one of the notable amateur
teams of the borough at that day. It was
the members of this team who eventually be-
came the organizers of the Riding and Driv-
ing Club of Brooklyn. Mr. Polhemus was
identified with the leading social organizations
of the borough. He was president of the
Brooklyn Club at the time of his death, hav-
ing been elected in March, 1894, to succeed
ex-secretary of the navy, B. F. Tracy. He
had been a director of the club for twenty-sev-
en years and was its vice president for three
years. He was president of the St. Nicholas
Society of Brooklyn ; president of the Cutty-
hunk Fish Club; vice president of the Rob-
bins Island Club and a member of the Mon-
tauk, Hamilton and Germania clubs and the
New York and Larchmont Yacht clubs. He
was the owner of the yacht Reckless. Each
year he went to the Chesapeake for duck
snooting and would entertain a number of his
friends on the Reckless, which he kept sup-
plied wi1h every thing that he thought might
be needed by any, even to extra suits of cloth-
ing, and it is said that on more than one
occasion some of his friends of small stature
would appear in the habiliments of their host,
—a man of large proportions and fine phy-
sique. ' Before going to the Chesapeake Mr.
Polhemus usually spent some time in hunting
in the Adirondacks and on his sojourn in the
southern district would spend some time at
Poland Springs, the remainder of the year
being passed at his Brooklyn home.
Mr. Polhemus married Miss Herriman, a
daughter of W. H. Herriman. She survives
him, his death having occurred on the 13th
of February, 1895. They had no children of
their own, but his nephew, John King, was
a member of their household for many years
and came to be regarded in the light of an
adopted son. Their home was noted for its
open-hearted and gracious hospitality, which
Mr. Polhemus also carried with him into his
club life, and which, combined with the many
admirable traits of his character — his sterling
manhood, his progressive ideas, his kindly dis-
position and genial temperament — rendered
him very popular with his friends, who were
numbered by the hundreds.
JAMES A. TAYLOR.
James A. Taylor, deceased, whose career of
intense and well directed activity won him a ,
foremost position in connection with the indus-
trial interests of Brooklyn, was also a repr ■-
sentative of that class of our American citizen-
ship who, while advancing individual prosper-
ity, also enhance the general welfare through
the promotion of movements or the establish-
ment of enterprises having direct bearing upon
The Le^is Ptihlishw*^ Co
WTB^ther. tiY.
J'AMES A, TAYLOR,
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
45
the commercial activity and consequent up-
building of their respective communities. Such
a man was James A. Taylor, and while the de-
velopment of his extensive business chiefly
claimed his attention, he was yet a cooperant
factor in many interests that have contributed
to Brooklyn's progress.
Brooklyn was the city of his birth, his natal
day being March 9, 1834. He was the eldest
of twelve children born unto William and
Maria (Stoddart) Taylor. His father was
born near Manchester, Englatid, in 1812, and
at an early age he was apprenticed to an iron
founder. When but six months of his term
of service had expired, his parents emigrated
to America, leaving him in the hands of a
master who was often very harsh in his treat-
ment of the lad, who, however, worked stead-
ily on for two years, when, unable longer to
endure the longing for family ana kindred, he,
too, crossed the Atlantic. He visited with his
parents in New Jersey for a brief period, and
then completed his trade, after which he was
employed successively as a journeyman in
Brooklyn, New York and Connecticut. His
proficiency secured his appointment to the po-
sition of foreman in Birkbeck's foundry of
Brooklyn, and he- afterward had charge of a
foundry in Connecticut, but laudable ambition
and persistent endeavor took him out of the
ranks of the employed to the position of the
employer, and in March, 1844, he established a
small foundry of his own in the rear of a
dwelling on Gold street, Brooklyn. His work,
carefully and thoroughly done, was its own
recommendation, and his patronage steadily in-
creased, justifying in the following year the
purchase of a lot on Adams street ' and the
erection of a small foundry. His product at
first was casting pillars and railing, but, with
the growth of the business and the enlarge-
ment of the plant from year to year, he began
the manufacture of all kinds of machinery,
especially hydraulic presses for the manufac-
ture of linseed and cotton seed -oil. In the
meantime the growth of the business had led
William Taylor to admit his sons to a part-
nership, and under the name of the Columbia
Iron Works, and the firm style of William
Taylor & Sons, the business was conducted
with ever-increasing success.
William Taylor extended his eflforts to other
fields of labor for both his advancement in
the business world and for the promotion of
enterprises of marked benefit to the city. He
was for some years a director in the Lafayette
Insurance Company, and in June, 1879, was
appointed a trustee of the Brooklyn Bridge,
serving op the finance committee during his
term of office. From a humble beginning he
rose to a position of power and prominence
in business circles of Brooklyn, controlling
an enterprise that brought him wealth, and
throughout his entire career his integrity and
fairness stood as unquestioned facts. His po-
litical support was given the Whig and after-
ward the Republican party, and he belonged
to Christ Episcopal church, of which he was
for many years a vestryman. In April, 1883, he
and his wife celebrated their golden wedding,
and it was six years later when Mr. Taylor's
death occurred. He attained the advanced age
of seventy-seven years, passing away June 17,
1889.
James A. Taylor, having acquired his edu-
cation in Columbia Institute, at that time a
leading school of Brooklyn, entered upon his
business career at the age of sixteen years in
46
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
the establishment and under the direction of
his father, whose practical experience, com-
bined with the son's ready adaptability and
laudable endeavor, soon made the latter very
proficient in the business methods whereby its
financial affairs were controlled. His admis-
sion to a partnership came in July, 1856, when
the firm of Taylor, Campbell & Company was
organized, a relation that was maintained un-
til July, 1861, when Mr. Campbell withdrew,
and later Edwin S. and William J. Taylor,
also sons of William Taylor, Sr., were ad-
mitted. The business began in 1844 grew to
mammoth proportions, and in the course of
years the plant was increased by the erection
of one building after another until the ground
covered comprised thirteen full city lots. The
Columbian Iron Works are the oldest existing
iron manufacturing plant in Brooklyn, and
are second to none in the .extent of output.
One of the specialties of the company's manu-
facture is hydraulic presses of all sorts for the
expression of the oil from cotton seed and
linseed, and another is the building of refrig-
erating machines. The firm of William Tay-
lor & Sons furnished employment to several
hundred workmen and the volume of trade
constantly increased under the careful guidance
of James A. Taylor, who at his father's death
became the head of the enterprise, the scope of
which he extended in keeping with the ad-
vancement continually being made in connec-
tion with the great productive industries of
the country.
The Taylor home, at No. 106 Wilson street,
Brooklyn, became one of the art and musical
as well as social centers of the city. On the
8th of December, 1857, James A. Taylor was
married to Isabel Cross, the second daughter
of the late Hon. John A. Cross. Two years
later they took up their abode in the home
which was. his place of residence until his de-
mise, and which he erected in 1858. When
twenty-five years had passed they celebrated
their silver wedding, December 8, 1882, and it
has since been remembered as one of the dis-
tinct social successes of that year. They be-
came the parents of three daughters and one
son, but the boy died at the age of fourteen
years, and one daughter in early childhood,
so that the living members of the family are
Mrs. Taylor and her daughters, Mrs. John
Kelshaw and Miss Jennie Taylor. The death
of Mr. Taylor occurred August 19, 1903, when
he was in his seventieth year.
"If Mr. Taylor possessed a distinguishing
characteristic," said one who knew him well,
"it is probity. In business and in all the rela-
tions of hfe his conduct was dictated by a pro-
found regard for his own word and the rights
of his fellowmen, and he was honored and re-
spected by all with whom he mingled, socially
and commercially." His interest in matters of
municipal and national concern was such as
every true and intelligent citizen must feel in
the public weal. He voted with the Republi-
can party because of a firm belief in its prin-
ciples as a power for good in governmental
affairs, but he could never be prevailed upon
to become a candidate for political preferment,
save that he was once a member of the Ward
Association of the Nineteenth Ward and acted
as a member of its finance committee. He be-
came a charter member of the Windsor Club
of Brooklyn, which he served as president ;
was one of the original members of the Han-
over Club ; and his long connection with the
Undine Fishing Club gained him the title of
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
47
Commodore, by which name he was well
known among his social acquaintances. A
vestryman of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, his
efforts for its upbuilding were far-reaching,
while his interest in its welfare and various
activities was deep and abiding.
JAMES HOWELL.
In the death of James Howell, ex-mayor of
Srooklyn and late president of the New York
and Brooklyn Bridge, which occurred at his
late residence, 8 South Portland avenue, in
his sixty-eighth year, the borough of Brook-
lyn, New York, has suffered an almost irrep-
arable loss. He was a man of splendid in-
tellectual attainments, nobility of character,
striking personality and would have attained
a large degree of success in any walk of life
he chose to enter. He possessed an indomit-
able will coupled with untiring energy and in-
dustry, threw his whole life and soul into any
plan or enterprise in which he happened to be
engaged, and almost invariably succeeded in
overcoming difficulties that would have driven
to despair a less courageous man.
James Howell was born in Bradford, Wilt-
shire, England, October i6, 1829, and when
six years of age came to the United States
with his parents, who settled in New Lisbon,
Ohio, which was then known as the far west.
His early education was received in the frontier
schools of that state during the short winter
months, and during the summer he cleared
the forests with his axe and worked on his
father's farm. Frequently during the closing
years of his life he referred to those days
spent in Ohio as the happiest he had ever
known. He came to Brooklyn at the age of
sixteen years, and his first business experience
was gained in a grocery store, where he
served as general chore-boy for a short period
of time. This business not proving congenial
to his tastes and inclinations, he abandoned it
and became an apprentice in an iron foundry,
where after serving his time he continued to
work and finally was promoted tO' the posi-
tion of foreman. After serving in this ca-
pacity until 1855, he determined to engage in
business on his own account, and with a capi-
tal of two hundred and twenty-five dollars
which he saved by the strictest economy he
established an iron foundry in his own name.
Out of this small investment has grown the
extensive trade conducted for many years un-
der the name of Howell & Saxton, employ-
ing several hands. For several years past this
foundry has been closed, but although the busi-
ness is still conducted at the Adams street
offices Mr. Howell, for a number of years
prior to his death, was not actively identified
with it.
For many years Mr. Howell was a resi-
dent of the Eleventh ward of Brooklyn, and
in 1864 his public life began with his election
as supervisor of the ward. He was re-elected
for the following term and also served in
the board of aldermen. In 1877 the Demo-
crats considered him the most available candi-
date to reclaim the city from Republican rule,
and he received the nomination as mayor, his
opponent having been John F. Henry, and the
election resulted in the defeat of the Repub-
lican candidate by three thousand majority.
Mayor Howell became an official head of the
municipal government at the time when the
city had not recovered from the financial crisis
48
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
of 1873, ^""i was yet feeling the effects of the
depleted treasury. Retrenchment was made the
watchword of the administration and his re-
ward came in 1879, when he was renominated
and defeated Franklin Woodruff by a major-
ity of twelve thousand. Among the notable
events of Mayor Howell's administration was
the adoption by seventeen of the aldermen
of a resolution granting the elevated
railroad franchise over his veto and in
defiance of an injunction of the supreme
court, for which they, were sentenced to im-
prisonment in the jail. Still another notable
event was the establishment of the office of
the executive of the municipal government at
a private residence ; this happened at a time
when Mayor Howell was sick and the pres-
ident of the board of aldermen, who was act-
ing mayor, attempted to make appointments.
In opposition to the sentiments of many of
his friends, Mayor Howell accepted the nom-
ination for a third term in 1881. The Inde-
pendent Democrats nominated General Slocum
and the Republicans made Seth Low their
candidate ; the campaign was one of the most
exciting in the history of this city, and
through strenuous effort on the part of the
Republicans and the division of the Demo-
cratic forces Seth Low was elected by a ma-
jority of nearly three thousand.
Upon the death of Henry C. Murphy, Mr.
Howell was appointed a bridge trustee in
1883, and when in 1885 James S. T. Strana-
han failed to receive reappointment, he was
made president at a salary of $5,000. He was
deposed from the office of president of the
bridge trustees for one term owing to changes
in the politics of the board, but regained the
office at the next election and held it until the
day of his death. His services as the execu-
tive head of bridge affairs were of great value
to the cities, as ever since the day he assumed
control he was most energetic and industrious
in introducing every possible modern im-
provement on that structure and took an act-
ive and leading part in planning the recent
improvements in the shape of new terminals
and electric motor cars.
Mr. Howell was a member and regular at-
tendant of the Hanson Place Methodist Epis-
copal church, and contributed liberally to the
funds and charities of that organization. He
was also prominent in Masonic circles, and
almost since his first residence here was a
member of three Masonic divisions of this
city. The same zeal and energy that char-
acterized his efforts in every enterprise with
which he was connected were exhibited in
his Masonic career, and io i860 he was made
a master Mason in Joppa Lodge No. 201. In
1863 he was made junior warden, the fol-
lowing year was appointed senior warden,
and from 1865 to 1868 served as master. He
joined Stella Lodge in 1875, but his other
duties prevented him from taking a very act-
ive part in the work. He was exalted a Royal
Arch Mason in Brooklyn Chapter and was cre-
ated and dubbed sir knight in Clinton Com-
mandery No. 14.
For six months prior to his death Mr.
Howell suffered from a complication of dis-
eases, and during the last few weeks of his
life his demise was expected from hour to
hour. For a few days he lay in a semi-
conscious condition, and his death came while
asleep and was entirely free from pain. The
end was anticipated by the attending physi-
cian, Dr. Calvin F. Barber, and the members
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
49
of the family, which inchtded Mrs. Howell,
two daughters and one son, were at his bed-
side when he passed away. The funeral ser-
vices were held in the Hanson Place Meth-
odist Episcopal church of Brooklyn. By
Mayor Wurster's direction fiags were dis-
played at half mast on all the municipal build-
ings as soon as the news of his death reached
the City Hall. At the bridge the news came
as a great shock in spite of the fact that it
was expected ; by order of the bridge trustees
a forty foot flag was displayed at half mast
on top of each of the bridge towers. A por-
trait of the deceased president which hangs in
the offices of the trustees was twined around
with a wreath of smilax, ferns and lilies,
and the chair of the president in which Mr.
Howell sat daily for the many years he was
connected with bridge afifairs was carefully
turned around and left unoccupied during the
day. A special meeting of the bridge trustees
was held in order to take immediate action
upon the death of Mr. Howell, and also to
pass resolutions of sympathy to be extended
to the bereaved family. A special meeting of
the Mechanics' and Traders' Exchange was
held, resolutions of condolence were adopted
and a representative committee appointed to
attend the funeral; Mr. Howell was for many
years a member of the exchange and its pres-
ident for a number of terms. The successor
of Mr. Howell as bridge trustee was appointed
by Mayor Wurster. Mr. Howell was dis-
tmctly a self-made man ; he came to this city
with hardly a dollar to his name and by
energy and industry became the head of the
municipal government besides acquiring a
fortune estimated by his business associates
as over one million dollars.
HENRY R. HAWLEY.
For more than fifty years Henry R. Haw-
ley was a resident of Brooklyn and through
a long period was connected with the Brpok-
lyn City Railroad Company as master me-
chanic. He was born in New York city No-
vember 1 6, 1834, and in early life learned the
machinist trade, in which great department of
industrial activity he won consecutive ad-
vancement through close application and un-
tiring labor. For many years he filled the
position of master mechanic with the Central
Railroad of New Jersey and during sixteen
years of this time made his home at Hampton
Junction, New Jersey. It was subsequent to
that period that he became master mechanic
to the Brooklyn City Railroad Company, a
position which he continued to fill with
marked capability and to the entire satisfac-
tion of the company for a number of years.
He was a member of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers and was deeply inter-
ested in the questions affecting labor and the
welfare of the workingman.
In his political views Mr. Hawley was a
stalwart Republican who kept well informed
on the questions and issues of the day and
exerted considerable influence in local political
circles, being prominent in the first assembly
district organization.
Mr. Hav/ley"s wife survives him. They had
three daughters and two sons, Mrs. Blakely
Marlot, a resident of Warren county. New
Jersey ; Mrs. Eugene Wakeman, who is liv-
ing in Larchmont, New York ; Mrs. Daniel F.
Hill, of Brooklyn; John M. and B. I., who
are connected with the First National Bank
of Manhattan. Henry R. Hawley passed away
so
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
in Brooklyn, in the city wliere lie had so long
made his home and where his sterling traits
of character had endeared him to many with
whom he came in contact; his death was
deeply regretted by many friends.
RICHARD GURNEY.
Richard Gurney, well known in fraternal,
social and church circles in Brooklyn as an
influential citizen well worthy the respect and
esteem so uniformly given him throughout his
extensive circle of acquaintances, was for
forty years a resident of this borough and his
death was the occasion of deep and wide-
spread regret. A native of England, Richard
Gurney was born in the city oi London. Dur-
ing the greater part of his active business ca-
reer he was connected with the lumber trade,
becoming a member of the firm of C. S. Lang-
don & Company, wholesale lumber merchants
at No. 68 Broad street, Manhattan. He won
advancement in mercantile circles through
strong purpose, unfaltering diligence and a
ready recognition of opportunity combined with
a close study of trade conditions and his busi-
ness capacity and executive force were impor-
tant factors in the successful conduct of the in-
terests of the house of which he was so long
a representative. He was also a member of
the Produce and Maritime exchanges, and in
the later served as a director, as vice-pres-
ident and president.
While controlling important business in-
terests Mr. Gurney yet found time for social
enjoyment, and he and his family were promi-
nent in the social circles of Brooklyn. For a
quarter of a century they lived on Park Slope
and were among the most influential people of
that portion of the borough. Mr. Gurney
was one of the earliest members of the Mon-
tauk Club and was a prominent Mason of
Brooklyn, having comprehensive knowledge of
the teachings and tenets of the craft and ex-
emplifying in his life its beneficent spirit. He
filled all of the positions in Montauk Lodge
No. 286, F. & A. M., of which he became a
past master and was a representative to the
grand lodge of Virginia and the grand lodge
of New York. The higher and holier duties
of life as represented by the church also
claimed his attention and he was an active
member and liberal supporter of the Memorial
Presbyterian church.
Mr. and Mrs. Gurney became the parents
of three daughters and three sons. He was
devoted to the welfare of his wife and chil-
dren and he held friendship inviolable. His
genial manner, kindly spirit and deference for
the opinions of others won him warm personal
regard, and the ties of friendship were
strengthened as the years passed.
WILLIAM AUGUSTUS HALL.
William Augustus Hall, long known to rep-
resentatives of shipping interests as a dealer
in ships' supplies in lower Manhattan, was
equally prominent in the borough of Brook-
lyn by reason of his active and helpful con-
nection with public afifairs. He recognized the
possibilities of the city, labored for general
progress and improvement and was a factor
in the material, social and moral welfare of
his borough.
Mr. Hall, a native son of Manhattan, was a
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
51
son of Isaac Hall, who was for many years
a director of the Union Ferry Company, of
Brooklyn and was the founder of the business
afterward carried on by William A. Hall. In
1837 he opened a ship chandlery and supplies
establishment on South street in New York
and subsequently removed to Bxoad street.
There he developed a large commercial en-
terprise, having an extensive and profitable
patronage. In 1858 he established the Bat-
tery Baths, which were successfully conducted
by his son and grandson and which still bear
the family name.
William Augustus Hall became his father's
successor in the ship chandlery and supply
business, also as proprietor of the Battery
Baths and as a director of the Union Ferry
Company. In the first named he had had
thorough instruction under his father's train-
ing and at the time of his father's death con-
tinued the business under the name of Isaac
Hall's Son. His business interests were al-
ways conducted in accordance with the de-
veloping modern ideas of trade and he had
strict regard for the ethics of commercial life.
His religious faith was perhaps one of the
strong elements in molding his successful and
honorable career. He was prominent in the
Brooklyn Tabernacle when Dr. Talmage was
the pastor and held the position of clerk of
the session for many years. He was also
the superintendent of the Sunday school of
that church, was chairman of its music com-
mittee and a teacher of the Young Women's
Bible Class. Later he became a member of
the First Reformed church, in which he was
an elder and a member of the consistory, act-
ing in the latter position until his demise. Mr.
Hall had also long been a member of the New
York Maritime and Produce exchanges. His
public-spirited interest in the welfare and
progress of Brooklyn was frequently manifest
by active personal work in their behalf. He
was- a member of the old Atlantic hose com-
pany. No. I, of the Brooklyn volunteer fire
department, acting in that capacity before the
growth of the city made necessary a paid fire
department. During the draft riots in New
York in 1863 he was called upon to act as fire-
man and as a preserver of the peace as well.
He was one of the earliest members of the
Montauk Club and won some valuable prizes
for bowling.
Mr. Hall became a resident of Brooklyn
in his childhood. He married Miss Abigail T.
Underbill and they were the parents of two
soins, Edward D. and D. Gilbert, who are
his successors in business ; and a daughter,
Florence U. For a long period he was one
of the early settlers of that section of the
borough known as the Park Slope, his being
one of the first residences on Seventh avenue
near Carroll street. His last home was, one
of the first and finest residences built in its
neighborhood. He was a man who endeared
himself to all who knew him by his kindly
judgment, his upright character and his good
will toward those with whom he came in con-
tact. In the business house of which he was
long the head he gained the entire confidence
and good will of those whom he employed,
and in all life's relations was known as a man
whose career was one of signal usefulness and
honor.
JAMES A. W. BELL.
James A. W. Bell, deceased, scholar and
benefactor known in Brooklyn and the east as
S2
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
a book collector for forty years, made his home
on Sand street in Brooklyn. When he took up
his abode there it was in the center of a fash-
ionable district of the city, but in later years- the
wealthier population of Brooklyn removed to
other districts. Mr. Bell, however, refused
steadfastly to leave the old home where all
his active life had been passed, and continued
there in the midst of his library, retaining
a most valuable collection of classics and fine
works of art. He found his greatest pleasure-
among his books and possessed at one time
one of the finest private libraries of the coun-
try. This he gave to the Brooklyn Library —
a gift of ten thousand volumes. He then
began the collection of another library and
had gathered together two thousand classical
works, representing the world's best literature.
He had devoted much of his time for forty
years to the compilation of the index to the
library presented by him to Brooklyn.
Mr. Bell's wife died thirty years prior to
his demise, and all of his children also de-
parted this life ere his death, which occurred
when he was eighty-five years of age. He
was survived by four grandchildren.
JOHN LOUGHRAN.
The sailent features in the life record of
John Loughran combined to form a character
in which were embodied lofty patriotism, un-
blemished business integrity and broad human-
itarian principles. Honored and respected by
all, there was no man who occupied a more
enviable position in financial circles in Brook-
lyn than Mr. Loughran, not alone because of
the brilliant success he achieved' — although
this would entitle him to distinction — ^but also
because of the straightforward business policy
he ever followed. Outside of business circles
his kindly purpose, his many benefactions, his
public-spirited interest in the welfare of his
city and his deference for the opinions of oth-
ers, won him the respect of all and the friend-
ship of many with whom he came in contact.
The influence of such a man upon his age and
community is like the "echo which rolls from
soul to soul and grows forever and forever."
Mr. Loughran was a native of Ireland, born
August 12, 1 82 1, and in his boyhood days
came to America. From that time until his
death he was connected with the business life
of Williamsburg and of New York city. Ow-
ing to the necessity to provide his own live-
lihood, his educational privileges were quite
limited, but the mind of the man developed
with the passing years, and he gained from the
school of experience the lessons which many
college-bred men do not master. He was first
employed in a grocery store owned by John
Tenny, of Williamsburg, who showed appre-
ciation for the elemental traits of his character
— close application, diligence and honesty.
Gradually he was advanced in the business
world, his wages being increased according
to his added responsibilities, and eventually
his own earnings enabled him to become the
proprietor of a grocery store at the corner of
Bedford avenue and Broadway.
In early manhood Mr. Loughran married
Miss Ellen O'Brien, and while he was con-
ducting his store during the period of the Civil
war his wife, at the time of the draft riots in
New York city, carried provisions in Mr.
Loughran's delivery wagon to negro refugees
who were encamped in East New York.
For a short period following the war, Mr.
(S^£f~i^ta^'Z^ciy%^t^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
55
Loughran was engaged in no business, and
then became a partner in the firm of Frazer,
Bell & Loughran, conducting a tin manufac-
turing business at 51 Cliff street, Manhattan.
He represented the house as traveling sales-
man for a time, and then assumed the man-
agement of its affairs from the city office.
His identification with banking interests dates
from 1878, at which time he was elected a
director of the Manufacturers' National Bank,
as a preliminary step toward making him the
managing head of the institution. The affairs
of the bank were at that time in a condition
of doubtful stability, and John M. Furman,
then the president, sought the assistance of a
business man of experience and capacity to
place the bank again upon a sound basis. His
choice fell upon Mr. Loughran, who after a
few months was elected vice-president and be-
came the real manager. In 1884 he became in
name as he had been irt fact before the presi-
dent of the bank, and was retained in that posi-
tion until his death. The institution is a
monument to his business enterprise and fore-
sight, for he succeeded in placing it in a posi-
tion second to none in the city in point of
stability, and surpassed by few in the extent
of business annually transacted over its coun-
ters. An officer of the bank, speaking of Mr.
Loughran's connection with it, said that "one
of the most important elements in his success
was his ability to judge men. He also had
tact and the faculty of selecting for his assis-
tants men who could be relied upon to work
always in harmony for the interests of the in-
stitution." Mr. Loughran was also a trustee
of the Nassau Trust Company, a trustee of
the Kings County Savings Institution, of
which he was one of the incorporators, and a
trustee of the Manhattan Brass Company.
Mr. Loughran was always a man of benevo-
lent spirit, and as he prospered his benefac-
tions grew. No worthy applicant ever ap-
pealed to him in vain for aid, and his hand was
ever down-reaching to assist those who were
endeavoring to rise. He gave freely of his
means to charitable and benevolent institu-
tions, of orphan aslyums and hospitals, and
yet there was no man who gave more un-
ostenatiously nor shunned notoriety in connec-
tion with his benefactiorjs to a greater degree
than Mr. Loughran. He was deeply inter-
ested in the political condition of the country,
both national and local, and, while he sup-
ported the Democratic party where issues were
involved, at local elections he voted indepen-
dently. His views concerning the money stand-
ard of the country, however, caused him to
support McKinley in the presidential elections
of 1896 and 1900.
To those who read between the lines and
judge of his broad nature and kindly spirit, it
is unnecessary to say that his home life was
largely ideal. His wife died seventeen years
before his demise, and his daughter Mary then
assumed the management of the household af-
fairs. There were five children who have
passed away, one having been a priest of the
Roman Catholic church. The surviving chil-
dren are : Daniel J. Loughran, who is the
president of the Kings County Iron Foundry ;
Mary E. Loughran and Mrs. John E. Walsh.
Because of the place which she took in the
household after her mother's death, and be-
cause of a congeniality of tastes and tempera-
ment, the tie between Mr. Loughran and his.
daughter Mary became a most close and ten-
der one. Three years before his demise he
had a fall which injured his shoulder and left
56
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
him in a partially invalid condition, and
through this period and his last illness she was
ever his constant companion, comfort and sol-
ace.
He passed away October 6, 1903. He
seemed to realize that the end was near, and
bade good-bye to his family servants as well
as to his children, and then departed this life
as quietly "as one who wraps the drapery of
his couch about him and lies down to pleasant
dreams." His life span covered eighty-two
years, and was characterized by integrity in
business, loyalty in citizenship, fidelity in
friendship, and faithfulness to every duty.
GEORGE N. BIRDSALL.
George N. Birdsall, deceased, who regarded
a public office as a pubHc trust and proved
most capable and efficient in the discharge of
various public duties, to which he was called,
was also equally well known and prominent
in official circles, being at the time of his death
the treasurer of the Union Dime Savings In-
stitution of Manhattan.
He was born in Brooklyn, Ohio, November
17, 1836, and being left an orphan at an early
age was thus thrown upon his own resources,
winning advancement through persistent labor
and honorable efifort. His ready recognition
of opportunity enabled him to progress when
others faltered. In his youth he removed to
Orange county. New York, and having quali-
fied for educational work engaged in teaching
in the district schools of that locality. A short
time prior to the inauguration of the Civil war
he becam.e a commercial traveler for a house
doing business in the south. When the inter-
nal revenue act was passed, and John Will-
iams was appointed assessor, he selected Mr.
Birdsall as chief clerk and the latter diligently
applied himself to perfecting a systematic ar-
rangement of the business of the office. His
efficiency and reliability were at once recog-
nized and led tq further official advancement.
In 1868, when the supervisors of the internal
revenue ''were appointed, Mr. Birdsall was
chosen to fill a position as chief clerk, in which
capacity he served until the office of supervisor
was abolished. His unremitting attention to
his duties won him the highest commenda-
tion and his integrity in office was above ques-
tion. In 1887 he was solicited to accept a
position in the office of the United States ap-
praiser of customs and became an examiner
in that department, while subsequent promo-
tion made him chief clerk and assistant ap-
praiser. In all his positions he acquitted him-
self with honor, performing his duties with
the same promptness, care and fidelity that
he ever gave to private business interests. He
became known in financial circles as a trustee
of the Union Dime Savings Institution of
Manhattan and acted in that capacity until
1892. In that year, upon the death of Pres-
ident Chapin, Colonel Charles Sprague was
elected to fill the vacancy and Mr. Birdsall was
chosen as the successor of Mr. Sprague in the
othce of treasurer. He acted in that capacity
up to the time of his death and proved a most
courteous and reliable official, his previous
training in government positions having well
qualified him for the duties that devolved upon
him in connection with the bank. He was a
man of keen business discernment and formed
his plans readily and was determined in their
execution, and at all . times his business life
History of long island.
57
was actuated by high and honorable principles
and by close conformity to the highest ethics
of the business world.
Mr. Birdsall married Miss Emily D. Baker,
who with their four children survives him,
1 ticy had three daughters and one son : Ara-
bella R., Henry Baker, Caroline Romer and
Sarah Josephine.
In community affairs Mr. Birdsall took a
deep and active interest, and his patriotism
and public spirit stood as salient characteris-
tics of his career. He belonged to the Lin- '
coin and Union League clubs of Brooklyn, and
was the champion of many meaures which
promoted local progress and substantial im-
provement. The true spirit of Christianity
dominated his life and guided his actions in
the business and social world. In his family
he was a devoted husband and father, and
he held friendship inviolable. Perhaps no bet-
ter estimate of his character can be given than
in the words of Silas B. Dutcher, under whom
he served for many years as a government
employe and in a confidential capacity. Mr.
Dutcher said of him : "Every public service
to which he has been called has been to him
a business employment and he has discharged
the duties to the satisfaction of all interested.
His life exhibits a union of public and pri-
vate service, which is the exemplification of
creditable citizenship."
ROBERT WHITE.
Robert White, for many years one of the
oldest and best known engineers of the port
of New York, and the founder of the Robert
White Engineering Works of Brooklyn, New
York, died at his late residence, 609 Sixth
street, Brooklyn, August 18, 1902, after a lin-
gering illness of over three months' duration.
He was held in high estimation in commercial
and social circles as a progressive citizen, and
also for his fine personal qualities which en-
deared him to all with whom he was brought
in close contact.
Robert White was born in Glasgow, Scot-
land, May 6, 1843. After completing his liter-
ary education in the schools of Glasgow and
Edinburg he studied mechanical engineering
and draughting in the latter named city, re-
ceiving his diploma in the year 1862. Subse-
quently he emigrated to the United States
and located in Jersey City, New Jersey, was
employed m a machine works for three years,
and at the expiration of this period of time
removed to Brooklyn, New York. He at once
established an engineering business at the foot
of Smith street, in 1874, and at the time of his
death had just begun the erection of the hand-
some plant now occupied by the firm at the
corner of Columbia, Hicks and Sigourney
streets, Brooklyn, New York. He formerly
manufactured pumps, but later fitted up a
steamship yard, where they manufactured the
Robert White Patent Boilers and built steam-
ships complete; just before his death he sold
one of his completely fitted ships with his
boilers to the Hamburg-American Line, and
it is now in commission. He was also the
builder of the following named steam tugs :
Robert White, Agnes White, White & Price
and Kate Buckley. The business was one of
the most extensive and successful enterprises
in the borough, ■ and is now conducted by his
sons under the same honorable and straight-
forward management as heretofore. Mr.
58
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
White was one of the old members of the
Amalgamated Society of Engineers, of which
his father was one of the founders, an active
and honorary member of several trade and
benevolent societies, a member of the Mari-
time Association of the Port of New York,
a member of the Masonic fraternity, a mem-
ber of several boat clubs, and at one time
rowed stroke in the old Harlem Boat Club
crew. He was a consistent member of the
Presbyterian church, and being of a domestic
disposition was extremely devoted to his home
and family.
January 7, 1862, Mr. White married Agnes
Haddow, daughter of Thomas Haddow, an
engineer of Glasgow all his life, founder of
the Amalgamated Society of Engineers and
the secretary of the same for forty-nine years.
Mrs. White was one of seven children, two
of her brothers having followed the same oc-
cupation as their father, that of engineering.
William was educated and received his de-
grees in Edinburg, and later became a cele-
brated engineer in London, England; Archi-
bald, a noted engineer, located in Alexandria,
Africa. The following named children were
born to Mr. and Mrs. White : i. Robert W.,
deceased. 2. Thomas H., who is the active
head and general manager of the extensive
business established by his father; he mar-
ried Emily Anderson, and they are the parents
of three children. 3. John H., who married
Miss Donovan. 4. Lilly H. K., who resides
at home. 5. Archibald H. K., a student.
The death of Mr. White occurred in the fifty-
ninth year of his age, and he was survived by
his wife, daughter and three sons. The fun-
eral services were conducted at his late resi-
dence in Brooklyn, New York, August 21,
1902.
ROBERT P. LETHBRIDGE.
Robert P. Lethbridge, for more than a third
of a century past prominently connected with
fire and marine insurance interests in New
York and Brooklyn, and active in various
community affairs, is a native of England,
born in London, September 26, 1845.
He is thoroughly American in all save the
accident of birth, having been brought to the
United States by his parents at the tender age
of four years. He was educated in the public
schools of Brooklyn, and at the age of fifteen
entered the hardware house of Marsh
Brothers & Company, in the capacity of clerk.
He had barely passed a year in this employ-
ment when the Civil war broke out, and he
entered the service of his country as an orig-
inal member of Colonel (afterward General)
J. V. Meserole's Forty-seventh Regiment,
New York Volunteers, at its organization, in
March, 1862. With this command, Mr. Leth-
bridge performed the full measure of soldierly
duty, serving in various important campaigns
and expeditions. Within two months after its
muster into service, the regiment was called
to the defense of the. national capital, and man-
ned the fortifications and held the picket lines
at Alexandria, Fairfax Court House, and
other points in front of- Washington. The
regiment bore a useful part in the suppression
of the draft riots in New York city, after-
ward garrisoned Fort McHenry, in Balti-
more harbor, and held itself under arms to
proceed to Pennsylvania at the time of the
invasion by General Lee, but was not called
out. Mr. Lethbridge has always cherished a
laudable pride in his old regiment, and a real
affection for its members, and he was one
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
59
of the most active in the formation of its Vet-
eran Association, of which he was president
in 1891.
After leaving the army Mr. Lethbridge was
for some time in the employ of A. T. Stewart
& Company, in New York. In 1867 he en-
gaged in the fire and marine insurance busi-
ness in the same city, also maintaining a
branch office in Brooklyn. In 1885 he be-
came associated with W. H. Davidge, in the
insurance firm of Lethbridge & Davidge,
which has enjoyed a prosperous career to the
present time. Mr. Lethl;)ridge has also given
attention to other commercial and financial en-
terprises, and has been a member of the New
York Produce Exchange during almost the
entire period of his business life. He is a di-
rector of the Nassau Trust Company, and
of the Kings County Building and Loan Asso-
ciation, and a trustee and treasurer of the
Brooklyn Throat Hospital. He is a past mas-
ter of Hyatt Lodge, F. and A. M., a mem-
ber of Abel Smith Post, Grand Army of the
Republic ; and was one of the organizers of
the Hanover Club. He is a Congregationalist
in religion, a member and trustee of the Lee
Avenue church. In politics he is a staunch
Republican, a member of the Ninteenth Ward
Association.
Mr. Lethbridge was married, December 11,
1878, to Miss Mae J. Levering, of Exeter,
New Hampshire, and to them were -born three
children — a son, who is deceased, and two
daughters, who are living. The family resi-
dence is at 157 Keap street.
ARTHUR McGERALD.
Arthur McGerald, who had a wide and fa-
vorable acquaintance in Catholic circles in
Brooklyn because of his activity in and gen-
erous support of the work of the church and
who at the time of his death was the oldest
carriage manufacturer of Manhattan, was
borp in Ireland in 183 1 and died in Brooklyn
on the 2ist of December, 1903, when seventy-
two years of age. He was editcated in his
native land, where he spent the first twenty
years of his life, after which he sought a home
in the new world. He desired to enter the
business circles of this country with its more
progressive methods, livelier competition and
advancement more quickly secured, and he
found the opportunity he sought in the free-
dom and appreciation of the western world.
Upon his arrival here he was apprenticed to
the carriage manufacturing firm of Minor &
Shiphaus, of Manhattan, and when thorough
preliminary training and experience had made
him c|ualified in his line he began business on
his own account as the junior member of the
firm of Frey & McGerald at No. 297 East
Broadway. Following the death of his part-
ner Mr. McGerald . removed his business to
No'. 216 West Fiftieth street, Manhattan,
where for many years he was engaged in the
building of ambulances for New York hos-
pitals. His long connection with carriage
manufacturing" made him the veteran repre-
sentative of that industry in New York, and
his expanding business brought him the pros-
perity which is the goal of all efifort in indus-
trial, commercial and professional circles.
In early manhood Arthur McGerald was
married and entered upon a most congenial
home relationship, which was terminated by
the death of the wife about 1898. Her loss
vvfas a shock to Mr. McGerald, from which he
never recovered. His daughter, Mrs. Annie
60
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Scott, afterward managed the household for
him, and the other children of the family are
Mrs. Tillie Rowland, of Manhattan, and two
sons, James and Arthur McGerald. For more
than thirty years the family home was main-
tained at No. 336 Berry street, in the eastern
district of Brooklyn, in which section of the
city Mr. McGerald became very widely
known. He was one of the pioneer members
of the Roman Catholic church of SS. Peter and
Paul on Wythe avenue, and for more than
twenty years served as treasurer of the Em-
erald Association. He was also president of
the Holy Name Society of his church and was
identified with other Catholic organizations,
including the Veterans' Association of Brook-
lyn and Washington Council, Knights of Co ■
lumbus.
JOHN HILLS.
John Hills, deceased, was for many years a
leader in commercial ' affairs in New York.
He was a man admired by his business asso-
ciates, and held in warm affection by a large
circle of friends, both for his personal char-
acter and his broad philanthropy.
His ancestry has been traced to the county
of Essex, England, the founder of the Amer-
ican branch of the family having come tO' this
country about 1638. From him was descend-
ed John Hills' father, Samuel Hills, who was
born in Surry, New Hampshire, and married
(first) Miss Clarissa Dunn, one of the Amos
Lawrence family of Boston, Massachusetts,
and afterward Miss Elizabeth Hyde, of
Brookline, Massachusetts.
A few years before his death, which oc-
curred when he was at the venerable age of
ninety-two, Samuel Hills and his wife, who
had always been active members of the Bap-
tist Church, built a chapel in Framinghara,
Massachusetts, where they had resided for
many years.
John Hills, the youngest of a family of
eight children, son of Samuel and Qarissa
(Dunn) Hills, was born January 8, 1846, in
Brookline, Massachusetts. He prepared for
Harvard University, but at the age of eigh-
teen, having decided in favor of a mercantile
life, came to New York, where he was first
employed by the New York Belting Company,
and later as bookkeeper by Maxwell & Com-
pany, fruit dealers.
After a few years he entered upon a career
of his own, in which he was destined to achieve
a gratifying success. In 1871, at the age of
twenty-five, Mr. Hills and his brother Will-
iam formed the firm of Hills Brothers and be-
gan a foreign fruit and nut bvisiness. Out of
this grew the extensive and important house
of the Hills Brothers Company, incorporated,
in its line of trade the largest in the United
States, if not in the world. The brothers en-
tered upon their undertaking entirely depen-
dent upon their own resources, and the com-
pany with which Mr. Hills' name is indis-
solubly connected is to be regarded in a large
measure as a monument to his unusual ability,
industry and integrity.
His father, although in prosperous circum-
stances, held to the belief that young men
should early learn the lesson of self-reliance,
and withheld from his sons financial aid un-
til they had attained a position of indepen-
dence ; a crucial test of character which stimu-
lated Mr. Hills" powers to their utmost. Pro-
gressive and determined, his innovations in
.i:;^^^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
63
business methods and in all fields of activity
kept him ever in the forefront. He extended
his operations constantly, discerning oppor-
tunity with a foresight which seemed intuitive,
deeming no undertaking too stupendous, nor
any obstacle beyond his ability to surmount.
He was noted, too, for the philosophical way
in which he neither mourned his losses, nor
boasted of his triumphs. In his business re-
lations in a field where so many enmities are
made, Mr. Hills won through his absolute in-
tegrity the utmost confidence of those with
whom he had dealings, not only among men
whose interests were the same as his own, but
among his competitors as well, in spite of the
fact that his competition was masterful and
aggressive. Despising poor work, and abhor-
ring slipshod methods, he was nevertheless of
generous spirit,, and even his rebuke bore with
it an encouragement to better things. A man
of marked individuaHty, he was ever pre-
pared to assert himself and to urge his views
with a peculiar forcefulness which attested his
sincerity. Yet he was tolerant of the opinions
of others, and willing to concede much where
no principle of conduct was involved. His
prescience was extraordinary, and he was
remarkable for the accuracy of his plans, and
his ability for organization and direction. So
well balanced was he in character and tem-
perament, that his personal and business life
cannot be disassociated. He was in one what
he was in the other — natural and truly manly.
He was warm in his sympathy for his fellows,
and his assistance, in council and means, went
ungrudgingly to many who experienced mis-
fortune. Upon such his benefactions were be-
stowed freely and so devoid of ostentation was
he that his gifts went unheralded save by the
objects of his bounty.
With the exception of one year, Mr. Hills
was trustee in the Marcy Avenue Baptist
Church from the time of its organization, al-
though steadfastly advocating rotation in
office, not from a desire to shirk responsibility,
but with the conviction that new instruments
from time to time would prove helpful. He
believed, too, in a church where all seats
should be absolutely free and expenses paid
by voluntary contributions. To this end he
took special interest in the erection of the pres-
ent church edifice. Mr. Hills found his relief
from business cares almost entirely in the hap-
piness of his home life. He was a great
reader, especially of history, and many of his
happiest evenings were spent in his library.
He was married March 21, 1872, to Miss
Anna L., daughter of William and Ann E.
(Phipps) Hastings, of Framingham, Massa-
chusetts, whose ancestry has been traced back
to the time of William the Conc|ueror on the
one side, and to the brother of Sir William
Phipps on the other. Four children were
born to them : Eva Louise, John Stuart, Ger-
trude, and Helen Margaret. All but Ger-
trude are still living.
Close attention to business for successive
years brought im|5aired health and made nec-
essary extensive travel for recuperation. His
death occurred January 12, 1902.
"Servant of God, well done.
They serve Him well who serve His creatures.
For good is not a shapely mass of stone.
Hewn by man's hand and worked by him alone ;
It is a seeti, God suffers one to sow,
Others to reap, and when the harvests grow.
He giveth increase through all coming years,
And lets men reap in joy seed that was sown in
tears.''
64
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
CHARLES FROEB.
Charles Froeb, of Brooklyn, a fine type of
the German- American, who, by intelligent and
well directed effort has come to a prominent
place in commercial and financial affairs and
widely influential in community affairs, was
born at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, No-
vember 27, 1857.
He came to the United States with his par-
ents at the early age of eleven years, and,
while he was well grounded in eiementary
education through his attendance upon school
in his native city, yet his rearing was essen-
tially American, and particularly along the
lines which led to a business career. For
three years after his coming he was a student
in the public and night schools of Brooklyn.
At the age of fourteen, he became a wage
earner, and he so husbanded his resources
that in 1883, at the age of twenty-six, he was
in possession of sufficient means and had ac-
quired sufficient knowledge of business affairs
to justify him in engaging in an enterprise
of his own. He began in a modest way in a
small frame structure at the corner of Hop-
kins street and Tompkins avenue, as a whole-
sale wine and liquor merchant. He pros-
pered from the beginning, and in time built
upon the site a large brick edifice, the main
building being fifty by one hundred feet, four
stories high, with a three-story addition
twenty-five by sixty-five feet, in which he has
conducted a constantly expanding business to
the present time. During these years he has
also acquired other valuable property, the re-
sults of judicious investments made from time
to time as he could spare means from the large
commercial enterprise which he had built up.
Recognized as a master mind in business af-
fairs, he stands high not alone in point of
ability but of sterling integrity. He is one of
the principal owners and a trustee of the
German Savings Bank of Brooklyn, one of the
soundest and most successful banking estab-
lishments in the city, transacting a business of
a half million dollars annually, and he is also
a director in the Manufacturers' National
Bank.
Mr. Froeb is a leader in various leading
social organizations, the most prominent be-
ing the Arion Society, of which he was presi-
dent for three years, and in which he is a
trustee at the present time. In politics he is a
Democrat.
Mr. Froeb m_arried Miss Alena Kirchnevel,
and to them were born four sons — August,
Charles, Frank and Herman. All were liberal-
ly educated at the excellent Polytechnic Insti-
tute. The eldest son, August, is now associ-
ated in business with his father. The family
reside in a beautiful home at 671 Lafay-
ette Avenue, built by Mr. Froeb, who also
maintains an elegant country place at Sheeps-
head Bay. All the members of the family are
highly regarded by a large circle of friends,
and their home is one of delightful hospital-
ity.
AZEL DENNIS MATTHEWS.
In the death of Mr. Azel Dennis Matthews,
who passed away at the venerable age of nine-
ty-one years, Brooklyn witnessed the depar-
ture of one who stood alone in phenomenal
length of active life in its mercantile and mu-
nicipal concerns. He had been identified with
the city for the long period of sixty-one years,
and his career was of remarkable usefulness
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
65
. and interest, covering, as jt did, the entire
modern history of the place. He was here
before its real development had a beginning,
and he bore an active part in many of the
movements which contributed to the welfare
of the old city, or, rather, village. To the last
his retentive mind kept fresh his knowledge of
the former days, and he never wearied in rem-
iniscences of them — in dwelling upon the
character of the men in commercial, church
and social life, who aided in building up a
community to the immense population of near-
ly a million and a quarter souls. Yet this
was what he lived to see, and he was ever
proud to assert that the growth of the city had
only kept pace with his behef in its great fu-
ture. His modesty would not, however, per-
mit him to claim, what was true, that as mer-
chant, friend of education, and humanitarian,
no one had borne a nobler part in the work,
nor that he had long stood practically alone
to represent the earnest workers of bygone
years. The magnitude of the development
may be discerned in a few suggestive facts.
At his coming, a youth of nineteen and a
wage-earner, the census had just been taken,
and showed the population to be 24,529. This
was of Brooklyn proper, exclusive of Will-
iamsburg, and other country towns which
were not united to Brooklyn until later. Much
of the city, as it then was, was sparsely settled,
and considerable of the territory lay in field
and meadow. Such residential streets as
Montague, Pierrepont, and others, on the
Heights, were marked with many vacant lots.
Such was Brooklyn when Mr. Matthews
came. Born in Hinsdale, Massachusetts,
April 29, 1809, he entered upon life with mea-
ger educational preparation. His father was^^
an invalid who, fearing that the boy might
soon be left parentless and dependent upon his
own effort, took him at the age of fourteen to
find for him a kind employer and a home.
The pair traveled by horseback across the
mountains to Conway, Massachusetts, where
the lad, then fourteen years old, was placed
with a farmer with whom he remained for
five years. His days were passed in farm
labor, and he gave his evenings to study. Not
stinting his effort, he was, however, laudably
ambitious, and possessed an ambition which
pointed him to a larger place in life. At the
age of nineteen, with an excellent, letter of
recommendation from the farmer, he embraced
an opportunity to find a new field for his ef-
fort. This was to assist a lame drover to drive
a flock of sheep to Boston. Not finding per-'
manent employment in that city, young Mat-
thews concluded to go on to Brooklyn, where
lived a half-sister, and took passage on a
schooner. Arrived at his destination, he
sought a home with his relatives, the Bird-
sails, who then lived in Poplar street, and
with whom he remained until he married.
For a time he was unsuccessful in his search
for employm<^nt, and was well-nigh discour-
aged when hg obtained a situation with Van
Nostrand & Tolford, who conducted a large
tannery. He remained in their employ for
nine years, when the firm failed during a time
of financial panic. He had been economical
and saving, and was now owner of about five
hundred dollars, and with this sum he went
to Sullivan county and undertook the building
of a tannery, but the enterprise was not car-
ried to completion. Returning to Brooklyn
(in 1837), he established at No. 93 Main
street the business with which his name was
66
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
first connected in Brooklyn, the precursor of
the present mammoth mercantile establish-
ment. After a time, however, ill health
obliged him tO' relinquish his undertaking, and
he returned to Conway, Massachusetts. His
recuperation was speedy, and he again re-
paired to Brooklyn and resumed business at
what was then No. no Myrtle street. As his
business grew he came to have three or four
clerks in his employ, but probably did not
dream of a day when this number would be
increased to about one thousand.
In the early days of his mercantile career
the dry-goods center of the city was in Main
street, below Prospect street, and Fulton
street, as a shopping district, was of secondary
iriiportance. Somewhat later, as population
increased, business expanded, and the dry-
goods merchants determined tO' move farther
up town, selecting what was known as Fulton
Street Square, the block between Sands and
Prospect streets, where nearly all the leading
dry-goods men of the day located. From the
Square the trade took itself to the two blocks
on Fulton street between Concord and John-
son streets, and thence the up-town movement
continued to Fulton street, , above the city hall.
Mr. Matthews was the pioneer in this move-
ment to upper Fulton street. Recognizing the
fact that Brooklyn must certainly grow, and
that the dry-goods business must needs soon
find a more central location, in the year 1862
he rented a store on the eastern corner of
Fulton street, the rooms overhead hiing then
occupied by the Young Men's Christian Asso-
' elation, then in its infancy. Shortly afterward
Mr. Matthews found that the rapid develop-
ment of the city necessitated another change,
and he removed to the site of the present A.
D. Matthews & Company establishment. Ad-
ditions were made to the building from time
to time, until it extended to the corner of
Gallatin Place and through to Livingston
street, and subsequently the adjoining prop-
erty toward Smith street was secured, the
building in the rear was torn down, and was
replaced with a substantially constructed five-
story edifice. Mr. Matthews arranged the
fifth floor with special regard for the comfort
of his employees (nearly one thousand in
number), whom he was pleased to regard as a
business family of his own, and he also fitted
up the annex with apartments where they
might lunch and pass their spare hours.
When Mr. Matthews entered upon his mer-
cantile career, a department store yuch as
now known was not in existence, the mer-
chants dealing in what were termed "straight
line goods." With characteristic foresight,
and appreciating the opportunity if not the
early necessity for variety in stock, he ex-
tended his operations to include many classes
of goods which he believed would merit the
attention of his customers, and the various
fields which he opened were broadened and
multiplied to their present great dimensions.
He never lost sight of what he conceived to
be a fact — that Brooklyn could be made the
real shopping district for residents of Brook-
lyn, thus taking issue with the greater part
of the business conmiunity, which did not be-
lieve that their custom could be diverted from
the emporiums of Manhattan. It was not
long before his prescience found abundant
vindication, and he came to be regarded as
the creator of a distinctly new mercantile pol-
icy which had become a fully established
system.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
67.
From the time of his coming to Brooklyn,
Mr. Matthews took a deep interest in the re-
ligious concerns of the commtmity. For the
first five years he was connected with the
Presbyterian church on Cranberry street.
Having formed a close friendship with the
Rev. Dr. Mcllvaine, afterward Protestant
Episcopal bishop of Ohio, he identified himself
with St. Ann's church, of which that eminent
clergyman was then rector, and served suc-
cessively as music conductor and Sunday-
school superintendent, and also as vestryman.
Following the upward march of the street, in
1872 he transferred his membership to St.
Peter's church, and at a later day to the
Church of the Messiah. When his children
had grown up and were rearing families of
their own, they connected themselves with the
Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian church, and on
that account, and because of the nearness of
the church to his residence, he chose that as
his place of worship, also participating in
some of the more important church .meetings,
a privilege he was quick to avail himself of,
out of zealous interest in the work itself, and
an affectionate regar'd for the ministers, the
Rev. Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler, and his suc-
cessor, the Rev. Dr. David Gregg.
One of the. characteristically beautiful traits
of Mr. Matthew's character was his deep in-
terest .in Sunday-school work. He early be-
came identified with the Brooklyn Sunday
School Union, with which he maintained his
connection throughout his life. Fie was its
manager at its organization and for some
years thereafter, was long its vice president,
and its great and useful work was accom-
plished in large degree through his adminis-
tration of its affairs. In this connection it is
pleasant to refer to a touching incident which
marked the closing days of Mr. Matthews'
life — the tribute paid to him on Anniversary
day, Friday, May 26, 1901, when the children
of the Baptist Temple Sunday School passed
his home in South Portland avenue. The
nouogenarian merchant and Sunday-school
worker sat at his window and watched the
children with evident delight, and as they
hailed him by doffing their caps or waving
their handkerchiefs, he answered by tossing
flowers to them.
Another phase of Christian work which en-
listed his deep interest during- his later years
was the Italian Mission which was formed
at 29 Fulton street. He was an active co-la-
borer with Mr. Moore, Miss Halliday, Mi,ss
Matthews and other local philanthropists. He
was also actively identified with the Ameri-
can Tract Society and the Brooklyn City Mis-
sion Tract Society.
Mr. Matthews had seven children : Mrs.
Frank Bond, Mrs. James Lane, Mrs. Ruth
Forman, James Matthews, Gardiner D. Mat-
thews, Mrs. J. W. Smith, and Miss Lizzie C.
Matthews. The two sons received their busi-
ness training in the establishment founded
by their father, and in 1879 they were taken
into partnership in the firm of A. D. Matthews
& Sons, and they are now the managers of
the business.
The last years of his life found Mr. Mat-
thews, notwithstanding his remarkable age, in
full possession of his faculties, and he kept
himself well informed on current events and
with the progress of the times. He took a
keen delight in meeting children, for whom
he always held the warmest affection. In
the family circle he looked forward with in-
68
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
tense pleasure from year to year to the an-
nual reunions, in which for some years four
generations participated. On the occasion of
his ninetieth birthday, April 29, 1899, there
were present thirty-nine members of the fam-
ily — father, sons and daughters, grandchil-
dren and great-grandchildren. There were
two empty chairs, those of the wife of Mr.
Matthews and of a son-in-law, and over these
were portraits of the loved and lost. The
following year, on the occasion of the ninety-
first birthday anniversary of Mr. Matthews,
the employees of A. D. Matthews & Sons dis-
played his portrait in a conspicuous place in
the store, decorated it with flowers, and af-
fixed to it the following :
. "The employees of A. D. Matthews & Sons
take this opportunity to^ express their sincere
regai-d and esteem by decorating this portrait
of the senior member of the firm, on the nine-
ty-first anniversary of his birth, and all join
in wishing him many happy returns of the
day."
In June following, Mr. Matthews set out
for his birthplace, Hinsdale, Massachusetts,
where he was to pass the summer. He was
accompanied by his daughter. Miss Lizzie C.
Matthews. Before their going a pleasant
family reunion had been held at the residence
of Mr. Matthews in Brooklyn. The vener-
able gentleman was in excellent health and
spirits, and his family and friends congratu-
lated him upon his complete recovery from
an illness of a year before. On their journey
Mr. and Miss Matthews stopped at Pittsfield,
Massachusetts, to await the making ready of
his old home for his occupancy. Ten days
later, on June i8th, the aged man was stricken
with apoplexy. The family at Brooklyn were
immediately apprised, but before an answer
could be returned Mr. Matthews had passed
away, quietly and peacefully, "as if just go-
ing to sleep," as the mourning daughter ex-
pressed it in her message home.
The funeral services were held in the Lafay-
ette Avenue Presbyterian church, Brooklyn,
the Rev. Dr. Cuyler and the Rev. Dr. Gregg
ofliciating, in the presence of a large and deep-
ly affected concourse of relatives and friends.
The tributes to the worth of the lamented
dead were eloquent in their truthfulness. The
life of RTr. Matthews had been one of remark-
able activity, usefulness and beauty. In all
his effort he had held himself near to his fel-
lows, and particularly so to those who were
in his employ, using his talents and means
as though they were committed to him for
the sake and benefit of others. In all the
fierce competition of trade he kept his name
unsullied, nor was ever an act ascribed to
him which was not becoming to the Christian
gentleman. In his family circle his presence
was ineffably sweet :
■'Age sat with decent grace upon his visage.
And worthily became his silver locks ;
He bore the marks of many years well spent,
Of virtuous truth well tried, and wise ex-
perience.
GAYTON BALLARD.
Gayton Ballard, whose salient characteristics
of unwearied industry and keen intellectual
discernment made him a strong factor in manu-
facturing circles, into which channel he di-
rected his activities, was also notable for his
efiforts along lines which though less tangible
are none the less effective as moving forces in
C/, (^ £.cJ.^,,.^^u-^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
71
the world. He was a student of the great eco-
nomic and sociological problems of the age,
and through the avenue of busniess, as well
as through his individual efforts, was con-
stantly striving to introduce conditions which
would render occupation pleasant and profit-
able to employe and employer alike. The
higher interests, those which touch the moral
nature of man, elicited his co-operation. By
his usefulness and general benevolence he
created a memory whose perpetuation does not
depend upon brick or stone, but upon the
spontaneous and free-will offering of a grateful
and enlightened people.
A resident of Brooklyn during the last twen-
ty-five years of his life, Gayton Ballard was
born in Andover, Massachusetts, July 8, 1821.
He passed his youth amid the scenes and sur-
roundings of his ancestral home, where the
family had been represented from the earliest
settlement of the locality. Through genera-
tions -his family displayed a rare aptitude for
organization and direction of large affairs
which found full scope in the field of manu-
facturing enterprise. They were among the
first "captains of industry" of New England,
and in the path they marked out followed the
trend which led to the marvelous concerns that
now supply to America so much of her manu-
factured product. Gayton Ballard cast his
lines of life in harmony with the family record.
In early life he attended the public schools,
and when still but a young man went to Hook-
sett, New Hampshire, where he entered upon
his manufacturing career as an employe in the
Amoskeag mills, where his brother, Stephen,
was a superintendent. He located there in
1846, and after four years removed to South-
bridge, Massachusetts, in 1850 to serve under
his brother Joshua, who was agent for the
Hamilton Woolen Company. His practical
knowledge and the value of his services were
at once recognized, and he was prevailed upon
to remain and superintend the carding. After
five years in that position he formed a part-
nership with Adolphus Merriam, and began
the manufacture of cloth at Westville, thus
establishing an enterprise which proved a prof-
itable venture. In 1865 he returned to Globe
Village, and two years later succeeded his
brother Joshua as agent for the Hamilton
Woolen Company, his brother having been
elected treasurer of the company, with offices
in Boston. Mr. Ballard at first would not con-
sider the offer of the agency, but finally was
prevailed upon to take charge until such time
as the company could get another man. The
company, however, did- not make haste to
choose his successor, realizing full well the
value of his service, and he continued in the
position for thirteen years, when his health
failed him and'he insisted on relinquishing the
exacting duties that devolved upon him. The
regret of the company at the loss of so faith-
ful an agent was attested by its refusal for a
year to accept his resignation, and by a gift
of several thousand dollars when his health
compelled him to insist upon giving up his
place. A contemporary biographer, in speak-
ing of his life and work at Southbridge, said :
"He was a man who could put himself in the
other man'sa-jjlace. Arbiter in a sense of the
fortunes of the great number of people em-
ployed by the corporation, they all felt that
while he was bound to promote (as he always
did promote) the company's interests, he was
equally bound to look out for the welfare of
every man, woman and child connected with
72
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
his little industrial world. * * * He was
closely associated with the communal life and
higher interests of the town. The Evangelical
Free Church, which he had assisted in found-
ing in 1854 upon its broadly inclusive basis,
always felt his inspiring and helpful touch.
He was largely instrumental in influencing the
Hamilton Woolen Company to build for the
church its beautiful house of worship and to
contribute generously to its support through
all the ensuing years." He also induced the
company in other ways to promote the welfare
and improvement of the town, and he himself
was a cooperant factor in every movement
which he believed would contribute to the gen-
eral welfare.
Mr. Ballard's health greatly improved dur-
ing the period of rest which he enjoyed fol-
lowing the severance of his connection with the
Hamilton Woolen Company, and soon after
leaving Southbridge, Massachusetts, he came
to Brooklyn, New York, where his brother,
Stephen Ballard, was engaged in the manufac-
ture of mouldings, cabinets, etc., under the firm
name of the White, Potter & Paige Company.
Indolence and idleness being utterly foreign
,to the nature of Mr. Ballard, he decided to
join his brother in business, and was soon chos-
en to the presidency of the company. His
influence, his modern business ideas and prac-
tical methods were soon felt. Bringing to the
concern his strong business acumen and en-
ergy, he soon made it one of the largest and
most successful enterprises of the kind in the
country. One of the evidences of his sagac-
ity was seen in his ability to judge of men
and see in them capacities which he would
draw out and, direct into productive channels.
He sought some of his helpers among those
whom he had known in a business way in
Southbridge, and the present treasurer and su-
perintendent of the company are men who en-
tered his employ in humble capacities.
Mr. Ballard was always interested in ja3ung
men, and took great delight in extending to
them a helping hand when they had proven
that they were willing to help themselves. His
sympathies were always with those who de-
sired improvement and advancement, and it is
said that many young people owe their educa-
tion to his thoughtful generosity. He was al-
ways most unostentatious in his manner of
rendering assistance, and desired that his good
works (and they were many) should not be
seen and praised of men. Oftentimes the re-
cipients of his bounty and his kindness were
unaware to whom they were indebted, and
a frequently employed method of assisting
others was the institution of improved condi-
tions in the factories with which he was con-
nected. He always retained his membership in
the Evangelical Free Church of Southbridge,
Massachusetts, but after removing to Brook-
lyn attended services at Plymouth Church, un-
der the successive pastorates of Henry Ward
Beecher, Lyman Abbott and Newell Dwight
HilHs.
Mr. Ballard was married September 28,
1846, to Miss Sybil Brown Abbott, of Bethel,
Maine, who died in 1886. He afterward
married Miss Sarah Louise Fiske, a daugh-
ter of Henry Fiske, of Southbridge, Massa-
chusetts. He lost his only son, Arthur,
who at the time of his death, which resulted
from an accident, was a student in Phillips
Academy, at Andover, Massachusetts. His
daughter is Mrs. John A. Ellis, whose husband
was associated with her father in his manufac-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
73
turing interests in Brooklyn. Devoted to his
family, his life was always one of continuous
giving. He bestowed a wealth of affection up-
on his family, of friendship upon his social
acquaintances, of sympathy upon the distressed
or the needy; while to his church and many
benefactions he gave most generously, and ac-
cordingly as he prospered in the business
world did he assist others.
He died at his home in Brooklyn, January
28, 1904, in the eighty-third year of his age,
and his remains were laid to rest where sleep
his ancestors in the Andover cemetery.
JAMES GILDERSLEEVE.
James Gildersleeve, who at the time of his
death was one of the oldest representatives
of the postal service in Brooklyn and who
in his younger years was closely identified
with various movements for the development
and progress of the borough, was born in
Brooklyn, November 19, 1826. He was one
of two letter carriers appointed in 1845
and was thus a veteran in the service, con-
tinuing in active connection with the post-
office department; of Brooklyn up to the time
of his death. In his younger years he was a
member of the Franklin Engine Company,
No. 3, of the Brooklyn volunteer fire depart-
ment, and he was a member of the Veteran
Volunteer Firemen's Association. He also be-
longed to the Society of Old Brooklynites, an
organization composed of pioneer residents
who through long years had been witnesses
of the city's growth.
Mr. Gildersleeve's wife passed away in
1890. His death occurred at the family home
at No. 159 Sixth avenue and he is survived
by a son and daughter. His entire life had
been passed in the first ward, and few citizens
of that section of the borough were better
known.
ALVA PEARSALL.
Alva Pearsall, numbered among the busi-
ness men who have attained leadership as
representatives of their respective vocations
in Brooklyn, was for many years a leading
photographer of the borough, and his busi-
ness career was one of steady and consecutive
advancement from the days when the process
of taking pictures was that of daguerreotypes
to the period of modern photographic art
when the skill manifest through means of the
camera rivals that of the painter with his
brush and canvas. In social as well as busi-
ness circles Mr. Pearsall was also well known
and was identified with many of the leading
clubs of the city.
The Pearsall family has long been repre-
sented 'on Long Island, but the immediate
branch to which Alva Pearsall belonged came
from Dutchess county, of which locality his
father John Alva Pearsall, was a native. In
the early part of the nineteenth century he
removed to New Yorjc, where occurred the
birth of Alva Pearsall, and that of his two
brothers, Frank and Charles, all of whom
won more than local fame as photographers.
In their boyhood days Townsend Duryea, a
maternal uncle, was conducting a studio in
Williamsburg, taking pictures after the proc-
ess given to the world by Daguerre, and
it was under his direction that Alva Pear-
74
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
sail familiarized himself with the new art,
in 1856. Not long afterward Mr. Duryea
went tO' Australia, leaving his gallery in the
care of his nephew. About that time daguerre-
otype work was supplanted by the begin-
nings of the modern processes of photography,
and, keeping abreast with the progress of the
times, Mr. Pearsall mastered the new meth-
ods and along those lines continued his efforts
until a short time prior to the Civil war, when
he went to the West Indies, being one of the
earliest visitors to carry a camera to those isl-
ands. He made several trips to the islands
and brought back many pictures of historical
and geographical interest.
Soon after the Civil war Mr. Pearsall en-
tered into partnership with Mr. Brady, the
New York photographer, and in 1872 he
opened a studio at the corner of Fulton street
and Flatbush avenue, Brooklyn, where he re-
mained until that building was demolished,
when he located at No. 597 Fulton street, con-
tinuing there up to the time of his demise.
His patronage came from the leading people
of Brooklyn, and his work was much more
than the transference of a likeness to the
camera plate, for he possessed the artistic
sense which appreciated the value of light and
shadow, of harmony of tone and color and
pose, and moreover, his understanding of hu-
man nature led to his selection of the proper
moment to secure a photograph which would
give the most natural expression of his sub-
ject. Modern processes of photography were
employed by him, as his business career was
one of continuous advancement, and he also
gave to the profession a number of important
improvements, including one which he pat-
ented and which has come into general use
in Brooklyn under the name of the "alva-
graph."
While his business interests won for Mr.
Pearsall a wide general acquaintance, he also
gained many warm personal friends and was
well known in the social life of the city. He
belonged to the Oxford, the Union League,
the ^Montauk and the Union clubs, all of
Brooklyn, and among his associates therein
expressions of deep regret were everywhere
heard when was received the news of his
death. He is survived by "his widow and their
only daughteh
SAMUEL SPRING HASKELL.
Samuel Spring Haskell, who was widely
known in connection with the leather trade
and who in Brooklyn was noted for his activ-
ity in church work, reached the very vener-
able age of ninety-five years. He was born
in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and in early
youth entered business life in Boston, but after
a few years removed to New York and be-
came connected with the leather trade in that
part of Manhattan known as "the swamp."
He became prominent among the merchants
there, and for long years was a representative
of that line of commercial activity. During
that period of the Civil war he exercised his
efforts in another field of labor, engaging in
fiJling government contracts for the supply
of sacks to contain grain. In this way he
amassed a large sum of money, and in fact all
of his business operations were so carefully,
systematically and judiciously managed that
they were crowned with success.
Throughout his active business career, how-
ever, Mr. Haskell found time and opportunity
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
75
to devote to church work, and while in Bos-
ton he was one of a committee which pre-
vailed on Dr. Lyman Beecher to become pas-
tor of the Stone Congregational church there,
a church which under the ministrations of
that prominent divine became famous through-
out the country. When Mr. Haskell came to
Brooklyn he united with Plymouth church
and was one of the committee that called
Henry Ward Beecher, the distinguished son
of Dr. Lyman Beecher, to the pastorate of
the latter church. He was always prominent
in the affairs of Plymouth church, and for fif-
ty years had occupied one pew. He took a
helpful interest in the various church activi-
ties, contributed generously to the financial
support of the church and did everything in
his power to promote its growth and extend
its influences.
Mr. Haskell and his wife Jived to celebrate
their seventy-fifth wedding anniversary, Mrs.
Haskell dying the following month. They
had one son, who is still living, Benjamin
Haskell. Samuel Spring Haskell attained the
very ven'erable age of ninety-five years and
passed away after a residence of more than
a half century in Brooklyn.
LYMAN DANIELS MORSE.
The Morse family, of which Lyman Daniels
Morse was a representative, was founded in
America in 1635 by Samuel Morse, who set-
tled in New England. Many of his descend-
ants have become successful business men and
some have attained fame, notably Professor
Samuel Finley Breese Morse, the inventor of
the telegraphic system.
Lyman D. Morse was born in Paris, Maine,
and after mastering the elementary branches
of learning entered the Normal Institute of
his native city, from which he was graduated.
His entrance into business life was as an em-
ploye of Joseph Burnett, a chemist of Boston,
in whose service he remained for fourteen
years, during which proijiotion followed pro-
motion until he, was. made general manager.
In 1872 Mr. Morse married Clara Meacham,
daughter of a well known merchant of Man-
hattan, and with his bride went abroad, re-
maining in Europe three years, during which
time he interested himself in the introduc-
tion of American manufactures. After his
return he was identified with the advertising
business of Manhattan, being connected with
the house of J. H. Bates, which had had a
co'ntinuous existence from 1849. He was soon
admitted to a partnership, and this relation
was maintained until a short time prior to
the death of Mr. Morse, when he purchased
Mr. Bates' interest and became the senior
member of the firm, admitting H. Henry
Douglass to an interest in the business. He
was well known to newspaper publishers
throughout the country, and had gained a
clientage which represented a vast amount of
advertising business, which was carefully sys-
tematized and conducted with the regularity
and precision of a well managed institution.
Mr. Morse's popularity and prominence in
social circles in Manhattan and Brooklyn were
attested by the many expressions of deep re-
gret that were heard in the clubs to which
he belonged when the news of his death was
received. He belonged to the Union League
and the Lincoln Clubs; to the New England
Society of Brooklyn; and to the Press Club
76
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
and the Hardware Club of Manhattan. He
was also a member of the Morse Society which
preserves the history and traditions of the
family, and was identified with the Twilight
Club, at whose summer home in the Catskills
he was a regular visitor.
Mr. Morse died at the age of sixty years,
leaving a widow and daughter, the latter
the wife of Gerald S. Curtis of Manhat-
tan. He had resided for many years with his
family in Brooklyn, and he was liberally en-
dowed with those qualities which prompt and
continue friendships, so that he had become
widely known in the borough.
HENRY U. PALMER.
Henry U. Palmer, who maintains a hand-
some residence at 216 Clinton avenue, Brook-
lyn, New York, occupies a prominent place
among the enterprising men of the city who
have contributed largely to its industrial and
commercial' interests. Mr. Palmer was born
in Chester, Ohio, February 26, 1849, "^"^^ '^^
a descendant of a family who came to this
country in the ship that followed the "May-
flower," and settled in Stonington, Connecti-
cut, where in all the relations of life they were
found true to every trust reposed in them.
Chester Palmer, father of Henry U. Pal-
mer, was born in New York state, but later
removed to Chester, Ohio. Having a natural
as well as an acquired aptitude for agriculture
he devoted his attention to that occupation,
also to mercantile pursuits. It was largely
through his instrumentality that the wool-
growing industry developed so rapidly in the
state of Ohio, and he also took an active in-
terest in improving the condition of the stock.
Mr. Palmer always exercised his right of
franchise in support of the men and measures
of the Whig and Republican parties, and tak-
ing an active interest in town affairs. He was
united in marriage to Achsa Melvin, daughter
of Alonzo Melvin, whose ancestors took a
prominent part in the Colonial wars. Six
children were born to them, three of whom are
now living, namely: Charles E., a resident of
Ohio; Lowell M. and Henry U. Palmer. The
family were active and consistent members of
the Presbyterian church of Chester, Ohio. Mr.
Palmer died in 1898.
Henry U. Palmer attended the local schools
of Chester, Ohio, where he acquired an excel-
lent literary education. He resided on his
father's farm until he attained the age of
twenty years, when he came to Brooklyn, New
York, and entered into the cooperage business
with his brother, Lowell M. Palmer. They
have been associated for twenty-five years, and
during that time the business has grown in
volume and importance, owing to the fact that
the brothers possess those attributes of char-
acter which insure success — perseverance, in-
dustry and capable management — which have
been strengthened by wise use through the
years of an honorable and active business
career. They have a very extensive plant and
give employment to a large number of people
during the entire year. Mr. Palmer is a mem-
ber of the Eastern Parkway Golf Club, and
the Transportation Club of New York. For
the past thirty years he has been connected
with the Lafayette Avenue Church, of which
he is a trustee, and he also acts in the capacity
of trustee of Adelphi College of Brooklyn.
In 1879, Mr. Palmer married Sarah E. Dex-
Thu Lewis Puhh's'hin^.i
W.TSa.iks^.NY
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
79
ter, daughter of George Dexter, whose fore-
fathers participated in the Colonial wars.
Their children are Austin P. and Chester U.
Palmer.
HENRY D. HEISENBUTTEL.
Henry D. Heisenbuttel, deceased, well
known in commercial circles in Brooklyn, was
born in this borough December 23, 1863, was
prepared for business life by a liberal educa-
tion in the public schools, and through con-
secutive endeavor and careful management
attained a leading place among the coal mer-
chants of his native city. In early manhood
he became identified with, the coal trade, and
in his later years was a member of the
well known firm of Mouquin, Ofiferman &
Heisenbuttel. He was also ' president of the
New York & New Jersey Dry Dock & Trans-
portation Company, and thus became an act-
ive factor in business life in his native bor-
ough.
Socially Mr. Heisenbuttel was connected
with the Montauk and Bushwick clubs. In
early life he held membership in St. Mat-
thews' Lutheran church and afterward be-
came a member of the First Reformed church.
He married Miss Meta Otten, who with three
children survives him. He died in the midst
of a very active, successful and honorable busi-
ness career.
LEONARD MOODY.
Leonard Moody, a financier and one of the
most extensive real estate operators of Brook-
lyn, was born September 28, 1839, in the vil-
lage of East Pittston among the mountains of
Maine, where his father conducted a farm.
The son remained thereon until twelve years
of age, after which he spent four years at
sea. On the expiration of that period he re-
turned to East Pittston, and with the capital
saved from his earnings purchased a farm,
of which he is still the owner. Two years
latef in 1857 he went to Virginia, where he
engaged in dealing in whiteoak timber for
use in ship-building. Two years were de-
voted to that business, after which he again
returned to Maine, locating on the Penobscot
river near the Canadian line. There he resid-
ed until the Confederate forces attacked Fort
Sumter, when, in response to the first call
for volunteers to defend the Union, he hurried
southward to Fortress Monroe, Virginia. La-
ter, subsequent to the time of McClellan's re-
treat, Mr. Moody aided in raising the Twenty-
first Regiment of Maine Volunteers, and with
that command proceeded to New York and
thence to the front. He became seriously ill
with fever contracted in the Virginia swamps
in 1863, and by reason of this, being thus in-
capacitated for active duty, was honorably dis-
charged.
Mr. Moody then located in New York,
where he was married in 1864 tO' Miss Mar-
ianna Henrietta Quantin, who was of French
lineage, a daughter of Henri Quantin, an im-
porter of French comm.odities. On their wed-
ding journey they visited his native state, and
Mr. Moody determined to locate upon his
farm there. He afterward devoted his atten-
tion to agricultural pursuits until January,
1869, at which time he returned to New York,
and, recognizing the possibilities of Brook-
lyn as a field for real estate operation, he
opened an office in Flatbush avenue in this
80
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
borough. His unwearied industry and close
attention to his business enabled him to se-
cure a very extensive patronage, and to-day
he is classed among the foremost representa-
tives of real estate operations in the city. He
leases houses to over one thousand of the citi-
zens of Brooklyn, and under his supervision
was built the largest apartment house in the
city, called the Fougera, which returns an
annual rental of over sixty thousand dollars.
He negotiated the sale of the site now oc-
cupied by the Federal Building of Brooklyn
and has instituted many important real estate
transfers, which have contributed to the de-
velopment of the city. He was the principal
factor in the re-organization and building of
the Brooklyn Real Estate Exchange and was
chosen its first vice president. In financial
circles his name and influence are also well
known. He was one. of the organizers of the
Kings County Bank, and for many years has
served on its directorate. He is likewise a
director of the Co-Operative Building Bank
and of the Hamilton Trust Company, and of
the City's Savings Bank is a trustee.
Deeply interested in community affairs, Mr.
Moody has given helpful support to various
enterprises wMch have contributed to ma-
terial, aesthetic, intellectual and social develop-
ment in Brooklyn. He is a member of the
Amaranth Dramatic Society, the Crescent
Athletic Club, the Brooklyn Riding and Driv-
ing" Club and the Union League Club. In
Masonry he has attained the' thirty-second
degree of the Scottish Rite, the Royal Arch
degree in the York Rite and is a member
of Kismet Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He
also belongs to the U. S. Grant Post, G. A. R.,
and he was one of the incorporators and is
now a trustee in the Museum of Arts and
Sciences, "while of the Montauk Club he was
one of the founders and is still one of the
directors. His influence in Republican coun-
cils is a potent element, and yet he has con-
tinually declined to accept political prefer-
ment, desiring to advance the interests of his
party and borough through the avenue of pri-
vate citizenship.
H. F. BURROUGHS.
H. F. Burroughs, who under the pressure
of necessity and the stimulus of opposition
rose to prominence in trade circles of Brook-
lyn, exemplified that fact that no country of-
fers the advantages tO' its citizens as great
as those furnished by America. Unhampered
by caste or class the people of this land may
rise through the inherent force of character
and the exercise of indomitable industry to
positions of power and influence, and thus it
was that Mr. Burroughs became one of the
leading representatives of commercial inter-
ests in his native city and won the proud
American title of "a self-made man."
He was born in Brooklyn, September 26.
1828, and his life span covered almost sev-
e^nty-three years. His father, Thomas Bur-
roughs, was born in Newtown, Long Island,
but when H. F. Burroughs was only four
years old he lost both of his parents. He is
survived by an only sister, Miss Susan Bur-
roughs, who still resides in Brooklyn. "When
he was six years of age the scene of his resi-
dence shifted from Brooklyn to a farm in
Ouogue, Long Island, and while performing
various duties incident to farm life he also
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
81
had the privilege of attending the country
schools until he was sixteen years of age.
Then life began for him in earnest, and from
that time forward he was dependent entirely
Upon his own resources for a livelihood. Liv-
ing adjacent to the sound, he had spent much
time upon the water and when he put aside
his text-books he decided upon a seafaring
life, sailing on the whaling vessel Roanoke
upon a cruise that lasted for a year. The
vessel left Greenport, Long Island, in 1844.
Dangers and privations are always incidents
of such a voyage, but the brave and reso-
lute spirit with which he met these called
forth the elemental strength of his character
and developed his latent powers. During this
cruise he visited the Azores, Cape de Verde
islands, the Falkand islands, off the coast of
Patagonia and thfe island of St. Helena. In
1845 ^r. Burroughs started upon a second
whaling expedition on the Roanoke and vis-
ited many points of interest, including the
Sandwich islands and various southern Pa-
cific ports. After a two years' cruise, which
proved one of interest and instruction, im-
parting to him knowledge and experience of
great practical value, he returned to New York
and for a year thereafter was connected with
the coastwise trade, sailing between New York
and Charlestown, South Carolina, New York
and Philadelphia and New York and Boston.
Mr. Burroughs then left the sea to engage
in land pursuits and apprenticed himself to
the carpenter's trade, his term of indenture
covering four years, spent in Brooklyn and
Newtown, Long Island. His outlook upon
the business world and his keen discrimina-
tion concerning trade conditions led him to
the belief that he might find a profitable field
of labor as a dealer in business materials, and
in 1852 he established an enterprise of this
character, which, as the years passed, grew
to very extensive proportions. For fifty years
he continued in this line. He at first estab-
lished his yard at Kent avenue and Morton
street, Brooklyn, and with the growth of the
city his business developed. For many years
Horace F. Burroughs, H. S. Christian and
John Morton were the most prominent deal-
ers in building materials in Brooklyn, and
for some years he was the last representative
of the trio in the trade. As his business grew
he removed his plant to Nos. 2 to 14 Taylor
street, where he had the advantages of the
extensive waterfront of the Wallabout Basin.
Later he opened yards at Kent avenue and
Hewes street, at the head of the Wallabout
Basin, and on Johnson avenue on Newtown
creek. In more recent years the business was
conducted under the firm style of Burroughs
& Company, the junior partner being Mar-
vin Cross, who is also the senior member
of the firm of Cross, Austin, Ireland Com-
pany. The enterprise conducted by Mr. Bur-
roughs for half a century grew to such exten-
sive proportions that he became widely known
to the trade in the east, and in business circles
his name came to be a synoym for honorable,
straightforward dealing. He was a director of
the Building Materials Exchange of Man-
hattan, and at the time of his death was the
oldest director and stockholder in the Manu-
facturers' National Bank.
In 1852 Mr. Burroughs was united in mar-
liage to Miss Ann Maria Van Nostrand, who
died about four years prior to> his demise, and
from the shock of her death Mr. Burroughs
never completely rallied, for there had grown
82
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
up in their married relation an ideal com-
panionship which made the separation one of
intense sorrow to him. Of their four children
two are living, William Van Nostrand and
Adele Burroughs.
In the Masonic fraternity, of which he
was long a member, Mr. Burroughs attained
the Royal Arch degree. He belonged to the
Hanover Club, the Amphion Musical Society
and the Society of Old Brooklynites. He nev-
er took an active part in politics, believing
this incompatible with a successful business
career, and it was along the line of commer-
cial activity that he wrought his greatest suc-
cess, leaving behind him a record that may
well prove a source of inspiration.
AUGUST WALTHER.
Born in Brooklyn, a son of August and
Elise (Gambs) Walther, August Walther there
received his elementary education, and pur-
sued advanced studies, as well as those pertain-
ing to the profession which he was destined
to adorn, in the art centres of Germany. From
early childhood he gave evidence of versatility,
displaying an innate taste for both science
and art. The Greek classics had for him a
great fascination. His strongest bent,, how-
ever, was toward, music, to which he finally
decided to devote himself almost entirely. He
pursued his musical studies in the most cele-
brated conservatories and under the most ac-
complished teachers in Stuttgart and Frank-
fort-on-the-Main, and after completing his
course with high credit, returned to his native
city and established himself as a teacher of
piano and harmony, and soon came to the lead- '
ing rank of instructors. While teaching oth-
ers, he was at the same time an assiduous
student, and devoted himself unsparingly to
perfecting himself in all pertaining to his par-
ticular departments in the profession. He
has long been recognized as possessing in
rare degree the faculty not only of giving ex-
act expression ito what he sought to communi-
cate, but of producing in the minds of his
pupils the clearest possible perception, and,
withal, something of his own genuine enthu-
siasm. As a result, throughout the land are
scores of those who have been his pupils, who
are now -themselves pursuing successful ca-
reers as teachers and artists. Mr. Walther is
also widely known as a composer, and various
of his compositions are well known and ad-
mired, and have elicited fervent praise from
musical critics of the highest ability and most
careful discrimination. Chief among his pro-
ductions, perhaps, may be named "The Love
Song" and "Wedding March" in his orches-
tral suite, "Hiawatha's Wooing and Wed-
ding." He is an authority upon the history
of music and musicians, and has gathered a
superb musical" library, one of the finest pri-
vate collections in the United States.
Mr. Walther became a most useful patron
of music as well as public benefactor when he
effected the organization of the Music Depart-
ment of the Brooklyn- Institute of Arts and
Sciences of Brooklyn. By his suggestion and
proposal the institution became a fixed fact.
He delivered the first lecture, one of a series,
which were characterized by profound knowl-
edge of his topic, and a degree of enthusiasm
which was contagious, and which were re-
ceived-with so great favor that they were long
/^.^^/^ ^^.^!^^^ ,
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
85
continued. His lectures covered "The Early
Dawn o^ Music, from the First to the Fif-
teenth Century," and "The Music of Ancient
Greece." As the result of intelligent and
indefatigable effort Mr. Walther succeeded in
placing the new department upon an aus-
picious basis, and was actively and enthusi-
astically identified with it until he realized
that it did not meet with his expectations, and
he withdrew.
Of Mr. Walther as an artist scarcely too
much praise could be awarded him. The lec-
ture with which he introduced the Department
of Music before mentioned, was illustrated
by him at the piano, and was pronounced "a
m.usical discourse," receiving great applause.
His abihty as a pianist may be rightly judged
by a few of the many criticisms he has re-
ceived. On the occasion of a piano recital
given at the Long Island Historical Society
Hall, a leading local newspaper, through the
utterance of a prominent critic, said :
"Mr. Walther is one of the many excellent
pianists who have taken up their residence in
this city and established for themselves a rep-
utation as artists by their persistent and ear-
nest work. His programme alone furnished
a clew to his character and musical education.
The player who selects four composers — Liszt,
Chopin, Schubert and Beethoven — for an even-
ing's entertainment, must have an abiding
faith in the cultivated taste of the public, also
in his own ability to present such critical
works in an acceptable manner. A special
feature of Mr. Walther's playing is his more
than ordinary firmness of the left hand, so es-
sential to success in all the great masters'
works."
The "Brooklyn Citizen" said of his rendition
of the last number, the "Gondoliera and Ta-
rantella," by Liszt :
"The graceful tempo of the first, with its
easy, regular, gliding movement, replete .with
complica,ted scales and passages, demanded
an enormous technical skill in the use of the
fingers, wrists and arms, and was a meritori-
ous exhibition of piano scholarship and me-
chanical execution, and the audience was not
slow in awarding hearty tribute to the merits
of the very clever executant, who rendered
these numbers with a power and versatility
that it would be difficult to excel. The con-
cert from beginning was a decided success, and
exceeded the expectations of the auditors."
The same journal, in referring to a per-
formance of Mr. Walther's orchestral suite,
"Hiawatha's Wooing and Wedding," at a
Seidl Society Concert, says of the "Love Song"
and "Wedding March" : "Both compositions
bear distinct evidence of the highest musical
genius."
In the career so auspiciously begun, Mr.
Walther has not only fulfilled every expecta-
tion which was entertained of him, but has
steadily grown in ability, and his later pro-
ductions — Orchestral and Chambermusic
works — have been hailed with enthusiastic ap-
proval wherever they have been heard.
GERARD M. STEVENS.
Gerard Marschalk Stevens, for almost a half
century one of the most familiar figures in
the courts of Brooklyn, served during the
greater part of that time either as assistant
or chief clerk of the supreme court of Kings
86
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
county and enjoyed the highest respect of
judge and lawyers. He was born in the fourth
ward of the borough in 1828. His father,
Joseph Stevens, was the son of an EngHsh
arm}^ officer, who on coming to the United
States located in Flatbush, Long Island, where
his son Joseph was born and spent his entire
life, the father's death occurring on the 4th
of April, 1839. The family numbered four-
teen children.
Gerard M. Stevens was also a direct de-
scendant of Major General Gerard Steadiford,
who was an officer of the Continental army in
the war of the Revolution and ^ died in his
sixty-eighth year, and his funeral services
were attended by many of the officers of the
army and navy of the United States, the of-
ficers of the militia and the members of the
Cincinnati. Several official announcements of
his death were made including one by the Or-
der of the Cincinnati "held at the City Tav-
ern, No. 14 Wall street tO' make ar-
rangements for the funeral of Major General
Steadiford, a worthy Revolutionary officer,"
while another was issued by Brigadier General
Van Buren, requesting the officers of the bri-
gade to attend the funeral services "and wear
the usual badges of mourning." Mr. Stevens
was also connected with several other dis-
tinguished and prominent families of New
York.
The educational advantages which Mr.
Stevens received were only such as the pub-
lic schools afforded, but nature endowed him
with strong mentality and he gained from
the schools of experience many valuable les-
sons that many college-bred men do not mas-
ter. His preference was for a professional
life, and to this end he took up the study of
law, being admitted to the bar. Had he con-
tinued in the courts as a practitioner he un-
doubtedly . would have won high legal hon-
ors and marked successes, but he directed his
labors into the clerical fields of court work
and his excellent equipment therefor led to
his retention therein until his life's labors were
ended. When a young man he filled the
position of a clerk in the general assembly
at Albany, and later was for a short period
assistant district attorney under Alexander
McCue. He was a candidate for the position
of chief clerk of the state legislature in 1853
and although he received the support of many
influential Democrats in the house he was
defeated by a combination and received only
the position of assistant clerk. In 1854 he
was appointed a general clerk of the su-
preme court of Kings county, and was re-
tained in that capacity until promoted to the
position of chief clerk, in which capacity he
served through consecutive years up to the
time of his demise. In his last months, how-
ever, the duties of the office were largely per-
formed by others, owing to his incapacitation
through ill health and advanced age. No
similar position throughout the entire state
was filled by a more capable official, court and
lawyers recognizing his eminent fitness. He
was appointed to the clerkship by Judge
Greenwood, when the sessions of the court
were held in the present borough hall, in
the room tiow occupied by the corporation
counsel. The men then prominent in the
courts as lawyers or judges have long passed
away, and when his half century of service
ended there were no active members of the
court who were his contemporaries at the
outset of his official career. He was a fa-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
87
vorite supreme court referee for many years,
and is reputed to have made as much as twen-
ty thousand dollars annually in referee fees.
In this way he became a wealthy man, al-
though in later years he lost heavily at the
time of the great financial panic of 1873. He
was considered an expert on foreclosure pro-
ceedings and an authority on real estate law,
and throughout the long term of office he
continually broadened his knowledge of the
principles of jurisprudence, especially in the
department of civil law.
Mr. Stevens was married to Miss Virginia
Spaulding, a daughter of Colonel Seth Spauld-
ing, of an old and distinguished Holland
Dutch family, of Baltimore, Maryland, of
which Bishop Spaulding is a member. She
was also connected with the Winthrop fam-
ily of Massachusetts, to which Governor Win-
throp belonged. Mrs. .Stevens died in 1891.
They had two daughters, Mrs. Morris Hol-
lins, whose husband belonged to the celebrated
family of New York bankers of that name, and
Virginia. Mr. Stevens was devoted to his
family and also had many pleasant social rela-
tions, which brought him warm and enduring
friendships. At the time of his death, which
occurred December 29, 1903, he was the only
surviving member of the old Brooklyn City
Club, which in former years had been a lead-
ing social organization of the borough. He was
also the only honorary member of the Brook-
lyn Club, and belonged to the Society of Old
Brooklynites, the Royal Arcanum, the Legion
of Honor and the Courts of Record Aid So-
ciety. For many years he was a Protestant in
his religious views, but in his later years be-
came a convert to the Roman Catholic faith,
in which he died, but no church or creed lim-
ited his charity, which was one of the strong
and characteristic forces of his nature. He
was a man of great liberality, of broad and
tender sympathy and of most benevolent spirit,
and his kindliness and his freewill offerings
to those in need made his life beautiful and
causes his memory to be revered and cher-
ished.
WILLIAM McCARROLL.
William McCarroll, leather manufacturer,
and president of the Manufacturers' Associa-
tion of New York, was born in Belfast, Ire-
land, and obtained excellent educational ad-
vantages in the Brookville Academy and the
Royal Academical Institution in Ireland.
He came to New York in 1869, and began
his business career in this country by engag-
ing in the leather trade. In 1878 he estab-
lished a business along the same lines under
the firm name of William McCarroll & Com-
pany, which continued until the organiza-
tion of the American Leather Company. This
corporation was a consolidation of the firms
of William McCarroll & Company and J. Park
Potter and Company, of Wilmington, Dela-
ware, and of this corporation Mr. McCar-
roll has served in the capacity of vice
president and manager since its forma-
tion. During recent years he organized
another leather company, of which he
is president, and this acts in co-operation
with the American Leather Company. He is
a director of the Oriental Bank, New York
city, director of the Dime Savings Bank,
Brooklyn, director of the New York Board
of Trade and Transportation, president of
the Maniifacturers' Association of New York,
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
vice president of the National Association of
Manufacturers for New York State, vice
president of the Young Men's Christian As-
sociation, borough of Brooklyn, member of
the advisory committee of the Brooklyn Trust
' Company, member of the chamber of com-
merce, member of the board of governors of
the' Driving Club, and a member of the Un-
ion League Club, of Brooklyn. He resides
at 758 St. Marks avenue, Brooklyn, New
York.
CARL FIQUE.
Carl Fic^ue, director of the United Singing
Societies of Brooklyn, is known as an accom-
plished musician to the great mass of music
lovers in the United States, as well as to
thousands in Great Britain and Europe who
in their travels have visited in New York.
Mr. Fique is a native of Germany, born
near Bremen, in April, 1867. Despite his
foreign origin, he is essentially an American,
having come ti-v the United States in his ex-
treme youth, and acquired his education in
Hoboken (New Jersey) Academy. With the
taste foT music so characteristic of his race,
he early gave himself to the divine art, and,
after studying under prominent American
teachers, at the age of sixteen visited his
native land to complete his musical educa-
tion. After three years of close study in the
famous Leipsig Conservatory, under the most
distinguished teachers, he returned to Brook-
lyn in 1886, at the age of nineteen, and estab-
lished himself as a pianist, teacher and musi-
cal director, and, notwithstanding his youth,
gave immediate display of such artistic abil-
ity as to secure a foremost place before the
most critical patrons and audiences. He was
known as an original and delightful composer
to a large local circle, and in 1896 he came
into the appreciative view of the great musical
public of the country, when he was awarded
the first prize for a male chorus sung before
the Philadelphia Saengerfest. This masterly
composition, " Ach, weisst du es noch?"
("Ah, do you recall?"), was sung in Phila-
delphia in June of the following year by a
chorus of thirty-five hundred voices with
thrilling effect, and, as is well remembered by
the writer of this narrative, brought to its
author a splendid ovation. The composition
has probably never since been rendered by so
large a mass of singers, but it is yet held in
high regard, and has frequently found a place
upon programmes both in Europe and the
United States. In September last (1903) Mr.
Fique was called to the conductorship of the
great open-air concert given by the Unite,d
Singing Societies of Brooklyn at Prospect
Park, and the masterly manner in which he
directed that excellent performance naturally
led to his selection as the director of that
superb organization. All lovers of music will
unite in the earnest desire that he may long
continue in that place, not alone for the pleas-
ure of hearing high-class music well rendered,
but out of a warm appreciation of the effects
of these great musical occasions in an edu-
cational and refining way.
Mr. Fique also directs the Musical Quar-
tette Club, an inimitable organization, whose
smallness of numbers and richness of individ-
ual voices makes possible the more delicate
effects which are becoming in the drawing-
room and small concert chamber. He is also
an accomplished organist, and serves most ac-
HISTORY OF 'LONG ISLAND.
89
ceptably in that capacity at the fine instrument
in the Zion Lutheran Church in Henry street.
He is deeply read in musical literature, and
on frequent occasions has lectured upon musi-
cal topics before delighted assemblages of the
Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences.
Mr. Fique is fortunate in the companion-
ship of his wife, Mrs. Katherine Noack-
Fique, who, with artistic tastes and enthu-
siasm alike to his own, is also an accomplished
pianist and vocaHst, and has delighted some
of the most cultured and fashionable audi-
ences with her ineflfably artistic perform-
ances.
ELIJAH GABBLE.
Elijah Gabble, deceased, was for more than
a half century numbered ?imong" the most use-
ful citizens of Brooklyn, a leader in manufac-
turing circles, a man of inventive genius, and
one whose influence in the community was
ever exerted toward its betterment in its so-
cial and moral life.
He was a native of England, born in Fro-me,
Somersetshire, England, near the banks of the
historic Avon river. He came to America and
took up his home in the Eastern District of
Brooklyn when a lad of fifteen. He was
already well grounded in a practical educa-
tion, and, while he almost immediately entered
upon a life of toil, he gave much of his time
to acquiring that broader knowledge which in
after years proved his ample equipment for
the large place he was to take in the world of
business.
In 1848 his brother, William Gabble, laid
the foundations of the business of the William
Cabbie Excelsior Wire Manufacturing Com-
pany, at the corner of Elizabeth and Hester
streets. New York City, whence it was re-
moved two years later to Center street. In
1856 a final removal was made to Union ave-
nue and Ainslie street, Brooklyn, where was
planted the first building of the factory which
now covers seven full city lots.
Elijah Gabble took employment with his
brother William about the time the business
was founded, being then a youth of seven-
teen. Being possessed by inheritance of a
rugged constitution and an indomitable will,
and the fine moral stuff of which the captains
of industry are made, his business rise
was rapid and substantial. He mastered every
detail of the manufacturing processes, and
with a keen discernment saw opportunity for
various improvements for which he provided
with valuable inventions of his own, and was
largely instrumental in making the Cabbie
works world renowned for their product of
fourdrinier and other wires, of copper, brass,
and iron, iron wire cloth, sieves, screens, cages,
etc. William Cabbie dying in 1870, the Gabble
Brothers, EHjah, Joseph and Edward, incor-
porated the William Cabbie Excelsior Wire
Manufacturing Company, and continued the
business under the masterly headship of Elijah
Cabbie. He also survived both his brothers,
and directed ■ the management of the works
during the remainder of his life.
Mr. Cabbie was a member of the Manufac-
turers' Association of New York from its or-
ganization, and he was for many years, and
until a serious physical ailment sapped his
strength, one of its leading spirits. He was
also one of the founders of the Dime Savings
Bank of Williamsburg, and a director in that
institution. At various times he was con-
90
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
nectecl with the Union League and Hanover
' ckibs of Brooklyn. He also belonged to Crusa-
ders' Lodge, I. O. O. F., and Progressive
Lodge, F & A. M., and was a member of
the Central Congregational church.
During the last few years of his life, Mr.
Cabbie was a great sufferer from a kidney
disease. In the early summer of 1903 he was
taken to his surnmer home at Islip, Long Isl-
and, but instead of improving as had been
hoped, his condition grew so serious as to
cause him to hasten back to the city for con-
sultation with a specialist. Despite the best
medical attendance he succumbed tO' the dis-
ease, dying on July 25, 1903, at his home, 217
Hancock street, Brooklyn. The funeral serv-
ices were held on Tuesday evening, Jvdy 28.
The Cabbie home was unable to hold the
great number of friends, relatives, business
associates and employes, who assembled to
pay their last respects. The floral display was
a beautiful one ; the numerous and large trib-
utes sent by the friends of the deceased tow-
ered over the casket. In his eulogy the Rev.
Dr. C. C. Creegan, assistant pastor of Cen-
tral Congregational church, paid a glowing
tribute to the deceased as a citizen, neighbor
and friend, testifying to his gentle considera-
tion for all with whom he was associated, in
v/hatever manner ; to his large-hearted benevo-
lence as shown in generous benefactions to the
needy and suffering, and to his unassailable
integrity and broad public spirit.
Mr. Cabbie was married in 1854, to Miss
Ruth Satchel, and the year following his death
would have witnessed their golden wedding.
He was survived by his wife and their four
children— Elijah Raglan, Ruth Isabel, Lillian
and Frank W.
After the death of Mr. Cabbie he was suc-
ceeded in the presidency by his nephew, Jos-
eph C. Cabbie, who was formerly the secretary
of the Cabbie Company. Joseph C. Cabbie is
an active and able mart of affairs, and promi-
nent in the life of Brooklyn, where is his resi-
dence. The two sons of Elijah Cabbie, EHjah
Raglan and Frank W., are also connected
with the William Cabbie Excelsior Wire TVTan-
ufacturing Company. The company offices
are at 43 Fulton street. New York.
HARRINGTON PUTNAM.
Harrington Putnam, a leading New York
lawyer, was born in Shrewsbury, , Massachu-
setts. He studied in the high school at Graf-
ton, Massachusetts, the Fort Edward (New
.York) Institute, and at the Worcester Acad-
emy and Colby College in Waterville, Maine,
and subsequently pursued general studies at
Heidelberg, Germany. He began reading law
in the office of Colonel E. B. Stoddard, in
Worcester, Massachusetts, meantime holding
a clerkship in the Merchants' and Farmers'
Insurance Company, of which Colonel Stod-
dard became secretary. He completed his lavy'
course in the Law School of Columbia Uni-
versity, graduated, and was admitted to the
bar in 1876.
Mr. Putnam practiced alone in New York
for a short time, but soon became a member
of the firm of Wing, Shoudy & Putnam, which
in 1894 became that of Wing, Putnam & Bur-
lingham. The firm makes a specialty of mari-
time and admiralty law, in which departments
Mr. Putnam is mainly engaged. His labors
extend to many foreign countries, where he
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
91
is known as an authority upon the larger ques-
tions entering into maritime commerce. He
is a member of the Association for the Re-
form and Codification of the Law of Nations,
of London; the International Committee of
Maritime Law, of Antwerp ; and is one of the
Executive Committee of Maritime Law Asso-
ciation of the United States. He has served
as corresponding editor of the " Revue Inter-
nationale du Droit Maritime," and the " An-
nales de Droit Commercial, Francais, Etran-
ger et Internationale," both published in Paris
and devoted respectively to the discussion of
international maritime law and of general
commercial law. During 1890 and 1891 he
lectured on " Proceeding-s in Rem " before the
Law School of Columbia University.
Notwithstanding the exactions of a large
and highly important practice, Mr. Putnam
has given much time and capable service to
duties of a public character. In 1884 he was
appointed one of the State civil service ex-
aminers by the Commission presided over by
Hon. John Jay, and he served thereon until
1889. In the next year he was appointed by
Mayor Chapin to a seat on the board of civil
service commissioners for Brooklyn, ' and he
was reappointed by Mayor Boody. He was
president of the Brooklyn Democratic Club in
the presidential campaign of 1888, and again
in 1894 and 1895. In 1892 he was chosen in
the State Anti-snap Democratic convention as
a delegate to the national convention held in
Chicago in 1892. A warm admirer of Mr.
Cleveland, he labored earnestly in that body
for his nomination for a second presidential
term.
Mr. Putnam is a prominent figure in the lit-
erary and scientific circles of Brooklyn. He is
a trustee of the Brooklyn Public Library, and
the chairman of its book -committee; and is a
trustee of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and
Sciences, and chairman d*f its committee on
libraries, and a member of the Long Island
Historical Society, the Hamilton Club, and
the Barnard Club, all of Brooklyn; and of the
Reform Club and Down-Town Association, of
Manhattan. His connection with maritime
law had the result of bringing him into close
relation with marine affairs generally, and he
became a charter associate member of the So-
ciety of Naval Architects and Marine Engi-
neers, and is one of the council and executive
committee of that organization. An experi-
enced traveler, Mr. Putnam has had a particu-
lar fondness for mountain climbing, and he
92
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
has ascended anany peaks in America and Eu-
rope. In such recreation he has made wide
acquaintance with scientists and travelers, and
has become connected with various societies
whose membership is drawn from these classes
— the American Alpine Club, the Appalachian
Mountain Club of Boston, and the Sierra Club
of San Francisco. He has long been con-
nected with interests in Japan, having acted
as consul for many Japanese institutions, and
while visiting that country in 1894 was elected
a member of the Asiatic Society of Japan.
In 1904 he was married to Miss Mildred
Smythe, youngest daughter of William G.
Smythe, of Providence, Rhode Island. His
town home is at 404 Washington avenue,
Brooklyn, with a mountain abode high up in
the Catskills, known as " Red Lodge," in the
town of Denning, New York.
JAMES GASCOINE.
James Gascoine, deceased, late president of
the People's Bank, Brooklyn, lived a life of
great usefulness, standing not only high in
the' ranks of the financiers of the city, but
as a pioneer in the development of one of
its most important residential districts — a por-
tion of the twenty-sixth ward, in which he
built more than one thousand homes, sufficient
for the abodes of the entire population of
many a city iti the interior.
He was born July 26, 1844, on the farm of
his father, John Gascoine, which is now in-
cluded in the city, and is bounded on two
sides by what is now Broadway and Cooper
streets. James Gascoine attended the old
North Moore street school, in New York, and
afterwards the public schools in Flatbush.
When he was about fourteen the illness of
his father (who died four years later) neces-
sitated the suspension of his studies and his
application to labor in behalf of the family.
He aided in the cultivation of the paternal
farm, and afterwards took employment in a
grocery store in Washington Market, New
York City. Here he developed a genuine
business ability, and about the time of coming
of age he opened a grocery establishment of
his own on Dean street and Carlton avenue,
in Brooklyn. He subsequently conducted a
milk business in Glendale, and while so en-
gaged he came to realize the inevitable growth
of population and' the 'necessity for provid-
ing for it, in this exhibition of foresight antici-
pating many who were regarded as the most
astute real estate operators in the city. The
region which appealed to him as most promis-
ing and advantageous was that now compris-
ing the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth
wards. He accordingly established a business
partnership with the late John Cozine,
and the firm of Cozine & Gascoine en-
tered upon the work of building up
that district, erecting houses on both sides
of Weirfield street, both sides of Halsey
street,' both sides of Hancock street, and both
sides of Evergreen avenue. Mr. Gascoine was
so occupied until 1893, with unabated activity,
and it is a recognized fact that he was im-
mediately interested in the construction of a
greater number of houses than any other one
man in the entire history of Brooklyn.
Late in 1892 Mr. Gascoine felt that all im-
mediate necessities had been provided for in
the way of building, and he looked about for
a more active field in which to employ his
boundless energies. Realizing that the en-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
93
larged population and consequent broadened
business had made an opportunity, and even
a necessity for a bank in the new district, he
gave himself to the work of organizing such
an institution, and as a result the People's
Bank was opened for business in May, 1893,
v/ith Mr. Gascoine as president. For the first
four years he faithfully and diligently dis-
charged the duties of the position entirely
without compensation, using every influence
at his command to increase the business of
the bank, and bring to it as customers the
best elements of the new community, for such
it was. Latterly he devoted his entire time to
the interests of the institution, and persistent-
ly refused all solicitation to accept any office
or position which would take time or effort
which would in the least degree militate
against his usefulness as a bank official. He
was ever willing, however, to perform any
labor or assume any burden which was not
incompatible with the interests which he thus
placed first, and he took an active part in va-
rious public enterprises. He as a director in
the Eastern District Savings Bank and in-
terested in other corporations. It was his par-
ticular distinction to be the first to advocate
the erection of the new East River bridge, and
recognition came in the conferring upon him
of the appellation of "Father of the Bridge."
It is almost needless to say that he was urgent
and constant in pressing the necessity for the
structure which he advocated, and he was a
prime factor in every movement from incip-
iency to completion.
Of splendid social qualities and liberally in-
formed, Mr. Gascoine was a highly regarded
member of various leading social organizations
— the Union League, the Bushwick Club, the
Arion Singing Society, and the Eastern Dis-
trict Turn Verein. Though not a professed
church member, he was, indeed, a practical ev-
eryday Christian, whose life furnished a living
example for all. Generous in his disposition, he
was a liberal contributor to all religious and
charitable institutions, regardless of name or
creed. His sympathy for the afflicted was
peculiarly tender, and not only found ex-
pression in substantial benefactions, but in
such gifts as flowers. He often remarked that
his greatest pleasure lay in being able to af-
ford aid and comfort to some needy deserving
human less fortunate than himself. Such
genuine kindliness of heart, broad sympathy
and charitable acts won for him the friendship
of all who werfc brought in contact with him,
and he was also held in high regard by a large
business acquaintance for the happy manner
in which he combined his business abilities and
his large-hearted charitableness. He was par-
ticularly admired for his services in connec-
tion with the celebrated Relief Bazaar of 1893
for the relief of the poor in the eastern dis-
trict, which made distribution of many thou-
sands of dollars' worth of food, clothing, fuel,
medicines, etc., tO' the poor. In this beneficent
enterprise he took a foremost part in the work
of organization, and in bringing the work to
its highly successful consummation.
Mr. Gascoine was married, January 31,
1866, to Miss Jennie Furman, a daughter of
Joseph Furman, of Newtown. Of their mar-
riage were born three children — a son who
died in childhood, and two daughters : Mrs.
Anna Hummell, to whom were born three
children, James, Frank and Florence; and
Mrs. Josephine Cole.
Mr. Gascoine passed away aged sixty years.
94
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
The funeral services were attended by one of
the largest assemblages ever witnessed in the
eastern district upran a funereal occasion, at-
testing the deep respect and affection in which
the lamented deceased was held. The inter-
ment took place in Evergreen Cemetery.
GEORGE B. ABBOTT.
George B. Abbott, surrogate of Kings
county, was born in Brookfield, Vermont, Sep-
tember 27, 1850. His parents removed to
Brooklyn in his early youth, and he was pre-
pared for college at the Polytechnic Institute
of this city. His academic education was com-
pleted at Williams College, where he was
graduated in 1872. He then traveled in Eu-
rope; on returning to^ New York he began
the study of law in the office of Abraham R.
Lawrence, and at the law school of Columbia
College, from which he was graduated in
1874. He at once began the active practice
of his profession, and in 1881, upon the re-
tirement of the late Henry J. Cullen, Jr., from
the office of public administrator in Kings
county, he became his successor, and was re-
appointed in 1886. On February 9, 1889, he
was appointed by Governor Hill to the office
of surrogate 01 Kings county to fill the va-
cancy caused by the death of Surrogate Abra-
ham Lott; and at the general election in No-
vember of the same year he was elected as
surrogate for a full term of six years, be-
ginning on January i, 1890. Speaking of
Judge Abbott's character as a judicial officer,
the " Surrogate," a monthly journal devoted
to subjects connected with probate law, has
said : "Even the Hrnited time which has
elapsed since Mr. Abbott's promotion to the
bench has been sufficient to demonstrate his
exceptional fitness for the high post he occu-
pies. We have already spoken of his mastery
of the peculiar practice and procedure of
courts of probate. This gives him an ease and
facility in disposing of routine business not
easily acquired except by years of experience
on the bench. In the higher qualities of the
judicial office he has manifested a vigorous
industry, a degree of painstaking care, a per-
fect fairness and a knowledge of legal princi-
ples and how to apply them, which has al-
ready wen for him the confidence and appro-
Taation of lawyers, litigants and the public, and
assure him a career of the most honorable
distinction among the surrogates of the state."
Surrogate Abbott owns, in addition to his city
residence, a fine cottage at Shelter Island,
where he spends his summer vacation ; and
he is a prominent figure in the social life of
Brooklyn, being a member of the Brooklyn,
Excelsior and Germania clubs. He is also a
member of the University Club of New York.
A. AUGUSTUS HEALY.
A. Augustus Healy, who, as president of
the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences,
has for many years past taken an active and
intelligent interest in the advancement of its
purposes, and has also served with conspicuous
usefulness in public affairs, was born in Brook-
lyn, in 1850.
His father, Aaron Healy, a native of Maine,
came to New York in his young manhood, and
was one of the founders of the leather trade
in that city. As his sons came to manhood,
Mr. Healy admitted them to partnership with
himself, and the firm of A. Healy & Sons con-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
95
ducted a leading business until 1893, when,
with other principal houses in "the Swamp,"
It was consolidated with the United States
Leather Company. Mr. Healy was a man of
great business ability and progressiveness, and
in 1890 erected the Healy Building at 90 Gold
street, New York, which was the first high
building in the leather district, and among
the first of its altitude in the city. He had
a discriminating taste for art, and was the
first in Brooklyn, where he resided, to gather
paintings which in number and quality might
be 'properly classed as a collection. He was
for many years a trustee of Plymouth church,
and in politics was an independent Democrat.
He died in 1896. Of his three sons, Stephen
has lived in Europe for many years ; A.
Augustus continues tO' reside in Brooklyn ; and
Frank is yet connected with the leather trade
in New York.
A. Augustus Healy received his advanced
education in the Brooklyn Polytechnic Insti-
tute, and on attaining his majority became a
member of the firm of A. Healy & Sons, and
continued therewith until the forming of the
United States Leather Company, in which he
became a director, and of which for two years
past he has been vice-president.
A Democrat in politics, Mr. Healy has ever
adhered to the primal principles of the party,
exerting himself to the utmost to uphold high
standards. Pie was an early and constant ad-
mirer of Grover Cleveland, and an earnest ad-
vocate of tariff and civil service reform. He
was one of the most active members of the
Young Men's Democratic Club, and at its dis-
solution lie was among the organizers of the
Brooklyn Democratic Club, of which he be-
came president. He was subsequently a mem-
ber of the Kings county Democratic commit-
tee, and in 1885 of the Democratic state com-
mittee. For several years he was a trustee of
the Reform Club, and is a member of the
City Club. He has occupied positions in pub-
lic service, in which he served with fidelity
and ability. In 1884 Mayor Low appointed
him a member of the first Brooklyn Civil Ser-
vice Commission, and he served in that capac-
ity until the inauguration of Mayor Whitney.
He was collector of internal revenue for the
district comprising Brooklyn, Long Island and
Staten Island under the second administration
of President Cleveland. In 1892 Mayor Boody
appointed him upon the board of education.
Possessed of an inherited and highly culti-
vated taste for art, Mr. Healy has long been
among the most active supporters of the
Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, of
which he has been president since 1895. His
interest in the institution has been manifested
by the many gifts of statuary and paintings,
and articles of vertu, gathered during his re-
peated visits abroad. His own collection of
paintings, from an artistic and historical stand-
point, is among the most interesting in Brook-
lyn.
Mr. Healy is a member of the Art Commis-
sion of New York city, under the municipal
government, a trustee of the Packer Institute,
and a member of the Rembrandt Club and the
Hamilton Club, and a director of the Brook-
lyn Savings Bank. He is a member of Ply-
mouth church. He was married in 1875 to
Miss Elizabeth Bradley, of Washington city.
Of the four children born of this marriage
there remains living a son, Henry W. Healy,
a graduate of Yale College, class of 1901, and
who is connected with the United States
96
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Leather Company. Mr. Healy has resided for
many years on Cblumbia Heights, Brooklyn.
CARL VENTH.
As composer, conductor, vioHnist and
teacher, Carl Venth is widely and favorably
known in musical circles throughout the East-
ern States, in the principal cities of the West,
and in certain sections of Europe, where he.
has made successful concert tours, winning
high commendation from the most discrim-
inating critics. He is. also recognized as a
master authority upon music and musicians,
his knowledge covering the full history of the
divine art.
He is a native of Germany, born in Cologne.
His parents were Carl Venth and the Baron-
ess Fredericka von Turkowitz Venth, both of
whom were possessed of musical talents which
were transm.itted to the son. His father was
a well known violinist, a pupil of David, and
was also organist at the famous Cologne Ca-
thedral.
Mr. Venth completed his college course at
the early age of sixteen, and at once entered
the Cologne Conservatory, taking up the study
of the violin under George Jepha, and of com-
position under Ferdinand Hiller. After two
years thus occupied, in order to broaden his
studies, he went to Brussels, where he became
a pupil of Henry Wieniawski and August Du-
pont. In the same year he became concert-
master at the Flemish Opera in Bruxelles, and
how well his abilities had developed may be
discerned in the fact that he was not yet nine-
teen years of age. In 1879 ^^ made his first
concert tour, a most successful one, through
Belgium and Holland, assisted by Patzig, a
pupil of Moscheles. At the close of these en-
gagements Mr. Venth went to Paris to act
as concert-master of the Opera Comique.
Encouraged by his success, and seeking a
new field for his efifort, Mr. Venth came to
the United States in 1880, a year before at-
taining his majority, and made his public de-
but in Boston (then the musical centre of the
country), at the Bay State Concerts, with
Rive King. He was received with great cor-
diality, and in the following year toured the
eastern States and the west as far as St. Louis.
On his return he became concert-master , at
Rudolph Rial's concerts in New York, relin-
quishing this position at a later day to accept
an invitation to play in the Metropolitan
Opera House Orchestra under Dr. Leopold
Damrosch and Anton Seidl. This engage-
ment continued for four years, and was of
value to Mr. Venth in affording him oppor-
tunity for learning the tastes and demands ot
music-lovers from all portions of the country.
He perceived that, while grotesque stage situ-
ations provoked applause, there remained an
unsatisfied feeling which could only be re-
lieved by music of a characte-- suited to the
theme. He also discovered the existence of
crude talent needful of proper training, and
these considerations led him in 1888 to take
up his residence in Brooklyn and open the
Venth Violin School. This, for many years
past one of the most notably usetul and suc-
cessful schools of music in Greater New York,
is now represented in all portions of the
United States by performers of marked ability
who have acquired from their masterly teacher
something of his own characteristic and mas-
terly technique, while his influence has indel-
ibly impiressed upon them deep appreciation
C^/iu l^-c-i^JA^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
99
of the highest forms of composition and de-
veloped in them a genuine style of expression
all his own.
While devoting himself industriously and
conscientiously to his pupils, Mr. Venth abated
nothing of his interest in public music, but
proved most enterprising in organizing and
conducting musical associations. He entered
upon these tasks with that unbounded enthu-
siasm which can only spring from a real love
of art, for sake of itself alone and of its effect
as an educating and uplifting power, entirely
disassociated from petty commercial consider-
ations. In 1889, the year after he had opened
his Violin School, he became leader of orches-
tral concerts with the Seidl Orchestra, and
the following year organized the Brooklyn
Symphony Orchestra, and these are notable as
the first attem.pts at Sunday night symphony
concerts in Brooklyn. In 1891 he formed the
Venth Quartet, and in 1896 he became leader
of the Euterpe Orchestral Society, and con-
ductor of various minor organizations, among
them being the Poly-Orchestra and Dramatic
Association, and the Hoadley Orchestra. In
1897 he was elected conductor of the Brook-
lyn Mannerchor. For twelve years past he
has been a member of the Manuscript Society,
of which he is a director at the present time.
Mr. Venth has made for himself a splendid
and widely known name in the field of musical
authorship. A great many of his compositions
in smaller form, for violin and piano and voice,
. numbering more than one hundred and fifty
titles, have been pubhshed by Mr. Venth's
publishers : " The American Elite Edition,"
Pond & Company, Church & Company, A. I.
Schmidt, in Boston; Schuberth, in Leipsig;
Schott & Freres, in Bruxelles, and the London
Music Publishing Company, in London. The
greater number of his larger works are yet in
manuscript form, but many of them have had
public performances, among them being an or-
chestral suite, " Forest Scenes," under Anton
Seidl ; a violin concerto played at Albany by
the composer, Frank von der Stucken leading
the orchestra; the String Quartet, several
quintets, a sonata for viofin and piano, and
various other chamber-music compositions ; a
suite for string orchestra given at the old
Chickering Hall, and his dramatic cantata,
" Hiawatha's Wooing," which has been given
very many times, and which, in whole or part,
is adiniringly known all dver the United
States. In more recent years, and subsequent
to his marriage, he has produced his largest
and most elaborate works— a three act romantic
opera, " The Rebel '' ; a one act musical drama,
" The Fisherman " ; a comic opera, " Ozone " ;
and a song cycle,' " Myth Voices."
In the fullprime of a splendid manhood,'
Mr. Venth has not yet reached the zenith of
his mental and professional powers, but gives
evidence of a constant progressive develop-
ment. Music is his very existence, and his
inspiration in all which enters into his life.
With all his enthusiasm, in his art, he pre-
serves a perfectly balanced temperament and
is entirely devoid of affectation. His fine phys-
ical development, his breadth of shoulders and
almost massive head, might to a stranger sug-
gest his fondness for athletic sports and a dis-
inclination for indoor occupation. But his
voice, musical and well modulated in conver-
sation, and the almost feminine beauty of his
hand, with its delicate muscular play, sug-
gestive of his fondness for his favorite instru-
100
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
ment, would soon undeceive the observer, and
reveal to him the true artist.
Mr. Venth was married, July 13, 1898, to
Miss Cathinka Finch Myhr, of Christiana,
Norway.
CHARLES CYRIL MARTIN.
Faithfulness to duty and strict adherence
to a fixed purpose in life will do more to ad-
vance material interests than wealth or ad-
vantageous circumstances. The successful
men of the day are they who have planned
their own advancement and have accomplished
it in spite of many obstacles and with a cer-
tainty that could have been obtained only
through their own efforts. Of this class was
Charles C. Martin, whose death by heart fail-
ure at the summer home of his son. Lieutenant
Kingsley L. Martin, at Far Rockaway, on the
morning of July 11, 1903, took from the great
.thoroughfare of life a truly great character.
He was born in Springfield, Bradford county,
Pennsylvania, August 30, 1831, a son of
James and Lydia (Bullock) Martin, grandson
of James and Judith (Read) Martin, and a
descendant of John Martin, who came from
England about 1666 and settled in Swansea,
Massachusetts. His ancestor's lineage has
been traced to Martin de Tours, who came
into England with William the Conqueror, and
who was of the same stock as Saint Martin.
The parents of Charles C. Martin settled
in Pennsylvania when Bradford county was
on the very verge of eastern civilization, and
amid the surroundings of frontier farm life
he became familiar with the details of farm-
ing and lumbering and laid the foundation for
the vigorous health which he subsequently en-
joyed. He availed himself of every opportunity
for study and reading, and at the age of seven-
teen was an acknowledged authority in land
surveying and had taught a district school.
At the age of twenty-three years he entered
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, New
York, and by the aid of money earned in teach-
ing a parochial school and by giving private
lessons to students of the Institute, he was
enabled to complete his course of study in
civil engineering and was graduated with high
honor in 1856. For a year he remained at the
Institute as a teacher, and in 1891 was unani-
mously elected to the office of director of his
alma mater — an office which is usually called
presidency in other colleges — but this he de-
clined as he did also the professorship which
was tendered to him. From Troy he came
to Brooklyn, where he secured a position as
rodman in the engineering department of the
Brooklyn water works, then in course of con-
struction, at a salary of $1.50 per day. He
rose within two years to the position of as-
sistant engineer under James P. Kirkwood,
and supermtended the construction of three
of the reservoirs and eight miles of the great
conduit. He perfected his knowledge of iron
work and bridge building in the works of the
Trenton Locomotive Machine Manufacturing
Company, and during his service there his
merits carried him swiftly upward and he was
soon made superintendent of the works.
During the war of the rebellion Mr. Mar-
tin was engaged both in bridge construction
and the manufacture of arms, from the Spring-
field musket to the eleven-inch Dahlgren gun,
often giving employment to as many as three
hundred mechanics. At the outbreak of hos-
tilities he was engaged in the construction of
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
101
an iron bridge across the Savannah river on
the Savannah & Charlestown Railroad, and
owing to the interruption of railroad com-
munication along the seaboard he was obliged
to make a long detour in order to reach his
northern home. The iron which was to have
been used in the construction of the railroad
bridge was subsequently melted into shot and
shell for the use of the Confederates. In 1864
he was employed as an expert by the United
States government in a series of boiler ex-
periments at the Brooklyn navy yard, con-
ducted with a view to ascertaining the re-
spective merits of the horizontal and vertical
tubular boilers for the navy. When peace
was restored he was employed by the city of
Brooklyn to lay the forty-eight-inch main
along Atlantic avenue to the Ridgewood reser-
voir, through which the water has since been
obtamed. Later he became identified as chief
engineer with the making of Prospect Park,
and in this capacity sank the great well, at
that time the largest in the world, and per-
fected the system of road building, and sub-
drainage which has added so much to the per-
fection of the city's chief pleasure-ground.
The most important epoch in his professional
career began when he became first assistant
engineer under Colonel Washington A. Roeb-
ling, chief engineer of the New York and
Brooklyn Bridge. Prior to this he assisted John
A. Roebling in sinking the huge caissons upon
which were to rest the foundations of the
bridge. During his incumbency of the office
of first assistant engineer he had full charge of
the execution of the work, the employment of
men, the purchase of materials and the audit-
ing of bills, and he has often stated with pride
that every bill for supplies, aside from those
furnished through contracts awarded to the
lowest bidders, bears his signature, attesting
that the goods were received and that the
prices were those demanded in the open mar-
ket. Mr. Martin was one of the most active,
industrious and competent members of his pro-
fession, and for nineteen years, until the of-
fice was abolished by the consolidation of the
Department of Bridges in January, 1902, he
held the position of chief engineer and super-
intendent of the New York and Brooklyn
Bridge, having been appointed to that respon-
sible position upon the retirement of Colonel
W. A. Roebling. January, 1903, completed
thirty-three years of sfrvice on the Brooklyn
Bridge, and more than forty years of pro-
fessional service on public works in Brooklyn.
His record presents an example of faith un-
broken, duties satisfactorily performed, and of
the beneficent effect which can be exerted upon
associates and subordinates by a personal and
magnetic influence. He was a member of the
American Society of Civil Engineers, and an
honorary member of the Brooklyn Engineers'
Club.
In August, i860, Mr. Martin married Mary
A. Read, daughter of General Jonathan Read,
of Rensselaer county. New York, a direct de-
scendant of Governor Bradford and other
Puritan sires, and a lady of intellectual ability
and of varied and extensive reading in both'
English and German. Their children are:
Mrs. J. J. Hopper of New York; Mrs.
George Blatchford of Pittsfield, Massachu-
setts; Charles Boynton Martin, an electrical
enguieer; and. Lieutenant Kingsley L. Martin,
resident engineer on the Williamsburg sus-
pension bridge.
102
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
JUNIUS A. FULLER.
Junius A.. Fuller, deceased, was a represen-
tative of one of the old colonial families of
Puritan ancestry. At an early epoch in the
history of the settlement of New England the
progenitor oi the family in America settled in
Massachusetts, and the great-grandfather of
Mr. Fuller was one of the founders of the
town of Ludlow in the Bay State. Later gen-
erations removed to Albany, New York, and
it was in that city that Junius A. Fuller was
born, on the 24th of December, 1820. He
was a pupil in the public schools there prior
to entering upon a course of study in the
Albany Academy, in which institution he was
graduated. In the meantime he had served as
a page in the state senate, by appointment of
Hugh Hastings, editor of the Coimnercial Ad-
vertiser.
Following his graduation Mr. Fuller entered
upon his business career in the service of the
People's Line Steamboat Company, whose
boats, plying between Albany and New York,
had been longer upon the river than those of
^ny other established company. His close ap-
plication and adaptability won him successive
and rapid promotion, and he eventually became
one of the owners of the line and a director
of the company. At the close of the Mexi-
can war he was in command of the steamer
North America, which was used as a trans-
port to convey the returning American troops
up New York harbor, and for his kindness
and generosity displayed on this occasion he
received a note of thanks and appropriation
from the common council of New York.
From the time of becoming a resident of
Brooklyn until his death Mr. Fuller was a
well known factor in the business life of the
borough, especially prominent as a represen-
tative of its productive industrial interests. In
boyhood a schoolmate and throughout life a
warm personal friend of WiUiam Howard,
in 1853 Mr. Fuller united his interests with
Mr. Howard in a business venture under the
firm style of Howard & Fuller, manufacturers
of ale and porter. The enterprise proved suc-
cessful, and in the course of years theirs be-
came one of the oldest established breweries
of the country, as well as one of the most ex-
tensive, the product being shipped to all parts
of the United States. Even when he had
reached an age at which most men, having
achieved success, would retire from the field
of business, he continued an active factor in
the control of the business and in the enlarge-
ment of its scope. He was always devoted to
the business, giving it his whole time and
undivided energies, and the effect of his super-
vision is shown in a comparison with -the ex-
tensive brewery of to-day with the small
establishment from which it sprang and the
local trade of years ago with the widely ex-
tended business of the house at the present.
In the early days of his business career in
Brooklyn he was the contemporary and per-
sonal friend of many leaders in New York
business circles, including Thurlow Weed and
Commodore Vanderbilt. When the latter be-
gan the construction of the famous Hudson
River Railroad, he remarked to Mr. Fuller
that he had better give up the steamboat busi-
ness and join him in his railroad undertaking.
Mr. Fuller did not relinquish active participa-
tion in business affairs until a few years prior
to his death, which occurred in 1903, when he
was in his eiehtv-third vear.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
103
On coming to Brooklyn he established his
home in Washington street, then a fashionable
section of the city, where he remained until
1865, when he removed to No. 419 Grand
avenue.- He is survived by his two sons,
James W. and William F. Fuller, and four
grandchildren. A charter member of Com-
monwealth Lodge No. 409, F. & A. M., he
was for many years active in that organiza-
tion. The fortune which his enterprise won
he wisely used for the comfort of his family
and the happiness of others, giving generous-
ly but always unostentatiously for the relief
of the needy and distressed, and yet it was
characteristic of him that he never mentioned
his bfnefactions or wished to have them
known to- the general public.
JOHN SCHULTHEISS.
John Schultheiss, a prominent figure in Ger-
man musical circles of Brooklyn and one
whose success was attained through the utili-
zation of opportunities which surround all and
by the exercise of unflagging industry and un-
abating energy, made his home in this bor-
ough for thirty years. A native of Bavaria,
Germany, he was born in Hammelburg, in
1844. The days of his boyhood and youth
were uneventfully passed in a manner simi-
lar to that of most lads of the middle class,
and he early learned the value of industry,
economy and honesty as factors in business
Hfe.
Attracted by the possibilities for advance-
ment and the acquirement of success in the
new world, he crossed the Atlantic when about
thirty years of age and established his home
in Brooklyn, becoming a representative of its
commercial interests by opening a meat mar-
ket in Wythe avenue. He was not long in
securing a good trade among the German-
Americans of 'that district and afterward he
admitted Louis Stutz to partnership, the rela-
tion being maintained for fifteen years. At
the end of that time they discontinvted the
business, and Mr. Schultheiss established a
wholesale hog slaughter house. Through the
careful investment of his funds, keen discrim-
ination in conducting trade relations and by
honorable methods that won him an unassail-
able reputation and gained for him a good
trade, he became one of the prosperous resi-
dents of his section of Brooklyn, and in his
later years was thus enabled to enjoy all the
comforts and many of the luxuries of life. He
had just made arrangements for a trip to
California with his old friend. Colonel John
Rueger, when stricken with his last illness.
As his financial resources increased he made
judicious investment in real estate and was
the owner of considerable valuable property,
including the postal station building on Gra-
ham avenue.
Mrs. Schultheiss passed away about ten
years prior to his death. They are survived
by three daughters, two of whom are mar-
ried. The single daughter is a member of
the Arion Women's Chorus. Mr. Schultheiss
was for many years prominent and influential
in musical circles among the German-Ameri-
can citizens of Brooklyn. He belonged to the
Zoellner Maennerchor and Arion Societies,
which sung a last farewell to their departed
member at the funeral services held on the
5th of February, 1904.
104
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
HAMILTON H. SALMON.
Among the most enterprising and success-
ful of the great merchants of the metropoHs,
and noted as a society and cofiUion leader of
Brooklyn, New York, is Hamilton H. Salmon,
a member of the firm of H. H. Salmon & Co.,
importers and exporters, conducting business
at 88 Wall street. New York city.
Hamilton H. Salmon, father of Hamilton
H. Salmon, was born in Baltimore, Maryland,
the son of Captain Salmon, who was in the
service of the English^ army, belonging to the
One Hundred and Third Regular Queen's
Guard, and for valor and bravery was retired
on full pay, after which he came to Baltimore,
Maryland, and entered into the shipping busi-
ness. Mr. Salmon acquired his education in
the public schools of Baltimore, and upon at-
taining his majority came to New York city
and established the present extensive import-
ing and exporting business now carried on by
his son. He was very successful in this en-
terprise, and was soon recognized as an au-
thority in the trade. He was one of the
founders of the New York Produce Exchange,
and before its organization delivered a speech
.from the top of a flour barrel at the corner
of Front and Moore streets, New York, in
favor of the movement. In his political affilia-
tions he was an adherent of the principles of
the Republican party, was an eloquent speaker
and stumped the state for Senator Beach, of
Orange county. New York. In his religion he
was an active member of the Washington
Avenue Baptist Church, and served for many
years as chairman of tile Long Island Church
Extension Society. He was united in mar-
riage to Miss Butler, a daughter of Alice
(Morris) Butler, the latter named being a
daughter of Robert Morris, of Colonial
times. Mr. Salmon had a handsome and com-
modious country seat at Cornwell, Orange
county. New York. Flis death occurred in
1889, he being then sixty-nine years of age;
he was survived by his widow who is living at
the present time (1903).
Hamilton H. Salmon obtained an excellent
education in the public schools and at the
Cobb Military Academy at Cornwell-on-the-
Hudson, and after completing his studies en-
tered his father's office. Shortly afterward
he was admitted as a partner in the firm, and
upon the death of his father he became the
senior member of the firm, carrying .on the
business successfully ever since. He is also
president of the Little Giant Fire Extinguisher
Company of New York. For many years Mr.
Salmon was a member of the Lafayette Ave-
nue Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn, but in
1893 he joined the membership of the New
York Avenue Church of the same city. He is
an honorary member of the Tandem Club of
New York City, and a member of various
Brooklyn clubs, the more prominent ones
being the Crescent Athletic Club, the Riding
and Driving Club, of which he is a director,
and the Whip Club, the foremost tandem club
of America, of which he is president. He is
the owner of many fine horses, one of whom,
" Flashlight," has never been beaten ; he has
one hundred and seventy-eight ribbons which
were awarded, to him, one hundred and seven
of which are first, and champions for four-in-
hand and tandem driving. He was awarded
a silver cup for the champion high stepping
horse, and he has also a number of .other cups
and trophies won at various exhibitions.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
107
On November 12, 1889, Mr. Salmon mar-
ried Miss Jessie Sweetland, a daughter of
Henry D. Sweetland. They have one child,
Hamilton H. Salmon, Jr. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Salmon are prominent society people, taking
an active part in all social functions, and en-
tertaining lavishly at their beautiful and com-
modious home, 1 1 54 Dean street, Brooklyn,
New York.
PROF. ANTON SBRIGNADELLO.
Anton Sbrignadello, Professor of Music,
and proprietor of the College of Music,
founded in 1888, was born in Venice, Italy,
May I, 1856, the son of Charles and Jennie
(Bullo) Sbrignadello.
Professor Sbrignadello was reared in his
native city, where he acquired his literary ed-
ucation, and at a very early age he displayed
a talent for music which he inherited from his
grandfather, for whom he was named. When
he reached the age of fourteen years Jie was
called the youthful Paganini bv the leading
papers and periodicals, on account of his bril-
liant executions on the violin. Shortly after-
ward he went to Milan, Italy, in order to
thoroughly complete his musical education,
and was graduated from the conservatories
there with the degree of Master of Music
when he attained the age of nineteien years.
He then traveled through Italy and Russia,
remaining in the latter country several years,
where he was successfully engaged in teach-
ing music in all its various branches and in
arranging and conducting concerts. Profes-
sor Sbrignadello then came to the United
States and acted in the capacity of Prpfessor
of Singing, Piano and Violin at the Conserva-
6
tories of Music in New York city. Resigning
from this position in 1888, he established a
College of Music which is situated at 529
Franklin avenue, near Fulton street, Brook-
lyn, New York, where a complete course of
study in voice, piano, violin, guitar, mandolin,
and all orchestral instruments is given under
the preceptorship of competent professors.
The college is expressly adapted to the use
to which it is devoted, namely : the instruc-
tion and cultivation of vocal and instrumental
music in all its branches, affording the director
unusual facilities for overseeing all depart-
ments, and permitting many lessons and exer-
cises to be conducted at the same time with-
out disturbing each other; it also contains a
music room for the private college concerts or
musical receptions given by the professors or
students to their friends, which are always
well patronized by the most cultured and se-
lect class of society, as well as the prominent
musicians of Brooklyn. He makes a specialty
of voice culture, teaching by the Italian
method, and the advance made by his pupils
can only be attributed to the painstaking and
patient care given to each one of them by the
Professor, whose capabilities as a teacher can-
not be surpassed.
CHARLES THOMAS BARTON.
Charles Thomas Barton, who is one of the
representatives of journalism in Brooklyn dur-
ing the middle portion of the nineteenth cen-
tury, becoming widely known to the citizens
of this borough, and who was afterward well
known as a paper manufacturer of Williams-
burg and oi New England, was born on the
15th of July, 1824, in England, where he
108
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
spent the first twelve years of his life. He
then accompanied his father to America, the
family home being established on South Third
street, Williamsburg, where the boy was
reared. After completing his education he
entered business life as a society reporter on
Noah's Sunday Times. He had been more or
less familiar with newspaper work throughout
the period of his youth, for his father was
the editor and publisher of the Old Country-
men, a periodical of Williamsburg.
After acting for some time as a reporter
Mr. Barton was employed for a number of
years as proof-reader on some of the leading
daily journals of New York, and when the
careful management of his finances made it
possible for him to engage in business on his
own account he joined his father in a print-
ing enterprise at No. iii Fulton street, New
York, under the firm style of Barton & Son.
This business was attended with a fair meas-
ure of success and about the same time
Charles T. Barton edited the Typographical
Union; a weekly publication. It was but a
step farther into the field of paper manufactur-
ing, and for a number of years Mr. Barton
was well known as one of the leading repre-
sentatives of that line of industrial activity
in New England, to which portion of the
country he removed in 1876, going to Wind-
sor Locks, Connecticut, to become the fore-
man of the Seymour Paper Company. He was
identified with several large productive in-
dustries of that character up to about 1896,
when he retired from business life. He then
removed to Springfield, where his remaining
days were passed, his death there occurring
on the 29th of March, 1904.
Charles Thomas Barton is well remembered
by the older citizens of Brooklyn, especially
in the Williamsburg district, for during his
residence there he became prominent in pub-
lic afifairs and popular in social circles. He
was a memiber of the Forty-seventh Regiment
and a sergeant of one of its leading companies.
He was also identified with a Masonic lodge of
that locality. In his boyhood days he became
a communicant of St. Mark's Episcopal church
and retained his membership therein up to
the time of his death.
In April, 1858, Mr. Barton was married in
Williamsburg to Miss Anne Angula Tappen,
the wedding ceremony being performed by
the late Dr. Haskins in the old Protestant
Episcopal church of St. Marks in Bedford
avenue. Mrs. Barton was the daughter of
Colonel Charles Tappen, formerly a well
known and influential citizen of Williamsburg.
She is still living, as are four of their sons :
George Frederick Barton, a well known resi-
dent of Flatbush; Charles Barclay; Robert
and Edward.
THOMAS J. CARLETON.
Thomas J. Carleton, who was one of the
well known Democratic leaders of Manhattan
and for years exercised a strong and potent
influence in the afifairs of Tammany Hall,
maintained his residence in the borough of
Brooklyn for a long period. He was born
in New York and came of an old Quaker
family. The period of his boyhood days
passed as did that of most lads of the time
who enjoyed the sports of youth and mas-
tered the branches of education taught in the
public schools. When still quite young he
became deeply interested in political questions
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
109
and ere attaining his majority he took an act-
ive part in the political work of his ward.
His ability for leadership was soon recognized,
and throughout his active career he main-
tained a close and intimate connection with
Democratic circles in Brooklyn and New York.
He had no aspirations for office, but gave a
determined and earnest support to the prin-
ciples of his party and labored untiringly
for its success.
In the meantime Thomas J. Carleton se-
cured a position in the navy yard of Brooklyn,
and while thus employed formed the acquain-
tance of Hugh McLaughlin, to whom he was
bound in strong ties of friendship for nearly
half a century. At length he resigned his
position in the navy yard in order to engage
in an independent venture as proprietor of the
Liberty Pole Inn. This he established about
1853 at the corner of Columbia and Stanton
streets in Manhattan, successfully conducting
it until his retirement from business about
eight years prior to his death. In front of
the inn was a liberty pole, which is still stand-
ing and which gave to the place its name.
This became a famous resort of leading poli-
ticians of New York, and for a number of
years was regarded as headquarters by all
the prominent leaders of Democrats on the
lower east side. Many political movements
were there planned and put into execution,
and Mr. Carleton himself was an important
factor in forming the measures and guiding
the work of the party in the city. He had
a number of rooms in the inn tastefully and
beautifully fitted up, and these were always
at the disposal of the Tammany politicians.
Mr. Carleton maintained his residence in
Brooklyn for many years, and it was in his
honor that the Carleton House on Kent ave-
nue of the borough of Brooklyn was named,
being so called by its owner, Frank Seaman,
who was a warm personal friend of Mr. Carle-
ton.
In the early days of Brooklyn before the
growth of the city demanded a fire depart-
ment the members of which should give their
entire time to their duties in this connection,
Mr. Carleton was a volunteer fireman, be-
ing one of the original members of Live Oak
Company No. 44. When this company was
organized it was considered one of the best
equipped and trained in all New York. He
held membership with the Columbia Club and
also in Putnam Lodge No. 328, F. & A. M.,
and he had the social, genial nature which
attracted to him warm personal friendships.
The death of his wife occurred some years
prior to his demise. He is survived by two
children: Thomas J. Carleton, Jr., and Mrs.
Lydia M. DeLacy. He died at the age of
seventy years, and thus passed away a figure
well known in both Brooklyn and Manhat-
tan.
GEORGE M. BOARDMAN.
George M. Boardman, a member of the
firm of Patterson, Boardman & Co., of New
York city, was born at the corner of Greene
avenue and Adelphi street, Brooklyn, New
York, July i, 1864, a grandson of William
Boardman, a native of Wales, who subse-
quently became a prominent factor in the in-
dustrial and social Hfe of the town of
Nashua, New Hampshire, where his death
occurred in 1856; he also served as a min-
ute-man during the war of 1812. Elbridge
110
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Henry Boardmaii, father' of George M.
Boardman, was born in Nashua, New
Hampshire, and his entire business career
as boy and man has been spent in the em-
ploy of the Fairbank Scale Company,
whom he is now serving in the capacity of
m,anager of the scale departmentj He was
for many years a well known resident of
Brooklyn, New York, but two years ago
took up his residence in Englewood, New
Jersey.
George M. Boardman received his educa-
tion in the public schools of Brooklyn, and
at an early age entered the importing house
of Patterson, Downing & Co., with whom
he remained until 1895, when the firm of
Patterson, Boardman & Co; was organized.
They import all sorts/ of raw material and
dispose of their stock to manufacturers, and
by their honorable and straightforward
business dealings soon won an enviable rep-
utation which they have sustained up to the
present time. Mr. Boardman is a member
of the Crescent, Marine and Field Clubs of
Brooklyn, also of the Downtown Associa-
tion of New York city. Since his boyhood
he has been connected with the Lafayette
Avenue Church, in which he takes a deep
and active interest, having served for six
years as deacon of the church and librarian
of the Sunday school for twelve years.
On June 9, 1887, Mr. Boardman married
Catherine Worthington, daughter of George
Worthington, a member of an old and hon-
orable Vermont family. They have an at-
tractive home at 470 Ocean avenue, Brook-
lyn, New York, where their friends and ac-
quaintances are always warmly welcomed.
HERMAN A. METZ.
Mr. Metz is a native of New York city,
born October 19, 1867. He came of an ex-
cellent German family, several of whose mem-
bers were professors in various German uni-
versities. His father, Edward Metz, was born
in the city of Hamburg and came to the United
States about 1840. He was then a young
man, excellently well educated, and eventu-
ally established himself in the wholesale jew-
elry trade and carried on a large and success-
ful business for many years. At the same time
his scholarly tastes remained with him, and
he was known as a most capable and discrim-
inating litterateur. His death occurred in
1885.
The son, Herman A. Metz, received his ed-
ucation in the public schools of New York
city, and Newark, New Jersey, having the ad-
vantage of one year in the commercial course
in the Newark High School after he had left
the grammar school below. He was now four-
teen years of age, and he came as an office
boy into the employ of P. Schulze-Berge, im-
porter of aniline colors and chemicals, of
whose establishment he. was destined in course
of time to become head. He gave his every
effort to mastering the business in which he
had become engaged, and at the same time
attended the Cooper Union Night School,
where he gave special attention to chemistry,
as necessary to his complete equipment for
his chosen calling. So satisfactory was his
progress as a student that he was graduated in
due course, and for two years afterward and
until other exactions pressed upon him he was
employed as an assistant in the laboratory.
Meantime he was making similar advance-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
113
ment in the house in which he labored during
the day hours, and was in turn given a posi-
tion in its laboratory, made salesman, and
placed in charge of the Boston branch of the
business, and this before l^e had attained his
majority; and, later, of the Chicago branch.
During all these years, from his first employ-
ment, he was the support of his mother and
three younger brothers.
In 1896 the business, which had some years
prior become a partnership under the name
of Schulze-Berge & Koechl, was incorporated
under the name Victor Koechl & Co., and
Mr. Metz was made vice-president and treas-
urer, and he occupied both these positions unjiil
January i, 1899, when he came to the presi-
dency. On July I, 1903, he became president
of the newly organized corporation, H. A.
Metz & Co., who succeeded to the dye stuff
department of Victor Koechl & Co. He is
also president of the Consolidated Color and
Chemical Company of Newark, New Jersey,
where their chemical works are located on the
Passaic River. The business controlled by
these various corporations is among the most
extensive of their class in the country, and
the sole management is vested in him who
came into the parent establishment as a lad
about twenty-two years ago, and who is now
practically sole owner of each of the various
corporations.
Mr. Metz is also largely interested in and
a director of several manufacturing and com-
mercial corporations. He is a director of the
Guardian Trust Company, of New York, and
the Borough Bank of Brooklyn, and president
of the Guardian Savings Bank of Brooklyn.
Mr. Metz, through his interest in public
affairs and his broad knowledge of men and
affairs, has been drawn into association with
many of the leading commercial, politico-eco-
nomic and social clubs of New York and
Brooklyn. He is a member of the Chamber
of Commerce, the Merchants' Association, the
Board of Trade and Transportation, and the
Manufacturers' Association, all of New York,
and the National Association of Manufactur-
ers; the American Chemical Society, the So-
ciety of Chemical Industry of London, and the
Verein Deutscher Chemikle of Dresden. He
is also a member of the Metropolitan Mu-
seum of Art, American Museum of Nat-
ural History, the Botanical Society, the
Brooklyn Institute of Arts, a director of the
Brooklyn League, a trustee of the Reform
Club, and Chemists' Club of New York, and
president of the National Civic Club of Brook-
lyn, and a member of the following named
clubs : The Salmagundi and New York Ath-
letic, of New York ; the Crescent Athletic, the
Lincoln, the Riding and Driving, and Bush-
wick and Germania Clubs of Brooklyn. He is
a Mason, and has attained to the thirty-sec-
ond degree, Scottish Rite, and is a Knight
Templar and Shriner. His political affiliations
are with the Democratic party, and he is prom-
inent in the poHtical and civic affairs of the
Greater New York. He is president and was
the organizer of the Kings County Democratic
Club, and is also president of the Brooklyn
Democratic Club, a member of the Democratic
Club of New York, and of the Democratic
County General Committee and Finance Com-
mittees of Kings County. He is deeply inter-
ested in educational affairs, and was a mem-
ber of the New York Board of Education and
of the School Board of Brooklyn. He was
Brooklyn's candidate for the nomination for
114
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
president of the board of aldermen in 1903,
and in 1902 was tendered a congressional nom-
ination, but declined for business reasons.
Mr. Metz's principal business office is with
H. A. Metz & Company, at No. 122 Hudson
street. New York, with branches in Boston,
Philadelphia, Providence, Chicago, Qiarlotte,
N. C. ; Atlanta, Ga. ; San Francisco, Cal. ;
Montreal and Toronto, Canada, and Ham-
burg and Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany.
His residence is in Brooklyn, where he main-
tains a beautiful home on Clinton avenue.
HORACE M. WARREN.
The ancestry of Horace M. Warren, both
lineal and collateral, was distinctively Ameri-
can. The family was founded in Massachu-
setts as early as 1629, John Warren, the first
representative of the name in the new world,
coming from the southern coast of England
and establishing his home in Watertown, Es-
sex county, of the Massachusetts colony. He
was accompanied by his brother Richard War-
ren, who' located at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
With the early history of New England dif-
ferent generations of the family were actively
identified, and aided in shaping the public
policy of that portion of the country. Various
representatives of the name served as soldiers
of the American army in the war of the Revo-
lution.
Horace M. Warren, a son of Horace M.
and Hannah (Laith) Warren, was born in Wa-
tertown, Massachusetts, April 22, 1816, and
pursued his education in the public schools.
The financial circumstances of the family made
it necessary that he provide for his own sup-
port at an early age, and when but a mere
boy he began work in a mill. Later he went
to Yarmouth, Maine, where he was employed
in the manufacture of Morocco leather for
shoes. He continued in that position until
eighteen years of ^e, when he went to Ports-
mouth, New Hampshire, but later returned
to Yarmouth, and subsequently came to New
York as a passenger on a sloop. He then
sought employment in a Morocco leather man-
ufacturing house, in which he was employed
for a year, and on the expiration of that pe-
riod he made a trip to Buffalo, New York,
going by way of the Erie canal, seven days
being consum.ed in covering the distance from
i\lbany to his destination. Mr. Warren con-
tinued a resident of Buffalo for some time,
and then returned on what was called an
express passenger boat, making the trip in
three days, which was then considered very
quick time. He was nineteen years of age
when he again established his home in New
York, and for some years thereafter he was
employed by various leather manufacturers,
including William H. Burbank, with whom
he was associated as an employe for several
years, after which he entered into a partner-
ship. Their factory was located at Laurens
street, now West Broadway, Brooklyn, in
what was called "the Swamp." After three
years the business relation was dissolved and
Mr. Warren continued alone in business on
Jacob street. Subsequently he was located on
Ferry street, and afterward at No. 52 Spence
street from 1876 until the building was burned
down. During this period his business had
undergone many changes, so that it was neces-
sary to maintain only an office. Mr. Warren
continued in active connection with the trade
until 1886, when he retired permanently from
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
115
the leather business. He had from early boy-
hood been identified therewith, and had been
in constant touch with its progress and irp-
provements. In his youth he mastered every
detail of the trade, gaining that broad practical
experience v/hich proved one of the strong
elements in his success in later years. With-
out recourse to speculation and along the lines
of safe and legitimate business activity he won
very desirable success, becoming a recognized
factor in financial as well as industrial circles.
He was one of the founders of the Williams-
burg Savings Bank, became one of the trus-
tees of the institution and at the time of his
death was the oldest member of the board.
He was also one of the founders of the Cross-
town Railway Company, and in this enterprise
was associated with General Slocum, Dennis
Strong and James Waterbury. He was alert
and enterprising, recognizing readily the busi-
ness opportunities and so shaping conditions
that his labors were attended with a large
measure of success, that enabled him to pass
beyond the ranks of the many and stand
among the successful few.
In his political views Mr. Warren was an
earnest Republican, familiar with the questions
and issues of the day, yet never a seeker for
political preferment or advancement. He was
pubHc-spirited, and because of a deep and
earnest interest in the welfare of his borough
and his co-operation in many measures for the
general good gave tangible proof of his cham-
pionship of whatever tended to promote pub-
lic progress along lines that have wrought for
the city's improvement.
Mr. Warren was united in marriage to Miss
Caroline A. Heath, of New Hampshire, and
to them were born three children, of whom
one daughter died in infancy ; Horace M.,
who was engaged in the real estate business
in Denver, Colorado, died January 17, 1904.
Clement is the only surviving child. Mr.
Warren passed away January 24, 1901, after
a residence of two-thirds of a century in New
York and Brooklyn. In an analysis of his
life work it is found that reliability and pro-
gressiveness in business, loyalty in citizenship
and devotion to his family were among his
strongest and most commendable characteris-
tics, and won for him deep and unqualified re-
gard that caused his death to be greatly re-
gretted, although he had compassed a life span
of more than fourscore years.
HENRY P. MORGAN.
Henry P. Morgan, a leading financier, and
the late president of the Brooklyn Savings
Bank and the Nassau Gas Light Company,
was born in Colchester, Connecticut, July 20,
182 1, a son of Avery Morgan, a native of
Connecticut, and a Revolutionary soldier. He
was closely related to George D. Morgan, the
Rev. William F. Morgan, first pastor of St.
Thomas's church of New York, and Edward
D. Morgan, ex-governor of New York.
Henry P. Morgan was educated at the fa-
mous Bacon Academy at Colchester, Connecti-
cut, came to Brooklyn at thirteen years of
age, and at once began his business career as
a clerk in a drygoods store owned and con-
ducted by his brother, William Morgan. In
1850 his brother died, and Henry P. Morgan
conducted the business successfully for many
years. Subsequently he established a store in
the St. Ann's building on Fulton street, which
he conducted until 1867, when he retired from
116
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
mercantile life and became president of a New
York life insurance company. It was through
his instrumentality that the Nassau Gas Light
Company was organized; he became its first
president and held the office up to the time
of his decease. In the fall of 1880, upon the
resignation of Hosea Webster, Mr. Morgan
became the president of the Brooklyn Savings
Bank, having been thirty years a trustee and
for several years vice-president. He was a
member of the Brooklyn City Guard, and at
the commencement of hostilities between the
north and south he was an active factor in
the formation of the Twenty-third Regiment.
He was a director of the Brooklyn Bank, trus-
tee of the Brooklyn Hospital, trustee and
secretary of the Packer Collegiate Institute,
and was in sympathetic relation with many
organizations of charity and benevolence. He
was the senior warden of St. Ann's church on
the Heights, of which he had been a member
for almost half a century.
Mr. Morgan married Miss Hicks, daughter
of George A. Hicks, and she with three daugh-
ters survives him. His death, from heart
trouble, was very sudden ; after leaving the
office of the Nassau Gas Company he was
taken ill in the street, and expired the same
evening at his late residence. The following
article by St. Clair McKelway appeared on
the editorial page of the Brooklyn Eagle :
"The death of such a man as Henry P. Mor-
gan is a calamity. He had reached the ripe
age of seventy-three, but he enjoyed such a
vigorous constitution, he was so well poised
and energetic, that few who met him in his
business and social connections realized that
he had passed the biblical limit of three score
years and ten. He was a representative citi-
zen in the broadest sense of the term. 'Enter-
ing mercantile life in Brooklyn in the earlier
days of the city's life, he amassed a compe-
tency, and then identified himself with local
financial institutions, serving with distinction,
and continuing the successes previously
achieved in his private business. As president
of the Brooklyn Savings Bank, the oldest in-
stitution of the kind in the city, he brought
to bear the mature business judgment and
good sense which had been exercised in his
mercantile career, and which has resulted in
placing the bank in the front rank among the
savings institutions of the country.
■'When the Nassau Gas Company was
formed Mr. Morgan was asked to accept the
presidency of the corporation. He knew noth-
ing of this branch of manufacturing, but he
at once set himself to work to master the
subject, and he has made a most excellent
head for the company during the entire pe-
riod of its existence. He was not merely the
president in name, but gave his personal at-
tention to every matter relating to the busi-
ness. Success followed his efforts here, as
in the department of banking. The works of
the company have been enlarged from time
to time, and its stock now commands a large
premium. Whatever he puts his hand to, that
he performed vigorously and faithfully, and
success uniformly followed his efforts.
"On the social side Mr. Morgan's life has
been especially praiseworthy. For many years
he has been a trustee of the Brooklyn Hospi-
tal, a warden of St. Ann's church, and a trus-
tee of the Packer Institute. In each of these
several positions of great usefulness he was
undeviatingly faithful, attending meetings
regularly and giving his personal attention to
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
117
all matters of business. He never sought pre-
ferment of any kind, but when duties were
thrust upon him he brought to their perform-
ance a high sense of duty, which would not
be satisfied with anything short of his best ef-
forts. These commanding abilities, as a busi-
ness man and as an actor in the social life
of Brooklyn, were accompanied by a spirit of
extreme modesty. Boasting of his successes
was as far removed from his nature as any-
thing possibly could be. He was a symmetri-
cally developed Brooklyn citizen. His career
furnishes a valuable lesson as to what may
be accomplished by a patient continuance in
well-doing with a noble purpose kept constant-
ly in view."
Mr. Bryan H. Smith, successor to Mr. Mor-
gan as president of the Brooklyn Savings
Bank and for many years intimately associated
with him in business, financial and other rela-
tions, when asked for a few characteristics of
Mr. Morgan, replied tersely but with great
sincerity: "He was a gentleman." He was
of unsurpassed ability as a banker, and to
his able and conservative conduct of the bank
much of the credit must be given for its high
standing and excellent credit. He was respon-
sible for the erection of the new bank build-
ing, but died before it was occupied in June,
1894. He was always conservative and care-
ful in making investments for the bank. Mr.
Smith was also associated with him as a trus-
tee of Packer Institute, of which he was sec-
retary of the board, and in all his relations
he showed the same good judgment and abil-
ity.
The following article is some of the im-
pressions made by the life of Mr. Morgan on
his pastor, the Rev. Dr. Alsop of St. Ann's
church : "Mr. Morgan was tall and handsome
in personal appearance, of kindly manner and
gentle bearing. For a long time warden of
St. Ann's chuch and highly esteemed in every
activity of his life, he had been many years
superintendent of the Sunday-school, and was
always greatly interested in every department
of church work. He was one. of the first to
welcome me to Brooklyn when I came to take
charge of the parish, pledging me his con-
tinued support and up to his death he fulfilled
that pledge. He was one of the last links
in the parish connecting the new St. Ann's
church with the old, and at last when he was
called away the parish felt it had sustained
not only a great but an irreparable loss. Lives
such as he lived and characters such as he
possessed are among the most precious posses-
sions of church and of society."
JAMES D. LEARY,
James D. Leary, who in the development
and control of extensive and important indus-
trial enterprises, became a well known pro-
moter of commercial activity in the boroughs
of Brooklyn and Manhattan, stood as a rep-
resentative of that class of American citizens
who find in necessity, competition and intri-
cate business conditions the spur of ambition
and the stimulus of effort that lead to large
successes. He was born in Montreal, Canada,
in 1837, had but meager educational privileges
and came to New York a poor boy, but he
possessed a resolute spirit and unfaltering
industry, which, combined with scrupulous
carefulness in the p'erformance of whatever
duty devolved upon him, led to his promo-
tion in the business world. He was sixteen
118
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
years of age when he was given employment
in his uncle's shipyard, and in the course of
a few years, in recognition of his faithfulness
and his mastery of every task assigned him,
bringing him an intimate, practical and ac-
curate knowledge of the business, he was ad-
mitted to a partnership. Some years after-
ward he became sole proprietor, and it was
largely through his ship-building industry that
he accumulated his wealth, which was consid-
erable. He constructed more than three htm-
dred vessels in his original yard, and during
the Civil war was appointed by the govern-
ment to the position of superintendent of con-
struction and repairs for the United States
revenue marine. For the Lloyd's Register
he held for nine years the post of their sur-
veyor for the. United States. In 1883 he sold
his shipyard to Theodore Havemeyer and pur-
chased Greenpoint property on Newtown
creek, where he not only conducted a ship-
building enterprise but also large lumber yards
and an extensive timber farm.
As a general contractor Mr. Leary has been
connected with much work in the harbor, his
largest contracts being those for the docks at
Governor's island. Forts Hamilton and Schuy-
ler and Willets Point, the construction of
the gun beds for nearly all the United States
coast fortifications, 'the improvement of the
Harlem ship canal and the building of a sec-
tion of the famous Harlem river speedway.
He also was awarded large contracts by the
Astor estates for the reclamation of water-
front property. No single enterprise, how-
ever, brought him more fame than the so-
called "Leary rafts." He conceived the idea
of saving freights by floating heavy timber
in enormous cigar-shaped rafts clown the coast
from Nova Scotia to his Brooklyn timber
yards. The first Leary raft was destroyed at
sea in 1887, and he thereby lost about thirty-
five thousand dollars. In 1890 the wisdom
of his plan was proved when he succeeded in
bringing safely through a raft much larger
than the original one, it being seven hundred
and fifty feet long, and the profits upon this
undertaking not only indemnified him for his
former losses but also netted him fifty thou-
sand dollars.
From the time when he purchased his
uncle's interest in the shipyard Mr. Leary was
never associated with a partner until his son,
Daniel J. Leary, entered into partnership with
him as manager of the contracting work. La-
ter his youngest son, George Leary, was his
partner in the dredging business, conducted
under the corporate name of the Morris &
Cummings Dredging Company, of which con-
cern Mr. Leary was the principal stockholder.
His invested interests also extended to other
enterprises. He was a director of the Long
Island Railroad Company, the North Side
Bank of Brooklyn and a director and vice-
president of the Hofifman House Company.
He resided for many years in Brooklyn, but
spent his last twelve years with his family at
the Hofifman House, Manhattan, where he
died April 11, 1902. His intense and well
directed activity m business circles continued
to the end. From the outset his career was
one of steady progress. His worth found
ready recognition and he was promoted from
time to time, each advancement affording him
new opportunity for development. To him
there came the attainment of a distinguished
position in connection with the great material
industries of the country, and his efforts were
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
119
so discerningly directed along well defined
lines that he seemed to have realized at any
one point of progress the full measure of his
possibilities for accomplishment at that point.
Mr. Leary possessed the distinctive social
qualities which wins friends. His widow sur-
vives him. One son, Sylvester N. Leary, who
was proprietor of the Columbia Iron Foundry
of Brooklyn, died in 1901. Their living chil-
dren are Daniel, George and Marie Leary.
EDWARD KAUFMANN.
Edward Kaufmann, the present county clerk
of Kings county, and a lawyer of much ability,
is recognized as one of the representative citi-
zens of Brooklyn, and is held in high esteem
for his valuable services in connection with
the Brooklyn public library, which, to a large
extent, through his energy and intelligent ef-
fort, has been placed in the front rank of in-
stitutions of its character.
Mr. Kaufmann was born in |:he City of New
York, September 17, 1856. He received his
education in the public schools, and studied
for his profession, that of law, first in the
office of Deane & Chamberlain, and later with
Sherman & Sterling, in New York. He was
admitted to the bar in 1882, and at once en-
tered upon a career of constantly increasing
usefulness and distinction. He was first asso-
ciated in practice with Judge Arnow, under
the firm name of Kaufmann & Arnow, which
partnership was continued until- 1890, since
which time he has been a jnember of the firm
of Davis & Kaufmann, with offices in the Emi-
grants' Savings Bank building, in Chambers
street, Manhattan borough. The firm enjoys
an unusually large and lucrative practice in
real estate law, and is regarded as one of the
strongest combinations in the city in that par-
ticular department. Mr. Kaufmann is deeply
interested in liis profession.
Mr. Kaufmann became a resident of Brook-
lyn in 1887, and at once identified himself
with many of its most important public move-
ments. His chief activity has been along pro-
gressive educational lines. He was for a num-
ber of years chairman of the board of educa-
tion of the Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum,
and a member of the Educational Alliance.
His principal interest, however, has been in
connection with that great educational institu-
tion, the Brooklyn public library. He became
a member of its board of trustees under ap-
pointment by Mayor Van Wyck, was reap-
pointed by Mayors Lowe and McClellan ; be-
came chairman of the law committee, succeed-
120
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
ing the late Judge Clements; and is now also
a member if the executive committee. He is
counsel for the Carnegie Library Committee.
His relationship to these bodies and his active
participation in their affairs did not bound his
activity. He gave his attention to every de-
partment of library work. His effective work
has been generously recognized, and he is a
principal sharer in the credit awarded for rais-
ing the Brooklyn public library to the high
place of fourth in importance in the United
States in respect to material.
Mr. Kaufmann is prominent and favorably
known in connection with various leading
charitable and benevolent institutions. He is
a director in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of
Brooklyn ; a member of the Hebrew Benevo-
lent Association ; vice-president of the Peo-
ple's Hebrew Institute of the Eastern Dis-
trict; a member of the Brooklyn Jewish Hos-
pital, and of Temple Israel. Fraternally he
is a member of Ayreth Lodge, Free Sons of
Israel ; of Empire City Lodge, F. and A. M. ;
of Austin F. Price Council, Royal Arcanum;
and of Brooklyn Lodge, No. 22, Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks. Socially he is
a member of Aurora Grata Club, and the
Unity Club. In ah these various bodies he is
deservedly popular and influential, recognized
as standing for the best citizenship of Brook-
lyn — a man of broad human sympathy and
charity, progressive, enterprising and public-
spirited.
Mr. Kaufmann is a Democrat in politics,
and is an active participant in party affairs.
Prior to his removal to Brooklyn he was prom-
inent in affairs in the Eleventh Ward of the
old city of New York. He has been for some
years a member of the Democratic county com-
mittee. In 1903 he was elected county clerk,
a position which he has occupied creditably,
devoting to his duties the same industry and
scrupulous fidelity which he has given to his
personal and professional affairs.
JOHN H. O'ROURKE.
Few men have been more widely known
to all classes of Brooklyn citizenship than
John H. O'Rourke, by reason of the extent
and importance of his business interests as
a contractor of public works and as president
and treasurer of the Hygienic Ice Company,
his activity and influence in pohtical circles
and his generous support of church and be-
nevolent enterprises. Added to all this was
a personality that won him warm friendships
and caused his death to be regarded as a per-
sonal bereavement to the large majority of
those with whom he had come in contact.
Mr. O'Rourke spent his entire life in Brook-
lyn, his birth having occurred in the old tenth
ward at 39 Dean street in February, 1840.
He was a son of Patrick and Mary O'Rourke,
and the family borne at the time of his birth
was an old farm house which stood near the
corner of Dean and Court streets until a
few years ago. The family name has been
known in modern Brooklyn for half a century
or more. In 1830, when many Irish emi-
grants came to this city, Patrick O'Rourke ar-
rived in the borough and not long afterward
opened a blacksmith shop on Jay street near
High street. He 'was then the only black-
smith in South Brooklyn, having become the
successor of Peter Green, who had established
a smithy in 1818. This smithy was destroyed
in 1832. Later Mr. O'Rourke became a con-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
121
tractor and as such was for many years fa-
vorably known in Brooklyn. His death oc-
curred in 1879.
John O'Rourke attended the public schools
until sixteen years of age, when he became an
apprentice to James Ashfield, a mason and
builder. After a few months he made a trip
to the south, but upon his return again en-
tered the services of Mr. Ashfield, with whom
he continued for about three years. He was
in his employ until about the time of the in-
auguration of the Civil War, when he began
business on his own account, as a general con-
tractor and builder. From 1861 until 1864
he was attached to the Engineer Corps of the
Department of the Gulf and served in Florida,
working on government fortifications. Re-
turning to Brooklyn, he resumed operations in
his line and in 1866 was appointed superin-
tendent of masonry work for the park com-
mission under James S. T. Stranahan, with
whom he formed a life-long friendship. He
occupied that position from 1866 until 1871,
during which he built most of the bridges in
Prospect park and the great well at the large
lake. As a contractor he conducted an exten-
sive business, and in 1872 he built the Thir-
teenth Regiment Armory, a structure which
will long remain as a monument to his skill.
He later erected the Hospital for Incurables at
Flatbush, the Inebriate's Home at Fort Ham-
ilton and tnany other public buildings in addi-
tion to churches and private dwellings. He
was county contractor for many years, and in
this capacity erected many of the buildings at
St. Johnsland. About 1889 he entered into
partnership with Michael J. Dady under the
firm style of O'Rourke & Dady, general con-
tractors. During the continuance of the part-
nership they began the construction of the
plant of the Gravesend Hygienic Ice Company
at Sea Gate. The dissolution of the partner-
ship resulted in considerable litigation, but
Mr. O'Rourke won control of the property at
Coney Island and of the property in Brooklyn
at the corner of DeGraw, Douglas and Bond
streets, where was located the business of the
Brooklyn Hygienic Ice Company, of which
corporation Mr. O'Rourke became president
and treasurer. At one time he was president
and treasurer and joint owner with Mr. Dady
of the street-car lines operated under the name
of the East and North River Railroad Com-
pany and extending from the East tO' the North
rivers in Manhattan, connecting by horse cars
the Cortlandt and Barclay streets ferries with
the Fulton ferry. During the last years of an
active business career he devoted his energies
largely to the ice and coal trade and was the
pioneer in the manufacture of artificial ice
in Kings county. This enterprise was devel-
oped to large proportions, and in its con-
duct Mr. O'Rourke displayed the same execu- ,
tive ability and business sagacity which
marked his entire career. He was the owner
of considerable property at Coney Island
and in addition to his home in Brooklyn he
owned a beautiful summer residence at Bay-
ville. Long Island.
Mr. O'Rourke was married on the 29th of
September, 1880, to Miss Agnes L. Lennon,
a sister of James Lennon, at one time a mem-
ber of the New York assembly from the eighth
district. Mrs. O'Rourke survives her hus-
band. Mr. O'Rourke was a most generous
contributor to the church and benevolent en-
terprises and was also popular in various so-
cial organizations of Brooklyn. He was pres-
122
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
ident of the Seaside Athletic Club of Coney
Island, a member of the Manufacturers' As-
sociation, the Society of Old Brooklynites and
Knights of Columbus. He was a faithful
member of the church of St. Agnes, St. Ag-
nes Council, Knights of America, and a direc-
tor of the Inebriates' Home. His influence
in local political circles was an acknowledged
force. He never sought political preferment
at the hands of the electors, but with firm
faith in Democratic principles labored untir-
ingly for the success of his party in his ward
and county. He was a man whom, to know
was to esteem and honor, and he had the fac-
ulty of winning warm friends. His mental
characteristics were such as to enable him to
quickly arrive at a decision not only in busi^
ness matters, but also in the framing of judg-
ments of man. He was decidedly a man of
large affairs, capable of handling extensive
and important business interests, of determin-
ing accurately tlie outcome of any movement,
and he greatly disliked detail work. He had
a strong love of history and his study along
that line gave to him an intimate knowledge
not only of American history, but also of the
events which have shaped the course of other
countries. He was extremely generous and
the deserving poor always found in him a
warm friend. One who knew him long and
intimately said :
"For forty years half the people of the tenth
ward and many of the people of the sixth and
first wards knew him intimately. The grown
people called him John ; the children of the
tenth ward — and there are many children in
that ward — called hira Uncle John.
"Very early in his business caneer Mr.
O'Rourke gained the confidence and friend-
ship of J. S. T. Stranahan, William H. Haz-
zard, D. M. Chauncey, George White and
many others of the leading men of Brooklyn,
and that confidence and friendship he retained
until death.
"For the honest, unfortunate poor his hand
was ever open ; but for the shiftless, viciously
improvident he had a just scorn. He hated
shams and hypocrisy, and did not hesitate to
express that detestation in forcible language.
"To his immediate family and friends the
loss is an irreparable one; his neighbors,
whether poor or well-to-do., will miss him in
many ways. His large experience and good,
common sense were always at the service of
ail who knew him, and there are hundreds
who have been aided by him in what the
world calls a more substantial way. Those
who knew him best will echo the prayer of
those who at his funeral said, 'God bless him.' "
FREDERICK DWIGHT CLARKE.
Frederick Dwight Clarke was born at
Clarke Hill, North Cornwall, Connecticut, in
July, 1815, and died in Brooklyn, November
18, 1893. He was a representative of one
of the old Puritan families established in
America at an early period in the colonization
of the new world. His parents, William L.
and Rebecca (Northrup) Clarke, were na-
tives of North Cornwall, Connecticut, and be-
came the parents of thirteen children, two of
whom are yet living — Mrs. Henry Roger, of
North Cornwall, and Mrs. Harriet Wheedon,
of Akron, Ohio, who is now ninety-three y-ears
of age.
Professor Clarke spent his early boyhood
days upon the home farm in New England,
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
123
and when the work of the fields left him leis-
ure time it was utilized in the acquirement of
an education. He was studious and diligent
and early manifested the strong mental traits
which made him for many years one of the
ablest educators connected with the public
school system of Brooklyn. About 1843 he
left Connecticut and was thereafter a resi-
dent of Long Island. Throughout this pe-
riod, covering six decades, he was almost con-
tinuously connected with a work which has
direct bearing upon the welfare of city and
state. In 1845 he became a teacher in public
school No. 3, now grammar school No. 3,
on Hancock street, near Bedford avenue. Sub-
sequentl)' he was chosen its principal and re-
mained in active connection with it until 1871.
He was a member of the Brooklyn board of
education during the succeeding fifteen years,
and in the Red Hook Lane office had charge of
the supplies for the city schools. On the ex-
piration of that period he retired from active
life. His interest in the schools, however,
never abated, and while teacher and principal
he was continually improving the methods of
instruction and thus making his service of
great and practical value in educational cir-
cles in his city. He was ever a student and
therefore became a man of scholarly attain-
ments, supplementing the natural endowment
of a strong mind by broad reading and mental
culture. He made a close study of the social
and economic questions affecting the welfare
of the country and was particularly interested
in political and municipal problems. Although
he put aside the duties of his profession, he
never lived retired in the sense of withdraw-
ing from active participation in the progress
of the thought world, but kept in touch with
advanced ideas and modern mental develop-
ment. By nature he was rather quiet, reserved
and reticent, and like all who walk thi'ough
life on a higher plane than the majority of
their fellowmen, the circle of his acquaint-
ance was select rather than large.
Professor Clarke was married in 1841 to
Miss Mary A. Carr, a daughter of John Pear-
son Carr, of English birth. Her mother, Mrs.
Susan (Raymond) Carr was Mrs. Cook at the
time of her marriage to Mr. Carr. Mrs.
Clarke died in Brooklyn in 1898 and the only
son of this marriage, Frederick Dwight, Jr.,
passed away in 1901. Three daughters of the
family are living — Mrs. D. E. Rutherford,
Mrs. D. M. Swaney and Miss ; Clarke.
ABRAHAM B. BAYLIS, SR.
Abraham B. Baylis, Sr., deceased, was for
many years one of the forceful and honored
factors in financial circles in Brooklyn, and
one whose influence was not a minor element
along the financiers of New York. He be-
came a capitalist whose career excited the ad-
miration and respect of his contemporaries to
a high degree, yet it was not this alone that
entitled him to rank as one of the foremost
men of his day in Brooklyn. His connection
with the public interests of the city was far-
reaching and beneficial, for he aided in shap-
ing the municipal policy and in promoting
the educational, aesthetic and moral develop-
ment of the borough. His patriotic citizen-
ship and his interest in community affairs took
tangible form in his zealous labors for the
improvements instituted through aldermanic
measures in the development of the park sys-
tem and m the unfolding of an educational
124
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
purpose whose effects are manifest in the high
standard of the Brooi<lyn schools.
Abraham B. BayHs spent his entire Hfe on
Long Island. He was born at Springfield,
November 5, 181 1, a son of Thomas Baylis of
that place. When a young man he came to
Brooklyn and engaged in the hardware trade,
in which he continued for several years. Dur-
ing the Civil war he was one of the leading
members of the New York stock exchange,
being president of the same in 1862. His of-
fice was at No. 44 Exchange Place, New York,
where he was succeeded by his sons under the
firm style of Abraham B. Baylis & Company.
He was one of the governors of the New York
Stock Exchange, and was the first president
of the Stock Exchange Building Company,
which owned the block in which the Ex-
change formerly held its sessions.
Many business enterprises felt the stimulus
of the energy and keen discernment which
were salient features in his life. He was a
trustee of the Union Ferry Company, the
Brooklyn City Railway, the Brooklyn Trust
Company, the Mechanics' Bank, the Brooklyn
Savings Bank, and the Mechanics' Insurance
Company.
Mr. Baylis carried the strong principles of
his business career into his public service in
Brooklyn, and in municipal affairs his counsel
was much sought. He served as a member of
the board of aldermen in 1851, representing
the tenth ward of the borough, and for a
quarter of a century was a member of the
school board. He was a member of the ori-
ginal park commission until the board was
retired by the mayor. His powers of debate
were effectively employed in behalf of munici-
pal and school affairs, and his connection with
the city council covered a period when it was
composed of some of the ablest men of the
borough. He was a bi'oad-minded philoso-
pher who believed that broad intelligence
would solve the great problems which con-
front the country, and to this end he ever
manifested a zealous interest in education. He
was a trustee of the Packer Collegiate Insti-
tute and the Brooklyn Library, and a member
of the Long Island 'Historical Society. For
many years he was a member of the Second
Presbyterian church, and a lifelong friend
of the Rev. Dr. Spencer, long its pastor. Dur-
ing his last years he attended Dr. Storrs'
church. He was a man of strong character
and of untainted purity in his private life. As
the evening of life came upon him he with-
drew more and more from active participa-
tion in public and business affairs, but never
ceased to feel a deep and earnest interest in
the welfare of the city.
His death occurred July 15, 1882, and he
left a widow, who was Miss McDonald, and
two sons and two daughters. His son, Abra-
ham B. Baylis, largely became his successor
not only in the field of business but in con-
nection with many activities bearing upon the
city's progress and upbuilding.
ABRAHAM^ BURTIS BAYLIS, JR.
Abraham Burtis Baylis was born in Brook-
lyn, August 2, 1845, at the family home, at
the southeast corner of Joralemon and Henry
streets. He acquired his preliminary educa-
tion in the Polytechnic Collegiate Institute,
from which institution he was graduated with
the class of 1862, and with but brief inter-
mission he continued his studies in the aca-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
127
demic department of Princeton College, from
which he was graduated in 1866.
His initiation into business came as a mem-
ber of the stock brokerage firm of which his
father was the senior member, and for many
years he was a well known representative of
the New York Stock Exchange. Upon his
father's death he became the senior member of
the firm, his partner being his younger broth- '
er, William Baylis. Subsequently Alfred K.
Kimball became associated with them, and this
relationship was being maintained at the time
of the death of Abraham B. Baylis, Jr. In
1S80 he was elected one of the governors of
the Exchange. He was also closely identified
with rriany other leading financial institutions,
both in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Upon his
father's death he became his successor as a di-
rector of the Mechanics Savings Bank of
Brooklyn, and continued in that position until
his own demise. He was also a trustee of the
Brooklyn Savings Bank, and for six years was
vice-president of the Brooklyn Trust Com-
pany. He won' for himself a position of dis-
tinction in banking and financial circles, and
maintained the honored name which his father
had iriade as a financier.
In 1873 Abraham B. Baylis, Jr., was mar-
ried to Mis^ Agnes Howard Marvin, a daugh-
ter of the late Charles R. Marvin, who was a
well known resident of Brooklyn. Three
children were born to them, of whom two sur-
vive — a daughter, Florence, and a son, who is
a representative of the family in the third
generation to bear the name of Abraham Bur-
tis Baylis. He is a graduate of Yale College
class of '98. After his marriage Mr. Baylis
removed to No. 82 Remsen street, occupying
the bom? adjoining his father-in-law's resi-
dence, and there Mrs. Baylis died in 1892. Up
to that time Mr. Baylis had taken quite an
active interest in the social and club life of
the city, and although he never cared to 'fig-
ure in an official relation in the different or-
ganizations with which he was connected, he
held membership in the Crescent, Hamilton i
and Brooklyn clubs, and also in the Riding
and Driving club. After the death of his wife',
however, to whom . he was devotedly at-
tached, he largely withdrew from club life.
He nevertheless maintained a dedp interest in
his church and in the Packer Collegiate In-
stitute, of which he was for many years the
treasurer, being the incumbent at the time- of
his death. For many years he was an at-
tendant at Christ Episcopal church, but after-
ward at Grace Episcopal church. His per-
sonal traits of character endeared him to all
with whom he was associated, either through
business or social relations. He felt and mani-
fested a personal interest in his employes, and-
at his death many in his service expressed the
feeling that the news brought to them a grief ■
akin to that felt for a father. He possessed
strongly domestic tastes, and while he accom-
plished much in the business world and rati-
fied his friendships by kindly sympathy and
thoughtful consideration for others, his great-,
est depth of love was reserved for his family.
ROBERT THALLON.
Robert Thallon, pre-eminent as an instructor
on the piano, who in that special department
now occupies a recognized position at the
head of the musical profession in Brooklyn,
was born in Liverpool, England, March 18,
1852, son of Robert and Jemima (McCunn)
128
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Thallon. Both his parents were natives of
Scotland, where all his ancestors for several
generations resided. His forefathers in the
paternal line, however, were originally French
Huguenots, establishing themselves in Scot-
land about the end of the seventeenth cen-
tury, after the revocation of the Edict of
Nantes.
Mr. Thallon's father came to this coitntry
with. his family in 1854, establishing his home
in Brooklyn. He was a successful produce
commission merchant. In 1864, having re-
tired from business with an 'abundant fortune,
he took his family abroad. After an absence
of ten years he returned to Brooklyn, where
he built a fine residence (No. 900 Saint Mark's
avenue) and passed the remainder of his life.
Robert Thallon, the subject of this sketch,
is one of six children. His early boyhood was
spent in Brooklyn, and from his twelfth to his
twenty-third year he was with his parents in
Europe. Having a natural taste and talent
for music, in which he was encouraged by
his mother, a lady of fine musical gifts and
an excellent amateur singer, he began at an
early age to prepare himself for his chosen
calling, enjoying the best European advan-
tages of musical education. " At Leipsic he
was taught the pianist's art by Wenzel, Coc-
cius and Jadassohn ; he became an accom-'
plished organist under the instruction of
Volckmar, of Hamburg ; he mastered the chief
of all musical instruments under the tuition of
such eminent violinists as David, Routgen and
Hermann of Leipsic, Keller, of Stuttgart, and
Bauer, of Paris ; harmony and composition he
pursued at Leipsic, Hamburg and in England,
under Jadassohn, Volckmar and Hatton; and
his voice was cultivated at Florence, Leipsic
and Milan and New York, by Vannuncini,
Gloggner, Nava, Romani and Henschel." Mr.
Thallon's professional studies were pursued
more with a view to a career as an instructor
than an artist; and though a most accom-
plished and brilliant performer, his life work
has been essentially that of a teacher.
Returning from abroad in 1875, he em-
barked at once upon the work of his profes-
sion in Brooklyn. At first and for some years
he was engaged in general instruction, also
appearing much before the public, especially
as an organist in various Brooklyn churches.
It may be remarked that, though Mr. Thallon
has for a number of years past declined all
professional engagements as an organist, he
has always enjoyed a high reputation as an
organ performer. At different times he served
as organist and choirmaster of the Downing
Street Reformed Episcopal Church, the Tomp-
kins' Avenue Congregational Church, Dr.
Scudder's Congregational Church, and Ply-
mouth Church.
As a piano teacher he took high rank from
an early period of his work in Brooklyn. Of
his actuating principles and characteristics the
following has been said : " He labors in his
profession because he loves it, and not be-
cause of the necessity that so often becomes an
excuse for imperfection. With his pupils his
instruction is aimed to inspire the artistic idea ■
and musical sense rather than to impart sheer
technique, preferring the practical to the me-
chanical understanding. Those who possess
to an unusual extent inherent taste, repro-
ductive memory, and powers of imagination
are given a thorough course of training in
every branch of the art, and in each case Mr.
Thallon develops, as far as possible, the indi-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
129
viduality of his student." As a teacher whose
especial object and labor is to impart not
merely a training and an accomplishment to
his pupils, but a consecutive, finished and ulti-
mate education, he stands quite alone in his
profession in Brooklyn, and this is perhaps as
high praise as can be given to an instructor of
music. During his career he has educated be-
tvifeen three and four hundred pupils, many of
whom are now well known teachers or per-
formers. He has given some six hundred and
fifty concerts ; and these events, under his
name and direction, have long been among the
most select regular amateur entertainments in
Brooklyn. For many years his concerts were
held in his studio in Saint Mark's avenue, but
since 1901 they have been given (monthly)
in the Pouch Mansion on Clinton avenue. Mr.
Thallon's work is distinguished by great re-
gard for systematic method — and this is one
of the underlying secrets of his marked suc-
cess. With him the fundamental considera-
tion is thoroughness — an orderly progress in
all things; and hence his wide reputation as
one of the most solid as well as masterly teach-
ers of the piano in America.
His residence is at No. 1223 Dean street,
Brooklyn.
THE PLANET MILLS.
The Planet Mills of Brooklyn enjoy the
unique distinction of being the largest as they
are the only mills in the United States compe-
tent to spin the finest yarns, the line embrac-
ing every kind of manufacture out of jute and
other fibres, and their product is favorably
known in every market reached by American
commerce. It is also to be noted that this
was the pioneer house in the United States in
the lines of its enterprise.
The inception of what has become one of
the most important manufacturing industries
of Brooklyn is to the credit of Buchanan &
Lyall, who were criginally engaged in the
manufacture of tobacco, and in which busi-
ness they continued until 1900, when it passed
into the hands of the Continental Tobacco
Company. In 1871 Buchanan & Lyall took
up the manufacture of jute goods — cordage,
carpets and other fibre products. This field
had not been heretofore entered by American
workmen, and the firm brought from Scotland
a skilled operative in the person of Alexander
F. Chrichton. To him was committed, on ac-
count of his extended experience, the estab-
lishment of the proposed works, which be-
came a creation of his own. He planned the
necessary buildings and specified the machin-
ery which would be necessary. The first of
the former was the large factory on Carroll
street, opposite the tobacco factory, and this
formed the nucleus of the present mammoth
factory, occupying the block bounded by Car-
roll, President and Bond streets. After the
works had been put into operation, Mr. Crich-
ton was made superintendent, and he occupied
the position most capably for a period of two
years, which witnessed the development of the
enterprise from the experimental stage to that
of firm establishment and national reputation.
Mr. Qirichton left his post in 1877 to estab-
lish the Chelay Jute Mills, of which he was
superintendent for four years, then removing
to Kentucky, where he made his residence
until 1888, when he returned to Brooklyn and
resumed the superintendency of the Planet
Mills, serving therein until his death, in 1898,
130
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
when he was succeeded by his son and name-
sake.
The business of the Planet Mills was con-
ducted by Buchanan & Lyall until 1891, when
occurred the death of the last named gentle-
man. The firm name was preserved, however,
until 1899, when the Planet Mills Manufactur- .
ing Company was formed, with a capital of-
$1,000,000. The officers chosen at the organi-
zation were the same as those now serving :
William Buchanan, president ; Charles P.
Buchanan, vice-president; and Alexander F.
Chrichton, Jr., treasurer and general manager.
In its second year the company purchased a
similar but smaller plant at Wilmington, Dela-
ware, and since that time has operated both
factories, giving employment to nine hundred
operatives in Brooklyn, and four hundred in
Wilmington.
The present plant of the Planet Mills, the
Brooklyn factories, is entirely modern,
equipped with the most elaborate and costly
machinery, much of which was specially de-
signed for it. The lower floors receive the
crude jute in heavy bales, which are there
opened out, and the material sprinkled with
oil and water to give it the needed pliability.
The jute then passes through a series of roll-
ers, from which it emerges in proper condi-
tion to be put in bundles for the carding ma-
chines. After the second carding the jute
appears in long fluffy coils, ready for the
drawing machines, afterwards undergoing
other processes for lengthening and compact-
ing the coil. After being spooled the jute is
sent to the second floor,, where it is passed
through the spinning frames, with the result
that the yarn (which it has now become) is
compressed and twisted into a close tenacity.
It is now conveyed to another floor where it is
wound on tubes for use as carpet filling and
wire insulation, or reeled in skeins for the use
of the dyers. In the twisting department the
single yarns are passed through twisting ma-
chines which combine the strands into two or
more ply, as may be ordered. The weaving
mill utilizes the material after it has passed
through the processes previously described.
The yarns for the weaving mill first go to the
dye house on the premises, and after receiving
their prescribed hues are sent to the weaving
machines and there wound on cops or put on
beams for carpet warps, whence they are sent
direct to the looms, to emerge therefrom -as
finished floor coverings.
The entire product of the Planet Mills is
of worldwide fame, and the finer yarns are
regarded by the trade as of unsurpassable
quality, and their colors the brightest and most
durable of any known. The customers of the
company embrace all the leading houses in the
United States and many abroad, who purchase
yarns, carpets, jute products, etc. One of the
most constant of its patrons, and the largest
in point of quantity, is the United States Post-
office Department, which annually purchases
one and a half million pounds of twine, which
are distributed for use in every postoffice and
railway postal car in the United States and on
board every ocean-going or inland vessel car-
rying mails. The product of the spinning mill
is sold direct from the main office of the Planet
Mills Manufacturing Company, at 335 Carroll
street, Brooklyn, and T. J. Keveney & Co.,
898 Broadway, New York, are the selling
agents for the weaving mill.
No reference to the Planet" Mills would be
complete without somewhat full mention of
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
131
the elder Alexander F. Chrichton, whose prac-
tical knowledge and unflagging industry made
possible the inauguration of the works. He
was a native of Scotland, born near Perth,
January 3d, 1838, and he was about thirty-
three years of age when he came to Brooklyn
to lay the foundations for the great industry
which is the subject of this narrative. His
connection with the Planet Mills and other
manufacturing institutions has been previously
mentioned. Outside the immediate scope of
his mechanical and managerial concerns, he
was a w6ll equipped man of affairs, and was
held in high esteem for his excellent judgment
and unassailable integrity. He was a consis-
tent member of the First Reformed Church
of Brooklyn. In politics he was a Republican,
and while residing in Kentucky he took a
prominent part in the reorganization and
maintenance of his party in that state, at a
time when honest and capable local leadership
was sadly needed. He was an active member
of the Manufacturers' Association of New
York, and in that body was regarded as an
incomparable authority upon those features of
manufacture to which his attention was par-
ticularly directed, and an intelligent and ju-
dicious counsellor in all relating to industrial
conditions in general. He was a member of
the Masonic brotherhood, affiliated with Lex-
ington Lodge, F. and A. M., and De Witt
Clinton Commandery, K. T. His wife was
Miss Hallie Steele, of Holden, Maine, who
survived her husband, and is living at the
place -of her birth, with her daughter Jatiet.
The only other child of Mr. and Mrs. Chrich-
ton was Alexander F. Chrichton.
Alexander F. Chrichton, Jr., was born in
New York city, and was educated in the public
schools there. In early young manhood he
entered the Planet Mills, and under the watch-
ful tutelage of his father acquired a thorough
practical knowledge of the jute industry in
all its various departments. In 1897 he was
made assistant manager, and in the following
year, after the death of his father, he succeeded
the latter as general manager, which position
he has occupied to the present time. Since the
incorporation of the Planet Mills Manufactur-
ing Company he has also been its treasurer.
Inheriting the paternal traits in marked de-
gree, he is regarded as a worthy son of a
worthy sire. Acquainted with textile proc-
esses from his very boyhood, he has been
quick to discern needs for improvement, which
his inventive ability have enabled him to sup-
ply, and he is known as the inventor of sev-
eral important machines and improved meth-
ods which have revolutionized the industry
with which he is so conspicuously identified.
Mr. Chrichton is a member of the Atlantic
Yacht Club and the Brooklyn Club, and of
Lexington Lodge, F and A. M. In politics
he is a Republican, and connected with the
Twelfth District Club. He is a member of
the First Reformed Church of Brooklyn. He
was married to Miss Florence E. Ametrano,
a native of Brooklyn, and they are the parents
of one child, named for the mother.
CARLL H. DE SILVER.
Carll H. De Silver, who manifests excellent
executive ability in the control and manage-
ment of his commercial interests in Wall
street, New York city, where he has risen to
eminence among those who have acquired for-
tunes, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1846.
l32
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
In 1859 Mr. De Silver removed to Brook-
lyn, New York, entered the Polytechnic Insti-
tute, where he completed his education, and
shortly afterward visited the Orient and spent
five years in China, where he familiarized him-
self with the commercial relations existing be-
tween Hong Kong and other cities of the Ce-
lestial Empire, and the United States, and be-
fore attaining his majority he had traveled
around the globe. Upon his return to his na-
tive country he entered the field of stock spec-
ulation in Wall street, where he has since con-
tinued his operations. He was a member of
-the New York Stock Exchange from 1871 to
1900, and at the present time (1903) is a
member of the New York Chamber of Com-
merce, having been elected to that body in •
1896. Mr. De Silver acts in the capacity of
second vice-president of the board of trustees
of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences,
president of the Brooklyn Art Association,
president of the Brooklyn Eye and Ear Hos-
pital, trustee of the Brooklyn Children's Aid
Society, director of the Brooklyn Philhar-
monic Society, director of the Brooklyn Acad-
emy of Music, director of the South Brooklyn
Savings Institution, and a director of the Nas-
sau National Bank. He also takes an active
interest in politics, having been chairman of
the city committee which nominated A. C.
Chapin for the mayoralty in 1889; he also rep-
resented Kings county as a commissioner on
the State Board of Charities from 1891 to
1895. Mr. De Silver is a prominent member
of the Hamilton, Brooklyn, Crescent Athletic,
Riding and Driving, Rembrandt, Tuxedo, and
Nassau County Clubs.
At his residence, No. 43 Pierrepont street,
Brooklyn, Mr. De Silver has quite a number of
excellent pictures which he has gathered to-
gether during the past twenty-five years, and
his reputation as an art connoisseur stands de-
servedly high. His collection seems to show
a decided taste for landscapes which subtly
depict the more tender beauties of nature, and
of the modern French school he has several
good examples, as well as of leading American
artists who paint this mood. The walls are by
no means monotonous either in tone or sub-
ject, as here and there are impressionable bits
of gay color and remarkably fine figure pic-
tures. Conspicuous among the latter is " The
Mirror of Nature," by Leon Perrault, in which
the well-drawn and . captivating figures have
a background of the sweetest charm. " The
Mirror " is a rock-bound pellucid spring, re-
flecting two pretty girls in gay Italian cos-
tume, bending over it, one of whom is gently
dabbling her foot in the cool water. Another
sylvan scene of great beauty hanging near it
is by A. H. Wyant, who has become the pic-
torial chronicler of the magnificent scenery of
the Adirondack wilderness. Its value can be
judged from the fact that it was sent to Paris
as a representative American landscape, and
received a medal.
Daubigny, the master poet of the twilight, is
seen here in an unusual phase, for among all
his pictures there are few of the beauty of the
moonlight. In the treatment of light, air,
color and feeling this picture is regarded as
his masterpiece, and there lies in it an addi-
tional interest in the fact that it was one of
the last canvases upon which he recorded his
title to undying fame. The first picture pur-
chased by Mr. De Silver, and therefore one
of reminiscent interest, is a pretty love story
by Professor Amberg, of Berlin, entitled " A
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
133
Question of the Heart." Of Kowalski there
is a good representation, a mounted hunter
and two dogs in a wintry landscape; of Carle-
ton Wiggins, a small landscape with cattle;
of Rico, " A Venetian Palace," small but show-
ing as much of his rare quality as do his larger
pictures ; of Sanchez-Perrier, a little scene that
is full of sparkle and brilliancy.
The Vibert in Mr. De Silver's collection is
also an admirable example. It is called " Em-
barras du Choix," and represents a Cardinal
before a massive bronze vase filled with flow-
ers. For accuracy, both of drawing and color-
ing, arid for elegance in their arrangement,
these flowers cannot be surpassed. The Car-
dinal's figure is in itself a studv for artists,
for in the robe there are no less than eight
shades of red harmoniously blended. Another
great color picture is " The Children's Toilet,",
by Vacslav Brozik, a pupil of Munkacsy, and
son-in-law of Mr. Seidelmeyer, of Paris. Mr.
De Silver's example of this artist is a domestic
scene, the nurse washing the baby, and an-
other baby who has just gone through the
ordeal, with other interesting details. Tito
Lessi is a young Italian who undoubtedly will
have a future if " The Mandolin Player," a
careful study of color, is to be taken as a
characteristic example. There are two little
figure pieces by Bruc La Jos and Leo Her-
mann, and a small Diaz showing a stormy
sky and moist landscape; a Russian snow
scene by Jan Chelminski ; a " Friar of Orders
Grey," a study with a gleam of humor in it
by Tamborini ; " Head of an American Girl,"
by Grogeart, and an interesting souvenir of
William M. Chase. This is a picture of his
own studio, so well known to art lovers, and
shows a young girl turning over the leaves
of a huge volume of his sketches and color
schemes. '
That most charming of early pastoral ro-
mances, " The Vicar of Wakefield," is recalled
by a portrait of " Olivia," by George H.
Broughton ; it is a large picture and represents
Olivia bashfully drawing a letter from her
bosom to hide it in the trunk of an adjacent
tree for her lover. Two water colors, " The
Wine Taster," by Vibert, and " II m'aime il
ne m'aime pas," a girl plucking the petals of
a daisy, by de Curvillon, and they represent
two of the leading aquarellists of France by
fine examples of their deft handiwork. A lit-
tle picture of dogs, by Armfield, an English
artist, tells its story well ; R. W. VanBoskerck
is represented in a Dutch scene ; David John-
son by a landscape of great merit ; Grison, by
a carefully finished picture entitled " The
Reader," and J. R. Gotibie, by a work which
demonstrates his title to fame as the foremost
Frisnch illustrator of " High-life " equestrian-
ism. Another Frenchman, Croche-Pierre, has
here a canvas entitled " Meditation," which is
a masterly exhibit of close detail in portrait-
ure; a fruit piece of great richness of color is
signed in the corner, Marston Ream. There
is also a beautiful example of Theodore Rous-
seau, Jules Dupres, Boudin ; two exceptional
pieces by Harpignes ; a very dignified example
by George Innes, also a charming R. Swain
Gifford.
In the rooms which these pictures fill. with
an atmosphere of good taste and refinement,
are also seen specimens of Gobelin tapestry,
fine Bohemian glass, English cameos, Qiinese
jade, an interesting cabinet of family minia-
tures, one by Rembrandt Peale, who painted
many of General Washington and his family,
t34
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
and some more recent ones by Gerald Hay-
ward, an Englishman who is devoting himself
to this branch of art in America, and whose
work has done so much in the revival of the
interest in and the taste for miniature paint-
ing, which has recently become noteworthy.
CAPTAIN JOHN W. EASON.
Captain John Washington Eason, de-
ceased, durmg a long and phenomenally active
career, enjoyed the, reputation of being one of
the most gallant and efficient officers who ever
graced the police force of Brooklyn. He was
also a distinguished veteran of the Civil war,
and received honorable wounds in three of
the most celebrated battles which marked that
stupendous struggle.
He was born in New York city, February
22, 1844, son of Stewart and Mary Eason,
who were both natives of Ireland. Wheti he
was but four years old his parents removed to
Brooklyn, where he received his education in
the public schools. At the age of fourteen he
set out to make his own way in the world,
working for a time in a dry-goods store. He
subsequently began learning the trade of a
brass finisher, but the breaking out of the re-
bellion turned him aside from the arts of peace.
April 18, 1861, before the sound of the guns
at Fort Sumter had died away, and when he
was only a few weeks more than seventeen
years old, he enlisted as a private in the
Fourteenth New York Regiment, known from
its Zouave uniform as "the Red-legged Dev-
ils," and with which he served until the res-
toration of peace. He proved a model sol-
dier, and was noted for his unflinching cour-
age and steady behavior, whether in camp or
on the battlefield. He was three times wound-
ed — in the first battle of Bull Run, in that at
Antietam, and on the last of the three days'
desperate fighting at Gettysburg. One of the
youngest (if not the very youngest) soldiers
in his company, in less than three months aft-
er his enlistment he was made third corporal
and assigned to duty with the color-guard of
his regiment. Early in 1862 he was promoted
to the grade of first corporal, and January i,
1864, he was advanced to a sergeantcy.
After his honorable discharge from the
army, June 6, 1864, and three weeks later he
became a member of the old metropolitan po-
lice, and was placed on duty as a patrolman in
the fifty-first precinct, now the first precinct
of Brooklyn. He proved as splendid a police-
man as he had been a soldier. His natural
disposition and his army experience afforded
him admirable equipment for his new duties,
and during his nearly forty years of service
his conduct was exceptionally meritorious,
and on many occasions received special com-
mendation from his superiors and through
the public press. June i, 1870, he was pro-
moted to the rank of sergeant, and in 1888 he
' was advanced tO' a captaincy, under Colonel
Partridge, after he had for some time held an
acting appointment in that grade. He had a
long and creditable record as an officer in the
Heights district, and many of the oldest resi-
dents of that part of Brooklyn counted them-
themselves among his friends, holding him in
respect for his unswerving adherence to the
dictates of his conscience and his sense of
duty, and relying with implicit confidence in
his courage and self-possession at whatever
time life or property might be in jeopardy.
One of the distinguishing acts of Captain
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
135
Eason was the arrest of a desperate burglar
who entered the residence of S. S. Hendslow,
a wealthy gentleman residing on Monroe
Place. The desperado attacked his victim
with an ax, inflicting serious injuries. Cap-
tain Eason was on post in the neighborhood
at the time, and saw the miscreant escaping
from the house. He gave chase and followed
through back lets and over fences, finally over-
taking the fellow, who, after a struggle, broke
loose and, continuing his flight, went over
a fence and sustained a fall resulting in a
fracture of the skull from which he died short-
ly afterward. As sergeant, Eason rendered
heroic service at the' time of the great Brook-
lyn fire. After his promotion to a captaincy,
he was sent to the second district, and made
many friends among the business men of
lower Fulton street, who appreciated Captain
Eason's great service in the maintenance of
order in a region crowded with squalid tene-
ments and a vicious population, and who made
him the recipient of a substantial expression
of their regard when he was transferred to
the bridge squad. Captain Eason was subse-
quently placed in command of the Flushing
avenue precinct, which was his station at the
time of his death. Shortly before that sad
event, he was seized with neuralgia of the
heart, and for a time his life was despaired of,
However, he rallied, and when he returned
to duty he was apparently entirely restored.
The summer before his death, he was taken
ill on the day of the unveiling of the General
P'owler monument in Fort Greene. He was a
member of the committee of arrangements on
that occasion, and it is evident that his exer-
tions brought on an attack of heart disease.
Aftei a time he was obliged to retire to his
home at 255 Steuben street, whence he was
removed to Memorial Hospital. There he sub-
mitted to an operation, but he did not rally,
and passed away, surrounded by his family.
His demise occasioned deep grief throughout
the city, and more particularly in police cir-
cles, whose sentiments were voiced by Captain
Sylvester D. Baldwin, of the Classon Avenue
station, who said : "I have known Captain
Eason for thirty-five ye^rs. He was my ser-
geant and captain. He was a good man to
his own men, and an excellent police officer in
every respect."
Captain Eason was a member of the Po-
licemen's Mutual Aid Society, and of the
Officers' Endowment Association. He was a
member of Rankin Post No. 10, G. A. R., in
1878 served on the staff of State Commander
Curtis, and in 1887 was a member of the
Kings County Memorial Committee. He was
also a member of the Fourteenth Regiment
War Veterans' Association, and was as popu-
lar among the heroes of the Civil war period
as he was in the ranks of the police, in which
he had served so faithfully for so many years.
He was affiliated with Commonwealth Lodge
No. 409, F. & A. M. He was a man of fine
social qualities, and of refined tastes. He
possessed considerable artistic ability, and
many of his sketches in black and white
adorned his own home and those of his friends.
Fie also at one time made designs for the
cards of one of the most prominent photog-
raphers of Brooklyn.
Captain Eason was married, February 22,
1876, (his thirty-second birthday), to Mrs.
Abbie Louise Statiley, of Brooklyn, who sur-
vived him, as did also a brother. Sergeant
Charles Eason, of the Classon Avenue station.
136
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
THOMAS FERGUSON.
Thomas Ferguson, deceased, for many years
a foremost citizen of Brooklyn, known for his
success in commercial affairs and for his in-
telligent enterprise in promoting community
interests, as well as for his lovable personal
traits of character, was of Scotch ancestry and
birth, coming from the same sturdy stock
which contributed so largely to the settlement
of New York and the contiguous region, and
which bore so useful a part in the founding
of religious and educational institutions in the
new world.
He was born in Scotland in June, 1845. He
acquired a broad and liberal education, being
predisposed to a ministerial life, a calling from
which he turned aside on account of threat-
ened ill health which promised to impair his
usefulness as a clergyman. But the moral
qualities which had impelled him to look to
the ministry were deeply planted and governed
his conduct throughout his entire life, and
were the inspiration which lay at the bottom
of his every act, whether in business or social
life.
In 1866, having reached the years of man-
hood, Mr. Ferguson came to Brooklyn, New
York, and became associated in business with
his uncle, John F. Phillips, who was exten-
sively engaged in the whiting business in
Brooklyn. The firm conducted business with
marked success, and was known to the mer-
cantile world as the largest importers of whit-
ing in the country.
During these years, Mr. Ferguson was also
busied with important enterprises which were
at once profitable to himself and of marked
advantage to the community. With character-
istic foresight and excellent business judg-
ment, he made early and large investments in
Gravesend real estate, and for some years
prior to his death he was known as one of the
m.ost extensive individual property holders in
that beautiful suburb. He was for many years
a commissioner of common lands of Coney
Island. He was a leader in a few of the most
prominent clubs — the Amaranth Club, of
which he was president for two years ; the
Montauk Club, and the Union League Club.
His connection with these was, however, only
in lines of usefulness ; for, while a man of
excellent social traits, his great delight was
in his home and family.
Mr. Ferguson was married in 1879 to Miss
Lizzie C. Gibson, of Philadelphia, Pennsylva-
nia. She was a well educated lady, of cultured
tastes, and in hearty accord with her husband
in all his concerns, aiding him with her counsel
in his many liberal benefactions to charitable
institutions and to individuals, and presiding
over his home with charming grace. The fam-
ily residence on Ocean Parkway, one of the
most beautiful in all that region, was ever open
to their many friends, to whom they dispersed
a generous hospitality.
This beautiful association was closed by the
death of Mr. Ferguson on January 23, 1903.
He had not yet completed his fifty-eighth year,
and the end came when he was in the fulness
of his mental powers, when his usefulness ap-
peared to be of increasing worth to his fel-
lows, and when all happiness and -comfort was
his in his home. The sad event awakened sin-
cere sorrow throughout the community, a sor-
row which found expression among all classes.
The character of Mr. Ferguson was feelingly
depicted by his pastor, 'who referred to him as
a man of sterling worth, physically strong,
mentally alert, and morally sound, a sincere
Christian gentleman. Those who had been
associated with him in business affairs spoke
in terms of unstinted praise of his strict in-
tegrity, fine sense of honor, and charitable-
ness of disposition in all his relations, whether
in business or social life. He was a man
broadly generous in all cases which appealed
to him as deserving, but so modest in the be-
stowment of his beneficences that his good
works went unknown except as they were her-
alded by the recipients of his bounty. And so
he left to her who survived him, and to the
friends at her side, the fragrance of a mem-
ory without blemish, the recollections of a
beautiful life.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
J. DONOVAN WHEELER.
137
J. Donovan Wheeler, one of the youngest
seminarians of the North American College
in Rome, Italy, and the first of his years who
ever defended the Latin thesis, died in 1903,
at his late residence, 127 St. Marks avenue,
borough of Brooklyn, New York. He was
the son of the late Thomas E. and Mary
(Donovan) Wheeler, the former named hav-
ing been a cattle contractor, who conducted
extensi-w; transactions with Cuba during the
Spanish-American war, in which he was aided
largely by his son, J. Donovan, who had an
excellent knowledge of the Spanish language,
and the latter named is the daughter of the
late Thomas Donovan, who was a prominent
contractor and builder, of the ninth ward, and
one of its earliest settlers.
J. Donovan Wheeler was naturally a bright
child, and his early education was obtained
under the competent supervision of the Sis-
ters of St. Joseph's Academy, after which he
entered St. Xavier's College on Sixteenth
street, Manhattan, from , which institution he
was graduated with high honors. In addition
to his collegiate training he pursued a course
of study in Latin, Greek, Spanish, history and
mathematics under private tutors in order to
prepare himself for matriculation in the Co-
lumbia University, where he intended to study
medicine, but the death of his father at this
time changed his plans, and he then agreed
to study for the priesthood, his mother ac-
companying him to Rome for that purpose.
He entered the North American College and
was advancing rapidly and winning the confi-
dence and admiration of his instructors, when
he was attacked with his fatal illness and re-
138
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
turned with his mother tQ the United States.
Since then, despite her unwearied nursing and
the aid of the best medical practitioners of
New York, Asheville, Hot Springs, Arkansas,
and Florida, whither he went, his health kept
constantly failing and finally he was brought
to his home, which forty years ago was known
as the Wheeler farm, but which is now one of
the most select residential sections of the bor-
ough, where his death occurred, he being in
the twenty-second year of his age.
Mr. Wheeler was reared in a reirgious at-
mosphere, took his first communion at Fred-
erick, Maryland, on the day his uncle, Francis
H. Donovan, joined the Jesuit Order, and was
confirmed at Rome by Cardinal Parrochi, the
vicar of Rome, and next to the pope in au-
thority. Many members of both the Wheeler
and Donovan families hold active positions in
■the church. He was a man of marked ability
and talent, a lover of athletic sports and a
skillful equestrian, and while residing in
Rome both he and his mother were the center
of a large social circle. The solemn requiem
mass was celebrated at St. Joseph's Roman
Catholic church, and was in charge of the last
year's class of the students of the North Amer-
ical College, now resident in this country.
Archbishop Farley pronounced the benedic-
tion, and the music of the mass was sung by
Mile. Catherine Helke, soprano of St. Patrick's
Cathedral, aided by the 'choir of the church.
Tlie floral decorations were in the papal colors
— yellow and gold — and a cross of yellow and
white flowers, six feet high and ornamented
with yellow and gold ribbon, was placed in
front of the altar. Since the death of her son,
Mrs. Wheeler has I'eceived fully five hundred
letters and telegrams of sympathy, and several
cablegrams have been received from cardinals
of the church of Rome, also a specially sym-
pathetic one from Mgr. Kennedy, the rector of
the North American College.
EDWARD HOOKER, U. S. N.
In the death of Commander Edward Hook-
er, who was retired from the service of the
United States navy on December 25, 1884,
which occurred at his late home 289 Gates
avenue, borough of Brooklyn, New York,
1903, a career of great usefulness was brought
CO a close. It would be impossible in this
brief account to render a fitting memorial to
the life and accomplishments of Commander
Hooker. He was a conspicuous figure in the
national navy during the Civil war period, and
was known to the department and his associ-
ates as a man of remarkable sagacity and wis-
dom, indomitable perseverance and strong in-
dividuality and his entire life work was such
as would bear the closest investigation and
scrutiny.
He was born in Farmington, Connecticut,
December 25, 1822, a son of Edward, a resi-
dent of Farmington, Connecticut, and Eliza-
beth (Daggett) Hooker, whO' was a niece of
Roger Sherman, one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence. He was a
grandson of Colonel Noadiah Hooker, who
during the Revolutionary war commanded the
first enlisted troops to arrive at Boston, Mas-
sachusetts, from Connecticut during the siege
of that city, and a direct descendant from the
Rev. Thomas Hooker, founder of the colony
of Connecticut and of the city of Hartford.
Edward Hooker's boyhood was spent in his
native town, and his educational advantages
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
139
were obtained in tlie comnlon schools adjacent
to his home. When he attained the age of
twenty-three years, he commanded a vessel
out of New York, making two voyages to the
West Indies, and upon his return to his native
soil he remained on shore until the outbreak
of the war of the rebellion, when he volun-
teered in the United States navy. He was at
once appointed acting master on board the
United States steamer Louisiana of the North
Atlantic Squadron, and on October 5, 1861,
he was severely wounded, being the first acting
master to receive injuries in the war. He
participated in the Burnside expedition to the
sounds of North Carolina in 1862, and while
executive officer of the Louisiana, in the unac-
countable absence of the commanding officer,
he fought the ship in a creditable manner at
Washington, North Carolina, September 5,
1862. His conduct commended him to the
navy department, and he was promoted to
acting volunteer lieutenant to date from Sep-
tember 5, 1862, for "gallantry in action." He
was promoted to acting volunteer lieutenant-
commander, January 20, 1865 ; naval store-
keeper. Navy Yard, New York, 1865-67; was
appointed to the command of the storeship
Idaho and steamer Unadilla of the Asiatic
Squadron, 1867-69. He was commissioned as
lieutenant-commander in the regular naval ser-
vice on December 18, 1868, and received sev-
eral honorable assignments — inspector of the
Navy Yard, New York, 1870-73 ; senior line
officer, naval station, League Island, 1873-75 ;
assistant light-house inspector, third district,
1875-77; second officer. Naval Home, Phila-
delphia, Pennsylvania, 1877-84. He was com-
missioned a commander, on February 8, 1884,
of the' Navy Yard, and was assigned to the
command of League Island the same year.
He was retired from the service on December
25, 1884, imder the age limit law.
After his retirement from active service Mr.
Hooker took up his residence in Brooklyn,
New York, and engaged in writing a geneal-
ogy of the Hooker family. This work be-
came the absorbing occupation of his life, and
so exclusively did he devote himself tO' it that
in time his sight became impaired. In Oc-
tober, 1900, realizing that the trouble was
serious, he consulted an oculist, who discov-
ered cataracts forming at the back of the eyes ;
the sight of the left eye was practically de-
stroyed, but there was hope that the right eye
might be of service some years < longer. In
his anxiety tO' complete the work he had be?
gun, he redoubled his efforts and thus strained
the sight of the right eye until that almost gave
out. During the summer of 1901 he suffered
from heat prostration, and although he im-
proved in health the following winter he never
fully regained his usual health and spirits.
He was obliged to entirely abandon the work
on the genealogy, and this disappointment was
a keen blow to him. Mr. Hooker was affiliated
with, the following named clubs and associa-
tions : Brooklyn Masonic Veterans Associa-
tion ; Aurora Grata Masonic Club ; New Eng-
land Society; Rankin Post No. 10, Grand Ar-
my of the Republic ; Long Island Historical
Society ; New York Masonic Veterans Asso-
ciation ; Military Order of Loyal Legion ;
Hundred Year Club ; Connecticut Masonic Vet-
erans Association ; Connecticut Sons of the
American Revolution ; Rhode Island Masonic
Veterans Association; a charter member of
What Cheer Lodge, Free and Accepted Ma-
sons, Providence, Rhode Island ; Calvary Com:
140
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
mandery, Knights Templars, Providence,
Rhode Island ; Providence Marine Society ;
Naval Order of the United States ; and Devon-
shire Association of England. He was also
an honorary member of several other lodges
and societies.
On March 28, 1847, Mr. Hooker married
Elizabeth Moore Wardwell, of Warren, Rhode
Island, and her death occurred in that city on
February 10, 1849. There were no children
born of this union. At Providence, Rhode
Island, May 11, 1851, Mr. Hooker was united
in marriage to Esther Battey, who died in
Brooklyn, New York, November 16, 1896.
Three children of this union, a son and two
daughters, and also nine grandchildren sur-
vive him.
WILLIAM WISE.
The death of William Wise, for the long
period of seventy years a leading business man
in the jewelry line in the borough of Brook-
lyn, New York, and a member of the Society
of Old Brooklynites, which occurred on De-
cember 10, 1903, at his late residence, 182 St.
John's Place, was the result of diseases inci-
dent to old age. His birth occurred in Eng-
land in 1814, and during his early childhood
he was brought to this country by his father,
v/ho originally settled in New Brunswick, New
Jersey, where he was engaged in agricultural
pursuits.
In 1833 William Wise located in Brooklyn,
New York, and immediately entered the em-
ploy of Samuel Smith, at 79 Fulton street,
near Henry, then the only jeweler in Brook-
lyn. In the winter of the following year he
succeeded Mr. Smith in the proprietorship of
the establishment, and when the business on
Fulton street took its first upward tendency
Mr. Wise erected a building for himself at
239 Fulton street, two doors below the old
cemetery of St. Ann's Church, now the east
end of Liberty street, which for many years
was considered the finest business house in
Brooklyn. While conducting business at that
site Mr. Wise admitted into partnership his
son, Alfred Wise, and thereafter conducted
business under the style of William Wise &
Son, a name which is still continued. Subse-
quently the city of Brooklyn acquired the store
for the widening of Liberty street, and Mr.
Wise displayed both sagacity and keen fore-
sight by remioving his business to Nevins
street and Flatbush avenue. This move so far
uptown was considered hazardous by many
business men, who predicted an early failure,
but instead of that he achieved an unprece-
dented success in his new establishment. He
conducted a large trade with New York city
during the earlier years of his business career,
and his word being as good as his bond was
always taken by both the wholesalers and the
purchasers alike. He was a type of the old-
time merchant, gave his business his personal
attention, and he held the trade not only of
his first patrons, but also of their children and
grandchildren. He was a faithful attendant
of Plymouth church, and a great admirer of
its former pastor, the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher, who was his personal friend.
Mr. Wise was survived by his son, Alfred
Wise, who had been his partner for nearly
half a century, and succeeds him in business;
William, who is engaged in business pursuits'
in Manhattan; and eight grandchildren'. The
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
141
iuneral' services were held in the lecture room
of Plymouth church, and were conducted by
the Rev. Dr. Hillis, assisted by the Rev. Wil-
lard P. Harmon. The following is an extract
from, the brief but eloquent tribute paid by Dr.
Hillis to the metnory of Mr. Wise : "We are
not here tO' confess defeat, but joyfully to
celebrate a victory. This honest merchant,
this good father, kind husband and this honest
Christian gentleman had lived the fullness of
life. His life had rounded ninety winters and
ninety summers. He came through this long
and honorable life untarnished and unsullied.
We come here in gladness and gratitude
tinged with grief, it is true, but gratitude at
this long and noble live given to us. He
ought to have been a student, rather than a
merchant, provided we have right ever to say
that anything should have happened differ-
ently from what it has happened. If you
asked him who Sir Charles Grandison was
or what was the beginning of the legend of
Sir Lancelot he would not have paused to
jog his memory. Up to the last week of his
life he would have given you a ready
answer. He wandered wide in the fields
of history and literature and garnered many
sheaves. He had made especial study of the
history of politics. He knew his apolitical
faith and the reason of it. I believe that the
innermost fiber of Mr. Wise's life was the re-
ligious fiber. He was not a church member,
but I believe that Mr. Wise lived with the pur-
pose of letting the world learri from his life
itself that his innermost being was permeated
with the sense of religion. Nothing could
be more sim.ple, more beautiful than the prayer
which he uttered at the grave of his wife. His
very soul trembled on his lips when he said.
'Heavenly Father, for the true wife, the ten-
der mother, the faithful friend, we give Thee
thanks and ask Thy blessing.' "
JOSEPH CHUMAR POOL.
Through a long period of time Joseph C.
Pool, deceased, was prominently identified
with the business interests of Brooklyn, where
he was justly numbered among her leading
and influential citizens. His record was that
of an honorable and conscientious man, , who
by his upright life won the confidence of all
with whom he was brought in contact, either
in a business or social relation.
He was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New
York, January 4, 1842. His entire business
career was spent in the city of Brooklyn, and
for many years he was a member of the firm
of George Pool's Sons, dealers in paints and
oils at 70 and 72 Fulton street, Brooklyn,
Their trade was the most extensive and lucra-
tive in that line of industry in the city, and
their name in business circles was synonymous
with integrity and honorable transactions. He
was a leading factor in the social and religious
life of the section in which he resided, was
a member of the South Reformed church at
Fourth avenue and Fifty-fifth street, and for
a long period of time served as an elder and
was active and prominent in all departments
of work. He was one of the organizers and
a trustee of the Ridge Club, and a life mem-
ber of the Long Island' Historical Society, by
virtue of a contribution made to it some years
ago.
Mr. Pool was survived by an only son. Dr.
George E. Pool, and a brother, George W.
142
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Pool, with whom he was associated in busi-
ness. The funeral services were held at his
late residence, 316 Fifty-second street, Bay
Ridge, and were conducted by the Rev. Dr.
Benjamin E. Dickant, pastor of the South Re-
formed church; the Rev. Dr. A. De Witt
j\Iason, a former pastor of that congregation,
and the Rev. Dr. Alfred H. Brush, pastor of
the New Utrecht Reformed church. The in-
terment was in the family plot in Greenwood
Cemeterv.
WILLIAM HEATH LYON.
William Heath Lyon, who for more than
half a century was prominent in the business
world of New York city, was born .October
18, 1819, in the town of Holland, Hampden
county, Massachusetts, and was descended
from William Lyon, who settled at Roxbury,
Massachusetts, in 1635.
Mr. Lyon in his boyhood attended school
in the winter, arid in summer worked on the
paternal farm, after the fashion of so many
farmers' sons of that period. At the age of
fourteen he went to Hartford, Connecticut, for
the purpose of attending school, and after
graduating went to ¥/ayne county. New York,
where for five years he taught school and was
principal of the Clyde High School. Profes-
sor Morse had at that time put a telegraph
line in operation between Washington and
Baltimore, and Mr. Lyon became deeply in-
terested in the invention. He experimentally
constructed a printing telegraph machine,
showing that type and ink could be used in
conveying messages by telegraph .wire. This
was the basis for the construction of a ma-
chine which has since been used throughout
the world. The " Clyde Eagle," in its issue
of July II, 1844, published a two-column ed-
itorial on Mr. Lyon's experiments. This was
copied and commented on by the " New York
Evening Post," the " Cqmmercial Advertiser,"
the " Boston Traveller," and other papers. Mr.
Lyon was one of the earliest electricians of the
United States, and, had he continued to de-
vote himself to the science, would in time have
risen to the front rank. Commercial pursuits,
however, were more to his tast;e, and offered
a wider field for advancement.
In 1845 he came to New York, where he
served for two years as a salesman in the
wholesale dry goods business. In association
with his brother, Warren W. Lyon, he organ-
ized the firm of WiUiam H. Lyon & Co.,
and began business with a limited capital on
the second floor of 169 Pearl street. New York
city. As a result of the success which at-
tended them, the firm moved in i860 to 4 Dey
street, and after other removals established
themselves in 1870 in the large store at 483
and 485 Broadway, where they remained for
twenty years. During the forty-three years
of its existence the firm took into partnership
many of its employes, but the firm name was
never changed. Mr. Lyon showed his busi-
ness spirit and sagacity by visiting Europe for
the purpose Of procuring a better assortment
of goods than could at that time be obtained
in New York, the first of these trips being
made in 1848. The house imported goods not
from Europe only, but also in large quanti-
ties from India, China and Japan. They sold
to every state in the Union, and also to Can-
ada, Mexico, the West Indies and South Amer-
ica. When Mr. Lyon reached the age of three
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
145
score and ten years he decided to close the
firm and retire.
He was appointed by General Grant one of
the first Indian commissioners, all of whom
were men of noted intelligence and philan-
thropy, who served without compensation.
Mr. Lyon was at once assigned to the pur-
chasing committee, and served as chairman
under six administrations. The purchase of
Indian annuity goods and supplies had not
hitherto been conducted in a satisfactory man-
ner, but Mr. Lyon arranged a system of bids
and awards which animated competition and
resulted in furnishing goods to the Indians at
low prices. As a member of the board he
visited the Indians in all parts of the Union.
In 1878, while away from home, he was nomi-
nated for congress on the Republican ticket
from his home district in Brooklyn, which was
strongly Democratic. The result was that he
reduced the majority one-half.
Mr. Lyon was an old member of the Cham-
ber of Commerce, and vice-president of the
Hamilton Trust Company, also a director of
the Bedford Bank. He was a member of the
Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, the
Long Island Historical Society, the Oxford
and Union League Clubs of Brooklyn, and
was one of the directors of the New England
Society. He was connected with the Brook-
lyn Life Insurance Company, and was vice-
president of the Nassau Trust Company.
Mr. Lyon married in 1853 Ellen M., daugh-
ter of Marvin J. Gaylord, of Bristol, Connec-
ticut. They were the parents of four chil-
dren : Alena F., Adela J., William H., Jr.,
and Marvin T. Mr. Lyon was very quiet in
his tastes, and lived in one large double man-
sion in New York avenue for forty years Fie
and his family were fond of traveling, and
after his retirement from business he took a
long trip over Em'ope, Asia and the Holy
Land.
The death of Mr. Lyon, which occurred July
II, 1902, was deeply and sincerely mourned
by all who had in any way been associated
with him as a merchant, a citizen and a friend.
As a merchant his energy and integrity con-
tributed to the commercial greatness and pros-
perity of New York, and in his capacity of a
government official he aided materially in pro-
moting a good administration. He was a true-
hearted citizen, interested in everything that
concerned the welfare of Brooklyn, and lib-
eral to all good institutions and to all churches.
A man of genial temperament, strong, calm,
and sedate, he enjoyed the friendship of a
large circle. Mrs. Lyon, who was ever the
sympathetic helper of her husband in his be-
nevolent labors, has continued since his death
to be active in good works. She has been for
years president of the Brooklyn Industrial
School Association, and is also president of
the Ladies' Society of the New York Avenue
Church.
DAVID LONGWORTH.
David Longworth was, at the time of his
death, which occurred April 24, 1893, num-
bered among the early settlers of Brooklyn,
having for sixty years been a resident of the
borough. He was born April 12, 1814, and
acquired his education in the public schools.
When about twenty years of age he .came to
Brooklyn, which was the scene of his labors
throughout almost his entire business career,
146
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
He located in tlie Williamburg district, and
soon afterward engaged in the undertaking
business, opening an establishment on what
was then South Seventh street. Up to the
time of his demise his name figured in con-
nection with that business, the undertaking
establishment of Longworth & Vanderweken
being located at No. 419 Bedford avenue. He
was known either personally or by reputation
to perhaps every resident of Williamsburg,
for in addition to his business interests in the
line designated he was for sixty years the
sexton of St. Mark's Episcopal church, one of
the oldest of Brooklyn. Soon after the Rev.
Dr. S. M. Haskins was installed as rector of
that church, he appointed Mr. Longworth as
its sexton, and the sexton was no less well
known to the people of the congregation than
the pastor, for the service of both was con-
tinuous through more than six decades, and
each was equally faithful to his post of duty,
never being absent from his place in the
church. During sixty years David Long-
worth was never absent from the church for a
single Sunday. It was David Longworth who
made the first interment in Greenwood Cem-
etery, and during his long residence in Brook-
lyn he had charge of over twenty thousand
burials. He was himself never ill a clay in
his life until a fall brought on erysipelas and
paralysis, which after a few days terminated
his career, when he was in his eighty-first
year.
David Longworth married Miss Elizabeth
Brown, and they became the parents of eight
daughters, who survive him, four of whom are
married. He was a man of kindly nature, in-
flexibly just and honorable, and exemplified
many traits of strong and upright manhood.
H. ROLFF PLANTEN.
To whatever market of the world Ameri-
can products are distributed, the name of
Planten is known in connection with phar-
maceutical preparations, and it is particu-
larly identified with the process placing a
soluble shell of gelatine around medical
substances, practically as a bottle contains
fluids, and enabling the easy swallowing of
these medical substances.
The pioneer in this department of manu-
facture was Hermanns Planten, grandfather
of H. Rolff Planten, who was a native of
Holland and a practical druggist. He came
to New York in 1836, and in the same year
engaged in the manufacture of pharmaceu-
tical preparations. Aside from the business
which he founded he is held in grateful re-
' membrance as the founder of the first char-
itable association of Hollanders — the Hol-
land Emigrant Society, which was organized
in 1847.
John R. Planten, son 0/ Hermanns Plan-
ten, was born in Amsterdam, Holland, No-
vember 30, 1835, and was less than a year
old when he was brought to the United
States. He was educated in the public
schools in New York city, and at an early
age entered his father's laboratory and store,
and became conversant with all the details
of the business, mechanical as well as man-
agerial. He eventually succeeded to the
business, which he brought to far larger pro-
portions, and it was under his management
that the establishment made a world-wide
fame. Since 1873 he has been consul-gen-
eral for the Netherlands, a position in which
he has exerted a potent influence in main-
^^i-^-^^cJX'C-X,
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
149
tairiing cordial relations between that
country and the United States. He also
maintains an active connection with the
Netherlands Emigrant League, which was
founded by his father, and which has per-
formed splendid service in assisting thou-
sands of worthy emigrants to homes in the
interior of the United States. Mr. Planten
married Miss Annie Rolff.
H. Rolff Planten, son of John R. and
Annie (Rolff) Planten, was born in the city
of New York in 1863. He attended the pub-
lic schools of Brooklyn, and pursued ad-
vanced studies in Holland, where he re-
mained for a period of four years. He then
entered his father's establishment, but sub-
sequently spent two years in Holland, en-
gaged in the coffee trade. At a later day he
re-entered the Planten drug house, and after
a time succeeded his father in the manage-
ment and has had it in charge to the pres-
ent time.
Mr. Planten has been among its most ac-
tive and useful members of the Lafayette
Avenue Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn
during a period of thirty-five years. For
five years he was chairman of its entertain-
ment committee, and was one of the orig-
inal members of the Men's Club of the
church, and was deeply interested in the
Young People's Association, of which he
was president. He was for five years
librarian of the Sunday school.
Mr. Planten was married in 1887 to
Ida Oilman, daughter of Smith D. Oilman,
whose family trace back to the Revolution-
ary' heroes. Of this marriage were born
three children — Marguerite, John R., Jr.,
and Gertrude. The family maintain a beau-
tiful home at No. 207 Carlton avenue,
Brooklyn.
DARWIN R. JAMES.
Darwin R. James was born in Williams-,
burgh, Massachusetts, May 14, 1834. His
parents were in comfortable circumstances, his
father being a merchant and manufacturer of
woolen goods. On both sides of the family
he came- from Puritan ancestry whose descend-
ants remained uninterruptedly in New' Eng-
land for many generations. From the pub-
lished records of the town of Hingham it is
learned that Francis and Philip James ar-
rived from Hingham, England, in 1638; that
they were men of prominence and possessed
of some worldly wealth. Among his progeni-
tors upon his mother's side (Cerintha Wells)
are several who did good service in Indian
Wars, in the French and English War, also
in the War of the Revolution.
The subject of this sketch was well en-
dowed physically, and grew up with a vigor-
ous constitution and an abundance of good na-
ture which have served him well in the cease-
less activities of his later life. Though his
father was reputed to be a man of wealth ( for
those days), he brought up his son to habits
of industry and carefulness, and even as a lad
threw upon him much responsibiHty. At the
age of ■ thirteen he was sent to a boarding
school at Amherst, Massachusetts, at which
time- (1847) the family removed to Williams-
burgh, now part of Brooklyn, New York. The
lad remained three years at Amherst, where
he attained much proficiency in his studies,
and where he would have been glad to have
had a full college course, but it was not the
150
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
wish of his father, who needed him in his af-
fairs. In January, 1850, as a lad of between
sixteen and seventeen, he commenced his busi-
ness career with a wholesale silk and dress
goods firm upon a salary of fifty dollars for
the first year. For eight years he served as
clerk and salesman with three large wholesale
houses, all of which failed in business, the
last one going down in the great financial crash
of 1857.
Notwithstanding the unfortvmate careers of
his employers, young James formed a copart-
nership in February, 1858, with his equally
young friend, Mitchell N. Packard, under the
firm name of Packard & James, to deal in
indigo, spices and East India goods, which
firni remained unchanged for thirty-four years,
since which time it has been D. R. James and
Brother. For forty-five years the original
firm and its successor has held an honorable
place in the commercial world, its credit and
standing being unimpeachable. In the inter-
est of the firm Mr. James visited the Philip-
pine Islands and the Eiast Indies in 1868 and
1869. To reach San Francisco he took the
overland route, preferring it to the route by
way of the Isthmus of Panama, as it afforded
more adventure. It was before the completion
of the all-rail route, and involved eight hun-
dred miles of stage travel in Wyoming, Utah
and Nevada, all of which was intensely inter-
esting to one of the turn of mind of Mr.
James. The year 1869 witnessed the com-
pletion of the all-rail route from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, the opening of the Suez Canal,
a portion of which Mr. James inspected be-
fore the water was turned in, and it was only
a year of two later that the all-rail route across
India was also finished. Mr. James crossed
the latter country from Allahabad to Bom-
bay by rail so far as possible, and Dak, drawn
by small horses instead of bullocks, over a
government road through the Deccan countr.y
where the railroad was not completed. The
trip around the world was just prior to impor-
tant changes in routes and methods of han-
dling commeixe which have revolutionized
business in these later years. The tour was a
profitable one in a business sense to the firm,
and of inestimable value to Mr. James through
knowledge acquired, which he has since been
able to use to advantage to himself and others.
Being fond of traveling, he has availed him-
self of opportunities as they have been pre-
sented, and has been enabled to see much of
his own and foreign lands. His family have
lived abroad for several years for educational
and health reasons which, with business, has
frequently taken Mr. James across the ocean.'
His connection with the United States Board
of Indian Comrnissioners has caused him to
visit many of the outlying parts of our own
land when he has made trips of inspection of
Indian schools or reservations. Upon these
latter trips Mrs. James is usually his com-
panion, for she, as president of the Woman's
Home Missionary Society of the Presbyterian
Church, is thus enabled to visit schools among
the Indians or other " exceptional peoples " of
our land, which are maintained by her board.
Mr. James began when quite young to take
an active interest in political matters, deem-
ing it his duty under our form of government
to make his influence felt in the body politic.
His first vote for president was thrown for
the Fremont and Dayton electoral ticket in
1856, since which time he' has been more or
less a force in the ranks of the Republican
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
151
party. For over forty years he has seldom
missed casting his vote at a primary election,
and only once at a general election ; in the
section of the city of Brooklyn v.-here,he lived
for a quarter of a century, he was during many
years a controlling factor in the councils of
his party. He was ward association president
for six years, and frequently represented his
fellow citizens in nominating conventions and
in the Kings county Republican general com-
mittee. Though always a Republican, he was
never attached to that wing of the party which
was in, politics for the " spoils." He was al-
ways in the advance in matters of reform and
he earned a name for unselfish devotion to the
people's interests.
Mr. James never cared to hold public office ;
he refused scores of times to permit the use
of his name in connection with elective or ap-
pointive positions. The only offices he has
ever held are : commissioner of parks in Brook-
lyn for six years (unsalaried) ; four years in
the Congress of the United States ; and is
serving his thirteenth year as a member of
the United States Board of Indian Commis-
sioners (also unsalaried), being chairman of
the same. This appointment was given him
by President Harrison, who also offered to ap-
point him upon a special commission (with the
late Mr. S. Dana Horton) to visit the Euro-
pean governments in the interest of the re-
monetization of silver. In the spring and
summer of 1898 Mr. James, at the request of
Governor Black, served upon the commission
(unsalaried) for the investigation of the ex-
penditure of the nine million dollars voted by
the people for canal' enlargement. The com-
mission was non-partisan, and consisted of
George Clinton, Smith M. Weed, Darwin R.
James, Franklin Edson, Frank Bi'ainard, Will-
iam McEchron and A. Foster Fliggins. Each
commissioner was a well known friend of the
canals, and four of the number represented
large commercial organizations. Mr. James
represented the New York Board of Trade
and Transportation, of which he was presi-
dent; ex-Mayor Edson and Mr. Brainard rep-
resented the Produce Exchange, while Mr.
Higgins represented the Chamber of Com-
merce. The commission did good work dur-
ing its four months of service, and reached
its conclusions without a dissenting vote.
Late in the autumn of 1900, at the earnest
request of Governor Roosevelt, he served
upon a commission (unsalaried) to consider
and report a plan for breaking up the Indian
Reservations within the bounds of the State
of New^ York. The commission consisted of
Philip C. Garrett, Darwin R. James and Bishop
William C. Walker, from the United States
Board of Indian Commissioners; also Oscar
S. Straus, late United States minister to Tur-
key, and Daniel Smylie, of Lake Mohawk.
Mr. James was elected to the Forty-eighth
Congress to represent the Third New York
District in November, 1882, at the election
which swept Grover Cleveland into the guber-
natorial chair by a plurality of a hundred and
ninety-two thousand votes. Mr. James' plur-
ality was twenty-four hundred, concerning
which the New York Tribune said some very
complimentary things, as he was almost the
only Republican elected to any office in the
lower end of the State. He was elected to
the Forty-ninth Congress by a plurality of
seventy-one hundred and twenty-five. His
record was that of a faithful, hard worker
and a diligent student who got to the bottjra
1S2
HISTORY OP LONG ISLAND.
of questions. From his success in handling
the silver question in the committee on coin-
age, weights and measures, and on the floor
of the house, where he led the sound money
minority to a successful victory, defeating the
Bland free coinage of silver bill by a hand-
some majority, he was looked upon as the
leader upon monetary questions. It was
largely through his influence that an act was
finally passed providing for the redemption of
the " Trade Dollar," a measure which had
been considered and defeated in the Forty-
seventh and Forty-eighth Congresses. Mr.
James was the representative of the great fin-
ancial and mercantile institutions in New
York, and during the years of 1885 and 1886
was the recognized head of a literary bureau
with headquarters in New York and Wash-
ington from which was sent a vast amount of
sound money literature for circulation through
the West and South, bearing upon the silver
question.
Mr. James drafted the bill for the acquisi-
tion of unused government lands adjoining
the Navy Yard and Naval Hospital in Brook-
lyn, for the establishment of a public market.
The bill was not acted upon during his term
of service, but was the basis upon which sub-
sequent acts were framed which became laws,
under which the city of Brooklyn acquired the
property. Realizing that the bill could not be
reached on the calendar during his term, he
conceived the idea of occupying a portion of
the unused land, and took the initiatory steps
whereby a large tract on the east side of
Washington avenue, north of Flushing ave-
nue, was leased on a thirty-day notice to with-
draw. The authorities of Brooklyn adopted
the suggestion, perfected the artangement.
laid out the streets and sublet building sites
for temporary structures which were soon
built and occupied by market men, and the
Wallabout Market suddenly developed an im-
portant business centre.
Mr. James was one of the organizers of the
Anti-Monopoly movement which developed so
much strength in New York in the early
eighties. It grew out of efforts of the New
York Board of Trade and Transportation to
secure legislation at Albany to prevent unjust
railroad discriminations and other abuses
which were so injurious to the interests of the
people. He took an active part in securing
the passage of the act providing for an investi-
gation by a committee of the assembly, known
as the " Hepburn Committee," which sat fot
six months taking evidence upon these sub-
jects. The report of the committee was su
convincing that subsequent legislation was had
which tended to remove many difficulties, re-
sulting in a much better feeling on the parL
of the people towards the great railroad cor-
porations in this State.
For twenty-four years Mr. James has been
connected with the New York Board of Trade
and Transportation, serving it during eighteen
years as secretary, and five and a half years
as president. This organization, with a mem-
bership of about eight hundred intelligent
business men or firms, has exerted a potential
influence in securing proper legislation at Al-
bany, Washington and in New York, and has
done much to correct abuses. Mr. James has
been connected with many successful finan-
cial -institutions as trustee or director, and at
this time is a member of the board of trustees
of a dozen or more organizations, educational,
religious or financial; he has served for fifteen
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
15:5
years as secretary and twenty-one years as
president of the East Brooklyn Savings Banl< ;
was one of the organizers and trustee of the
Nassau Trust Company, Franklin Trust Com-
pany, Franklin Safe Deposit Company, Brook-
lyn Real Estate Exchange, Brooklyn Edison
Electric Illuminating Company, Brooklyn Bu-
reau of Charities (organized charities). Bush-
wick and East Brooklyn Dispensary ; is trustee
of a college in Canton (Qiina) ; trustee and
treasurer of the Lincoln Memorial Institute
at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee ; and is chair-
man of the finance committee of the Board
of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of America. For
ten years he served as chairman of the Church
Extension Committee of the Brooklyn Pres-
bytery, and has had much to do with the or-
ganization of about twenty successful churches
of the denomination with which he is associ-
ated. For over fifty years he has been con-
nected with a Mission Sunday School and
most of the time its superintendent and finan-
cial manager. Three large and flourishing
churches are the outgrowth of this work.
Mr. James is a life member of the Long
Island Historical Society, the Brooklyn Insti-
tute of Arts and Sciences and the Seventh
Regiment (New York) Veteran Association;
an honorary member of the New York Boar^l
of Trade and Transportation ; and a member
of the National Geographic Society, and the
New England Society and the Union League
Club of Brooklyn.
Mr. James has been an' indefatigable worker,
having the faculty of successfully supervising
many and varied interests; has been favored
with excellent health and has a fondness for
work. He is not a man of laree wealth, for
he has never made its accumulation a matter
of paramount importance, and has taken pleas-
ure in using it as he has had occasion and as
opjx'rtunity has presented. Although gettin^;
to be an old man, he is still active and in en-
joyment of good health.
In January, 1858, Mr. James married Miss
Mary E. Fairchild, of Stockbridge, Massachu-
setts, a young lady from a family prominent
as educators and reformers. Possessed of a
superior mind, she had the advantage of the
best educational training which Massachusetts
afforded to young women at that time. She
graduated from Maplewood Institute, Pitts-
field, Massachusetts, then under the care of
Professor Tyler, in 1855, and during the two
following years was a successful teacher in a
young ladies' boarding school at Wilmington,
Delaware. She was of a studious turn of
mind, and in her early married life took up
the study of Greek, and also gave much at-
tention to elocution, which latter served her
well in later years when she became an accom-
plished platform speaker, addressing large
meetings of women who were interested in
the work of the societies of which she was
president. Upon her arrival in Brooklyn she
entered actively into philanthropic and relig-
ious work, becoming a teacher and visitor in
her husband's Mission School, a worker in
a home for aged colored people in New York,
a manager in the Brooklyn Orphan Asylum,
from which she subsequently resigned to be-
come a manager in the Brooklyn Industrial
School Association in order to start a new
school (No. 5) in the rooms of her husband's
Mission School. Mrs. James early became a
manager in the Women's Union Missionary
Association, Mrs. Doremus, president, the
154
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
pioneer women's society in this country, for
work in foreign lands. She remained in this
organization until the formation of the
Women's Board of Home and Foreign Mis-
sions of the synod of Long Island, of which
society she was chosen president. Later she
was elected president of the Women's Presby-
terial Society of the Presbytery of Brooklyn.
She was elected to the women's executive
committee of the Board of Home Missions
(now the Women's Board of Home Missions
of the Presbyterian Church), and was made
vice-president in 1882, four years after its or-
ganization. In 1886 she was chosen presi-
dent, to which position she has been re-elected
year by year to the present time. The income
of this society for year, as reported in April,
1902, was nearly $350,000. Its work is edu-
cational, and they have schools among the ex-
ceptional population from Alaska to Arizona
and New Mexico. In Utah are many of these
schools through which an insiglit has been ob-
tained into the workings of the " Church of
Latter Day Saints.'' Mrs. James during many
years had made a study of the " Mormon ques:
tion," and did what she could to prevent the
admission of Utah to statehood, having no
confidence in the promises of the hierarchy
that polygamy should cease. She led in the
great uprising of the women of the land to
prevent the polygampus Brigharn H. Roberts
from occupying the seat in the House of Rep-
resentatives of the Fifty-sixth Congress, to
which he had been elected. She enlisted Miss
Helen Gould and other prominent women in
the cause, raised money for carrying forward
the campaign, appeared before the judiciary
committee of the house, had speakers in the
field, and secured opinions from eminent jur-
ists as to the line of attack upon the enemy.
The effort to unseat Roberts being successful,
she commenced at once an active campaign' in
favor of a constitutional amendment which, if
adopted, it is thought by many of our wisest
statesmen will effect the suppression of polyg-
amy.
Mrs. James organized the Interdenomina-
tional Society of Women for Patriotic and
Religious Work, to work to this end, which
society after two years of effort has now
turned the work over to the Woman's Chris-
tian Temperance Union, who are carrying
forward a vigorous campaign. For many
years Mrs. James was president of the Wom-
en's National Sabbath Alliance and of the
Women's Auxiliary of the Brooklyn City Mis-
sion and Tract Society. She took the presi-
dency of the latter society at a time when there
were unfortunate differences in the board of
management, and the society was losing its
usefulness ; her acceptance of the office united
the workers, with the result that the society
has since made rapid progress, becoming an
important adjunct to the City Mission and
Tract Society in its great work of city evan-
gelization.
During the four years of her husband's
service in Congress the family made their
home in Washington, where they kept open
house, extending hospitalities to constituents
and all workers in religious and philanthropic
causes. Mrs. James was received with great
cordiality, and she entered at once upon a
sphere of usefulness. Her superior abiHties
were recognized, and she was made the leader
among many women in efforts at reform. For
instance, there were those who felt that nig'ht
schools for the colored population should be
HISTdRY OF LONG ISLAND.
155
opened, of- which none had existed. She
headed the small coterie of women, who accom-
plished the object, obtaining consent of the
authorities to the opening of two schools, and
from the appropriation committee of the house
the necessary money to sustain them. Hon.
Sam. Randall, chairman of the committee, en-
tering heartily into the cause, had the item in-
serted into the appropriation bill. There were
those who were greatly interested in an effort
to help the poor newsboys, the condition of
many of whom was forlorn and wretched. An
organization of a few charitably disposed peo-
ple was perfected, who selected Mrs. James
for president, when the society commenced
work, on a small scale at first, but the founda-
tions were well and carefully laid, with the
result that the society has had a very success-
ful career, developing into a useful organiza-
tion. Mrs. James was invited to be in receiv-
ing parties at presidential receptions and to a
state dinner at the White House. Her accom-
plishments were recognized, and she was in-
vited to join literary and scientific societies.
She was also invited to and accepted the invi-
tation to give a course of weekly talks to
women upon religious and sociological ques-
tions. During these four years Mrs. James
kept up her activities in the New York and
Brooklyn societies of which she remained
president. , Mrs. James' life has been an in-
tensely active one, and she had accomplished
much for her fellows, but, notwithstanding the
fact that so much of it has been before the
public, yet her great work has been ni
her own home and its immediate surroundings.
She hds never neglected home for public du-
ties; sne has reared and cared for a large
family who are acting their parts well in life's
great drama.
The family life of Mr. and Mrs. James has
been an unusually happy one. Both have been
active, hard working people, blessed with good
health, fond of exercise, and of walking and
climbing mountains, and have been extensive
travelers. To accompljsh so much, Mrs.
James has taken long seasons of rest, and at
intervals of several years her husband has
packed them all across the ocean to Europe,
where he has left them for a year or more
each time, for recreation, study and travel.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. James
were : Mrs. Horatio M. Adams and Mrs.
George Rossen, of Brooklyn ; Mrs. William C.
Adams, of New York city ; and the following
named of Brooklyn : Mrs. Warren E. Derby,
Mrs. Harold Vernon, Darwin R. and James.
The grandchildren are fourteen in number.
EDWARD J. FITZHUGH.
Edward J. Fitzhugh, one of the oldest and
most prominent musicians of Brooklyn, was
born in Nottingham, England, November 21,
1835, son of John and Harriet (Wyvill)
Fitzhugh. His father was also a profes-
sional musician, giving his attention mostly
to vioHn playing and the teaching of music.
In early life he became prominent in the
musical circles of Nottingham, serving as
director of the Harmonic Society of that
place. He removed with his family to the
United States about 1848, living for a time
in Brooklyn, but returned to England for
three or four years, his wife and children,
however, continuing to reside in this coun-
try, at Springfield, Massachusetts, where he
156
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
rejoined them. Subsequently the family
came back to Brooklyn, and in that city he
died in 1869. His surviving children besides
Edward J. are WilHam W. and Charles H.,
both of whom are engaged in business in
New York city, and Mrs. Elizabeth Fitz-
hugh Atkinson, of Bound Brook, New Jer-
sey.
Edward J. Fitzhugh began to study music
in early boyhood and was a pupil of Will-
iam Vincent Wallace, pianist and violinist,
and composer of the opera of "Maritana."
While in Springfield he was a pupil of Gus-
tav Satter, of Boston. At the age of seven-
teen he commenced to play as a piano solo-
ist, and before attaining his majority he
was appointed conductor, both in vocal and
instrumental music, of the Springfield Phil-
harmonic Society, an amateur organization
which enjoyed more than local reputation,
and with which he continued to be identi-
fied during the remainder of his residence in
Springfield.
In 1859 Mr. Fitzhugh went south to take
charge of the musical department in a young
ladies' institute at Fort Gibson, Mississippi.
From there he came in 1862 to Brooklyn,
where he has since pursued his professional
work without interruption — a period of
forty years. Soon after making his home in
that city he was appointed to the position
of instructor of music in the public schools,
a capacity in which he served for some ten
years. During that time Mr. Fitzhugh
wrote and compiled a vocal book entitled
"The Canzonetta," which was adopted by
the Board of Education, and used very large-
ly throughout the public schools of the city.
Many of Mr. Fitzhugh's original composi-
tions in the book have since by permission
been used in other vocal school books.
He finally resigned to give more attention
to private conducting and teaching.
Throughout his residence in Brooklyn
Mr. Fitzhugh has been identified with the
religious musical interests of the commu-
nity. His first employment in this connec-
tion was as organist at Saini Luke's Clin-
ton Avenue Church, of which the Rev. Dr.
Diller was at that, time rector. Upon the
division of the Saint Luke's congregation
and the organization of the Saint James's
Protestant Episcopal Church at the corner
of Lafayette avenue and Saint James's
place, Mr. Fitzhugh became the organist
and choirmaster for the latter church, where
he was in charge of the music for fifteen
years. Under his direction the Saint James's
choir gained a very high reputation for the
excellence of its music, a result largely due
to the generous financial support of the late
WilHam S. Woodward. In 1883 Mr. Fitz-
hugh left the Saint James's Church to ac-
cept a similar position in the Church of
the Redeemer (Fourth avenue and Pacific
street), but at the end of a year resigned and
went to Saint Mark's Church in New York
city (Tenth street and Second avenue).
Here he remained for six years, during the
same period — excepting an interval of one
year — serving also as visiting choirmaster,
with an assistant organist, at the Church of
the Redeemer. In the latter capacity he
continued for about eight years, and in ad-
dition acted for a year as visiting choir-
master at the Church of the Good Shepherd.
After leaving Saint Mark's in N«w York,
he was for two yeafs organist at the Church
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
157
of the Reformation in Gates avenue, and
then returned as organist to the Church of
the Redeemer for one year.
For much of the time while filling the
various engagements above enumerated, Mr.
Fitzhugh devoted a good deal of his atten-
tion to professional work in Plainfield, New
Jersey, and to his conscientious and able
services the musical interests of that place
are largely indebted for the progress they
have enjoyed in the last twenty years. He
played for two years as organist of the First
Baptist Church of Plainfield, subsequently
becoming visiting choirmaster, a position in
which he still continues. For many years
he has also been at the head of the Plain-
field Choral Society. Since 1896 Mr. Fitz-
Jiugh has been the organist of the Simpson
Methodist Episcopal Church (Clermont and
Willoughby avenues, Brooklyn).
He was the principal organizer a quarter
of a century ago of the Saint Cecilia Vocal
Society, composed of mixed voices, and con-
ducted it with marked success. This society
is remembered in musical circles in Brook-
lyn as one of peculiar artistic excellence. At
various times he has been instrumental in
organizing, and has rendered faithful, val-
uable and highly appreciated work in con-
ducting other select amateur societies. As
a private instructor of music he is known
for the same thoroughness and accomplished
ability which have characterized his pro-
fessional work. He has composed and ar-
ranged various successful church pieces, Te
Deums, Jubilates, Benedictus, Evening Serv-
ice Anthems, also part songs for men's and
women's voices.
Mr. Fitzhugh resides at No. 69 Greene
avenue.
He married in 1864 Eugenia Armistead,
of an old Virginia family, who was born in
the city of New Orleans. In New Orleans
Mrs. Fitzhugh was a pianoforte pupil of
Maurice Strackosh, brother-in-law of Ade-
line Patti, and in New York city a vocal
pupil of P. A. Rivarde and Madame Ermina
Rudersdorf. In her youth Mrs. Fitzhugh
possessed a very fine soprano voice and was
heard in both church and on the concert
platform. They have had eight children,
of whom six now survive, as follows :
Blanche, widow of John A. Whitaker, of
Ridgewood, New Jersey. Since her widow-
hood she has been occupied teaching the
piano in the city, and has also a large class
of pupils in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where
also she conducts very successfully a ladies'
vocal club; Arthur A., of Ridgewood, New
Jersey; Harriet, wife of William J. Savoye,
of Allendale, New Jersey; Herbert W., of
Brooklyn; Helen, wife of Ralph M. Helmer,
of Brooklyn; Bessie W., wife of Henry L.
Merry, of Brooklyn.
JOSEPH D. HUGGINS.
Among the .enterprising and successful
business men of New York city who reside
in the borough of Brooklyn is Joseph D.
Huggins, a native of New York city, who is
now engaged as agent for a number of
prominent shoe mills. He is a descendant
of a Scotch-Irish and Huguenot ancestry.
His father, William W. Huggins, was born
in Ireland, but in early life migrated to this
country and engaged in the shoe business.
158
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
This line of industry proved a profitable
means of livelihood, and he continued to
follow it during the many years of his
active and useful life. William W. Huggins
and his wife Eliza (Farmer) Huggins, who
is living at the present time (1903), aged
seventy-eight years, were active and con-
sistent members in the Methodist Episcopal
Church. .Mr. Huggins died in 1873; he was
an upright, conscientious, man and he be-
queathed to his family the priceless herit-
age of an untarnished reputation. During
the progress of the Civil war, at the Astor
House, New York city, he witnessed the
execution of a black man, which was an
unusual spectacle in this section of the
United States.
Joseph D. Huggins attended Public
School No. 8, of Brooklyn, New York, com-
pleting his studies in the year 1868, he
being then sixteen years of age. He se-
cured employrnent with the firm of D.
Appleton & Company, book publishers, and
during his many years connection with the
firm his "services were in every wise so
satisfactory that they were unwilling to
sever the bond when his tastes and inclina-
tions led him to prefer a different occupa-
tion. He entered the wholesale shoe
business, being first employed in the estab-
lishment of a friend, later conducted the
shoe business established by his father, and
at the present time (1903) is selling agent
for a number of shoe mills, his business
office being located at 127 Duane street.
New York city. Mr. Huggins is a practical
business man, conducts his transactions in
a prompt and reliable manner, and his name
in the commercial world is synonymous
with honesty and integrity. He is a charter
member and was the first master of Alpha
Lodge, Free and Accepted JVlasons of
Brooklyn, and is a charter member of the
Montauk Club.
Mr. Huggins married Mary Bowne,
daughter of James- C. Bowne, a representa-
tive of an old and honored Brooklyn family,
and one child has been born to them, Mary
Huggins. In 1892 Mr. Huggins became
a member of the New York Avenue Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, Brooklyn, New
York, and has served as steward of the
church, also assistant superintendent of the
Sunday School connected with it. Mrs.
Huggins is also actively interested in church
work, is a member of the same church as
her husband, has been a director of the
Methodist Home for many years, and super-
intendent of the female department of the
Sunday School. The family reside in a
handsome home at 208 New York avenue,
Brooklyn, New York.
DR. JOHN MARIE LORETZ.
Dr. John Marie Loretz, of Brooklyn,
musician, was born in Mulhouse, in the De-
partment of Haut Rhin, Alsace, France
(now a part of Germany), February 15,
1846. His parents were John B. and Jo-
sephine (Lorentz) Loretz, both of whom
were natives of Alsace and descendants of
old and notable families. Many of the fore-
fathers of Dr. Loretz were soldiers, stj^tes-
men and professional men of distinction.
His paternal grandfather, John Loretz, was
an officer under the great Napoleon, from
whom, in recognition of important services,
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
159
he had the honor of receiving a snuffbox on
the field of battle. Oil his mother's side Dr.
Loretz is a descendant of General Metzger,
who at one time served as governor of Hol-
land.
The father of Dr. Loretz, having a strong
predilection "and marked talents for music,
decided to pursue a musical career, and to
this end enjoyed good educational advant-
ages in his native country. He was for
some seventeen years organist of the parish
church of Mulhouse. A strong Republican
in his political principles, he was an earnest
opponent of the usurpation of Louis Na-
poleon (afterward Napoleon III.), and
owing to his active part in resisting the
coup d'etat was obliged to 'emigrate to
America. This was in the early childhood
of his son John. Coming with his family
to New.York city, he was appointed organ-
ist of Saint Stephen's Roman Catholic
Church, under the Rev. Dr. Cummings, one
of the most distinguished preachers of that
period- in the metropolis. Subsequently, in
addition fo_ the morning service in New
York, he played ah afternoon service in the
Brooklyn Universalist Church, at the cor-
ner of Clark street and Monroe place, and
still lat£r he removed to Brooklyn, where
he continued to reside until his death (1893).
He was for fifteen years organist at Dr.
Buddington's Congregational Church (Clin-
ton and Lafayette avenues). One of the
most accomplished performers of his time,
■and also a composer of merit, he is remem-
bered with respect and affection by the mu-
sical community of Brooklyn.
The mother of Dr. Loretz was a lady of
fine cultivation, especially in music, to which
she -Was enthusiastically devoted, being an
excellent singer, although never engaged in
a professional capacity. Her surviving chil-
dren are : ■ Charles Albert, who served in
the War of the Rebellion, subsequently be-
coming major in the United States army,
and is now superintendent of a large fac-
tory; John Marie, the subject of our sketch;
and Arthur J., a mechanical engineer, who
has been prominently identified with the
construction of important works throughout
the country, including parts of the Brook-
lyn Water Works, for which he planned a
great steam pump whose construction wa6
regarded as one of the mechanical triumphs
of the times.
160
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
John Marie Loretz from his earHest child-
hood manifested great aptitude for music,
being encouraged in this taste by his pa-
rents, and especially by his mother, to whom
he owed most of the instruction that he re-
ceived until old enough to place himself
under professional training. At the age of
ten he played the violin so as to attract at-
tention, also singing in concerts as a boy
soloist. About this time, having become
proficient on the organ, he began occasion-
ally to play the services for his father at the
old Saint Stephen's Church in Twenty-
eighth street. New York. Soon afterward
he made his debut as a pianist at a concert
in Brooklyn, playing with success the grand
concerto by Carl M. Von Weber, and before
completing his twelfth year he took his first
regular position as an organist in the Brook-
lyn Universalist Church (Clark street and
Monroe place), and also published his first
composition.
By the invitation of a French nobleman
then in America, young Loretz next paid a
visit to Cuba, where he had the honor of
playing with the celebrated Gottschalk. Re-
turning home at the end of a year he contin-
ued his studies in Brooklyn for a while, and
then in his fifteenth year went to Paris to
complete his musical education. In that city
he became the pupil of Portehaut, maitre
de chant at the Opera Comique and organist
at the Notre Dame de Lorette. Upon his
examination for entrance to the Conserva-
toire of Paris as one of forty-five applicants
for seven vacancies, he was admitted third,
and during his second year in that institu-
tion he was placed in the highest piano
class under Laurent and Marmontel. Mean-
time he continued his studies with Portehaut,
whose place at the Opera Comique and also
at church he frequently filled. Owing to
his youth he was not regarded as eligible
to admission to the composition class at the
Conservatoire, but through friendly influ-
ence he was able to gain entrance to Reber's
Classe de Composition, where he studied
under the guidance of that fine old master.
He was graduated from the Conservatoire
at the age of eighteen with all honors. After
spending some time in travel through Ger-
many, Switzerland, Italy, France and Eng-
land, playing on many old cathedral organs,
he returned to the United States. Here he
resumed his residence in Brooklyn, shortly
afterward making his formal debut at a con-
cert of the Brooklyn Philharmonic Society
with brilliant success.
Being desirous of writing for a military
band, he accepted the position of assistant-
band master in the United States navy.
This was about the time of the conclusion
of the Civil War. After leaving the navy
he embarked upon his regular professional
career in Brooklyn, where he has continued
without interruption to the present time.
His first engagement as an organist was
at Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church,
where he had the distinction of organizing
the first volunteer choir and the first boy
choir in the city of Brooklyn. From there
he went to the North Reformed Church,
then to Saint Ann's, then to the Sacred
Heart, then to Saint Agnes's, then to Saint
Mark's, and finally back to the Sacred
Heart, where he is still engaged. In point
of continuous professional service Dr. Lo-
retz probably is the oldest organist now
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
161
living in Brooklyn. There is hardly a
Brooklyn church for whose benefit he has
not played.
Besides his career as an organist, Dr.
Loretz's professional record includes much
important service as a conductor, and in
connection with representative Brooklyn
musical societies. He was the founder of
the Brooklyn Choral Union, and was at its
head for some years, and has served as con-
ductor and instructor of the Brooklyn Opera
Association, and conductor of the Sapho Mu-
sical Union, the Saint Peter's Amateur So-
ciety, the Euterpe Society, and various other
organizations. He has always enjoyed a
high reputation as a private teacher of
music, particularly as a voice trainer, and
under his instruction many brilliant and suc-
cessful vocalists have been prepared for pro-
fessional work both on the stage and in the
churches.
As already noticed, he began to compose
music at the age of ten, and in this depart-
ment his genius has been most prolific, and
has been exercised without interruption for
a period of nearly half a century. There is
scarcely a class of music to which he has
not made notable contributions, and many
pieces from his pen, especially in the more
serious and dignified branches of CQmposi-
tion, have gained reputation throughout the
world. The following is a list of his more
important works :
Piano Music. — Twenty-four Songs With-
out Words, very classical and romantic, for
artists only ; twenty-four Concert Waltzes ;
three celebrated TarantelleS (in F, in E
minor, and in A major) ; several fine Con-
cert Galops, and numerous other brilliant
piano pieces. '-■£.
Church Vocal Music. — Gems of Saint
Peter's and Gems of Saint Agnes 's, twenty-
four in each set ; five Masses (Christmas,
Easter, in C, in B flat, and the Sacred Heart
Mass) ; Grand Vespers of the Sacred Heart,
and a great variety of other single pieces for
choral rendition.
Orchestral Music. — Operas : The Pearl
of Bagdad, Ivanhoe, Cupid in Livery, Jacobi,
and a new work not yet com,plete. The
"Pearl of Bagdad," when rendered at the
Academy of Music, was a magnificent suc-
cess, drawing overflowing houses and being
received with the greatest enthusiasm by
the musical public. The opera of "Jacobi"
was also a splendid success, and is still
called for by amateur societies. Both these
works are still in manuscript. Overtures
for the full orchestra (which have been
played by Theodore Thomas and other emi-
nent conductors) : The Black Prophet, the
Pearl of Bagdad, Deborah, The Grand Mon-
arch, Anna the Belle of Nassau, Ivanhoe,
Cupid in Livery, ' and the Festival of the
Flowers.
Band Music. — Various pieces written
while in the navy, which are the property of
the United States government. .
Organ Music. — A number of important
compositions (ofifertoires, sorties, postludes,
and pastorals), which he has contributed
to the "Vox Organi," edited by Dudley
Buck, a work used by the best organists
both in Europe and America.
Marches. — The Eagle March, Old Glory,
Naval Brigade, Old Admiral, Three Kings
of Orient, the Graduates' March, Uncle
Sam, Coronation, Dedication, etc.
Dr. Loretz received his degree of Doctor
162
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
of Music from the University of the State
of New York in 1881, the Rev. Dr. Howard
Crosby being at that time the head of the
University. The distinction of the decora-
tion of the Knights of Saint Gregory was
conferred upon him by Pope Pius IX for the
best Dedication Mass written for a pontifical
anniversary.
Aside from his profession, Dr. Loretz is
a man of varied accomplishments, and many
activities have engaged his ceaseless ener-
gies. He is an organ builder of very high
reputation, several of the finest organs in
the Broklyn churches being his handiwork.
The organs of Saint Agnes's Church and the
Church of the Sacred Heart were entirely
planned by him, and the new organs of
Saint Peter's and the Dutch Reformed
Church were rebuilt from his plans. The
beautiful organ presented to Saint Mary's
Church of Roslyn, Long Island, by Mr.
Clarence H. Mackay, is the latest specimen
of the Doctor's work in organ building.
Much of his leisure time has been devoted
to painting, purely for his own artistic and
intellectual enjoyment. His paintings in
oil comprise some three hundred and fifty
pictures, many of which are marines marked
by originality and fine treatment. Although
the Doctor has never sought to figure as a
painter, modestly preferring to be regarded
as an amateur, he has frequently exhibited
his pictures, especially at the annual exhi-
bitions of the Brooklyn Art Association, and
they have been received by critics and con-
noisseurs with marked praise.
He has contributed to periodicals and
other publications numerous articles on mu-
sic, travel and miscellaneous topics.
To the energies of Dr. Loretz is due much
of the credit for the foundation of a noble
institution — the Soldiers' Home at Bath.
After the Civil War, many maimed and
destitute old soldiers, finding no work to
which to turn their hands, became prac-
tically a charge upon the charity or gener-
osity of the public. This was especially no-
ticeable in Brooklyn, where the poor vet-
erans, as a means of inviting alms, fre-
quented the streets in great numbers with
barrel organs. Dr. Loretz, in an address
to Rankin Post, No. 10, called attention to
the sad state of aflfairs, and strongly urged
the inception of a movement to found a
soldiers' home. His appeal made a pro-
found impression, and led to the first organ-
ized undertaking to this end. The money
raised as a result formed the nucleus of the
funds from which the Soldiers' Home at
Bath was erected.
Dr. Loretz is a loyal and enthusiastic
Long Islander. His home is at 308 Cler-
mont avenue, Brooklyn. He also owns
property at Mount Sinai Harbor, SuflFolk
county, where he spends his summers.
ELBRIDGE HENRY BOARDMAN.
Elbridge Henry Boardman, actively con-
nected for the past forty-five years with the
Fairbank Scale Company, of Elm street.
New York city, and now acting in the
capacity of manager of the scale depart-
ment, was born in Nashua, New Hampshire.
He is a son of William Boardman, who was
born in Wales, from whence he came to
this country and subsequently settled in
Nashua, New Hampshire, being largely in-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
163
strumental in the formation and upbuilding
of the town. He was a millwright by trade,
and in following this occupation met with
a large degree of success. He erected many
mills in Nashua, and was regarded as one
of its prominent and influential citizens.
He was an active participant of the War of
1812, being one of the noted minute-men.
His death occurred in the year 1856.
Elbridge H. Boardman acquired his liter-
ary education in the common schools of
Nashua, came to New York city in 1855,
being then a young boy, and entered the
employ of the Fairbank Scale Company,
whose place of business at that time was
situated at 189 Broadway. They then gave
employment to six men, but during the
passing years the business has so increased
that they have now one hundred and twenty -
five employes on their pay roll. Mr.
Boardman's exemplary character, business
ability and fidelity to duty soon won the
unqualified confidence and good will of his
employers, and he was promoted from time
to time until he now fills the responsible
position of manager of the scale department.
During his busy and useful career he never
neglected the higher duties of life, being
connected for thirty-three years with the
Lafayette Avenue Church in the capacity
of deacon for twenty-three years, president
of the official board for eighteen years, had
complete charge of the singing of the infant
department of Sunday school for ten years,
and an usher for fifteen years. Mr. Board-
man is now a resident of Englewood, New
Jerse)^ having moved there two years ago.
Mr. Boardman was twice married, his first
wife having been Sarah E, Mead, daughter
I . 9
of George B. Mead. Four children were
born of this union, three of whom are now
living. For his second wife he chose Flora
M. Schoolman, a daughter of C. F. School-
man of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and
they are the parents of two living children.
R. HUNTINGTON WOODMAN. '
R. Huntington Woodman, organist and
choirmaster of the First Presbyterian
Church, Brooklyn, famed throughout the
country for his masterly abilities as a per-
former, director and composer, is held in
peculiar regard by music lovers in that city
as being native born and as the son of one
(Jonathan Call Woodman) who, in his own
day, was alsO' a capable musician in the
same place. ■. 'l\ii, |
Mr. Woodman is of English extraction, a
lineal descendant of Edward Woodman, the
founder of the family in America, who came
from Wiltshire, England, and located in 1635
in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Edward
Woodman became a man of prominence; he
was deputy to the general court in 1639-43 ;
special commissioner for the trial of small
cases ; and was a leader in the church. From
him the line of descent through the succes-
sive generations is through Jonathan, David
and Samuel to Charles Woodman, grand-
father of R. Huntington Woodman. Charles
Woodman was a resident of Boston, and a
hatter by trade. He married Abigail Stacy
Call, and they became the parents of nine
children.
Of the family last named was Jonathan
Call Woodman, born in Newburyport, Mas-
sachusetts, where he received his literary
164
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
education. He developed a taste for music,
and studied the art under the great teacher
Lowell Mason, with whom he became inti-
mately associated, and whose place as di-
rector of music in the Boston pubhc schools
he frequently occupied in the absence of Mr.
Mason. He was an excellent vocalist, and
was one of the organizers and original mem-
bers of the famous Handel and Haydn So-
ciety of Boston. Mr. Woodman subse-
quently removed to Brooklyn and taught
music in the public schools of New York,
and for eight years was in charge of the
music in the Packer Institute in Brooklyn.
For some years he was organist of St.
George's Church, Flushing, Long Island.
He married Sarah Copeland, a daughter of
Charles Copeland, an architect of Boston,
and of this marriage were born two chil-
dren, R. Huntington Woodman, and another
son who died in infancy. Mrs. Woodman
died March 24, 1892, aged seventy-two years,
and her husband survived her less than a
year, dying February 5, 1893, aged eighty
years.
R. Huntington Woodman was born in
Brooklyn, January 18, 1861. After attend-
ing Trinity School in Brooklyn, the public
schools in Flushing and graduating from the
g-rammar' schools of New York, he entered
the College of the City of New York, but
left in his junior year to enter upon his
active musical career in response to an invi-
tation to become organist at Christ Church,
Norwich, Connecticut. He entered upon his
engagement with excellent preparation. He
had inherited excellent musical taste, and
his abilities had begun development at an
early age. When only thirteen he became
an alto singer in St. George's Church, Flush-
ing, under his father as organist and di-
rector, remaining five years. During this
period he acted as assistant organist, play-
ing at church services, weddings and re-
citals, and also for some weeks, during the
illness of his father, conducting the choir
rehearsals. He was eighteen when he was
called to the organ of Christ Church in Nor-
wich, Cannecticut, and he occupied his' place
most creditably for one year, when (March
I, 1880) he accepted a call to the position
of organist in the First Presbyterian Church
of Brooklyn, where he has since continu-
ously remained, making probably the long-
est continuous term as organist in one
church than any other Brooklyn organist,
with the possible exception of Mr. Dudley
Buck. Lender his direction the music in
this, one of the most prominent churches
in the city, has been brought to an excep-
tionally high excellence, and has attracted
the admiring attention of thousands of peo-
ple from all parts of the United States. Mr.
Woodman's choir consists of a first-class
quartet of soloists of professional ability,
supplemented by a carefully selected and
well trained chorus of twenty-six voices.
During the incumbency of Mr. Woodman a
new organ was built, and many of its most
superior tonal features and mechanical ad-
vantages were of his devising. Meantime,
beginning with his first engagement as an
organist, Mr. Woodman assiduously pur-
sued advanced musical studies, taking in-
struction in counterpoint, orchestration and
composition under the masterly tutorship
of Dudley Buck, and supplementing this
with a summer's study under Caesar Frank,
\f^J\!\yJ^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
167
professor of the famous Paris (France)
Conservatory of Music.
As an organist, Mr. Woodman has long
held a foremost position in the profession,
and for fifteen years past has been a favorite
performer at organ openings and recitals in
leading cities throughout the country. The
writer of this narrative first heard Mr.
Woodman (as he did nearly all performers
of note who appeared there) perform upon
the magnificent organ in the great Audi-
torium in Chicago early in 1893, and again
upon the instrument in Festival Hall at the
World's Columbian Exposition, in the same
city, later the same year, and his ear yet
recalls the exquisite pleasure of his listen-
ing to the performer's splendid effort. The
programmes revealed not only his artistic
interpretation, masterly registration and
faultless execution (equally perfect on J3ed-
als and mannals), but also an all-compre-
hensive versatility which included, compo-
sitions of all shades of musical thought —
sonatas of Mendelssohn, fantasies of Saint-
Saens, fugues of Bach, and the choicest
works of Guilmant, Rubenstein, Thiele,
Wagner and others. During the Buffalo
Exposition, Mr. Woodman gave two re-
citals, and was called to a prominent place
at the Louisiana Purchase National Exposi-
tion in St. Louis in 1904 at the great organ
built for that occasion.
Mr. Woodman is one of the most indus-
trious in his profession, his activities ex-
tending into various fields. He is professor
of music at the Packer Institute, in which
he organized the present department of mu-
sic, and to which he has recently added a
department of theoretics, and he affords
organ instructions to a considerable number
of private pupils. He is vice-president of
the department of music in the Brooklyn
Institute of Arts and Sciences, having
served as such for two terms. He was one
of the founders of the American Guild of
Organists, in which he is a Fellow; was
one of the organizers of the Manuscript So-
ciety of New York, and the first president
of the Clef Club of New York. He has pub-
lished many original compositions, chiefly
sacred music, songs and piano pieces, and
at the present devotes a considerable por-
tion of his time to such labors. Not having
yet attained the zenith of his powers, he
affords high promise of attaining even'
greater distinction in the future, and a far-
ther extended fame.
Mr. Woodman was married June 14, 1892,
to Miss Ethel Righter, of Brooklyn, and
two children have been born of their union.
ABIJAH WHITNEY.
Abijah Whitney, whose death occurred on
September 19, 1903, was one of the widest
and most favorably known of the old citizens
of Brooklyn during a residency of sixty years,
and an active participation in business and
community affairs during the unusual period
of more than a half century.
He was born in Florida, Orange county.
New York, August 23, 1814, and his life ex-
tended over eighty-nine years. In his boyhood
days he labored upon his father's farm, and
obtained the rudiments of an education in the
neighborhood schools. His ambition was not
to be limited by the boundaries of his early
environment, and he longed for the greater
168
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
opportunities which the city afforded. Accord-
ingly, when sixteen years of age, he came to
New York, where he secured a clerical posi-
tion in a clothing house. He applied himself
to his duties with all his abihty, and subse-
(juently entered upon the same line of business
on his own account. He was first associated
with the firm of A. D. Porter & Co., and then
Whitney & McDonald, and was sO' engaged
with a high degree of success until just prior
to the breaking out of the civil war. In 1859
or i860 he retired from the clothing business
and engaged in insurance, founding a busi-
ness which developed into gigantic propor-
tions. After some years he associated in part-
nership with himself his son Eugene in the
firm of A. & W. E. Whitney, occupying
offices in various of the most favorable busi-
ness locations in the city — on Wall street, at
Broadway and Warren streets ; at Broadway
and Cortland streets ; at Nassau and Liberty
streets ; at Broadway and Liberty streets ; and
at Pine and William streets. During these
years he was recognized as one of the most
sagacious underwriters in the city, and he
accumulated a business which was in its day
unrivalled in volume and importance of inter-
ests thus taken under his protection. He con-
tinued in immediate charge of this large busi-
ness until about ten years- before his decease,
when, being then approaching his eightieth
year, he relinquished it to his son, Frank V.
Whitney.
The name of Abijah Whitney, familiar as it
was in the metropolis, was also well known
throughout the country in connection with the
Whitney piano. In 1877 he acquired an in-
terest in a piano manufacturing business which
he and his son conducted until the former re-
tired from business affairs, and the latter con-
tinued in it. The life of Abijah Whitney
was one of marked activity in which were few
leisure moments. Aside from his business
affairs, he became a cooperant factor in relig-
ious, social and political affairs of the borough
of Brooklyn. He became a member of Ply-
mouth Church shortly after Henry Ward
Beecher became its pastor. He served as an
usher for many years, regularly attended its
services until about five years prior to his de-
cease, when a gradual decline of his vital
forces obliged him to confine himself to his
home ; and, at his death was the oldest male
member of the famous old church. In politics
he was a Whig, and, when that organization
lapsed, his opposition to human slavery and
his deep-seated regard for free institutions led
him to affiliate with the newly formed Repub-
lican party as one of its original members, and
he was during the remainder of his life one
of the most forceful and aggressive advocates
of its principles and policies. In 1873 he was
elected alderman, and he subsequently served
his district as supervisor for several terms.
He was a member of the Society of Old Brook-
lynites, and, so long as he was able, delighted
in meeting with those who, like himself, had
witnessed and aided in the development of a
pastoral village to a city of national and com-
manding importance.
November 2, 1838, Mr. Whitney married
Miss Elizabeth Jane Turner, a daughter of
William Turner, of New York. Of this mar-
riage were born four sons — Dr. Edward J.
Whitney, deceased; Frank V. Whitney;
Charles Turner Whitney, deceased; and W.
Eugene Whitney, deceased. Mrs. Whitney
died in 1902, after a most congenial married
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
169
life extending over sixty-four years. To the
man of noblest spirit, judging all things of
life in their correct relation, the home becomes
the center of his universe, and so it was with
Mr. Whitney. Yet, while a devoted husband
and fond parent, his home did not monopolize
his attention, but its genial influences rather
stimulated him to effort outside it, and his in-
fluence and labors became a potent element
for good in the material, social, intellectual
and moral development 'of the city with which
he was intimately connected through more
than a half century. Mr. Whitney did not
long survive the wife to whom he was so ten-
derly attached, and his death occurred one
year and six months later, as before noted.
Frank V. Whitney, only surviving son of
Abijah and Elizabeth Jane (Turner) Whit-
ney, was born in New York, September 6,
1841. He received his education in the public
schools of Brooklyn. He entered upon his
business career as a clerk in the office of Mail-
ler, Lord & Ouereau, engaged in the shipping-
business between New York and Australia,
with offices at 108 Wall street. In 1859, at the
age of eighteen, he entered the National Park
Bank, in which he was advanced to various
positions in turn, until 1879. I" that year,
having attained his majority, he entered upon
the insurance business in association with his
father and brother, and eventually succeeded
to the sole control, in which he remains to the
present time. He was for several years a
member of the Thirteenth New York Regi-
ment, and with that command performed duty
for three months under the general govern-
ment at Baltimore, Maryland, and Norfolk,
Virginia. With the same regiment he also
served for two months in 1863, when General
Robert E. Lee led the Confederate army to
the second invasion of Pennsylvania.
EDWARD H. HOBBS.
Edward H. Hobbs, a well known and
highly esteemed citizen of Brooklyn, was
born in the town' of Ellenburgh, Clinton
county, New York, June 5, 1835, son of Ben-
jamin and Lucy (Beaman) Hobbs, the for-
mer having been born in Sturbridge, Mas-
sachusetts, and the latter in Chester, Ver-
mont. He is a descendant in both his pa-
ternal and maternal lines of old New Eng-
land families. His grandmother on his
father's side came from the same stock as
Samuel and John Adams, and through his
mother, whose maiden name was Lucy Bea-
man, he traces his ancestry to patriotic Rev-
olutionary forefathers, it being of record
that nine Beamans fought with the Amer-
ican forces at the battle of Bunker Hill.
The paternal grandparents of Mr. Hobbs
removed from Massachusetts to northern
New York during the early period of the
settlement of that portion- of the country,
and here his father, Benjamin Hobbs, grew
to manhood and passed the remainder of his
life. Benjamin Hobbs served on the fron-
tier as captain of infantry during the War
of 1812. He removed with his family from
Clinton county to Malone, Franklin county,
New York, while his son Edward was in his'
boyhood. He was a farmer.
Edward H. Hobbs was prepared for col-
lege at the Franklin Academy, Malone, New
York, and entered Middlebury College (Ver-
mont), where he continued until his enlist-
ment in the army. This was shortly after
l70
HISTORY OF Long island.
beginning his senior year, but he was duly
graduated with the class of 1862. He has
received from his alma mater, successively,
the degrees of bachelor of arts, master of
arts, and doctor of laws.
Joining the army in October, 1861, in a
regiment of New York State Volunteer In-
fantry-. Mr. Hobbs served under General
McClellan in the Army of the Potomac unfil
the fall of 1862, and subsequently under
General Hunter in South Carolina and Gen-
eral Foster in North Carolina, being hon-
orably discharged in the fall of 1864. Dur-
ing his service he was promoted to the
grade of lieutenant, and at the time of his
discharge he was acting as adjutant of his
regiment.
After returning from the war he entered
the Albany (New York) Law School, where
he was graduated and admitted to the bar.
He then came to New York city, and in
1867 engaged in the practice of his profes-
sion with F. A. Wilcox. Subsequently he
became associated with Judge Welcome R.
Beebe and Mr. Wilcox in the firm of Beebe,
Wilcox & Hobbs — a partnership which con-
tinued until the death of Judge Beebe in
1883. He was then for about two years in
practice alone, when he formed a copart-
nership with James M. Gififord under the
firm name of Hobbs & Gififord. The firm
in 1901 was changed to Hobbs, Gififord,
Stearns & Hobbs by the admission of Mr.
Stearns and Mr. Hobbs's son, Charles B.
Hobbs.
A practitioner at the metropolitan bar for
a period of forty-five years, he has enjoyed
a high degree of success and reputation, and
has always been numbered among the rep-
resentative members of his profession. He
has always devoted himself to the civil
branches of the law, and has conducted
many important litigations in the higher
courts.
Mr. Hobbs has been a resident of Brook-
lyn since 1870, occupying a position of the
highest personal standing in the community.
He is known as a public spirited citizen, ex-
ercising an influence for the best interests
of the community. His home is at No. 959
Park Place, one of the most attractive resi-
dences of that select portion of the city.
For many years Mr. Hobbs was active
and prominent in the political circles of
Brooklyn. His first vote was cast for Gen-
eral Fremont for the Presidency in 1856,
and he has ever since been a consistent sup-
porter of the principles of the Republican
party. For sixteen consecutive years he
was a delegate from the Twenty-fourth
Ward to the Republican general committee,
and for the same period of time was a mem-
ber of the executive committee, serving as
chairman of the latter body for four years.
In 1884 he held the position of chairman of
the campaign committee, having been one
of the delegates to the Republican national
convention in that year. He was for five
years a delegate to the Republican State
Committee, acting as its treasurer one year ;
and for fifteen consecutive years he was a
delegate to all the State conventions of his
party. In 1882 he was nominated for sur-
rogate of Kings county, and though not
elected ran 35,000 votes ahead of the State
ticket.
He was one of the organizers of the Bed-
ford Bank of Brooklyn, of which he is a
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
171
director. He is also a director in Lister's
Fertilizer Company of Newark, New Jersey,
and the Mt. Vernon (New York) Suburban
Land Company.
He is a member of the University Club,
Union League Club, New England Society,
and Institute of Arts and Sciences, all of
Brooklyn, the Delta Kappa Epsilon of New
York city, and the New York City, Brook-
lyn and New York State Bar Associations.
Mr. Hobbs married Miss Julia Ellen Bux-
ton, daughter of Benjamin and Eunice Bux-
ton, of Buffalo, New York. They have one
son, Charles B. Hobbs, a graduate of Yale,
who, as already noticed, is associated with
his father in the practice of the law.
F.. H. SCOVILLE.
- Frederick H. Scoville, known in the jew-
elry trade of New York, and residing at No.
96 Lafayette avenue, in Brooklyn, is a
native of Glens Falls, New York.
His father, John F. Scoville, was born
at Sandy Hill, New York, on the 9th of
May, 1812, and after completing his pre-
liminary education entered Yale College.
Having completed a course in theology, he
became a minister of the Presbyterian de-
nomination. He is entitled to particular
distinction from the fact that he was the
first president of Oberlin College, at Ober-
lin, Ohio, having accompanied the founder
of that institution thither and accepting the
position in 1833, when a young man of but
twenty-one years. Ohio at that time, how-
ever, was a largely undeveloped and unim-
proved Slate and unhealthful conditions
existed such as are usually found on a
frontier region. Professor Scoville's health
became undermined, and he was obliged to
relinquish his college work, deafness which
increased with the years being superinduced
by a cold which he contracted during his
residence in Ohio. In later life, however,
he was able to understand a speaker by the
movement of the lips. When he left Oberlin
College he started on horseback for his old
home in New York, and on the way he
traded horses several times. It was his
boast that when he completed the journey
he had a better animal than that with which
he started. Mr. Scoville was subsequently
engaged in the publishing business, and in
1849 established his home in Brooklyn,
where for many years he was identified with
a publishing house that conducted an exten-
sive and profitable business. For thirty-
five years prior to his death, however, he
lived retired in the enjoyment of the fruits
of his former toil. He had become well
known in business circles and his activity
also extended to many interests and move-
ments, resulting in benefit to the city. He
was one of the original members of Plym-
outh Church, and continued a zealous work-
er in its behalf until the time when Henry
Ward Becher, its pastor, went to England
in behalf of the Union during the period of
the Civil War. Mr. Scoville then trans-
ferred his membership to the Lafayette
Presbyterian Church as more convenient
to his place of residence, which for twenty-
seven years was on Lafayette avenue. He
had formerly resided in the ninth ward,
establishing his home on Pacific street, near
Fifth avenue, when there were but two or
three houses on Flatbush avenue. He
172
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
watched with interest the growth and de-
velopment of the city, taking a great pride
in its material advancement and endorsing
every movement which tended to promote
its educational and moral progress.
John F. Scoville was united in marriage
to Miss Elizabeth Hasebrook. Mr. Scoville
passed away in 1900, having for five years
survived his wife, who died in 1885, and the
funeral services were conducted by Dr.
Theodore Cuyler, long pastor of the Lafay-
ette Avenue Presbyterian Church.
In 1849 F- H. Scoville, the only son of
John F. Scoville, accompanied his parents
on their removal to Brooklj'n, and in the
public schools of this city acquired a good
English education. In early life he entered
the employ of Samuel Hammond & Com-
pany, jewelers at No. 62 Wall street, New
York, and for a quarter of a century has
served that house in the capacity of book-
keeper and salesman, his long continuance
in the service of that house standing in
incontrovertible evidence of his efficiency.
He has become well known to the trade in
Manhattan, and is regarded as an indis-
pensable factor in the management of the
business, with which he is connected.
On the I2th of November, 1863, Mr. Sco-
ville was united in marriage to Miss Sara
Elizabeth Tremper of Albany, and to them
have been born four children : John and
Clara, twins ; Elizabeth, and Centine Sco-
ville. In 1871 Mr. Scoville became a mem-
ber of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian
Church, to which his wife also belongs,
and in its work they have taken a most
active and helpful part. He has served as
a leader of singing in the infant department
of the Sunday school, while Mrs. Scoville is
an active and zealous member of the Ladies'
Benevolent Society and the Ladies' Mis-
sionary Society of that church.
YATES VAN DERWERKEN.
Yates Van Derwerken, well known in fra-
ternal circles in Brooklyn, and a resident of
this borough from the 'beginning of his busi-
ness career until it was terminated by death,
was born in Cohoes, New York, March 2, 1855.
He pursued his education in the public schools
of his native town and in the Long Island
Business College of Brooklyn. In his youth
he learned the pattern maker's trade, and at
the age of eighteen became a permanent resi-
dent of his borough, settling in the eastern
district. Not long afterward he entered the
employ of David Longworth, who was en-
gaged in the undertaking business, and the
business relation between them was maintained
until the death of Mr. Longworth in 1893.
After serving for some time as an employe,
Mr. Van Derwerken was admitted to a part-
nership, and was a member of the firm of
Longworth & Van Derwerken for ten years.
Following the death of his partner, who was
also his father-in-law, he continued the busi-
ness alone until his own demise, March 8,
1903.
In his early manhood Mr. Van Derwerken
was well known in social circles in the eastern
district, and was a popular member of various
organizations of a social nature, but in later
years withdrew from these, but never ceased
his connection with a number of the fraternal
societies that command honor and respect
throughout the country. In Masonry he be-
^^^^-^^^^^'^y^Ayth.^^c/^^
History of long island.
175
longed to Corner Stone Lodge, F. and A. M. ;
Progressive Chapter, R. A. M. ; and De Witt
Clinton Commandery, No. 27, K. T. He was
also a member of Kismet Temple, A. A. O.
N. M. S., and he belonged to Senate Lodge,
K. H., the Order of Heptasophs, De Long
Council, R. A., and the Mutual Templar and
Rose Croix Knights Association. He was a
member of the St. Nicholas, Eckford and Tri-
angle Club, and he possessed many of the
sterling traits of character which prompt
strong friendships and win high regard. His
religious faith ' was indicated by his member-
ship in St. Mark's 'Protestant Episcopal
church.
Mr. Van Derwerken was married, on the
26th of October, 1876, to Miss Frederica
Longworth, a daughter of David and Eliza-
beth Longworth. They became the parents
of two children. The daughter, Margaret
May, was married on the 26th of February,
1903, to Otto F. Kuhn, at the bedside of her
father, whose wish it was that he might see
his, daughter married before he died.
The son, F. Stanley, is his father's successor
in business. He learned the business under his
father's direction and for some time has had
practical charge, showing marked capability
as a competent and enterprising" young man.
His mother, who had been familiar with the
business from her girlhood, because of her
father's connection therewith, has been of
much assistance to her son. Stanley Van
Derwerken was married in 1903 to Miss Au-
gusta Schweitzer. They have one child,
Evelyn Doris. He is a member of Hyatt
Lodge, F. and A. M. ; DeLong Council, Royal
Arcanum; the Improved Order of Hepta-
sophs; the Undertakers' Association, and the
Congress Club.
GEORGE WILSON.
Major George Wilson, secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce, New York, is a
native of the city, born January 7, 1839,
son of Jotham and Sarah (Drake) Wilson.
His father was born in New London, Con-
necticut, and passed. his active career in the
city of New York. He was there a public
school principal for forty years, and was so
popular as an educator that a school edifice
was erected for his use. He was an active
churchman of the Protestant Episcopal
church. He was of excellent New England
ancestry; his father was a soldier during
the war with Great Britain in 1812, and his
grandfather was killed at the historic battle
of Monmouth, New Jersey, during the Rev-
olution. His wife was a member of a
famous old English family which had for
one of its members Sir Francis Drake, the
distinguished English admiral in the days
of Queen Elizabeth.
George Wilson was educated in the pub-
lic schools of his native city. His entire
active civil career has been in association
with the New York Chamber of Commerce,
the largest and most influential body of its
class in the world. His connection with it
began when he was inineteen years of age.
He served in his earlier years as assistant
secretary, and he was elected to the secre-
taryship in 1867, and has been re-elected
each succeeding year to the present time.
During all this phenomenally long period
he has witnessed many of the most momen-
tous financial and commercial events known
in the history of the age, and has borne a
part in promoting some of the most stu-
176
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
pendous enterprises of his day, related not
only to the development of local industries,
but to the manufactures, commerce and
finance of the world. At the age of sixty-
four years Mr. Wilson preserves his phys-
ical and mental powers unimpaired, and his
interest in his own labor in the world's
progress is as keen as though he were but
at the beginning of a career instead of well
advanced and secure in the esteem of his
associates in the marts of trade.
His connection with the Chamber of Com-
merce suffered a temporary lapse during the
Civil War. At the outbreak of the Rebel-
lion in 1861, he tendered his services to the
government and received over the signa-
ture of President Lincoln a commission as
paymaster in the army, with the rank of
major, and he served in that capacity with
ability and strict integrity until impaired
health demanded that he should resign. It
was during the period of his military service
(in 1862) that he took up his residence in
Brooklyn, which has since been his place
of abode. He has been a member of Lafay-
ette Avenue Presbyterian Church since his
removal to that city. In politics he is a
Republican. He is a companion of the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion, a life
member of the New York Historical Society
and of the Long Island Historical Society,
and a member of the Metropolitan Museum
of Art.
MICHAEL MULVIHILL.
In many sections of the city of Brooklyn
stand monuments to the enterprise and skill
of Michael Mulvihill, deceased, who ever
since 1888 was prominently identified with
building interests there. He was born in
Ireland, in 1847, and came to New York
with' his parents when an infant. He ac-
quired a common school education, after
which he learned the trade of plumber, and
when he had attained his majority entered
the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
with which corporation he remained for
twenty-five years. By his industry, per-
severance and close application to duty he
son won the confidence of his employers
and from time to time was promoted until
he held, at the time of his retirement, the
responsible position of superintendent of the
plumbing department of the road from
Philadelphia to Pittsburg. In 1888 Mr. Mul-
vihill came to Brooklyn and embarked in
the buildipg business. He purchased a large
tract of land and erected a number of build-
ings which he disposed of in a lucrative
manner. He was one of the pioneer builders
of the Twenty-eighth Ward, and the mate-
rial development of that section of Brooklyn
is due in a great measure to the business
experience and clear judgment exercised
by Mr. Mulvihill. He built many residences
along Bushwick avenue and the adjacent
streets, operated extensively throughout the
Ridgewcod section, and the last few years
devoted much of his time and attention to
the development and growth of Flatbush
and certain localities of Greenpoint. The
chief characteristics in Mr. Mulvihill's busi-
ness career have been his honesty of pur-
pose and his artistic workmanship, and these
qualities were the means of securing for him
a liberal and increasing patronage. He
made good use of his opportunities and pros-
History of long island.
177
pered from year to year ; he conducted all
business matters carefully and systematic-
ally, and in all his acts displayed an aptitude
for successful management. Mr. Mulvihill
never sought or desired public preferment,
yet he was deeply interested in whatever
tended to promote the welfare of his city,
and gave freely of his time and means to
all worthy charities. He was a prominent
member of the Knights of Columbus, the
Catholic Benevolent League, and the Em-
pire Democratic Club. He was very well
known in religious circles, being a devout
member of the church of Our Lady of Good
Council.
In 1867 Mr. Mulvihill was united in mar-
riage to Miss Anne McLaughlin, daughter
of Philip McLaughlin, and their children
are : Nicholas, Alice, Frank, Annie, Jona-
than, Philip, Gertrude, and Helen Mulvihill.
Mr. Mulvihill died May 2d, 1902.
ELLSWORTH C. PHELPS.
Mr. Phelps is one of the oldest and most
noteworthy musicians and composers of
Brooklyn. Although of New England birth
and rearing he has been a resident of Brook-
lyn for the past forty-six years, and through-
out this period has devoted his talents and
energies exclusively to professional work
in that city, in which his career has been
marked by great conscientiousness, artistic
enthusiasm, the best ideals, and substantial
achievements. In composition Mr. Phelps,
with the true poetic temperament, has had
in view at all times the highest standards,
and, besides a great variety of minor pieces,
has produced a number of works in the most
dignified departments of the musical art,
which have enjoyed pronounced critical
favor and have been performed under the
auspices of the principal musical organiza-
tions throughout the country and under the
direction of the most celebrated orchestral
conductors. As an' instructor, aside from
much private work, he is known to Brook-
£1^1
-^ J^fQ^,
lyn people for his faithful and valuable serv-
ices of thirty-five years in the public schools.
For a large portion of his career — some
twenty-five )'ears — he filled positions as or-
ganist and choirmaster in several of the
leading Brooklyn churches, also enjoying
a high reputation in this department of his
professional activities.
He was born in Rockfall. near Middle-
178
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
town, Connecticut, August ii, 1827, son of
Lyman and Eunice (Bartholomew) Phelps,
both of whom were descended from old New
England families. His father was a me-
chanic, of ordinary circumstances in life,
who, however, was a man of natural abil-
ities and refined tastes, with an -especial
bent for music. He was a good tenor
singer, for many years leader of the choir of
the principal Methodist church in Middle-
town, and the village bandmaster. His fam-
ily consisted of five children, three of whom
afterward adopted music as a profession.
At that period, amid the rural surround-
ings in which Ellsworth's early boyhood
was passed, music as an art was practically
unknown, and such a thing as formal study
for a musical career was almost unheard of.
He relates that he never heard or saw a
piano until his twelfth year, and in those
days even church organs were seldom to be
found in that portion of the country. But
with an innate love for music, stimulated by
the home atmosphere, his boyish thoughts
and ambitions naturally took a musical ten-
dency. "From my childhood," said he to
the writer, "I was accustomed to extempo-
rize melodies by vOice or whistling, the only
instruments available. In probably my sixth
or seventh year a much beloved school
teacher died. My grief was such that I
could not be persuaded to attend the funeral,
but I composed a dirge to one of our funeral
hymns, singing it with streaming eyes as
the cortege passed our dwelling. As I have
no record of it, I cannot say whether it pos-
sessed merit. Ever since extemporaneous
music has been the vehicle of my deepest
emotions. Brought up amid rural scenes,
and having an organization of much sensi-
bility, my mind readily received the impres-
sions of the beautiful and sublime in nature,
which went far toward supplying what it
lacked in discipHne. Indeed, I felt at all
times that all nature was a continual song."
When he was ten years old the family
removed to Springfield, Massachusetts. At
the age of twelve he began to sing as a
choir boy in one of the churches of New
London, Connecticut, and, having a fine so-
prano voice, attracted local attention as a
lad of fine musical gifts and' unusual prom-
ise. He was advised by friends to make
music his profession, but, though that was
his fondest ambition, all the circumstances
in which he was placed were unfavorable
to such a selection. His father, while appre-
ciating his talents and sympathizing with
his aspirations, took the hard-headed view
that as music was yet without standing in
any business sense it would be jeopordizing
the boy's future to give him to a career of
so much uncertainty. He accordingly ap-
prenticed him to learn the watchmaking
trade. But for this employment young
Phelps showed little aptitude, quite lacking
a mechanical bent. Connected with the es-
tablishment where he was engaged was a
music department, sheet music and all kinds
of instruments being kept in stock. Inci-
dentally he thus found opportunity to culti-
vate somewhat his musical taste. After a
heavy burglary upon one occasion, he was
ordered to sleep in the store, which enabled
him to gratify his desire to play upon the
various instruments. Meanwhile he heard
from time to time some of the noted artists
of the country, as Springfield, with the in-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
179
trodilction of railway communication, had
become a sort of musical center.
Even at this early period his ambitions
were toward a career as a composer rather
than as a professional artist. Though fa-
miliarizing himself with such instruments
as he had access to, he cherished no expecta-
tion of acquiring distinction as a virtuoso;
and, though he had made himself a fairly
good vocal reader, nature had unkindly dis-
appointed him in his change of voice, which
debarred the hope of success as a singer.
On the other hand he prosecuted diligently
his studies of the theory of music, without,
however, the advantage of any competent
teacher.
After three or four years thus spent, an
opportunity for definite musical training of
some sort was presented through the kind-
ness of a relative in Norwich, Connecticut,
who offered ' him temporary business em-
ployment, at tlie same time agreeing to
place a piano at his disposal, with a teacher,
giving two or three hours in the evenings
for practice. Accepting this proposal much
against the wishes of his employers and his
father, he abandoned his trade and went to
Norwich. Here he applied himself seri-
ously tO' preparation for his chosen calling,
with the result that after a season of strug-
gle with poverty and kindred difficulties he
procured a professional engagement as or-
ganist and choirmaster of the Episcopal
Church of New London, Connecticut, also
becoming fairly started in work as a teacher
of music.
From Connecticut Mr. Phelps came to
Brooklyn in the panic year of 1857, being
then thirty years of age, and in the spring
of 1858 he was appointed organist of the
First Presbyterian Church of that city. This
was the beginning of an assured position
in his profession toward which all his pre-
vious efforts had been but preparatory steps.
During the same year (1858) the Brooklyn
Philharmonic Society was organized, open-
ing with a series of concerts under the direc-
tion of Theodore Eisfeld with a competent
orchestra, at the Athenaeum. Here for the
first time, in his life he had the privilege of
hearing a classical programme, including the
immortal Eroica Symphony of Beethoven.
The impressions produced by this episode
gave a new direction to his musical ambi-
tions. He thereupon resolved to compose at
least one orchestral work which should have
a public hearing. Mr. Phelps had already
written a variety of minor compositions for
the piano and voice, which had been issued
by some of the leading publishers of New
York and Boston, and had obtained consid-
erable favor. He now devoted himself ear-
nestly to the composition of a concert over-
ture, and upon its completion sent the score
to the president of the Philharmonic So-
ciety, Mr. L. B. Wyman. In due time he
was referred to the new conductor of the
society, Mr. Carl Bergman, with the prom-
ise that if he approved of the work it would
be placed upon the next programme. Mr.
Bergman, impressed with the merits of the
composition, promptly accepted it, and it
was performed at three public rehearsals
and at the final concert at the Academy of
Music. Mr. Phelps was probably the first
American composer — certainly the first one
in Brooklyn — to be accorded such an honor.
His overture was well received by the audi-
180
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
ence and the press generally. Subsequently
Mr. Bergman produced "A Winter Melody."
and other works from his pen, with fairly
successful results, in Brooklyn as well as
other places.
In 1878 the "Hiawatha Symphony" of Mr.
Phelps, in five movements, was produced
under his own direction by Thomas's famous
orchestra. This was an unequivocal suc-
cess, and was repeated the following year
by the Philharmonic Society under the di-
rection of Theodore Thomas with still more
flattering results, and at a later period in
part at Chicago, also by Mr. Thomas, with
marked popular approval. Another elabo-
rate composition, the "Emancipation Sym-
phony" in six movements, with orchestra
and chorus, proved a striking artistic suc-
cess upon its production, though, notwith-
standing an immense audience, its financial
results were unsatisfactory, a circumstance
which discouraged Mr. Phelps from assum-
ing other personal ventures. But several of
his compositions continued to be played at
intervals in New York, Philadelphia and
other cities. His sacred operetta "David"
was brought out with considerable success
about 1883, and various orchestral excerpts
were given from time to time under the
batons of Van der Stiicken, Neuendorf,
Seidl, Sousa and others. His latest produc-
tion, publicly performed, which is consid-
ered one of his best, is an overture dedi-
cated to the memory of Robert Graham, one
of the founders of the Brooklyn Institute.
This was given in 1897 by the Boston Sym-
phony Orchestra (Mr. Emil Paur being
conductor), under the auspices of the Brook-
lyn Institute.
In one particular Mr. Phelps occupies an
entirely imique position among American
composers. While his labors have extended
to the very highest and most difficult
branches of the art, including composition,
for which profound scientific knowledge in
the departments of orchestration antl instru-
mentation is presupposed — knowledge usu-
ally acquired by prolonged study under Eu-
ropean masters, — he has been wholly self-
taught, never having enjoyed any of the
advantages of special and technical training
that are universally considered indispens-
able for the finished composer. His works,
the product of an ardent nature exclusively
devoted to music as an art, have moreover
stood the critical tests by which standards
are established with the acceptation of all.
His claim as a representative American
composer is therefore in a peculiar sense an
exceptional one.
The compositions of Mr. Phelps are some
five hundred in number, including about
thirty orchestral works. He has at vari-
ous times edited or assisted in the compila-
tion of comprehensive books of school
music. Among these may be mentioned
"The Song Sheaf" and "The Song Crown."
During his musical career in Brooklyn
he has served successively as organist of
the First Presbyterian Church, Dr. Spear's
Presbyterian Church at the corner of CHn-
ton and Amity streets. Saint Ann's Episco-
pal Church, the Lafayette Avenue Presby-
terian Church, the Elm Place Congrega-
tional Church, the Strong Place Baptist
Churcli, the New York Avenue Methodist
Church, and the Baptist Chapel in Clinton
avenue.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
181
In 1862 he was appointed an instructor
of music in the public schools bf Brooklyn,
a position in which he continued (except
for an interval of three years) until 1900,
when he was retired on a pension.
He married, in 1851, Annie A., daughter
of Elder Jabez Swan, of New London, Con-
necticut, and has two children, Ellsworth
S. and Laura B., both of whom are engaged
in musical work, the former in Manhattan
and the latter in Brooklyn. Mrs. Phelps
died in 1900.
HERBERT K. TWITCHELL. '
Herbert K. Twitchell, assistant cashier of
the Chase National Bank of New York city,
is a man strong of purpose, persevering in
effort, honorable in all business transactions^
who has won and maintained a position of
prestige among the representative citizens
of Brooklyn, and at the same time com-
mands the unqualified regard and confidence
of those with whom he has been associated.
He traces his ancestry back to the year
1630, when members of the family came
from England and settled first in Massa-
chusetts and then in Vermont, several of
them having actively participated in the
Revolutionary War. His father, Ira J.
Twitchell, was born in New Haven, Ver-
mont, where his entire life has been spent
in agricultural pursuits. He married Sarah
.E. Samson, who departed this life June 7,
1883.
Herbert K. Twitchell was born at Wey-
bridge, Vermont, November 26th, 1865, and
his education was acquired in the academy
at New Haven, Addison county, Vermont.
After completing -his studies he entered the
insurance business in Hartford, Connecti-
cut ; and after remaining so engaged for a
short period of time, devoted his attention
to the banking business in the same city.
In November, 1889, Mr. Twitchell came to
New York city and entered the employ of
the Chase National Bank. In January, 1901,
he was promoted to the office of assistant
cashier. His enterprise and industry have
been manifest throughout his business ca-
reer and have been the rounds of the ladder
of success whereon he has climbed to his
present responsible position. He is a mem-
ber of the Young Men's Christian Associa-
tion, the Brooklyn League, the Young Men's
Republican Club, and is a trustee of the
Brooklyn Free Kindergarten Society. He
has been actively connected with the La-
fayette Avenue Presbyterian Church of
Brooklyn since 1894, serving for five years
as elder of the church, and for seven years
as superintendent of the branch chapel.
On September 6, 1883, Mr. Twitchell mar-
ried Mary A. Edwards, daughter of Hamil-
ton Edwards, of Lisle, New' York. Their
children are : Pierrepont E., Hanford M., and
Herbert K. Twitchell, Jr. Mrs. Twitchell
is a great-great-granddaughter of Jonathan
Edwards, the celebrated American divine
and metaphysician, who was chosen presi-
dent of Princeton College in 1757 ; also of
General John Mead, who rendered distin-
guished service in the Revolutionary War.
Mrs. Twitchell graduated from Wellesley
College in 1889. She is a member of the
New York Wellesley Club, the Brooklyn
Free Kindergarten Society, and. vice-presi-
dent of the Woman's Missionary Society of
182
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church.
The family reside at 153 South Oxford
street, Brooklyn, New York.
JAMES N. BROWN.
James N. Brown, prominent in business
circles of New York city, belongs to a fam-
ily which for many generations were leading
agriculturists in Montgomeryshire, Wales.
James B. Brown, father of James N.
Brown, was engaged for thirteen years in
the work of public education in his native
country, and in 1850 came to the United
States and devoted himself to mercantile
pursuits in New York city. He made his
home in Brooklyn, in the social circles of
which he was prominent, especially among
the families of English origin, notably the
Summerfields, Ibbotsons and Bainbridges,
well known residents of Washington ave-
nue. He married Emma Redding Smith, a
native of Gloucester, England, where her
family had resided for three or four genera-
tions, having come originally from Scotland.
Mr. Brown, for years before his death,
which occurred in 1900, was very active in
the Summerfield, Janes and Bushwick Ave-
nue Methodist Episcopal churches. His
wife also died in 1900.
James N. Brown, son of James B. and
Emma (Redding) Brown, was born May 21,
1850, in Carmarthen, Wales, and the same
year was brought by his parents to the
United States. He received a thorough edu-
cation in the public schools and under the
care of a private tutor, and was carefully
trained in mathematical branches at an insti-
tute in New York. At the age of eighteen
he entered the old banking house of Gilman,
Son & Gilman, well known at the time in
New York city. When he left, eighteen
years later, he held the position of confiden-
tial clerk. In 1884 he went to Council
Blufifs, Iowa, where he remained four years,
holding the position of cashier of the Council
Blufifs National Bank. He was also a mem-
ber of the board of trade, and a member of
the largest loaning firm in the west. During
his residence in Council Blufifs he estab-
lished several banks in that section. In 1888
Mr. Brown returned to Brooklyn to live,
and founded the banking house of James
N. Brown & Co., which to-day consists of
James N. Brown, Edward H. Jewell and
Leigh M. Pearsall. The firm are members
of the New York Stock Exchange and the
New York Cotton Exchange, and are all of
high standing in the financial world.
Mr. Brown is a director of the Sprague
National Bank of Brooklyn, trustee of the
East Brooklyn Savings Bank, president of
the Bank of North Hempstead, president of
the First National Bank of Huntington,
vice-president of the Bank of Centre Mori-
ches, director of the Bank of Northport,
and holds the same ofifice in the Bank of
Oyster Bay. In addition to these positions
which he holds in Long Island banks, he
is president of the Yates & Porterfield Trad-
ing Company, of New York, and a direc-
tor of a number of other institutions. While
in the west he hiade extensive investments
in lands and banks in that region. These
interests, which he still maintains, have re-
sulted in great financial profit. He is ex-
tremely interested in the subject of finance,
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
185
and is known both as an author and a
speaker on the topic.
Mr. Brown has always been active in reH-
gious and philanthropic enterprises, being
connected with the Nostrand Avenue Meth-
odist Episcopal Church, in which he holds
the office of president of the board of trus-
tees. He is also superintendent of the Sun-
day school. He is chairman of the finance
committee of the Methodist Episcopal Hos-
pital of Brooklyn, and a member of the
New York Colonization Society, organized
for the purpose of sending colored people to
the west coast of Africa. He is also vice-
president of the Brooklyn Church Society,
in which he serves likewise as chairman of
the finance committee, and holds the office
of president of the Brooklyn Methodist
Episcopal Social Union. Over and above
these many interests and enterprises, Mr.
Brown is treasurer of the United Under-
writers' Company, a trustee of the Wesleyan
University, and also of the Boston Univer-
sity. He is generally regarded as one of the
ablest financiers in the country.
Mr. Brown married, December 3, 1872,
Catherine A. Weeks, daughter of Gilbert B.
Weeks, of Dutchess county. New York.
Three children have been born to them :
Alice M. B., who is the wife of Professor
Williamson U. Vreeland, of Princeton Uni-
versity ; Katharine L., and Edith B. Mrs.
Brown is very active in church circl'es, being
the able and sympathetic coadjutor of her
husband in his benevolent labors. The sum-
mer home of Mr. Brown, at Lyme, Connecti-
cut, is said to be one of the finest in the
country.
Frank L. Brov/n, brother of James N.
10
Brown, is a prominent figure in the field of
church labor and achievement in Brooklyn.
He is superintendent of the Sunday school
of the Bushwick Avenue Methodist Episco-
pal Church, which numbers 2,400 scholars.
This is, perhaps, the largest Sunday school
in Greater New York. In view of the fact
that Mr. Brown is only forty years of age,
and yet has accomplished so great results,
it is very evident that the reputation of the
family as philanthropic workers will suffer
no diminution at his hands.
HENRY HESTERBERG.
Henry Hesterberg, popular as a citizen, in-
fluential in political circles, and active and
successful in the control of important busi-
ness enterprises, now serving as sherifiE of
Kings county, as a public official and private
citizen is equally active and diligent in support
of every measure or movement which he be-
lieves will contribute to general progress and
the material upbuilding of the borough of
Brooklyn.
Born at Verden, in the province of Hanover,
Germany, on the. nth ol October, 1857, he
came alone to the United States when four-
teen years of age, and has since resided in
what is now the Flatbush district of Brooklyn.
He had attended public and private schools
of the fatherland, and his first business con-
, nection in America was that of a clerk in a
grocery store in Flatbush. After five years'
service he engaged in the hotel business, in
which he has since continued. His activity in
the world of trade has ever been in harmony
with the most modern business ideas, and keen
discrimination and unfaltering enterprise have
186
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
opened up to him the way of success, leading
him out of humble surroundings to the plane
of prosperity. He is now the vice-president of
the Central Brewery of New York, one of the
largest enterprises of that character in the
city. Moreover, he has for many years been
extensively engaged in contracting on public
works for the city of Brooklyn, and the build-
ing of sewers and streets and his labors in
this direction have been an essential factor in
the improvement of the borough. He has
made judicious investment in real estate, and
his property holdings in Brooklyn are now ex-
tensive.
Mr. Hesterberg is a man of widely recog-
nized influence in Democratic circles, his coun-
sel and opinions being recognized as a guiding
force in the local policy of his party. In 1879
he was elected highway commissioner of the
town of Flatbush, and by re-election served for
four terms of three years each. In 1891 he
was chosen town clerk, and his three terms of
service in the office of supervisor ended in
1893, when the board was legislated out of
office. In 1903 he was elected sheriff, and has
been instrumental in securing the introduction
of a bill into the legislature providing for six
additional keepers, five assistant van drivers
and six additional cleaners for the Raymond
street jail, an increase of help which has been
sorely needed for the proper conducting of the
institution. In all of his official service he has
displayed excellent executive ability, and this
quality combined with his public-spirited devo-
tion to the welfare of the borough and the
county make him one of the most acceptable
and capable officers that has ever served as
sheriff of Kings county. In 1898 the Henry
Hesterberg Eighteenth District Democratic
Association was organized with a membership
of eight hundred, which number has since
been increased to twenty-six hundred. This is
one of the strongest political and social or-
ganizations of Greater New York. Mr. Hes-
terberg has been a member of the Democratic
Club of New York city for several years; be-
longs to the Cortelyou Club ; the Arion Sing-
ing Society; the Benevolent Protective Otder
of Elks ; Alamania Lodge, No. 740, F. and A.
M. ; the Royal Arcanum ; the K. U. V. Society,
a German organization ; and the Liquor Deal-
ers' Association He is also a member of the
Tax Payers', Association of the Twenty-ninth
Ward, and the Sangerbund Singing Society.
Mr. Hesterberg was married to Marcella
Minton, and they have five sons and one
daughter, the eldest son, Henr}', being clerk
in the sheriff's office. The sociability, genial-
ity, unfailing courtesy and deference for the
opinions of others always ' displayed by Mr.
Hesterberg have rendered him an extremely
popular man among his social acquaintances,
his business associates and his political col-
leagues, and the course which he has followed
throughout an active and useful career com-
mends him to the respect of all who know him.
DAVID GREGG, LL.D., D.D.
The Rev. Dr. David Gregg, pastor of the
Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church of
Brooklyn, New York, was born in Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania, March 25, 1846, the son of
David and Mary M. Gregg.
David Gregg was born in the north of Ire-
land under the reign of George III, was
educated in that country, and later was the
proprietor of a large estate named the
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
187
" Cremore." He subsequently disposed of
of this property and came to the United
States, taking- up his residence in Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania, where he engaged in the
wholesale dry goods trade, and in due course
of time became one of the most successful
merchants and manufacturers of the city.
In his religious beliefs he was a Scotch
Covenanter, and served in the capacity of
elder of that church up to the time of his
decease, which occurred in 1892, at the age
of eighty years. He was united in marriage
to Mary M. Rafferty, also born in the north
of Ireland under the reign of George III,
and a daughter of James Rafiferty. Six
children were born of this union, one of
their daughters haying married a clergyman
and missionary. Mrs. Gregg is living at
the present time (1903), and although
eighty-seven years of age still retains all
her faculties, and her hair has not changed
from its natural color.
Dr. Gregg at the age of thirteen years
entered Alleghany City College, and two
years later joined the freshman class at
Washington and Jefferson College, Wash-
ington, Pennsylvania, from which institution
he was graduated in 1865. He then com-
pleted a course at the Iron City Commercial
College, after which he studied in the Alle-
ghany Theological Seminary for four years.
He was also a student in the old Scotch
Covenanter Seminary near Belfast, Ireland.
At the age of twenty-three he assumed the
pastoral charge of the Sc9ttish Church on
West Twenty-third street, New York,
where he remained until the spring of 1887,
having faithfully fulfilled the duties of pas-
tor for seventeen years. He then accepted
a call to the Park Street Congregational
Church of Boston, Massachusetts, and in
this new sphere of work added greatly to
his already well established reputation by
aiding in a considerable degree the cause of
commercial education in the city of Boston ;
he was also the first pastor of the church
to make the pew rentals more than cover
the running expenses of the church. Dr.
Gregg retained this pastorate until the year
1890, when he received a call to the Lafay-
ette Avenue Presbyterian Church of Brook-
lyn, upon the retirement of its revered
pastor, the Rev. Theodore L. Cuyler. Dr.
Gregg entered upon his work with an en-
thusiasm born of strong determination, firm
convictions and noble purpose and the
church grew with marvelous rapidity, hav-
ing taken into membership of the church-
twenty-two hundred people. The Lafayette
Avenue Presbyterian Church is one of the
largest, most useful and powerful churches
of the denomination, has a membership of
twenty-four hundred, maintains two mission
chapels, and during Dr. Gregg's pastorate
has contributed between seven and eight
hundred thousand dollars for foreign, home
and city missions, and have just organized
a new church. Dr. Gregg received his de-
gree of Doctor of Divinity from the Univer^
sity of the City of New York in 1888,
and that of Doctor of Laws from Wash-
ington and Jefferson College in 1903. He
is a constant contributor to current litera-
ture, and the author of thirteen books, the
more prominent ones being " From Solomon
to the Captivity," " Studies in John," and
" Facts Calling for Faith." Dr. Gregg was
disinherited by his father for leaving the
188
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
faith of his childhood, that of the old Scotch
Covenanter Church. Not long since Dr.
Gregg had the honor of delivering the cen-
tennial address at the Washington and Jef-
ferson College at Washington, Pennsylva-
nia, where as a boy he won honors as a
valedictorian. His early associations con-
firmed him in his allegiance to Republican-
ism, and his first public address was a
defence of Lincoln's Emancipation Declara-
tion. He enlisted as an emergency man
when Lee's daring invasion threatened
Pennsylvania, and was one of the company
that guarded Camp Howe when the garri-
son of that place had marched upon Gettys-
burg.
On March 2, 187 1, Dr. Gregg married
Kate E. Etheridge, a daughter of Robert
and Catherine Etheridge, of New York, and
granddaughter of Colonel Jacob Weber, one
of the veterans of the war of 1812. Five
children have been born to them, four of
whom are living at the present time.
JAMES F. COSGROVE.
James F. Cosgrove, a prosperous business
man of New York city, whose extensive
cooperage trade is conducted at 280 Front
streetj was born in Williamsburg, Long
Island, December 19, 1850, a son of Bar-
nctt and Ann Cosgrove.
Barnett Cosgrove was born in Brandy-
wine, Delaware, where the first few years
of his life were spent; subsequently his
parents removed to Brooklyn, New York,
he being at that time only four years of
age. His educational advantages were ob-
tained in the public schools of that city,
after which he was bound out to learn the
trade of cooper. Being diligent and atten-
tive he soon mastered all the details of the
business, and was thoroughly equipped to
establish a business of his own, which he
accordingly did in New York in 1840, and
conducted it until 1886, when he retired
from the active pursuits of life. Self-reli-
ance, conscientiousness; energy and honesty
are the traits of character that insure the
highest emoluments and greatest success,
and to these may be attributed the prosper-
ity that crowned the efforts of Mr. Cos-
grove. Fraternally he was a member of the
Masonic order, and in religious matters he
took an active part in the work connected
with the Bedford Avenue Baptist Church.
He was united in marriage to Miss Ann
Donahue, and four children were born to
them. Mr. Cosgrove's decease occurred
June 10, 1902, in the seventy-sixth year of
his age.
James F. Cosgrove, son of Barnett and
Ann Cosgrove, attended the local schools of
Williamsburg, where he acquired an excel-
lent education, which has since been greatly
improved by experience, observation and
reading. Upon completing his studies he
entered a cooperage shop where he thor-
oughly learned the trade of cooper, and after
a few years time he found that through his
industry and economy he had acquired suf-
ficient capital to enable him to engage in
business for himself. In 1879 he estabUshed
a cooperage shop in New York city, and
through earnest effort, close application and
the strictest integrity in his business rela-
tions his enterprise prospered to such an
extent that he was soon in a position to
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
191
open another shop, Avhich he conducted suc-
cessfully for many years, and his name is
now high upon the ranks of the substantial
business men of the city. Mr. Cosgrove is
prominently identified with the Masonic
order, and is a member of the Royal
Arcanum.
On June 25, 1876, Mr. Cosgrove was
united in marriage to Miss Linda Sutton, a
daughter of George Sutton. Three children
have been born to them, but only one is
living at the present time, Etta Cosgrove.
CALVIN PATTERSON.
Calvin Patterson, educator and author, son
of Calvin Colton and Julia A. (Matson) Pat-
terson, was born at Clarendon, Orleans county,
New York, July 2, 1847. His mother was
the daughter of David and iJetsey (Cally)
Matson# and his father was the son of William
and Experience (Colton) Patterson. Through
Experience Colton he was descended from
Deborah Gardner, of Hartford, and General
George Colton, quartermaster, a native of
Suttancofield, England, and one of the early
settlers of Longmeadow, Connecticut. His
father, Calvin Colton Patterson (1799- 1867),
was characterized by keenness of foresight
and strict devotion to duty, traits inherited
by Calvin Patterson and developed by his
early training.
From the farm and the district school he
went to the Brockport Collegiate Institute;
later he was graduated at the Albany Normal
School (1867) and Rochester University
(1877), and in 1898 the degree of Ph. D. was
conferred upon him by the State Normal Col-
lege of Albany. For one year (t868) he was
principal of Grammar School No. 4, in Roches-
ter, New York, and fi'om 1869 to 1871
he taught in the Buffalo Classical School,
resigning to^ become professor of mathe-
matics in the State Normal School at
Buffalo. In this positon he accomplished
some of the best work of his life, for he
was particularly gifted in the science of mathe-
matics. Aside from his lectures, he assisted in
organizing the normal school and in making
it an important educational institution. An
offer from the Brooklyn Board of Education
tempted him to leave Buffalo, and in 1873 he
went to Brooklyn, where for nine years he
served as principal of Grammar School No. 13.
If the growth of a school is any tribute to the
ability of its principal, then his work was cer-
tainly superior, for the records show that the
attendance was more than doubled under his
direction. The organization of the first Even-
ing High School of Brooklyn brought Mr.
Patterson into yet more prominent notice, and
so impressed the Board of Education with his
capability that in 1882 he was elected Super-
intendent of Public Instruction. Mr. Patter-
son's chief power was that of an organizer,
and the following six years he spent in lay-
ing the foundations of a great educational
system. He planned new courses of study and
arranged for the orderly promotion of pupils
from grade to grade. He established the
Training School for Teachers, and recom-
mended new methods of instruction. He in-
troduced the first system of teachers' certifi-
cates, and thereby raised to a higher plane the
qualifications necessary to obtain a license. His
administration as superintendent resulted in
the remodeling of the whole scheme of edu-
cation in Brooklyn, and attracted the attention
192
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
of prominent educators. In a published arti-
cle, James M. Greenwood, of Kansas City,
Missouri, said : " Superintendent Calvin Pat-
terson had studied the Brooklyn system so
thoroughly that he knew all the details by
heart ; and he was, while superintendent, one
of the best judges of school work in the United
States." Though urged to remain superin-
tendent, Mr. Patterson saw the opportunity
to organize another great enterprise, and in
1887 he became principal of the Centi-al Gram-
mar School, afterwards known as the Girls'
High School. His first effort in this new ca-
pacity was to secure adequate equipment, and
largely through his endeavors the present
Boys' High School on Marcy avenue was
erected. 'Secondary education now became the
one thought and aim of his life, and for its
advancement he labored unceasingly, winning
in this field as in the superintendency a na-
tional reputation. President Charles E. Rob-
ertson of the School Board said : " His work
as principal of the Brooklyn High School can-
not be overestimated. Educators familiar with
that institution declare that there is not an-
other of like character in the country, where
the young women are so well prepared for
the higher duties of life."
From time to time throughout his profes-
sional career, Mr. Patterson contributed to
the literature of education. Among the text-
books bearing his name and embodying his
ideas are : " Patterson's Common School
Speller" (1874); " Speller and Analyzer''
(1875); "Elementary Grammar" (1882);
" Advanced Grammar and Elements of Rhet-
oric " (1886); "Sheldon's Word Studies"
(1886); "Sheldon's Complete Arithmetic"
( 1886) ; " Sheldon's Primary Language Les-
sons " (1894); and "Sheldon's Advanced
Language Lessons" (1895).
As a citizen Mr. Patterson was identified
with the best interests of Brooklyn. He was
a charter member of the Hamilton Club ; a
member of the Oxford Club and the New Eng-
land Society; and a director of the Hamil-
ton Trust Company.
Mr. Patterson was married at Albany, New
York, December 27, 1870, to Marcia Scudder
Lewis, daugliter of Edward Lewis of that
place, and had two children, Mabel Lewis and
Edward Calvin.
Mr. Patterson died in Brooklyn borough,
New York city, January 28, 1902. A me-
morial window was caused to be placed in the
Girls' High School building by the teachers
in the same as a testimonial of their esteem
and affection for Mr. Patterson. This is the
first honor of the kind ever bestowed upon a
Brooklyn teacher in the history of the educa-
tional department.
ADOLPH SCHWARZMANN.
Adolph Schwarzmann was one of the pio-
neers in a department of journalism in
America — the publication of a comic paper
— and developed a business which in extent
and importance was unsurpassed by any
who became his followers in this line of
activity. Amid unfavoring circumstances
he entered upon his business career in
America, and his course was marked by a
consecutive progress that won for him a
place among the men of affluence in Brook-
lyn, while the use to which he put his
wealth gained for him the respect and ad-
miration of all who knew him, it being em-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
193
ployed in the promotion of legitimate and
extensive business undertakings which pro-
moted the commercial and industrial activ-
ity of the city, and in the relief of those
whom misfortune or lack of personal busi-
ness ' ability had placed in distressing cir-
cumstances. His charity and his industrial
enterprise stood as the salient features in
his career, 'and caused his loss to be greatly
felt in the borough of Brooklyn, where he
made his home.
Mr. Schwarzmann was born in Konigs-
berg, Germany, in 1838, and in his boyhood
days came to the United States. When a
young lad he learned the printer's trade,
and was employed in various printing estab-
lishments in New York. He finally entered
the employ of the Frank Leslie Publishing
Company, becoming a proofreader in the
book printing establishment, where his use-
fulness and capability won recognition and
secured him promotion. He made it his
purpose to throughly master each task
which devolved upon him in connection
with his added responsibilities, thus acquir-
ing the practical knowledge and broad ex-
perience which fitted him for the successful
conduct of his own enterprise at a later date.
He eventually became associate editor of
" Frank Leslie's German Illustrated Week-
ly," and in 1876 severed his connection with
the house in which he had so long been em-
ployed in order to engage in an independ-
ent business venture.
While with the Leslie Company, Mr.
Schwarzmann had formed the acquaintance
of Joseph Keppler, artist and cartoonist with
the same company, who had previously pub-
lished a paper in St. Louis, which he called
"Puck." This venture, however, had proved
a failure, but the idea was revived when Mr.
Schwarzmann and Mr. Keppler entered into
partnership and gave to the world the first
edition, of " Puck," which has since main-
tained a foremost place among the comic
papers of the country. It was in August,
1876, that the partnership was formed.
Earlier in the year Mr. Schwarzmann had
become the owner of the " New York Musi-
cal News," and had an office on Park Row,
where is now the entrance to the Brooklyn
Bridge. In August Mr^ Keppler gave up
his position with the Leslie Publishing Com-
pany, and in connection with Mr. Schwarz-
mann prepared to issue the first number of
" Puck," taking charge of the art depart-
ment of the enterprise, while Mr. Schwarz-
mann furnished the capital and the business
experience. Although the latter had come
to this country empty-handed, he had
through untiring industry and the careful
husbanding of his resources accumulated
ten thousand dollars, which he invested in
the new venture. There had up to this time
been no successful comic paper in America,
although Germany and England had fur-
nished a profitable field for such enterptlses,
and Mr. Schwarzmann and Mr. Keppler felt
that the United States, as well as other
countries, afforded a good opening for a
journal devoted to wit and humor. Time
proved the wisdom of their views, for from
the beginning the enterprise proved success-
ful, and its profits eventually made the pro-
prietors wealthy men. In the year 1888 the
firm of Keppler & Schwarzmann was estab-
lished, and later the Puck Publishing Com-
pany was incorporated. After the death of
194
HISTORY OF LONG ISLANO.
Mr. Keppler in 1894, Mr. Schwarzmann
became president, and so continued up to
the time of his death in February, 1904.
The business is being continued by the sons
of the original proprietors, Adolph Schwarz-
mann, Jr., and Joseph Keppler, Jr. The
paper was at first pubHshed in German, but
later an English edition was started, which
gradually became so much more the profit-
able of the two that the German edition was
discontinued, while the other found its way
into almost every city and hamlet of the
entire country. Mr. Schwarzmann was part
owner of the Puck Building, and was a
member of the J. O. Ottmann Lithograph-
ing Company. Starting out in life with little
educational and no financial advantage, he
became imbued with a desire to attain some-
thing better, and steadily advanced in those
walks of life demanding intellectuality, busi-
ness ability and fidelity, and throughout his
business career he commanded the respect
and esteem of his contemporaries, his asso-
ciates and his employes.
Mr. Schwarzmann took considerable in-
terest in scientific research, and was also a
patron of the arts. The former led to his
connection with the American Geographical
Society, the latter to his membership in the
Municipal Art Society and the Metropolitan
Museum of Arts, of which he was also an
officer. He also had official connection with
the New York Botanical Gardens, and his
social nature found expression in his mem-
bership in the Germania Club of Brooklyn,
the Liederkranz, with which he was con-
nected for over thirty years, the New York
Yacht Club and the Shelter Island Yacht
Club. He was an enthusiastic yachtsman,
spending most of his time in the summer
season at Shelter Island on his steam yacht
" Turbese."'
Mr. Schwarzmann was married to Miss
Johanna Jaenicke, who survives him, and
their only son, Adolph Schwarzmann, Jr., is
his father's successor in business. They also
had an adopted son, Edward C. Carter. He
provided for his family a beautiful home at
No. 691 St. Mark's Place, in Brooklyn, as
well as a summer residence on Shelter Isl-
and, and in each he provided the adornments
that wealth, guided by a cultured taste,
could secure. To his family he displayed an
unremitting love and devotion, and he also
held friendship inviolable, the strength of
his afifections, hi? kindly nature and ready
appreciation of the good in others winning
him the highest esteem and regard of many
friends. To the poor and needy he was
more than friend ; he was a benefactor. No
worthy charity sought his assistance in vain,
and he was identified with many benevolent
organizations formed to ameliorate the hard
conditions of life. Aside from his donations
to charitable societies he gave freely as an
individual, and, while he never believed in
the indiscriminate giving which often fos-
ters vagrancy, his hand was continually ex-
tended to those in real need, so that he is
held in the most grateful remembrance by
many who were the recipients of his bounty.
" His life was noble, and the elements
So mixed in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world, This was a Man."
JOHNSON, CHASE HULL.
Johnson Chase Hull was born in Garrick
street. New York, in 1823, and died in
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
195
Brooklyn, October 12, 1903. There has
never been a more faithful representative
of government service in the latter bor-
ough than Mr. Hull, who for more than a
third of a century was connected with the
postofiSce department, and who previous to
that time was a soldier in the Civil war.
Whether in days of peace or of conflict, he
was always the same reliable, loyal public
servant, never faltering in his allegiance
to the trusts reposed in him, and performing
every task assigned to him with readiness,
capability and dispatch. He became well
known to the business men of the borough
of Brooklyn, and his life ever commanded
for him the respect and good will of those
with whom he was associated.
Mr. Hull was only four years of age at the
time of his parents' removal to Brooklyn,
which was then a comparatively small and
unimportant place, and through two-thirds
of a century he was a witness of the devel-
opment and progress here made, taking a
commendable and public-spirited interest in
what was accomplished along lines of sub-
stantial upbuilding and improvement. His
education was acquired in the public schools,
and he entered upon his business career in
the capacity of a truckman. At the time of
the Civil war, however, he put aside all busi-
ness and personal considerations that he
might aid his country in her hour of' peril.
Aroused by a spirit of patriotism, he joined
the One Hundred and Thirty-third Regi-
ment New York Voluteers, went to the front
with his cohimand and took part in a num-
ber of important engagements. He never
faltered in his allegiance to the old flag or
in the performance of any duty, although it
often called him into the thickest of the
fight or stationed him on the lonely picket
line. At the battle of Port Hudson he was
shot in the mouth, the bullet knocking out
nearly all of his teeth and lodging in the
shoulder and paralyzing his right hand and
remaining in his body until his death. He
was afterward honorably discharged, and
with a creditable military record returned
to his home.
Though his military service was then
ended, Mr. Hull did not cease to be a repre-
sentative of the government, for in 1864 he
was appointed to a position in the postofKce
department at Brooklyn, being the eight-
eenth man named as a letter carrier in this
borough. The ofhce at that time was situ-
ated at the corner of Court and Montague
streets, and George B. Lincoln was post-
master. The carriers collected one and two
cents each for delivering letters, which was
their personal income. For a long time after
the service was enlarged Mr. Hull was a
carrier in the East New York district, but
about 1890 was given the collection of mail
on Fulton street, from Borough Hall to
Bond street, in the heart of the shopping
district. In all that time, as he drove
through the thronged business center, he
never met with an accident and could
thread the labyrinth of trolley cars and wag-
ons with perfect ease. Nothing deterred
him from the prompt and faithful perform-
ance of his duty, and he was regarded as
the most reliable collector in all the service
in Brooklyn. He was also the only "Lone
Star" man in the postoffice of his borough,
his long and capable seryice winning him
the distinction.
196
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Mr. Hull was united in marriage to Mrs.
Mary E. Thomas, nee Hubbell, who still sur-
vives him, as do nineteen grandchildren and
five great-grandchildren. His children, two
by his first marriage and three stepdaughters,
however, have all passed away. During the
long years of his residence in Brooklyn, Mr.
Hull saw much of the growth of his borough
and of Manhattan as a witness of the re-
markable changes incident to the develop-
ment of the metropolis of Greater New
York. He was a genial man and made
friends among all classes of people. At the
age of eighty-two years he possessed the
youth, vigor and animation of a man of
much younger years, and those who were
his juniors enjovcd his companionship, as
well as did those of threescore years and
ten. Not long before his death four men in
the postoffice tried to down him in a friendly
scuffle, but he had no trouble in shaking
them off. He was also an excellent boxer,
and his physical strength was undoubtedly
the foundation of his genial spirit, for a
healthy mind dwells in a sound body. He
always had a pleasant word and smile for
his friends, and all who knew him were glad
to claim his friendship. He was particularly
active as a member of Moses F. Odell Post,
G. A. R., and w;is connected with the Let-
ter Carriers' Mutual Relief Association.
With the letter carriers he always marched
in parade on Memorial Day, thus honoring
his old comrades who wore the blue. That
he was popvilar with his associates in the
postoffice is shown by the fact that a short
time before his death they had made a pastel
portrait of himself and presented it to him.
Death came to Mr. Hull suddenly, but it
was as he wished. No one would have more
disliked an evening of inactivity as a close
of life's day of labor, and Mr. Hull remained
in active postoffice service until the after-
noon of his demise. His brother, George H.
Hull, passed away two days before. Mr.
Hull did not leave his post of duty until al-
niost the hour of the funeral, saying that he
would not know what to do with himself,
and, as he leaned over his brother's coffin,
he said : "Good-bye, George. We have
shared our joys and sorrows through four
score years, and you were the first to go.
My summons cannot come too quickly. I
want to be with you." Hardly had the
words been spoken ere he sunk lifeless by
the side of his brother, and the summons
that he had asked for had come. The oldest
letter carrier in the Brooklyn postoffice, he
was also one of the most honored. His life
was ever upright, his actions manly and sin-
cere, and his worth was genuine. There was
about him no pretense or display, but he
possessed an upright character that in every
land and clime commands respect, confi-*
dence and good will.
EUGENE G. BLACKFORD.
Eugene G. Blackford, known in financial cir-
cles in Brooklyn as the president of the Bed-
ford Bank, and with a wide acquaintance in
scientific circles because of his researches and
investigations along the line of ichthyology,
is a representative of an old American fam-
ily. His paternal great-grandfather and his
grandfather were ministers of the Baptist
church.
His father, Gilbert L. Blackford, was a car-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
197
riage-builder of Morristown, New Jersey, and
about 1840 removed to New York where he
directed his attention to other fields of busi-
ness activity. His son, Eugene G. Blackford,
was then in his infancy, his birth having oc-
curred at Morristown, New Jersey, August 8,
1839. Throughout his entire life he has been
a resident of. Brooklyn, and after acquiring
his education in the public schools he entered
upon his business career at the age of four-
teen years as an employee in the office of Cap-
tain Asa W. Weldon, who conducted a
ship-brokerage enterprise on South street. New
York. Mr. Blackford, however, found scien-
tific research more interesting than the routine
work of the office, and, although he remained
in Mr. Weldon's employ for three years, was
finally discharged on the complaint of his em-
ployer that he gave more attention to the study
of chemistry than to the tasks assigned him in
connection with the ship-brokerage business.
About that time Mr. Blackford received in-
struction in water-color painting, but soon
afterward accepted a position as freight clerk
in connection with the Hartford line of steam-
boats, and subsequently was with the Camden
& Amboy Railroad Company. He has always
attributed much of his success in business to
the thorough training which he received during
two years' connection with the A. T. Stewart
store at the corner of Broadway and Cham-
bers street. His active identification with the
business which has claimed the greater part of
his time and energies began as bookkeeper for
Middleton, Carman & Company, and, on leav-
ing that employ he opened a stall in the Fulton
market, beginning with the cash capital of but
one hundred and ten dollars. Success attend-
ed the enterprise from the beginning and to-
day, occupying twenty stands, the Blackford
Company is conducting a most extensive and
profitable business. While he has carried on
business in the market as an independent deal-
er, he also organized the finn of Blackford &
Company, wholesale fish dealers and commis-
sion merchants ; that of Blackford & String-
ham, wholesale and retail dealers in oysters
and clams ; and Blackford & Company, repre-
senting the Chalker Shad Company and the
Dennison Shad Company of Saybrook, Con-
necticut, and receiving a large part of the
catch of the Connecticut river. The Blackford
Fish Company, of which Mr. Blackford was
treasurer, lease five miles of the shore of Mon-
tauk Point, Long Island, and fish were sent
daily from there to Fulton market, a huge pen
198
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
having been arranged for keeping live fish
until they are required in the city. For many
years the Fulton Market was in a most dilapi-
dated condition, and largely through the ef-
forts of Mr. Blackford an appropriation of one
hundred and eighty thousand dollars was ob-
tained to rebuild the structure, which covering
an entire block is two hundred and six feet
by one hundred and seventy-one feet and one
hundred and sixty-one feet, and in its remod-
eled form is an imposing building of brick.
In one of the towers of the Fulton Market
Mr. Blackford has a library and laboratory,
the former one of the finest collections of pub-
lished works on ichth}'ology to be found in the
country. This he has placed at the disposal of
the public, and he has there every facility for
the student who is interested in the science
of fishes. At the corner of South and Beek-
man streets Mr. Blackford has fitted up a
magnificent series of fish stands and offices at
the cost of twenty-two thousand dollars.
While he was fish commissioner of New York
he was instrumental in establishing the hatch-
ery at Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, and
in 1875 he inaugurated a trout exhibit in New
Ybrk, which has become a popular annual en-
tertainment.
Since 1872 Mr. Blackford has given his
attention largely to the histoTy and propaga-
tion of fish. In that year he formed the
acquaintance of Professor Baird, of the Smith-
sonian Institution at Washington, who in' -the
previous year had become United States Com-
missioner of Fish and Fisheries. Mr. Black-
ford was instrumental in organizing the
American Fish Culturist Association, of which
he was chosen treasurer, holding the office for
a number of years, and ever taking an active
and helpful part in the work of the society.
He has read various papers at its annual meet-
ings, and has delivered many pleasing after-
dinner speeches at its annual fish dinner.' To
him is due the credit of bringing to this part
of the world the highly flavored salmon of
the Restigouche river, also the now famous
redsnapper, which was named in his honor
Lutjanus Blackfordii. He introduced the
pompano, various species of groupers, the
Oregon river salmon and also the delicate
white bait, being the first to prove that this
fish, considered so choice in Europe, was to be
found in American waters. From Mexico he
received the axolotl ; from Asia the fantail,
gold fish of Japan, the paradise fish and the
Chinese gouramie ; while from Europe, he re-
ceived the carp, sole and turbot. He has sent
to the Smithsonian Institute more than one
thousand of its choice specimens. He has
turned his scientific knowledge to practical
account in his business, and his practical
knowledge has enabled him to build up a trade
that has made possible the establishment of
an office and laboratory in which he has fine
opportunity to carry on investigations that
have been of the xitmost value in the scientific
world. In May, 1879, he was appointed by
Governor Robinson one of the four fish com-
missioners for the state of New York and
served with great zeal and usefulness in that
office for fourteen years.
As the result of his interest in commercial
pursuits Mr. Blackford has become a factor
in financial interests in Brooklyn, investing
in many of the strong moneyed institutions
of the city, and also aiding in their control by
his wise counsel and keen business foresight.
He is a trustee and chairman of the executive
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
199
committee of the People's Trust Company; a
director of the Hide and Leather Bank ; chair-
man of the finance committee of the City Sav-
ings Bank ; vice-president of the New York
Telemeter Company, and vice-president of the
Union Typewriter Company.
Mr. Blackford holds membership with va-
rious social organizations and societies for
the promotion of scientific knowledge and re-
search. He belongs to the Brooklyn Institute
of Arts and Sciences, of which he is the treas-
urer ; to the Ichthyophagous Club ; to the Ox-
ford Rod and Gun Club, at Eastport, Long
Island; and to the Blooming Grove Associa-
tion of Pike county, Pennsylvania. He is also
a member of the Brooklyn, Hamilton, Oxford
and Union League Clubsof Brooklyn; Fulton
and Reform Clubs of New York; and of the
Washington Avenue Baptist Qiurch, of which
he is a prominent member. He united with the
Baptist denomination in early life, and during
1876, 1877, 1878 was president of the Sunday
School Association of the eastern district of
Brooklyn. During that time he acted as grand
marshal of the largest Sunday school parade in
the world, being composed of twenty-five thou-
sand children and teachers in solid column.
At the age of twenty-one years he was mar-
ried to Miss Frances L. Green, of New York,
and they have three children. The wedding
ceremony was performed by Rev. Ira R. Stew-
ard, who had also baptized Mr. Blackford into
the church, and their married life has been a
very happy one.
PHILIP BIERSCHENK.
Among the enterprising and prominent
business men of the East New York section
of the borough of Brooklyn, Newi York, is
Philip Bierschenk, a speculative builder, and
probably one of the best known stair-build-
ers in Greater New York, whose residence
at No. 121 Russell street, is one of the most
modern and beautiful in that select locality.
He is a native of Rhingam, Germany, a
son of Philip and Christina (Schmidt) Biers-
chenk, and grandson of Peter Bierschenk,
who was an expert mechanic and followed
the trade of building in his native country,
Germany. Philip Bierschenk (father) was
also a skillful mechanic, a cabinet maker
and special woodworker and an extensive
builder. His sons, all of whom are very suc-
cessful in business, are as follows : Peter, a
stair-builder by trade, who has erected many
houses, which he now owns ; Charles, a
builder, whose extensive operations are con-
ducted in Brooklyn ; Jacob, a stair and house
builder; William, a stair-builder by trade,
and a first-class mechanic ; and Philip, men-
tioned at length in the following paragraph.
Philip Bierschenk came to the United
States at the age of twenty-four years, hav-
ing spent three years in Company No. 41,
Eleventh Battalion, of the Eleventh Army
Corps, in the engineer corps, as a corporal,
and an instructor in that service for six
weeks. He learned the trade of framer and
carpenter, and also acquired a thorough
knowledge of architecture during the period
of time he spent in a German school of tech-
nology. Since engaging in business he has
made all his own designs and drawings, and
is a very successful woodworker. He fol-
lowed stair-building for several years, con-
ducting an extensive and lucrative business
which required the services of forty-five'
200
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
men. His trade was largely in the city of
New York, but he also constructed a number
of handsome stairways in the borough of
Brooklyn, which are to be found in several
of the churches and also in the Bijou Thea-
tre, but his work is confined chiefly to pri-
vate residences. He equipped thirteen
houses for Rupert Wallace, of New York,
and a similar number for Mr. Wagner, of
the same city. A large number of the stair-
ways have been sent as far as Washington,
and one flight of stairs built by Mr. Bier-
schenk was disposed of at six hundred dol-
lars.
In 1895 he engaged in speculative build-
ing, erecting his first house in East New
York in that year, and since that date has
built extensively throughout Williamsburg
and the Greenpoint district, the houses aver-
aging in value from $4,000 to $35,000. He
has had the construction of the stairways
for as many as forty-five houses at a time.
To all of his building operations he gives
his personal supervision, this being a suffi-
cient guarantee as to their excellence in
every detail. He is a man of sagacity and
business acumen, and occupies a prominent
position in the business circles of the city.
Mr. Bierschenk was united in marriage to
Carrie Zimmerman, the ceremony being per-
formed in Brooklyn, New York. They are
the parent of four sons.
JOHN H. BREWER.
John Hyatt Brewer, organist and com-
poser, son of William and Annie E. Brewer
(Scotch-English), was born in Brooklyn,
New York, January 18, 1856.
He began m music at seven years of age
as boy soprano in choirs of New York and
Brooklyn, viz : with organist Frank Gilder,
at St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church,
Brooklyn ; with Dr. H. E. Cutler, at Zion
Church, New York; with Dr. W. W. Wal-
ter, at Trinity Chapel, New York ; returning
to St. John's, where he remained until his
fifteenth year. His vocal studies were with
Dr. Cutler, Dr. Walter and James M. Wil-
der. He learned piano-forte and harmony of
Rafael Navarro ; organ of W. A. M. Diller,
V. W. Caulfield, S. B. Whiteley, and ten
years of organ, harmony and composition
under Dudley Buck, from 1877. His first
organ position was it City Park Chapel,
1871-3 ; thence to the Church of the Messiah,
1873-7 ; thence to Clinton Avenue Congre-
gational Church, 1877-81, and to the Lafay-
ette Avenue Presbyterian Church in 1881,
which position he still occupies (1903). He
was one of the earliest active members of
the New York State Music Teachers' Asso-
ciation, and the New York Manuscript So-
ciety, and is a member of the Brooklyn In-
stitute of Arts and Sciences (secretary of
the music department) ; conductor of vari-
ous glee clubs and societies, notably for
three years of Hoadley Amateur Orchestra,
and for nine years of the Cecilia Ladies' Vo-
cal Society; co-founder and fellow of the
American Guild of Organists ; charter mem-
ber and accompanist for twenty-five years
of the Brooklyn Apollo Club, and elected
conductor of the same upon the retirement
of Dudley Buck (1903) ; professor of music
at Adelphi College since 1899.
Mr. Brewer is p busy instructor in voice,
pianoforte, organ and theory. His compo-
, Lmis FiXUstitng Co
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
203
sitions include for women's ^'oices cantatas:
"Hesperus," "Sea and the Moon," "Herald
of Spring," "Twilight Pictures," etc.; for
male voices, "Autumn," "Cavalry Song,"
"Birth of Love," "Sing, Sing, Music was
Given," "Break, Break, Break," etc. ; for
mixed voices, "Dreamland," "Glad Tidings,"
and a sacred cantata, "Holy Night," and
more than one hundred other compositions,
comprising sacred and secular songs, duets,
quartets, anthems, glees, choruses ; pieces
for pianoforte, organ and strings ; duos for
organ and pianoforte ; also a suite manu-
script for orchestra. Mr. Brewer's music is
published by the houses of A. P. Schmidt,
Oliver Ditson Co., Novello Ewer & Co., and
G. Schirmer.
Mr. Brewer married Miss Emma A.
Thayer, June 27, 1888. His residence is at
88 South Oxford street, Brooklyn.
LEONHARD EPPIG.
Leonhard Eppig was of German origin, and
came from the Fatherland to the United
States when about fifteen years of age. He
became known as one of the leading, progres-
sive and enterprising German-American citi-
zens of Brooklyn. He was a self-made man in
the fullest sense in which this term may be ap-
plied, and by his indefatigable energy and per-
severance contributed much to the progress
and material advancement of the community
in which he resided.
He was born in the village of Gross-Wal-
stadt, in the kingdom of Bavaria, Germany,
on March 2d, 1839, and was a son of John and
Clara (Stahl) Bppig, his father, John Eppig,
being a native of the same village," and the
mother a native of the town of Obernburg, the
county seat of the same county. The parents
of Leonhard Eppig were agriculturists by oc-
cupation, and were known to be consistent
Christian people.
Leonhard Eppig received the educational
advantages accorded to farmers' boys of the
village. Becoming orphaned through the loss
of his father at the early -age of twelve years,
he remained under the parental roof until his
fifteenth year, when he decided to emigrate to
America, where he hoped to find a better pros-
pect for his opportunities in life, bade adieu to
the Fatherland and sailed from Havre, France,
and after a long and tedious voyage of nearly
three months landed in New York city. Upon
his arrival he lost no time in finding an occu-
pation, and at once secured employment in the
brewing establishment of his uncle, Nicholas
Seitz, in the eastern district of Brooklyn.
Here the young German applied himself dili-
gently to learn the various details of the brew-
ing and malting trade, in which in course of
due time he made himself a proficient and
competent master of the trade, vvhich he pur-
sued for some time as a journeyman. His skill
became recognized by the leading brewers of
New York and Brooklyn, and he was later en-
gaged as a master brewer in several brewing
establishments in Brooklyn.
Mr. Eppig, in association Vi^ith Hubert
Fisher, began business on his own account,
establishing a brewery on George street, on
part of the site now occupied by the present
mammoth establishment. Here the young and
enterprising brewers continued successfully
for twelve years, when their interests were dis-
solved by mutual consent, and Mr. Eppig be-
came sole owner and proprietor of the busi-
204
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
ness. The reputation of the old firm had been
well maintained, and Mr. Eppig by his
straightforward and honorable methods in the
conduct of his business carried forward to suc-
cessful completion the nucleus which has be-
come one of the largest establishments of its
kind in Brooklyn. During his entire and suc-
cessful business career Mr. Eppig was always
progressive, and was among the first to adopt
the new and improved methods and appliances
that have done so much toward modern per-
fection in the manufacture of lager beer. Not
only was he always abreast with modern
progress in his line of enterprises, but he also
took an active interest in the material and
moral welfare of the community in which he
resided. He has done much for the improve-
ment of the neighborhood, having erected many
modern dwelling houses and business estab-
lishments, and in many other ways was in-
strumental in the advancement and betterment
of the neighborhood in which he resided. He
was a liberal contributor to church and charita-
ble enterprises, regardless of creed or sect.
At the founding of St. Leonard's Roman
Catholic Church at the corner of Hamburg
avenue and Jefiferson street, Mr. Eppig gave
substantially of his substance and time, with
the view of having erected one of the most
modern and imposing church edifices in the
eastern district of Brooklyn.
In brief, it can be said that from a poor boy
of fifteen years of age, with no capital except
his willingness to work" and his ambition to
succeed, Mr. Eppig, by his industry, thrift
and perseverance, coupled with honest purpose
and determination to succeed, made himself a
leading and useful citizen. In the social re-
lations of life he was no less favorably known.
His friends were legion, with whom the word
or promise of Leonhard Eppig was always re-
garded as synonymous with fidelity and honor.
He was a lover of amusements and society.
His association and company were eagerly
sought by many of Brooklyn's most prominent
men, and his home was often sought for its
hospitality, and was as well the pilgrimage for
prominent clergymen of the Roman Catholic
church from all parts of the country. Mr.
Eppig was a prominent member of the Glen-
more Rod and Gun Club of Brooklyn and
other organizations which had for their object
the social and moral advancement of the com-
munity. Politically he was an ardent admirer
of Samuel J. Tilden, and supported the prin-
ciples of the Democratic party. He never
sought public office, but his advice and influ-
ence was often sought in the councils of his
party, and he frequently aided others who
sought political position. He will long be re-
membered by many who valued his benefac-
tions and those who were the recipients of his
kindness and charity. At the time of his death,
which occurred April 9th, 1893, there were
many in the neighborhood who greatly missed
his liberal help and generosity. On the day
of his funeral there was a vast gathering of
friends and accjuaintances who came to offer
their last tribute of honor and love for their
departed friend and benefactor. Among those
present at the obsequies at St. Leonard's Ro-
man Catholic Qiurch were many prominent
clergymen as well as those of the laity from
all walks of life.
Mr. Eppig was married in Brooklyn, on
January 31st, 1858, to Miss Margaret
Schwindt, who was a native of New York
city, and a daughter of John Adam and Eliza-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
205
beth (Eisele) Schwindt, and to this, union
were born the following named children :
Mary A., who married Michael Brauri, of
Brooklyn ; her children are : Leonhard M. and
Seraphina Braun. John Adam, the second
child in order of birth, married Catherine
Graf, but has no issue. Henry, the second
son, 'married _Julia Weinig; her children are
* Margaret L., Regina J., John Adam, and Julia
Eppig. Leonhard F., the third son and fourth
child in order of birth, is not married. Bar-
bara J., the next child, married John Schnaup-
pauf, and her children are Margaret L., Mary
A., Barbara T., and Reginald Adam. Theresa
F., who is the sixth child in order of birth,
married Michael Schnauppauf ; her children
are Adam M., Theresa B., and Regina J.
Margaret G., the seventh child of Leonhard
and Margaret (Schwindt) Eppig, is a Sister
of Charity of the Dominican order. The next
child and youngest of this family is Regina H.,
who resides with her mother. The family are
communicants of St. Leonard's Roman Cath-
olic Church.
EDMUND THOMAS SMITH.
Edmund Thomas Smith, the subject of
this sketch, was born November 13, 1824, at
the old Adam Smith homestead at Sherre-
wogue. Smith towr.. Long Island. His father,
Nathaniel Smith, was directly descended
from the patentee Richard Smythe, the line
of descent being as followis: Richard
Smythe, patentee, Richard 2nd, Ebenezer,
Richard 3rd, Richard 4th, Nathaniel, the
father of Edmund Thomas Smith. His
mother was Sarah Floyd, a daughter of John
Floyd, who was descended from Richard
11
Woodhull, Richard Floyd and Richard
Smythe, the patentee.
Mr. Smith obtained his early education at
the Clinton Acpdemy, at East Hampton,
Long Island, and afterward attended school
in New York city. On arriving at the age
of twenty-one years he received from his
uncle, Edmund Smith, for whom he was
named, the old original homestead of the
patentee, Richard Smythe, at Nissequogue
(near where the patriarchal ancestor of the
family lies buried), together with a large
ianded estate connected with the homestead.
On obtaining possession of this property
Mr. Smith took up his residence on the old
ancestral estate and lived there till the time
of his death.
In 1845 he married Amanda Mosscrop
Mills, the daughter of William Wickham
Mills, of Smithtown, and of this union three
children were born : Wickham Mills Smith,
who died in infancy ; Minnie M., who mar-
ried Dr. Alex B. Mott ; and Du Bois Smith.
Mr. Smith was one of the most promitient
and respected men of his town ; kindly and
genial in his ways, always ready to help for-
ward anything that was for the public good ;
broad-minded, liberal, and wfliose influence
was wide and most potent for good. He
died November 25, 1895, surviving only two
years and a half his wife, who died April 13,
1893. Both are interred at Saint James
churchyard.
REV. SAMUEL PARKES CADMAN.
The Rev. Samuel Parkes Cadman, pastor
of the Central Congregational Church, of
Brooklyn, New York, was born in England,
206
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
December I8, 1864, the son of Samuel Cad-
man, a clergyman of the Methodist denomin-
ation, but now living a retired life, having
attained the age of seventy-four years.
Dr. Cadman pursued an academic course
at Richmond College, attached to London
University, froni which institution he was
graduated in i8^g. Shortly afterward he
was ordained deacon by Bishop Foss and
subsequently ordained elder by, Bishop
Hurst. His tirst pastoral charge was at
Millbrook, New "York, from which he wlas
§ent to the pastorate of a church at Yonk-
ers, New York, where he remaijied until he
received the cal' to become pastor of the
Metropolitan Temple in New York city,
where his brilliant oratory attracted large
audiences'j'and his forceful utterances, show-
ing forth the divme purpose, appealed to the
understanding of all thinking people. He
remained the pastor of this church until De-
cember, 1900, when he accepted the pastor-
ate of the Central Congregational Church of
Brooklyn, made vacant by the death of their
former pastor, the Rev. A. J. F. Behrends.
It is a strong, active and growing church,
has a membership of seventeen hundred and
seventy-six, the largest of any single church
of its denomination in the city of Brooklyn.
The first church edifice was erected on Or-
mond Place in 1853 by Mr. R. L- Crook, and
was occupied until the expiration of the
lease when, failing in the effort to raise
means for the purchase of the building, it
moved to a mission school house on Van
Buren street. Eventually the Society, aided
by Plymouth Church and the Church of the
Pilgrims, effected the purchase and reopened
the house on November 16, 1856. Prosper-
ity attended the «ociety, and from time to
time it was found necessary to enlarge the
building, and in 1872 the commodious and
handsome edifice on Hancock street, near
Franklin avenue, was erected. Dr. Cadman
at once attracted large audiences by his
earnestness, clear reasoning, logical argu-
ments and brilliant gifts of oratory, and his
work has been particularly successful
among all classes. His services are frequent-
ly in demand at the various colleges for the
purpose of delivering addresses to the stu-
dents, for which work he shows a special
inclination and aptitude.
Dr; Cadman was united in marriage to
Miss Esther L. Wooding, a daughter of
John Wooding, a merchant of England,
Their children are Fred L., Marie I. and
Esther L. Cadman.
HENRY ROSWELL HB:ATH.
Henry R. Heath, who has been for more
than a quarter of a century a well known resi-
dent of Brooklyn, New York, residing at 333
Washington avenue, that city, which hand-
some residence he purchased in 1879, is de-
scended from a family which was founded in
this country by an ancestor who came from
Nazing, England, on the ship "Lion" in 1632,
and settled near Roxbury, Massachusetts. He
numbered among his descendants many
worthy citizens of the Bay State common-
wealth, among whom were Major-General
William Heath, of Revolutionary fame, and
Roswell Heath, a prominent agriculturist of
Sandisfield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts,
who was the father of a son, Silas Heath, who
followed the business of farming and cattle
<^t^ £idhU^^7^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
209
raising; he was united in marriage to Maria
Farnham, daughter of Deacon John Farnham,
of Litchfield, Connecticut. Mrs. Heath was
active in church and ch.aritable work, and was
an amiable Christian lady of exemplary char-
acter.
Henry Roswell Heath, son of Silas and
Maria Heath, was born April i, 1845, in
Tyringham, Berkshire county, Massachusetts,
and acquired his education in the public
schools of his native state and Connecticut, at
the Hudson River Institute, and at Eastman's
Business College. In August, 1861, he en-
listed in Company A, Twentieth Regiment
Massachusetts Volunteers, which was face-
tiously called the "Massachusetts Literary
Company,"- because Oliver Wendell Holmes,
Jr., now a justice of the United States Su-
preme Court, and Charles A. Whittier, a near
relative of the great poet of that name, were
among its officers. The regiment reached
Washington on September 7, 1861, and was
assigned tO' the Second Army Corps, under
the command of General Charles R Stone, of
the Army of the Potomac. On October 21st
of the same year, the regiment took an active
part in the battle of Ball's Bluflf, where Mr.
Heath was injured and made a prisoner of
war. He was taken to Richmond, Virginia,
and confined for nearly four nionths in the
notorious "Libby" and other Confederate war
prisons, being dangerously ill during most of
his sojourn there, owing to the dreadful hard-
ships and privations which he wa's forced to
endure, as were also thousands of Union men
who were confined in Libby and Anderson-
ville prisons. February 19, 1862, he was ex-
changed and returned to Washington, but
owing to his impaired health was sent home on
a furlough granted by the army surgeon. At
the expiration of his leave of absence he re-
ported for duty, but received his discharge
from the service of the United States Army,
April 14, 1862, on account of deteriorated
health.
In the autumn of 1863 Mr. Heath com-
menced his business career in New York city,
where he engaged in the mercantile line for a
number of years, and was also a member of
the firms of William Harris & Company and
of Wheeler & Heath. In 1869 he was one of
the founders of the Bank of Saint Charles,
in Minnesota, and for many years served as a
member of its board of directors. In 1873
he was one of the founders of the Oneida
Steam Engine and Foundry Company, now
known as the Westcott Chuck Company, and
has since acted as director. In 1876 he entered
the transportation business, purchased an in-
terest in the Empire Transportation Company,
and at once commenced to enlarge the busi-
ness ; he has held various offices in the com-
pany, such as president, secretary, and direc-
tor ever since. In 1885 he was elected presi-
dent of the People's District Telegraph Com-
pany, and five years later was elected a di-
rector in the Brooklyn District Telegraph
Company. He is also interested in the manu-
facture of cotton goods, leather and iron. He
is the owner of a large amount of real estate
in Cfanford and Lakewood, New Jersey; in
Brooklyn, New York, and at the Thousand
Islands. In 1870 he purchased Nobby Island
(which is still their summer home), one of
the Thousand Islands, near Alexandria Bay,
New York, when that section was practically
unknown except to sportsmen, and in 1871
erected the first vwdern cottage built on these
210
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
islands. He also induced and encouraged a
score or more of prominent families to locate
their summer homes at this now famous sum-
mer resort. He has always been deeply inter-
ested in whatever benefits the Thousand
Islands, and it w?is largely through his in-
strumentality that the Thousand Islands se-
cured the State and International Parks,
which insures a place for the non-residents
and strangers to enjoy the privileges of island
life for all future time. He was one of the
charter members of the Thousand Island
Yacht Club, being its first treasurer, and for a
number of years he has acted as vice-president
of the Anglers' Association of the Saint Law-
rence River. In 1886 he was appointed chair-
man of the committee that erected the monu-
ment to the memory of Professor Alonzo
Flack, the founder of Claverack College and
Hudson River Institute at Claverack, New
York ; he was also chairman of the Scottish-
American Monument Committee that erected
the- great Abraham Lincoln Monument in
1893 at Edinburgh, Scotland, in honor of the
Scottish soldiers who served our country dur-
ing the Civil War, this being the first monu-
ment of Lincoln erected outside of our coun-
try. In 1896 he was also instrumental in
erecting the monument to the memory of Pro-
fessor William McAfee at Sound Beach, Con-
necticut. In 1892 he was appointed trustee
and treasurer of the Maple Grove Cemetery
Association. Mr. Heath is a member of the
Claverack Alumni Society of New York, of
which he was the first president; a member
of the Ulysses S. Grant Post, No. 327, Grand
Army of the Republic of the State of New
York, which post has the, honor 01 the appoint-
ment for conducting the Memorial Day services
each year at General Grant's Tomb in River-
side Park. He is also a member of the Long
Island Historical Society, the New England
Society of Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Young Re-
publican Club, the Congregational Club of
Brooklyn, the Thousand Island Yacht Club,
the Anglers' Association of the St. Lawrence
River, a member of the advisory board of the
Prospect Park and Maternity Hospital, a trus-
tee of the Massachusetts Society in New York,
and he also has. filled a similar position in the
Froebel Academy of Brooklyn.
On June 23, 1875, Mr. Heath married Jane
Maria Williams, eldest daughter of Hon. Aras
G. Williams, of Brooklyn, New York. The
wedding occurred at the home of her grand-
father, Abijah J. WilHams, at Utica, New
York, with whom she had always resided.
They have one son, Norman Abijah Heath,
now a member of the class of 1905, in Prince-
ton University. For over twenty years the
family have been members of the Lafayette
Avenue Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn,
where for the past ten years he has served in
the capacity of deacon and elder.
RALPH LADD CUTTER.
His- great-great-grandfather, Ammi Ruha-
mah Cutter, was a graduate of the Harvard
class of 1725, and afterward entered the min-
istry, from which he retired and entered the
army, and was a captain in one of Sir Will-
iam PeppSrell's regiments in the battle of
Louisburg in 1745. He was placed in com-
mand of the fortress after the surrender, and
died there. His son, Ammi Ruhamah Cut-
ter, great-grandfather of Mr. Cutter, was
also a graduate of Harvard, was a surgeon
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
211
in the famous Rangers commanded by Col-
onel Robert Rogers in the French and In-
dian wars, and wias physician-general in the
Revolutionary war in 1777. Ralph Cross, ot
Newburyport, Massachusetts, another great-
grandfather of Mr. Cutter, was a descend-
ant of that' Captain Cross referred to by
Motley in "The United Netherlands," in his
description of the battle between the Eng-
lish fleet and the Spanish armada. Ralph
Cross was in command of the Essex Regi-
ment of Massachusetts at the battle of Be-
. mis Heights, and the surrender of General
Burgoyne.
Ralph Ladd Cutter was born in Ports-
mouth, New Hampshire, and in 1853 re-
moved to Brooklyn, New York, taking up
his residence in the Sixth ward the follow-
ing year, where he has since resided. He
has been connected with the dry goods trade
during his entire business career. In 1856
hfe entered the house of Catlin, Leavitt &
Company, of New Yorjf, who were engaged
in jobbing dry goods to the Southern States,
leaving them in 1857 to go with A. and A.
(Amos and Abbott) Lawrence & Company,
of Boston, who had established a branch of
their great dry goods commission house in
New York. In 1874 he was admitted to an in-
terest in the business of the successors of
the Lawrences, becoming a full partner in
1878, and remaining so in the present firm of
Smith, Hogg & Co. Mr. Cutter is a director
in the Citizens' Central National Bank, and
in the German-American and German Alli-
ance Insurance Companies. He is a mem-
ber of the New York Chamber of Com-
merce, the New England Society of New
York, the New England Society of Brooklyn,
the Merchants' Club of New York, the Ham-
ilton Club of Brooklyn, and Altair Lodge,
Free and Accepted Masons. He served as
treasurer of the First Presbyterian Church
on Henry street for ten years, and is still a
member of the board of trustees.
In 1867 Mr. Cutter married Laura M.
Eliot, of Guilford, Connecticut. Six children
were born of this union, of whom three
survive. He resides at the corner, 219 Clin-
ton street, in a house originally built about
seventy years ago by Aaron Degraw, the
plot covering about one-quarter of an acre.
The house came into Mr. Cutter's posses-
sion about fifteen years ago, and has been
practically rebuilt. His country residence
is on the Great Soilth Bay at Westhampton
Beach.
ALBERT B. CHANDLER.
Albert Brown Chandler, who is conspicu-
ously identified w;iLh industrial and financial
affairs in the national metropolis, is a native
of Orange county, Vermont, having been
born near the village of West Randolph, on
the 20th of August, 1840.
He is the youngest of the thirteen chil-
dren of William Brown Chandler, who rep-
resented distinguished New England ances-
try, tracing his descent in direct line from
William Chandler, who emigrated to Amer-
ica from England in 1637, settling in Rox-
bury, Massachusetts. Through his three
sons, William, Thomas and John, came the
three New England branches of the family,
in which were found a number of men of
distinction during the colonial epoch, while
m later generations the honors of the name
21^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
have been eminently upheld by me» prom-
inent in civil, naval, military and public
service of the country, among the number
being Brigadier-General John Chandler,
long representing the state of Maine in the
United States Senate; Rear Admiral Ralph
Chandler, of the United States Navy; Seth
C. Chandler, the distinguished astronomer ;
William E. Chandler, United States Senator
from New Hampshire, and Secretary of the
Navy; and Zachariah Chandler, United
States Senator from the state of Michigan.
In a collateral line Mr. Chandler is also a
descendant of John Winthrop, the first gov-
ernor of the Massachusetts colony, and the
relationship continues to the second John
Winthrop, the founder -of New London, Con-
necticut, and the first governor of that col-
ony. William Brown Chandler was descend-
ed from John, the third son of William
Chandler, the original American progenitor.
Of William Brown Chandler another writer
has spoken as follows : "He was esteemed
as a man of high principle and Christian
character, showji in many ways during his
long life of nearly ninety years." The maid-
en name of his wife was Electa Owen, who
''was respected for her rare intellectual en-
dowments and ioved for her amiable and
womanly traits of character." These parents
were natives of Connecticut and New
Hampshire, respectively, but they passed
their entire lives alter marriage in their Ver-
mont home, having reared to maturity eight
sons and four daughters, of whom two of
the former and one of the latter are living at
the present time.
The youngest of the family, Albert B.
Chandler, received his preliminary educa-
tional discipline in t^he common schools and
academy of his native town, and in his youth
devoted his attention for a time to the trade
of printer, working as a compositor in print-
ing oflfices in Randolph and Montpelier dur-
ing his school vacations. Finally, howicver,
his efforts were directed along that line
which eventually led him to a position of
high relative distinction in connection with
affairs of wide scope and importance. He
began to learn the art of telegraphy in the
office of the Vermont and Boston Telegraph
Company at Randolph, this having been one'
of the first companies organized to make
practical use of the great invention of Pro-
fessor Morse. In the summer of 1858 he
went to Cleveland, Ohio, and from that time
until the present his career has been. identi-
fied with' the great telegraph interests of the
country. In October of the year mentioned
he was appointed manager of the office of
the Western Union Telegraph Company at
Bellaire, Ohio, and in February of the fol-
lowing year was advanced to a position in
the office of the superintendent of the Cleve-
land & Pittsburg Railwlay, in the city of
Pittsburg.
On the 1st of June, 1863, Mr. Chandler en-
tered the United States military telegraph
service as cipher operator in the war depart-
ment in the federal capital, and in October
of that year, while continuing his duties in
the capacity noted, he was appointed dis-
bursing clerk for General Thomas T. Eck-
ert, superintendent of the United States mili-
tary telegraph, department of the Potomac.
In these positions it was his good fortune
to become personally accjuainted with Pres-
ident Lincoln, Secretary Stanton and many
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
213
other prominent government officials, both
civil and military.
In August, 1866, Mr. Chandler removed
to New York city to accept the position of
chief clerk in the office of the general super-
intendent of the eastern division of the
Western Union Telegraph Company, and he
was also placed in charge of the trans-At-
lantic cable traffic, which had been estab-
lished only a short time previously. He was
appointed a district superintendent of the
Western Union Company in 1869, continu-
ing until January, 1875, when he was ap-
pointed assistant general manager of the At-
lantic & Pacific Telegraph Company, of
which he later became successively secre-
tary, treasurer, director, vice-president and
president. He was thus the chief executive
of the company during the last three years
of its existence, and until it wa$ merged in
the Western Union Company in 1882. He
was subsequentlv made president of the Ful-
ler Electrical Company, which was among
the first to develop the system of arc-light-
ing. In 1884 he became counsel for the Pos-
tal Telegraph Company, of which he later
became receiver. Upon the reorganization
of the company m 1886 Mr. Chandler was
elected its president, and he was also ap-
pointed general manager of the United Lines
Telegraph Company, whose interests later
became merged in those of the Postal Com-
pany. He was president of the Postal Tele-
graph Cable Company for fifteen years after
its re-organization, which, under his able
control and m.anagement, expanded vastly in
extent and importance, now practically di-
viding with the Western~TJnion the great
bulk of the wonderful telegraph business of
the country. He is a member of the board
of directors and a vice-president of the Com-
mercial Cable Company; a member of the
directorate of the Pacific Postal Telegraph
Company, the Brooklyn District Telegraph
Company; the National Surety Company;
the Federal Safe Deposit Company, and is
also a director, vice-president and general
manager of the New York Quotation Com-
pany, which, chiefly through his efforts,
came into control of the New York Stock
Exchange in 1890, and which is employed
by that institution for the distribution of its
quotations among its members. It has been
well said that "to his wisdom and sound
judgment in conducting negotiations with
rival, connecting and other companies and
business establishments, the public largely
owes the cheapness as well as efficiency of
the telegraph service in America, which has
reached a development far more than real-
izing the most sanguine anticipations of Pro-
fessor Morse and the pioneers of the tele-
graph."
"After forty-four years of continuous active
service Mr. Chandler felt that a release from
his heavy responsibilities was reasonable and
right, and he therefore tendered his resigna-
tion of the position of president of the Pos-
tal Telegraph Cable Company, giving as his
reason his need of rest, and also carrying
out the view he had long entertained and
often expressed, that when a man has
achieved a reasonable, even though moder-
ate, success, and has reached the age of three
score years, the comparatively brief remain-
der of his life should be occupied with other
pursuits than the constant care of burden-
some business. And, having cultivated
2l4
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
other agreeable and useful employments
during his active business life, he wag quite
ready and anxious to act upon this view of
his duty and privilege. But, while accepting
his resignation as president, he was made
chairman of the board of directors, which po-
sition he now holds. While relieved of the-
burden of all details and much of his pre-
vious responsibility, he is still the wise coun-
sellor to whom many matters of importance
are referred."
Mr. Chandler was chairman of the com-
mittee which had in charge the erection of
the magnificent building of the Pbstal Tele-
graph Company in Broadway, New York,
and the site of the structure w;as selected and
secured by him. la 1897-98-99 he was presi-
dent of the Sprague Electric Company, ex-
tensive manufacturers of electrical machin-
ery, .motors, railway controlling apparatus
and elevators. I'he elevator branch of this
company's business was transferred to the
Otis Elevator Company in 1898, mainly
through Mr. Chandler's efforts, and he then-
became and has ever since been a member
of the board of directors of the Otis Com-
pany.
In thus noting in brief the varied and im-
portant interests which have felt the influ-
ence and controlling hand of Mr. Chandler,
it becomes evident that he is a man of great
business and administrative capacity, and his
powers of concentration and facility in the
directing of innumerable details are almost
phenomenal, since he at all times seems
equal to meeting all contingencies, and to
handling an amount of business which would
be supposed naturally to demand the inter-
position of three or more able executives.
He has been most conspicuously identified
with the history of thie electric telegraph in
America and in the development of electrical
industries which have proved of inestimable
value, and his name will ever have prestige
in this connection. Another review of his
career speaks as follows : "Mr. Chandler has
been particularly fortunate in his personal
acquaintance with Professors Morse, Varley,
Lord Kelvin, Edison, Bell, Sprague, and
many others of the famous inventors of tele-
graphic and electric appliances, and also
with nearly all the prominent pioneers, cap-
italists and business managers who have
brought these inventions into usefulness.
He is a man of remarkable" executive ability,
of high intelligence, and of fine spirit, cour-
teous, unostentatious, simple in his tastes,
a lover of literature and music, a thorough
and distinctive gentleman."
Mr. Chandler has a fine residence in the
city of Brooklyn, and his love for his old
home and birthplace has never abated in the
midst of the thronging cares and responsi-
bilities of an exceptionally pctive and exact-
ing business life, and in Randolph, Vermont,
he has a most attractive summer home,
while his public spirit and his interests in
the town are shown in many beneficent
ways. In politics he gives his allegiance to
the Republican party, and that he maintains
a close identification with his native state is
shown in the fact that he served as aide-de-
camp, with the rank of colonel, on the stafifs
of both Governor Woodbury and Governor
Grout, of Vermont, and also served as pres-
ident of the Brooklyn Society of Vermonters
for two terms, declining further re-election.
HISTORY OK LONG ISLAND.
215
He is now president of the Magnetic Club in
New York city.
On the nth of October, 1864, Mr. Chand-
ler was united in marriage to Miss Marilla
Eunice Stedman, of Randolph, Vermont, and
they became the parents of three children,
namely: Florence, who died in childhood;
Albert Eckert; and Willis Derwin. The
sons are established in desirable business re-
lations in New York, and give promise of
future usefulness
JAMES EDWARD DEAN.
James Edward Dean, well known and popu-
lar in social and club circles of Brooklyn, and
of equally wide and favorable acquaintance in
business circles of Manhattan, was born in
Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1841. His parents
were James and Sarah D. (Chase) Dean.
After acquiring his education in the public
schools he entered the field of commerce as an
employe in the house of Reed, Chadwick &
Dexter, of Boston, and his faithfulness and ca-
pability led to his retention in that service for
several years. In 1864 he went to New York
with Edward E. Poor, when that gentleman
began business in Manhattan, and, when the
latter became a member of the firm of Denny,
Jones & Poor, Mr. Dean went with him to the
new4iouse and there remained until the forma-
-tion of the firm of Denny, Poor & Co. after the
death of Mr. Jones, with Mr. Dean later as a
partner, and he remained active in the manage-
ment of the house until his retirement from
business in 1895. He was also a vice-president
of the Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn, and
a director of the Passaic Print Works, and his
business ability found expression in the ex-
pansion of the house with which he was so
long connected and which owed an era of pros-
perity in large measure to him. He enlisted
at twenty-four years of age as a private in the
Forty-fourth Regiment A^assachusetts Volun-
teers, in the Civil war, serving about a year,
latterly on the stafif of General Stackpole.
In 1867 Mr. Dean was married to Miss Isa-
bel L. Sanderson, who survives him, together
with their two daughters, Mrs. Alfred H.
Porter and Mrs. Mabel D. Kalbfleisch. He
was very fond of his home and devoted to the
welfare of his wife and children. Of rather
retiring disposition, his circle of friends was
select rather than large, and yet he was a pop-
ular member oi the Hamilton, Oxford, Brook-
lyn and Players' Chibs, and the Merchants'
216
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Club of New York. He greatly enjoyed a
good story and delighted in telling one, and
possessed a most kindly and genial disposition
that won him the good will and friendship of
many with whom he came in contact — a feeling
which often developed into the stronger ties
of friendship. At one time he was somewhat
active in the political affairs of the borough,
and he always took a public-spirited interest
in whatever pertained to general progress and
substantial improvement. He was a very
charitable man in a quiet, unostentatious way.
He was a vestryman in Dr. Baker's Episcopal
Church, Church of, the Messiah, Brooklyn, N.
Y., vestryman at one time, and until ill health
prevented was an active worker in the church.
His death occurred January 22, 1904.
WILLIAM HENRY WILLIAMS, M. D.
In the death of Dr. William H. Williams,
of Brooklyn, New York, the medical profes-
sion was deprived of one of its old and most
distinguished physicians. For more than half
a century h^njftas an active practitioner of the
city, and an associate of the leading men of
his profession throughout the country. He
was born in Clinton, Middlesex county, Con-
necticut, January 9, 1822, of an old English
line, on the homestead which came to the
family by direct grant in the early history of
our country.
During his early life he acquired a thor-
ough and practical education in the public
schools of his native town, and subsequently
pursued a course of study in medicine at the
Yale Medical School in New Haven, Connecti-
cut, from which institution he was graduated
m the class of 1847, ^^ being then in the
twenty-sixth year of his age. , In March, 1847,
Dr. Williams established an office for the ac-
tive practice of his chosen calling in Brook-
lyn, New York, and his skill and ability as a
physician, combined with his earnestness and
devotion to the v/elfare of his patients, soon
gained for him a large patronage and he be-
came well known throughout an extended area
in South Brooklyn, including what were at.
that time the villages of Gowanus, Bay Ridge
and New Utrecht, but it was not until after
the outbreak of yellow fever in the year 1856,
that his ability was publicly recognized. The
skill, promptness and courage with which he
met this terrible crisis won general confidence
and placed him among the leading members of
the medical profession in the city. He con-
tinued throughout his career to be a general
practitioner of high standing, was a represen-
tative type of the old school, and by the exer-
cise of his many noble characteristics inspired
confidence in not only , his patients, but all
those who came in contact with him and es-
pecially his fellow members in the medical
profession, among whom he had many close
personal friends, the principal ones having
been the late Dr. McClellan and the late Dr.
Squibb of Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Wil-
liams continued in active practice up to a
few years prior to his death, but even in those
latter years there was a small circle of his old
patients who still had such confidence in his
judgment that they sought his practical medi-
cal advice, and thus it may be stated that he
actually practiced in his profession until his
final confinement to his room. He was a per-
manent member of the American Medical As-
sociation, an original member of the New
York State Medical Association and one of the
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
217
founders of the Kings County Medical Asso-
ciation.
Dr. Williams possessed a genial disposi-
tion and polished bearing, accompanied with
a modest and possibly a too retiring manner;
his actions always bespoke dignity, and he
inspired all with whom he came in contact
with his integrity and sincerity. His devo-
tion to his profession in all its details was deep
and lasting, and his high ideal of morality and
straightforwardness placed him in a prominent
position in the religiotts circle in which hfi
moved. He was repeatedly consulted on mor-
al and ^thical questions, especially in his lat-
ter years, and his pastor often expressed his
sincere gratification in having been free to
consult and advise with him on many ethical
points.
Dr. Williams was iinited in marriage, in
1877, to Susanna T. Foote, daughter of Dr.
Anson Foote of Guilford, New Haven county,
Connecticut, who survives him; Dr. Wil-
liams died at his residence, 207 Seventeenth
street, Brooklyn, New 'York, January 3, 1902,
at die age of seventy-nine years. The sin-
cere regard and warm attachment which his
friends and patients entertained for him was
impressively demonstrated at his funeral ser-
vices, which were held at his late residence on
Monday evening, January 6, 1902, when a
large gathering of mourners in all stations of
life assembled to do honor to and pay their
last respects to his memory.
HON. JOSEPH CLIFFORD HENDRIX.
Hon. Joseph Clifford Hendrix, whose ability
rendered him a natural leader of men and a
molder of public thought and action and yet
whose natural reserve prompted him to live a
personal seclusion so that not the man but his
work was known in Brooklyn, nevertheless
left behind a monument to his active and use-
ful career in an improved postoffice service
and an educational system such as Brooklyn
had not hitherto enjoyed and the effects of
which are most beneficially felt.
■• In the veins of his more remote ancestry
flowed the blood of the Scotch and the Dutch
races, and at an early epoch in American his-
tory the family was established in the new
world, where the name has since figured prom-
inently in the church and in connection with
educational progress. His father, Adam Hen-
drix, was a divine of the' Methodist church
connected for many years with the ministry
of Missouri, and alsO' prominent in financial
circles there, while his brother, Eugene Rus-
sell Hendrix, is a bishop of the Methodist
church South of the same state.
A strong intellectuality and his natural en-
dowments were quickened by the mental proc-
esses of superior educational training. He
was born in Fayette, Missouri, May 25, 1853,
and received academic instruction in Central
College, a classical institution of his native
city, while his early business training was re-
ceived along banking lines under the direc-
tion of his father. Desirous of enjoying fur-
ther educational privileges, however, he en-
tered Cornell University at Ithaca, New York,
spending three years as a student in that in-
stitution and afterward becoming one of its
life trustees. Following his graduation he
entered the field of journalism in New York
city on the reportorial staff of the New York
Sun. He wielded a facile pen, and his ability
won him much editorial license and gained
218
HISTORY OF. LONG ISLAND.
him various promotions in connection with
that paper. He was in charge of these inter-
ests in Brooklyn when called to public life in
1882 by appointment as a member of the board
of education.
For a number of years Mr. Hendrix con-
tinued in active connection with the manage-
ment of the public-school system of Brooklyn
and his labors were of a most beneficfal anc^
practical character. He was both an idealist
and an opportunist, an idealist in his ends, an
opportunist in his methods. His ambition was
to leave the schools better than he found them,
and while he worked toward the highest and
best in the system of public instruction he had
the rare judgment and business discrimination
that enabled him to use the means at hand to-
v/ard this end. His efforts stood the practical
test and to-day there are in the educational
system of Brooklyn many evidences of his
efficient labor, mcluding the free book system,
the plan of isolated classrooms, the training
of teachers, the development of secondary edu-
cation, of which he was a most practical ad-
voc"te, securing more than a half million dol-
lars' appropriation for its advancement, the
elevation of the standard of the examinations,
for' better salaries graduated by years of ex-
perience, the assignment of experienced teach-
ers to the lower primary grades and a most ef-
fective method of getting rid of poor teachers.
During his incumbency as president of the
board of education Brooklyn's school system
enjoyed an era of progressiveness that has
resvilted in an increase of efficiency. ' He had
remarkable insight into the tasks of teachers,
their possibilities and obstacles, and his sym-
pathy with them took the practical form of
efficient aid. He lectured twice before the
Teachers' Association and in public addresses
on several occasions displayed natural famil-
iarity with the details of class work as well as
of administration.
The year following Mr. Hendrix's appoint-
ment to a position on the school board he was
nominated by the Democracy of Brooklyn for
the position of mayor, and as the opposing
candidate of Seth Low was defeated by only
eighteen hundred votes, although the normal
Republican majority was much greater. For
a number of years, however, he continued in
the service of the borough, being appointed a
trustee of the New York and Brooklyn bridge
and for a short time acting as secretary of the
board. In 1886 he was appointed by President
Cleveland to the position of postmaster of
Brooklyn, and rendered such signal and ef-
fective service in revolutionizing methods and
improving the mail department of the city that
Postmaster General James, although a repre-
sentative of the opposing political party, said
of him, ■■'He is the ideal postmaster of the
present day." His incumbency covered four
years. He was again called to active public
service by election to Congress. His retire-
ment from public life deprived Brooklyn of
one of its ablest and most representative men,
a man of high ideals in citizenship, of lofty
principles and of unquestioned devotion to the
general good.
In financial circles Joseph Hendrix again
won for himself a position of prominence that
linked his name with the leaders of many in-
terests of the American metropolis. He be-
came a director in several financial institutions
of Brooklyn, was one of the organizers of a
trust company of this borough and became
president of the Kings County Trust Com-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
221
pany, a flourishing institution with capital and
surplus amounting to eight hundred thousand
dollars. He was also president of the Banl<
of Commerce in Manhattan, and at the time
of his death figured as one of the leading finan-
ciers of the country, his elevation to high po-
sitions coming in direct recognition of his su-
perior business attainments and ability.
Moreover, Joseph C. Hendrix was a scholar,
the studious habits of his college days going
with him through life and he kept abreast
with the best thinking men of the age, giving
earnest consideration tO' the -great financial,
social and moral problems which affect the
welfare of mankind and leave their impress
upon the history of the world. He was a
ready writer, presenting every subject with a
clearness and force that was evidenc of an
honest conviction and thorough mastery of his
subject. He possessed a mind of natural re-
finement, great breadth and keen insight, and
he preferred the pleasures of companionship
with the master minds of his library rather
than active participation in the social or public
life of the borough. • Like most men who
walked through life on a higher plane his
companionship was select rather than large,
and yet he had full recognition of the social
obligations and duties of citizenship, nor was
he ever amiss in his discharge thereof. He de-
served to be ranked with the learned men
of Brooklyn and enjoyed theil: full respect
and regard, yet a constitutional reserve was
manifest in a modesty of thought and de-
meanor that prevented him from placing
himself in the class accorded him by others.
He died November 9, 1904, and it was said
that " Brooklyn has lost in him a citizen
of integrity, a scholar of knowledge, dignity.
research and refinement, a speaker of candor,
force, sincerity and power. Few men in
Brooklyn equalled in ability and none ex-
ceeded him in independence of thought and
action. Nothing can be said of him with
truth that does not recognize his power, his in-
tegrity, his self-respect, his learning and his
public spirit. Journalists, financiers, scholars
and statesmen of the various rank recognize
his high qualities, respect his reserve, were
aided by his counsel and came to regard him
not only with confidence but with a warm per-
sonal regard."
CHARLES ALBERT HOYT.
The death of Charles Albert Hoyt, which
occurred at the residence of his son in Pasa-
dena, California, April 18, 1903, removed
from the borough of Brooklyn, New York,
one of its foremost citizens, a man who lent
his influence freely to those objects which
naturally appeal to those who possess the
advantages conferred by education and for-
tune. The success he attained in life was
due entirely to his industry and integrity,
and his career was a living illustration of
w'hat ability, energy and force of character
can accomplish.
He was born in Burlington, Vermont,
July 27, 1839, a son of the Rev. William H.
and Anne (Deming) Hoyt, the former-
named having beeft rector of the Episcopal
Church at St. Albans, Vermont, 1838-46, and
larter a Catholic priest in New York city.
On the paternal side his descent is traced
from John Ho3't, one of the earliest settlers
of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts
(1638). Some of his ancestors distinguished
222
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
themselves in Revolutionary days. A branch
of the family found a foothold among the
hills of Nev/ Hampshire, where General
Daniel Hoyt, an active and prominent mem-
ber of the Anti-Slavery Society, and an inti-
mate friend of William Lloyd Garrison, was
on several occasions the "Free Soil" or "Lib-
erty'' candidate for governor of that great
commonwealth. He was elected to the state
legislature to represent his native town.no
less than fifteen times, and was elected sev-
eral times to the state senate and the gov-
ernor's council. On the maternal side he
traces his ancestry to John Deming, one of
the first settlers of Weathersfield, Connecti-
cut (1635), and one of the patentees of the
Connecticut charter granted by Charles II.
in 1662. His great-grandfather. Captain
Pownal Deming, was an officer in the Con-
tinental army from April, 1775, to June, 1783.
John -Fay, who was killed at the battle of
Bennington, August 16, 1777, was also his
great-grandfather, and he was a lineal de-
scendant of Edw;arcl Fuller, a passenger on
the "Mayflower" I'n 1620.
Charles A. Hoyt acquired a thorough
knowledge of the elementary branches of ed-
ucation at the academies in Burlington and
St. Albans, Vermont. He entered the Uni-
versity oi Vermont as a sophomore in Jan-
uary, 1856, and was graduated therefrom two
and a half years later. He also attended
Georgetown (D. C.) College, and from both
these institutions received the degree of
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts. For
about a year following his graduation he
read law; with Judge Asa O. Aldis, a gradu-
ate of the University of Vermont, 1829, and
later privately in New York city. He as-
sisted his father in newspaper work in Bur-
lington, Vermont, and in 1857 came to New
York. Early in the sixties he engaged in
the rubber trade as an employee of the firm
of Poppenhusen & Konig, which controlled
the Goodyear hard rubber patents. About
the year 1873 he acquired a partnership in
the business, and later occupied the posi-
tions of treasurer of the India Rubber Comb
Company, and trustee of the American Hard
Rubber Company of New York.
Mr. Hoyt became a resident of Brooklyn
in 1867, locating in the first ward, at 15
Pierrepont street, where his widow now re-
sides. He was a man of high character and
generous impulses, and those intimately ac-
quainted with him could not fail to recognize
his scholarly spirit and the fine enthusiasm
which gave color to his thinking and his
projects. He presented to the University of
Vermont the portrait of Ira Allen, which
adorns the central hall of the Billings Li-
brary, and other tokens of his unfailing in-
terest in his. Alma Mater were his gifts of
rare volumes which he sent from time to
time. He was a prominent and honored
member of the Society of Cincinnati, Union
League Club of New York City, New York
Chamber of Commerce, New York Press
Club, of which he was a life member, Hamil-
ton Club of Brooklyn, Society of Mayflower
Descendants, Order of Founders and Patri-
ots, Sons of the American Revolution, Long
Island Historical Society, and the Mer-
chants' Club Round Table of New York,
wiliich is composed of the" leading dry goods
men of New Yor'-. He was one of the found-
ers and a director of the Gefrman-American
Insurance Company and a trustee, in the
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
223
Brooklyn Homeopathic Hospital, and the
Brooklyn Savings Bank. His personal qual-
ities were those which mark ' the cultured
gentleman, and he enjoyed the confidence
and esteem of all with whom he wlas asso-
ciated, whether m social affairs or business
concerns.
Mr. Hoyt married, October 14, 1862, Miss
Julia H. Sherman, of Hanover, New Hamp-
shire, who, with a son living at Pasadena,
California, survives him. Mrs. Hoyt traces
her ancestry to the Pilgrim fathers.
■Mr. Hoyt was m failing health for several
years prior to his death, April 18, 1903. He
spent his winters in California, and his sum-
mers in Burlington, Vermont, and in New
Hampshire. The funeral services wtere con-
ducted in St. Mary's Cathedral, Burlington,
Vermont. The requiem mass was sung by the ,
Rt. Rev. Mgr. Cloarec, V. G., and those in
the sanctuary besides the celebrant were the
Rt. Rev. J. S. Michaud, the Rev. P. J. Bar-
rett and the Rev. C. C. Delany. The funeral
oration was pronounced by the Rev. P. J.
Barrett, who, referring to the death of Laz-
arus and the sorrow of the Divine Saviour
on that occasion, took for his text, "Behold
How He Loved Him." The reverend speak-
er said, among other things:
"That the life of the deceased was an im-
pressive example of how a successful career
is not incompatible with a thoroughly virtu-
ous and religious life, a rare flower in the gar-
den of life, a priceless jewel in the crown of
humanity, a hidden gem in the restless ocean
of the business world. He recalled some of
the instances of the deeds of charity so re-
markably characteristic of the deceased, who
loved to have the right hand unaware of that
which the left hatid gave, and who seeming-
ly preferred to glittering monuments raised
by the hands of men as marking his good
deeds, to have them written on the eternal
pages of the book of life. He drew a beautiful
parallel between the relatives and friends of
the departed, and those who held Lazarus so
dear to them, among whose mourners there
was found no less a personage than the
eternal Son of God, Our Redeemer, who
wept over his friend's remains. In the pres-
ent instance, however, our tears of sorrow
are not unmixed with pearls of consolation,
for we know!, as all those who were acquaint-
ed with Charles A. Hoyt were bound to rec-
ognize that he was a man of sterling charac-
ter, an upright Christian, and a practical and
stanch son of the Catholic church, and we
feel certain that his numberless good deeds
and his rare virtues have been crow,ined by
the Heavenly Father with that reward meted
out to the 'goo'd and faithful servant.' But
as eveii angels are not found without blem-
ish in the sight of the infinite purity of the
Eternal, we shall still remember the soul of
this departed good man in our prayers and
supplications to the Most High, and say
again and again, 'Eternal rest give unto him,
O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon
him.' "
The floral offerings were beautiful and
profuse. Interment was ma'de in the family
plot in St. Joseph's cemetery, J. Warren
Roberts being in charge of the arraiige-
ments. When the news of Mr. Hoyt's death
reached Brooklyn, the flags on several of the
business blocks were hung at half-mast, also
on the Long Island Historical building, the
Hamilton Club and the Brooklyn Savings
Bank.
224
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
GEORGE H. ROBERTS.
George H. Roberts, postmaster of Brooklyn,
is a native of the state of New York, born
in Rochester, in 1852. When he was ten
years of age his parents removed to St. Louis,
Missouri, where he continued his elementary
studies, which had been begun in his native
city. He came to Brooklyn when fourteen
years old, and entered the Polytechnic Insti-
tute, and subsequently spent a year in study
in Dresden, Germany. In 1873, the year in
which he attained his majority, he returned
to Brooklyn, and took employment with Rob-
erts & Collins, flour merchants of New York.
Some years later he succeeded his namesake
uncle, George H. Roberts, as a member of the
firm, and also became a member of the New
York Produce Exchange.
A Republican in politics, Mr. Roberts has
long been active in support of the principles
and policies of his party, and occupied a posi-
tion of acknowledged leadership in its coun-
cils, in both state and nation. He was a dele-
gate to the Republican national convention in
St. Louis, giving support with all the earnest-
ness of his nature to the candidacy of Major
William McKinley, and he also sat in the
convention in Philadelphia, where he labored
for the renomination of the same eminent
statesman, for whom he had ever cherished
sentiments of particular respect and confi-
dence, regarding him as a man of singular
purity of character and far more than ordinary
ability in the field of national legislation and
diplomacy. The value of Mr. Roberts' ser-
vices in the work of organization and cam-
paign management found recognition in his
appointment to the chairmanship of the Re-
publican city committee of Greater New York,
a position in which he acquitted himself with
conspicuous usefulness, and from which he
gracefully retired by resignation when he en-
tered upon his duties as postmaster. His ap-
pointment to the last-named office was under
circumstances which Mr. Roberts may justly
view v/ith pride so long as he may live. Not
only a political supporter of Major McKin-
ley, but upon close terms of personal friend-
ship with him, Mr. Roberts was near the per-
son of the distinguished man on that fateful
day, September 6, 1901, having gone to Buf-
falo for the purpose of paying his respects. It
was upon that occasion, and only a short time
before he was prostrated by the bullet of the
assassin, that President McKinley for the last
time expressed his intention to appoint Mr.
Roberts to the Brooklyn postmastership, not
only in recognition of his services to the party
with which both were prominently connected,
but out of considerations of genuine personal
regard. Major McKinley did not live to carry
his intention into effect, but his distinguished
successor, President Roosevelt, with loyal re-
gard to the wish of the deceased president,
made the appointment of Mr. Roberts one of
his first executive acts, and the senate prompt-
ly confirmed the same, in December, 1901. A
thoroughly equipped man of affairs, and gov-
erned by a healthy sentimental regard for the
city with which he has been identified during
his entire business career, Mr. Roberts has ac-
quitted himself with unsurpassable ability, and
has the satisfaction of knowing that he enjoys
the appreciative regard of the business and
social community as well as of the postoffice
department for his accomplishments in the im-
provement of the local mail service in all its
various departments.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
225
Mr. Roberts is a charter member of the old
FrankHn Literary Society, and is prominently
identified with the Union League Club and the
Marme and Field Club, and is a trustee of
Emanuel Baptist church. He was married in
1878 and has two children — a son, who is a
sophomore at Yale College, and a daughter,
who is a graduate of Vassar College.
CAPTAIN WILLIAM J. HERRING.
Captain William J. Herring was a lifelong
resident of Brooklyn, and at the time of his
death was the senior officer in the United
States revenue service. His life history if
written in detail would be a story in many re-
spects more wonderful than fiction ; for he had
some most interesting experiences in his long
naval career, facing at times great peril as he
unfalteringly and unflinchingly performed his
duty as a defender of his country. Patriotic
and sincere in his love for the stars and stripes,
he fought for the old flag and the cause it
represented in the Civil war, and then entered
the revenue service with which he was 'con-
nected until his death. Throughout these
years he maintained his residence in Brooklyn,
where he left many warm friends to mourn
his loss.
Captain Herring was born in Brooklyn, and
when his education, of a more specifically Ht-
erary character, had been acquired in the pub-
lic schools, he entered the Annapolis Naval
Academy, from which he graduated. Soon
afterward, attracted by the discovery of gold •
in California, he went to the mining districts
on the Pacific coast, and faced the experiences
Vifhich constitute one of the most interesting
chapters of our American history — the settle-
ment di the great west and the acquirement of
its riches for the uses of civilization. With
the outbreak of the Civil war, however, Cap-
tain Herring put aside business cares and per-
sonal ambitions in order to aid' in the preserva-
tion of the Union, and enlisted in the navy,
being assigned to duty with the southern
blockading squadron. When the war ended
he entered the government revenue service,
with which he was connected up to the time
of his death, and when he passed away was
the senior oiScer in that governmental de-
partment. Promotion had come to him
through successive stages in recognition of
his fidelity and capability, and he enjoyed the
unqualified regard of all whO' y^^ere in any
degree familiar with his record as a govern-
ment official and as a private citizen. He was
stationed for many years on the Pacific coast,
and during 1900, while cruising off Alaska, he
rescued one hundred and eighty Klondike
milkers who had taken refuge on an island,
their vessel having proved unseaworthy. He
was also one of the Greeley relief party, serv-
ing as first lieutenant on the Bear. His ex-
perience as a naval officer were of a varied
character and brought to him an intimate
knowledge of the coast sections of America.
During the last years of his service he was
stationed at the barge office in New York,
and was at his post in the revenue department
on Wednesday preceding his death, which oc-
curred on the. 13th of October, 1902. There
was thus no long period of inactivity to fol-
low a useful and honorable career, his labors
in behalf of his country, which he had served
so long and well, being continued almost to
the very end.
In early manhood Captain Herring was
226
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
united in marriage to^ Miss Catherine Rupp,
and to them were born two daughters, Lillie
B. and Addie, who with the mother survive.
The Captain was a valued member of lolanthe
Council, R. A. ; of the Knights of Honor ; and
of Grant Post No. 327, G. A. R. Strong in-
tellectuality, marked individuality, a genial,
courteous manner and an appreciative under-
standing of the worth of- others, made him
popular with a large circle of friends, with
his comrades in the revenue service and with
those who were under his direction. He died
in the Hospital of Johns Hopkins University,
at Baltimore, whither he had gone for the pur-
pose of having an operation performed upon
his eye, which had been injured by an explod-
ing shell while he was engaged in a sea fight
off Charleston in the Civil war. His remains
were brought back to Brooklyn for interment
and laid to rest with military honors, the casket
being draped with the flag under which he
had so long and faithfully served, while at the
grave the marines fired a last volley. The
term.s progress, and patriotism might be con-
sidered the keynotes of his character, for at all
times he was actuated by fidelity to his coun-
try and her welfare. He was a representative
of our best type of American manhood and his
career was an honor to the city in which he
was born and which he always made his home.
WILLIAM EDWARD WHITE.
William Edward White, for many years a
highly respected citizen of Brooklyn, New
York, identified for nearly half a century
with the commercial, religious and social in-
terests of that city, was descended from an
old Massachusetts family which traces its de-
scent through the following generations :
Thomas White (i), the founder of the
American branch of the family, came from
England early in the seventeenth century and
founded the town of Weymouth, Massachu-
setts. He was admitted as a freeman in
1635-
Joseph White (2), son of Thomas (i), was
an ancestor concerning whom no details have
reached us beyond the fact that he was the
second in order of descent from the emigrant
colonizer.
Joseph White (3), son of Joseph (2), was
evidently a man of consequence in the com-
munity, as we are told that he held the office
of selectman. These three generations of
colonial ancestors were all brave soldiers as
well as good citizens, being prominent in the
Indian and Colonial wars.
Jesse White (4), son of Joseph (3), was
active in the Revolutionary period. He was
one of the minute-men at Lexington, and later
served in the Continental army under two en-
listments, with the i-ank of sergeant. He was
chosen by the town of Northbridge, Massa-
chusetts, to secure recruits for the Revolu-
tionary, army, and later sufifered imprison-
ment at the hands of the British.
Washington White (5), son of Jesse (4),
was born in Northbridge, Massachusetts, and
was a very influential citizen, taking an ac-
tive part in politics and in all public affairs.
He filled the office of justice of the peace, and
was twice elected to the State legislature. He
married Lydia Murdock Taft, who came of
noted Rhode Island ancestry. Several of the
family, including a father and son, both of
whom bore the name of Orrin, were mayors
of the city of Providence.
William Edward White (6), son" of Wash-
Xcf ^i/T^S-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
229
ington (5) and Lydia Murdock (Taft) White,
was born March 9, 1839, in Northbridge,
Massachusetts, where he received a common
school education, afterward attending the high
school. In 1857 he came to New York and
found employment with the wholesale mil-
linery firm of Aklrich, Ahrens & Co. With
this establishment he remained for years, and
in course of time was admitted into the firm,
his faithfulness and ability thus receiving
merited • recognition. He finally rose to the
position of head of the firm, which was thence-
forth known as WilHam E. White &,Co. In
1897 1''^ retired from business.
In 1888 Mr. White became a member of
Christ Protestant Episcopal Church, in which
be served three terms as a vestryman. He
was a member of the executive committee of
the Brooklyn Association for Improving the
Condition of the Poor, and was chairman of
his ward for fifteen years. He was very lib-
eral, and always gave much time to charitable
work, but, after his retirement from business
and settlement in a permanent place of abode,
it might be said that he devoted all his leisure
to benevolent labors. He was d,cmestic in na-
ture, and the soul of hospitality.
Mr. White married, June 16, 1863, Julia L.,
daughter of Charles S. Miller, of New York,
who was a member of an old family of East-
hampton. Long Island. The will of an an-
cestor, William Miller, is recorded in the first
volume of wills in New York city. Mr. and
Mrs. White were the parents of one daughter,
who became the wife of Willis Mott Moore,
vice-president and treasurer of the Lefferts &
MoTse Company, and a member of the Seventh
Regiment, New York National Guard, to
which he has belonged for twelve years, Mrs.
Moore is a Daughter of the Revolution, and
has claims which would entitle her to admis-
sion to the Society of Colonial Dames. Mr.
White was deeply interested in everything re-
lating to the past history and present develop-
ment of the community in which he resided,
and it was this feeling, joined to literary ap-
preciation, which led him to become a member
of the Long Island Historical Society, with
which he was connected up to the time of his
death.
Mr. White's useful and beneficent career
came to an end June 6, 1902. His loss was
deeply felt and sincerely mourned by his fam-
ily, his near friends, the church with which
he had been connected, and the community
among whom he had so long lived, setting the
example of ability, honesty and success in
business, and of uprightness, benevolence and
kindliness in all the relations of life.
Governor Taft, of the Philippines, is a
cousin of Mr. White, another of whose cousins
was the Rev. Henrv Ward Beecher.
GEORGE NICHOLS.
George Nichols, whose business activity
was a stimulus in several important industrial
and financial enterprises of Brooklyn and who
was one o-f the old and highly respected resi-
dents of the eastern district, figured for nearly
fifty years in public affairs in that locality, and
his efforts in behalf of community interests
were so far-reaching and beneficial that his
death was regarded as a public bereavement in
the old town of Williamsburg.
Mr! Nichols was born in Hudson, New
York, on the 8th of February, 18 18, and his
early privileges were not superior to those
230
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
that most lads enjoy, but he reaHzed the value
and force of perseverence, diligence and keen
discrimination in the business world and by
the exercise of these qualities he won the dis-
tinction which a successful self-made man en-
joys. He was Brooklyn's pioneer manufac-
turer of gas chandeliers, conducting an estab-
lishment on Boerum street for more than six
decades, and at the time of his death he was
the only surviving member of the once promi-
nent firm of Fellows, Hoffman & Company.
As his business success made him well known
his co-operation was sought in other lines of
activity, and he became a charter member and
a director of the Dime Savings Bank of Will-
iamsburg, serving as one of its trustee from
its inception in June, 1864.
Political and fraternal interests claimed his
attention and co-operation, and for &■ long
period he was a member of the First Baptist
church of Williamsburg, taking an active part
in its work and living a life in consistent har-
mony with its teachings. His investigation
concerning political questions of the day led to
unfaltering allegiance given the Republican
party, and he became recognized as one of its
strong workers in local ranks. He also be-
longs to the Masonic fraternity and to the Odd
Fellows society.
Mr. Nichols' wife died about 1894 of apo-
plexy. There are five living daughters : Mrs.
H. F. Holden, Mrs. Jennie A. Smith, Mrs.
William Chaphn, Mrs. Abbie C. Smith and
Mrs. Otto B. Candidus. He died at his home
at No. 524 Willoughby avenue at the age of
eighty-six years, and at a special meeting of
the board of directors of the Dime Savings
Bank, of Wdliamsburg, resolutions of regret
were adopted and, having been engrossed, a
copy was sent to his daughter, Mrs. Candidus.
Hugh d. mcIntyre.
Hugh D. McIntyre, deceased, who for many
years was one of the most popular and best
kn0'\yn representatives of track interests in the
United States, was born at Prescott, Canada,
June 29, 1844. His father, a native of Scot-
land, engaged in the practice of medicine in
Prescott, but in his boyhood days Hugh D.
McIntyre became a resident of New York city,
where he learned the printer's trade, which he
followed for a number of years. His active
connection with joLirnalistic interests was
marked by steady progress and advancement,
and he ultimately became a writer in Wilkes'
Spirit of the Times. Later he went to Wash-
ington, D. C, where he entered the printing
business, but after a brief period he became
identified with the Bennings race track of
Washington, where his excellent qualifications
in connection with the management there
brought him into prominence in track circles.
Winning the attention of Philip Dwyer, he ac-
cepted the position offered by Mr. Dwyer to
become secretary of the Brooklyii track, and
for fifteen years he occupied that position,
continuing iii charge up to the time of his
death. He was a man of great popularity and
thoroughly informed himself concerning every
matter of interest in track circles. He had,
too, excellent business and executive ability,
and the success of the Brooklyn running track
was largely attributable to his efforts through
the fifteen years of his identification there-
with. He was also connected with the Aque-
duct and Saratoga,, tracks.
Mr. Mclntyre's wife survives him and lives
in Brooklyn, where their home was established
in 1886 and where he remained continuously
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
231
up to the time of his death in 1903. He was
a member of Port Green Council of the Royal
Arcanum and Jerusalem Council of the Ma-
sonic fraternity at Washington. His business
connection gained him a wide acquaintance,
and his many excellent traits of character
gained him the favorable regard of all.
PETER J. BUNGART.
Peter J. Bungart, deceased, a varnish man-
ufacturer widely known to the American
trade, and for almost a half century a resi-
dent of Brooklyn, was born in Germany, and
was a lad of ten years when brought to the
United States. He lived to the age of sixty-
one years, and spent the greater part of the
intervening years in Brooklyn, where, his edu-
cation having been completed in the public
schools, he entered business life.
Learning the trade of manufacturing var-
nish, his close application to the duties en-
trusted to him and his ready mastery of his
tasks won him consecutive promotions until
he was made superintendent of the large var-
nish factory of Mayer & Lewenstein, occupy-
ing that position for many years, or until he
resigned in order to establish and operate a
plant of his own. As proprietor of the Green-
point Varnish Works, at No. 295 Greenpoint
avenue, he became well known in business
circles in Brooklyn and to the trade of the
country, and the product of his house found a
ready sale on the market because of its excel-
lence, resulting from practical training' and
long experience in the business. In his com-
mercial career he advanced from humble
surroundings to a position of affluence, through
the exercise of those qualities of- persever-
ance, untiring energy and practical common
sense which form the basis of all business
progress.
Mr. Bungart was prominent and honored in
Masonic circles in Brooklyn, being an exem-
plary representative of the craft. He was a
past master of Star of Hope Lodge, No. 232,
F. and A. M. ; belonged to Altair Chapter,
No. 237, R. A. M. ; St. Elmo Commandery,
No. 57, K'. T., of which he was a past emi-
nent commander ; Kismet Temple of the An-
cient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic
Shrine; Brooklyn Masonic Veterans, and the
Templar Knights Commanders Association.
THOMAS STACK.
For many years a veteran shipbuilder of the
eastern district of Brooklyn, Thomas Stack
232
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
devoted his entire life to a business in which
he rose from a most humble position to one
of prominence, and as the president of the
Shipbuilders' Mutual Association, was widely
known to the representatives of that industry.
Born in Canada, his interest from earliest
boyhood centered in the shipbuilding trade, and
when a mere lad he found his greatest enjoy-
ment in visiting the large shipbuilding yards
in the St. Lawrence river. When but twelve
years of age he became a resident of New
York, and at that time entered business life
as an apprentice to the trade for which he had
manifested a special predilection. He entered
the employ of the firm of Brown & Bell on
South street in Manhattan, builders of many
of the famous clipper ships of the nineteenth
century, some of which are still in use in the
waters around New York. The close applica-
tion of the boy, his deep interest in his work
and his mechanical ingenuity won the recogni-
tion of his employers and led to his consecu-
tive and rapid advancement until he had be-
come a thorough master of his trade in a
period much less than is usually required to
master the shipbuilder's art. Ceasing to be an
employe he entered business life on his own
account by the establishment of a yard on the
shore of the East river at the end of North
Seventh street in Williamsburg. The place
was then known as Santord Beach and was a
favorite summer resort. Mr. Stack was not
only proficient in the field of his chosen labor,
but had to compete with such well known ship-
builders as John English and Samuel Free, of
Greenpoint. He soon gained a good share of
the public patronage, however, and built many
vessels of wooden construction, some of which
are still in use. Flis nephew, James D. Leary,
became an apprentice under Mr. Stack, who
eventually made him foreman and afterward
superintendent of the business. In the high
tide of his prosperity Mr. Stack inade judi-
cious investment of his capital so that in
his later years he was able to live in retirement
from business. As population increased in
Brooklyn and its outlying districts and great
productive industries of various characters
were there established, the shipbuilding trade
was gradually transferred to Maine and Mr.
Stack then retired from business, but his in-
terest in that vocation never abated, and on
many occasions after his withdrawal from ac-
tive business life he left his home to witness
the launching of some of the largest vessels
on the Atlantic coast.
At one time Mr. Stack was the president of
the Shipbuilders' Mutual Association. He
also served as chairman of the Friendly Sons
of St. Patrick and was connected with other
fraternal and social organizations, including
the famous Nassau Club. He possessed a so-
cial, genial nature that rendered him popular
among those with whom he thus came in con-
tact. Mr. Stack is survived by his widow and
three of their daughters. Mr. Stack died at
the age of eighty-two years. He had enjoyed
the warm regard of a very extensive circle of
acquaintances and had the happy faculty of
winning friendships that endured as long as
life remained.
CHARLES F. STEEL.
Qiarles F. Steel, deceased, scholar, author
and successful business man, was born in
Philadelphia, January 24, 1832, and was a rep-
resentative of one of the prominent and influ-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
233
ential families of that city. His father, Robert
Steel, was a leader in mercantile circles there
for many years, and his brother, Edward
Steel, was likewise a factor in commercial
circles and for seventeen years was actively
connected with the public schools there as
president of the board of education.
Charles F. Steel acquired his education in
the public schools of Philadelphia, and in his
youth learned the bookbinder's trade, in which
his efficiency won ready recognition and con-
secutive promotion until, before he attained
his majority, he was made superintendent of a
large concern of that character in Indianapolis,
Indiana. Later he returned to his native city
to accept the superintendency of the book-
binding establishfnent of Totten & Carpenter,
which firm then had the contract for printing
the United States postage stamps, and of this
branch of the business Mr. Steel had entire
charge. The contract was subsequently trans-
ferred to the National Bank Note Company,
and Mr. Steel entered into business relations
with that house, continuing in charge of the
stamp printing imtil 1876, so that the period in
which he had supervision over this work cov-
ered a quarter of a century. He invented
many of the improvements introduced in
stamp printing, and his system of checking,
together with various details and methods, in-
troduced by him, are still in use.
Mr. Steel became the founder of the Frank-
lin Bank Note Company, doing an extensive
business in the printing of bank paper, and he
also became a partner in the firm of Edward
T. Steel & Company, of Philadelphia, dealers
in woolen goods. At the time of his death he
was connected in business with A. M. and
W. A. White. He was one of the oldest mem-
bers of the Produce Exchange of New York,
and the extent and importance of his business
interests, connections and investments made
him well known in commercial and financial
circles in the east.
Mr. Steel had two children. He became
well known in this city, especially in literary
circles. He was a man of high scholarly
attainments, was an accomplished linguist
and found his chief source of recreation in the
study of literature and economics. Few peo-
ple outside of educational circles had a more
comprehensive and accurate knowledge of
Shakespeare, and during the Donnelly contro-
versies concerning the authorship of the plays
Mr. Steel wrote and published a volume en-
titled "Is There Any Resemblance Between
Shakespeare and Bacon?" which awakened
much favorable comm.ent. Like all who move
through life on a high plane the circle of his
friends was select rather than large, and the
graces of his cultured mind, combined with a
pleasing personality, made his friendship
greatly valued by those who knew him inti-
mately.
WALTER HYDE MACOMBER.
Walter Hyde Macomber, for thirty years a
resident of Brooklyn, where his extensive op-
erations in real estate made him known as
one of the most prominent and representative
dealers in that line in the city, was born near
Windom, New York, on the 30th of June,
1830, spendmg the days of his youth in that
locality. Among the friends of his boyhood
was Bishop Tuttle, senior bishop of the Prot-
estant Episcopal church in the United States.
About 1874 he removed to Brooklyn, where
534
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
he opened a real estate office and began deal-
ing in property, particularly in the Bedford
section of the borough. He controlled many
important real estate negotiations and trans-
actions and the sales which were consummated
through his agency annually represented a
very large investment. As his capability, ex-
ecutive force and keen discernment became
known in business circles his advice and co-
operation were sought along other lines, and
for several years prior to his demise he was
cashier of the Bankers' Life Insurance Com-
pany of Manhattan.
Mr. Macomber married a relative of Rev.
E. V/oodbridge Cook, a noted divine of Brook-
lyn. Mr. Macomber is survived by his
widow and four children, two sons and two
daughters : Lewis A., Henry W., Mabel E.,
and Anna L. The family are attendants on
the services of the Protestant Episcopal Church
of the Incarnation, of which Mr. Macomber
was communicant for thirty years, his life be-
ing in consistent harmony with his professions.
He felt a public-spirited interest in the political
questions affecting the welfare of state and
nation, and advocated the principles of na-
tional Democracy, but had no aspirations for
office, preferring to devote his energies to a
business in which he won signal success and
to the enjoyment of home life and the friend-
ship that comes through a large social ac-
quaintance.
DE WITT BERGEN.
De Witt Bergen, a director and treasurer of
the Underwood Typewriter Company, and
well and favorably known in the business cir-
cles of New York city, was born in Nauga-
tuck, Connecticut, in October, 1853, the son
of Leffert T. Bergen, who was born in Bay
Ridge, Brooklyn, New York, a member, of an
old and honored Long Island family, a full
account of their history appearing elsewhere
in this work. Mr. Bergen was prominently
identified with the commercial interests of his
town, and was an active member of the Dutch
Reformed Church, doing all in his power for
the promotion of Christian principles among
his fellow men. He married Mary Caroline
Earle, daughter of Sylvester Earle, and a de-
scendant of John D. Earle, a member of an old
English family who came here from England
in 1600. Mr. Bergen was a cousin of ex-
Surrogate Jacob I. Bergen, of Brooklyn, New
York.
De Witt Bergen pursued his education in
the Dutchess County Academy, and after com-
pleting his studies remained on the home farm
for a short period of time. For sixteen years
he occupied the position of bookkeeper and
cashier for the Passaic Zinc Company, and
later became one of the original organizers of
the Wagner Typewriter Company, acting in
the capacity of treasurer. This company has
just been consolidated with the Underwood
Typewriter Company, and Mr. Bergen has
been chosen as one of the directors and treas-
urer of the new corporation. In his business
career his ability has been constantly mani-
fested in one phase or another, showing un-
limited possibilities, nothing too great to grasp
and master, and the extensive concern with
which he is now so prominently connected
Owes not a little to his masterful power. For
the past eighteen years Mr. Bergen has been
actively connected with the Lafayette Avenue
Pr^esbyterian Church, in which he now fills the
DeWITT BERGEN
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
237
office of deacon. He is also a prominent mem-
ber of the Lafayette Avenue Church Chib, the
Montauk Ckib, and the Nassau Club.
In 1885 Mr. Bergen was united in marriage
to Miss Van Benschoten, daughter of Henry
Benschoten, of Dutchess county, New York.
She is also actively interested in the various
societies connected with the Lafayette Avenue
Presbyterian Church, of which .she is a mem-
ber.
JOHN W. MASON.
The career of John W. Mason, for sixty
years a prominent and influential resident of
the Brooklyn Heights district and one of the
oldest citizens of that borough, which was
terminated by death from paralysis at his late
home No. 138 Hicks street on March 3, 1903,
in the eighty-third year of his age, stands in
evidence of the fact that he possessed great
versatility of talent and that exactness and
thoroughness characterized all his business en-
terprises. He was born in York, England,
April 18, 1820, a son of John and Catherine
(Smart) Mason, active and consistent mem-
bers of the Society of Friends, the latter named
being a descendant of Quaker stock of Utica,
New York.
John W. Mason attended the schools of his
native country, where he acquired a prelimi-
nary education, and at the age of fourteen
years he came to this covmtry aind completed
his educational training at the Friends' school
in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1843 he lo-
cated in Brooklyn, New York, and from that
year to the time of his decease, a period of
sixty years, he resided on the same block. His
business connections comprised a membership
in the firm of Samuel Thompson's Nephews,
coal merchants, who conducted their opera-
tions in old New York for a period of time
and later removed to the foot of Columbia
Heights, near Fulton street, Brooklyn. Sub-
sequently he became a member of the firm of
Samuel Thompson's Nephews & Company,
commission merchants of New York, and he
was also actively engaged in the cordage busi-
ness on his own account. He achieved a large
degree of success in these enterprises, and in
the commercial circles of New York and
Brooklyn his name was synonymous with
strict integrity and honorable business meth-
ods. His prosperity not only benefited his
own family, but also- many others profited by
it, as he was a man of philanthropic and be-
nevolent ideas and thoroughly believed in the
scriptural proverb that "it is more blessed to
give than to receive." He was an extensive
traveler, visiting all the places of historic note
and interest in his own and adopted country,
was an ardent devotee of fishing and shoot-
ing, having been as familiar with the waters
of Florida as with the woods of Maine. He
also thoroughly enjoyed the social side of
life, and was an honored member of the Ham-
ilton Club of Brooklyn. He was a member
of Plymouth church for half a century, and
during the greater part of this time served as
an official, and he also took a keen and active
interest in every movement that pertained to
its spiritual and material growth and welfare.
Mr. Mason was united in marriage to Maria
Peckham, who bore him the following named
children: William P.; Mary T., wife of Rob-
ert F. Tilney ; and Alice M., wife of Alfred B.
Chapman. The death of Mr. Mason was
peaceful and without pain, as befitted the life
238
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND. ~
of an honorable and conscientious Christian.
He was survived by the children above men-
tioned.
CHRISTIAN FRIEDMANN.
Christian Friedmann, deceased, whose busi-
ness success demonstrated the opportunities
which x'Vmerica affords to her enterprising, in-
dustrious citizens, and who became one of the
most prominent of the German-American
residents of Brooklyn, was born in Hesse-
Darmstadt, Germany, in 1836, and in his boy-
hood days came to the United States. When
still in his minority he decided tO' become a
baker, and his advancement to prosperity is
largely attributable to the persistency of pur-
pose which he manifested in adhering to the
department of labor in which as a young
tradesman he embarked. He soon mastered
the business, and his fidelity to the interests
of his employers, combined with his capability,
won him promotion and made possible the
establishment of a business of his own at a
later date. He founded the O. K. Bakery in
New York and later was one of the founders
of what is now the John N. Shults bakery.
About 1889 he organized the firm of Qiristian
Friedmann & Sons and continued as the senior
partner of the new enterprise until his death.
His previous extended experience enabled him
to make this a paying business from its incep-
tion, and succeeding years added to his suc-
cesses.
When about twenty-seven years of age
Christian Friedmann was married, and his
widow still survives. Their three daughters
are Annie, wife of E. H. M. Roehr; Marie,
wife of W. H. Frank ; and Louise, who is liv-
ing with her mother. The sons, Henry and
Fred Friedmann, were associated with their
father in business, the latter entering the firm
after his return from the Philippine islands.
Mr. Friedmann died April 11, 1903, at the
age of sixty-seven years. He had become
prominent in German-American circles, was a
member of the Erinnerungs Verein, of New
York; Arion Society; the Boss Bakers Asso-
ciation and Copernicus Lodge, F. & A. M.,
and his many friends in these organizations,
as well as his immediate family, greatly de-
plored his death.
JOHN H. BURTIS.
In the death of John H. Burtis, who was a
prominent and influential resident of Brook-
lyn, New York, for many years, and during
the period of its jnost remarkable growth, was
ended a life of peculiar activity in the com-
mercial and social affairs of Kings county, and
one of bountiful generosity to the poor and
afflicted of all creeds and nationalities.
John H. Burtis was born in Hoosack Falls,
New York, September 5, 1832, the son of
John and Eliza Lee Burtis. He was a de-
scendant of an Albertis (the original form of
the family name), who came to this country
from Italy. His father was John Burtis, who
spent the greater part of his life in Hoosack
Falls, and later in Hunter. New York, where
he was prominently identified with the work of
the church in which he was an elder for many
years.
John H. Burtis prepared for college at the
Cambridge Academy, and graduated in 1854
from Union College of Schenectady. After his
graduation he was invited to become principal
JOHN H. BURTIS
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
241
of the Academy of Cambridge. His eyesight
failing him, he was forced to rehnquish the
expectation of pursuing a professional life,
which had been his ambition since boyhood.
In 1857 'he came to New York and became as-
sociated with the work of the American Sun-
day School Union as secretary, and during his
connection with this organization was a potent
factor in its development and growth.
In 1865 Mr. Burtis established a large iron
business in New York, which he continued for
many years. In 1867 he became a resident of
Brooklyn. In various ways he materially con-
tributed to the progress and development of
the city. In addition to his personal business
he planned and organized the Brooklyn Ele-
vated Railroad, known then as the Brooklyn
Silent-Safety Elevated Railroad, and served
as first president of the 'road. He also organ-
ized the Flatbush and Coney Island Railroad,
of which he was the first president, and inter-
ested himself in the building of the Brighton
Beach Hotel. For several years previous to
his death he was prominent in real estate busi-
ness.
Mr. Burtis was called to various high posi-
tions in which his large ability made him an
important contributor to the advancement of
the interests of the city and county. In 1875
he was elected to the State Assembly from the
Fifth District of Brooklyn, and was again
elected to that body in 1894. During the ad-
ministration of Mayor Wurster he served as
commissioner of charities. During his con-
nection with this department he instituted
many reforms, did much toward renovating
and changing the conditions of the publi:
buildings, looking to the comfort and health
of the inmates. In the penitentiary he wrought
many changes, providing the prisoners with
many comforts and seeking their moral eleva-
tion as well as their physical well being. He
was an eloquent platform orator, and his serv-
ices were in frequent demand in important
political campaigns by the Republican party,
to which he steadfastly adhered and in whose
councils he was a leading figure. He was a
delegate in several state conventions, and at
one time was vice-president of the Union
League of Brooklyn. He was a prominent
member of the Masonic fraternity, being af-
filiated with Montauk Lodge, in which he was
a past master; served as district deputy grand
master of the state of New York ; was a mem-
ber of Kismet Temple, Mystic Shrine, of the
Masonic Veterans' Association, and of the
Aurora Grata Qub, of which he was at one
time president. He was also a past regent of
Bedford Council, Royal Arcanum, and a mem-
ber of U. S. Grant Post, No. 327, G. A. R. ;
one of the original members of the Brooklyn
Riding and Driving . Club and a member of
the Twilight Club, Get-Together Ckib, Con-
gregational Club, Union College Alumni, and
of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He had been
a member of the Central Congregational
Church of Brooklyn, Rev. S. Parkes Cadman,
D. D., pastor, for sixteen years at the time of
his death.
On October 5, 1864, Mr. Burtis married
Miss Mary G. Thomson, daughter of James
B. Thomson, the author of Thomson's Mathe-
matical Works. Mrs. Burtis is a connection
of the Coffin and Gardner families of Nan-
tucket, Massachusetts, who numbered among
its members Grafton Gardner, who carried the
first American flag over the ocean on his ship.
Mrs. Burtis is a member of the Central Con-
242
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
gregational Church of Brooklyn, of which the
Rev. S. Parkes Cadman, D. D., is pastor. She
is deeply interested in the Brooklyn Orphan
Asylum, and for twelve years acted as presi-
dent of the Memorial Hospital for Women and
Children.
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs.
Burtis, three of whom are living at the present
time (1903) : John H., Jr., who is a lawyer;
Mary Louise, wife of Edgar Powell Hicks, of
Brooklyn, New York, and Grace L., a gradu-
ate of Vassar College, class of 1902.
Large delegations from the various organ-
izations of which Mr. Burtis was a member at-
tended the funeral services to pay their last
mark of respect and esteem to the inemory of
their beloved brother. Rev. S. Parkes Cadman,
D. D., pastor, officiated at the church serv-
ices, and R. W. Brother John Steward com-
mitted the body to the grave with the beauti-
ful ceremonies of the Masonic order. The re-
mains of the lamented deceased were tenderly
laid to rest in the family plot at Greenwood
Cemetery.
F. A. M. BURRELL.
The life history of F. A. M. Burrell, ex-
second vice president of the Manufacturers'
Association of New York, a native of Penn-
sylvania, born in 1858, a son of the late Rev.
'J. I. Burrell, who was pastor of St. Matthew's
English Lutheran church, illustrates what may
be accomplished by one who is the possessor
of powers of quick observation, coupled with
the ability to take advantage of an opportunity
at the right moment.
After the completion of his education, at
the age of thirteen years, he began his busi-
ness career as a telegraph operator on the
Pennsylvania Railroad. He took up his resi-
dence in Brooklyn, New York, in 1875, and
two years later entered as clerk into the em-
ploy of Charles A. Schieren & Company, one
of the leading leather houses in the United
States, engaged in the manufacture of oak
leather belting, whose office and factory are
located at 45 to 51 Ferry street, New York,
with a factory at the corner of Thirteenth
street and Third avenue, Brooklyn, New York,
and tanneries at Bristol, Tennessee. In 1887
Mr. Burrell was admitted as a partner in the
firm, which connection has continued to the
present time ( 1904) . He is a member of the
Fulton Club of New York, the Marine and
Field Club, a trustee of the Dime Savings
Bank of Brooklyn, and a member of the Flat-
bush Reformed Dutch church.
EDGAR S. HICKS.
Edgar Smith Hicks, whose business enter-
prise and capability led him into direct con-
nection with a number of the leading corpo-
rations of Brooklyn and whO' was for a num-
ber of years a wholesale importer of Manhat-
tan, possessed, in addition to his executive
force and powers for successful management,
a genial nature and true worth that made bim
popular in social circles and caused his death
to be regarded as a personal bereavement by
many of his acquaintances.
His ancestral history was one of close con-
nection with the early settlement and subse-
quent improvement of Long Island. His fath-
er spending his entire life on Long Island, was
well known for many years as a business man
on lower Fulton street. He married a lady
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
243
whose ancestors were among the original set-
tlers at Smithtown, Long Island. Born in
Brooklyn in 1829, Edgar S. Hicks spent his
entire life in this borough, acquired his edu-
cation here, and in early manhood became a
member of the firm of Patton, Stewart & Com-
pany, wholesale importers of Irish linen in
Manhattan, building up a business of exten-
sive proportions which was profitably con-
ducted until the death of the senior partner,
when the partnership of the remaining mem-
bers of the firm was dissolved. Mr. Hicks
then centered his business interests in Brook-
lyn, having become connected with several cor-
porations of this borough, among which was
the American Stoker Company and the Brook-
lyn Warehouse & Dry Dock Company. Of
the latter he was president, and he was also
a director of the old Academy of Music Asso-
ciation. His investments had been so judi-
ciously made,, that the income derived there-
from relieved him of the necessity of further
activity in the world of trade and gave him
leisure for participation in the activities of the
several social organizations of which he was
so prominent a member.
Mr. Hicks was one of the earliest members
of the Crescent Athletic Club, his name being
three hundred and twelve on the enrollment
list. He likewise belonged to the Brooklyn
Club and in 1885 became a member of the
Hamilton Oub, and each of these organiza-
tions, at the time of his death, May 3, 1904,
placed its house flag at half mast in memory
of a much loved member.
Mr. Hicks married Miss Emma C. Robbins,
a daughter of Daniel A. Robbins, once a well
known resident of Columbia Heights, Brook-
lyn, and they had a daughter, Julia A., who
survives her father, but Mrs. Hicks passed
away in 1879. In early manhood Mr. Hicks
had been deeply interested in athletic sports,
and his splendidly developed powers were not
preceptibly impaired when he had reached the
age of seventy, and in his last years he pos-
sessed the vigor and appearance of a man of
fifty. In spirit and interest he seemed yet in
his prime. He was a man of rare geniality,
and had the faculty of creating friendships
which continued until they were sundered by
death. He shed around him much of life's
sunshine and endeared himself to all with
whom he came in contact.
JOHN W. EIARMAN.
John W. Harman, once prominent in the
public life of Brooklyn as a merchant and a
leader in Republican circles of the borough,
passed the eighty-second milestone on life's
journey and at his death left the record of
an honorable, useful and active career. A na-
tive of Ohio, he became a resident of Brook-
lyn in 1853, and when the city entered upon
the era of rapid development and substantial
upbuilding that has resulted in the evolution
of the modern metropolitan center of to-day,
he became a cooperant factor in its business
life and public interests. For many years he
was engaged in the wholesale drygoods busi-
ness as a member of the firm of George Bliss
& Company, and the trade of the house grew
until this became one of the famous commer-
cial enterprises of the borough. He continued
in active connection therewith, — his keen busi-
ness discernment, progressive spirit and untir-
ing industry contributing to its success, — until
1885, when he retired from business life.
244
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Mr. Harman's living children are a daugh-
ter and a son, -the latter being Granville W.
Harman, once register of Kings county. Mr.
Harman had long been well known in some
of the leading social organizations of the city,
having belonged to the Ohio Society, the Un-
ion League Club and the Society of Old
Brooklynites. Interested and active in poli-
tics, his opinions carried weight in the local
councils of his party and from the beginning
of his residence he took an active part in Re-
publican politics in Brooklyn. Frequently he
served as a delegate to conventions and he
labored untiringly for Republican successes
during the Lincoln and Girant presidential
campaigns. In 1868 he was elected supervisor
of the twentieth ward and served for four
years. He was also interested in the better-
ment of mankind through the avenue of the
church, generously supported .religious work
and was a lifelong friend of Dr. Theodore
Cuyler, pastor emeritus of the Lafayette Ave-
nue Presbyterian church.
as a citizen he is highly esteemed for his lofty
citizenship. He also represents the best ele-
ment of the Democratic party, to the principles
GOTTFRIED WESTERNACHER.
Gottfried Westernacher, assistant deputy
commissioner of bridges of New York, and a
wealthy wine merchant of Brooklyn, is one of
the foremost citizens of that borough, keenly
alive to every enterprise which concerns in any
way its well being and development.
He is a native of Germany, but since his ar-
rival in this country he has worked his way
upward to a high position among the business
men of Brooklyn, who admire him not only
for his integrity in business methods, but for
his moral courage and uprightness. He repre-
sents the highest type of a business man, and
of which he has been loyal and true, and to
the support of which he has contributed will-
ingly.
REV. ELISHA WOODBRIDGE COOK.
Rev. Elisha Woodbridge Cook, theologian
and author, was born in Manchester, Connecti-
cut, July 16, 1816, and his life record covered
almost eighty-seven years — years devoted to
the betterment of conditions surrounding his
fellow men. He was descended from Puri-
tan ancestry and the strong and sterling traits
of character manifested by those first settlers
of New England were also evidenced in his
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
245
dailv life. His father was a minister of the
Congregational church, and, realizing the value
of education as a preparation for life's re-
sponsible duties, gave his son excellent oppoi"-
tunities in that direction.
His preliminary studies were supplemented
by a course in Phillips Academy, and he after-
ward matriculated in Yale College, where he
was graduated with the famous class of 1837
— a class which has given to the country some
of its most distinguished and influential men,
including William M. Evarts, , who was a
United States senator and secretary of state
under President Hayes; Samuel J. Tilden,
who was the candidate of the Democratic par-
ty for president in 1876; Edward Pierrepont,
President Grant's attorney general and after-
ward minister to Great Britain ; Morrison R.
Waite, who was appointed chief justice of the
supreme court of the United States in 1877;
Azariah Smith, a famous foreign missionary
for the Presbyterian church; Charles W.
Stearns, M. D., a well known Shakespearean
student and an author of reputation ; Dr. Will-
iam O. Ayres, of Brooklyn, also a well known
writer for magazines on the Pacific coast and
in the east; George Duffield, a Brooklynite,
who married Miss Willoughby, a descendant
of Lord Willoughby and was editor of the
Christian Observer for many years; Qiauncey
Goodrich, one of the editors of Webster's Dic-
tionary, and many others of hardly less repu-
tation than those named. Mr. Cook, at the
time of his death, was the last but two sur-
vivors of that class, the others being Thomas
Mills Day, of Hartford, Connecticut ; and Har-
vey Hyde, of Cincinnati, who left the college
in his senior year.
On the completion of his university. course
Elisha W. Cook entered upon preparation for
the ministry as a theological student in An-
dover Seminary and subsequently attended the
Yale Theological Seminary. Following his
ordination he accepted the pastorate of the
Congregational church at Haddam, Connecti-
cut, in 1846, and successively filled the pul-
pits of the churches of his denomination in
Playdenville, Massachusetts, Townsend, Mas-
sachusetts, Hopkinston, New Hampshire, and
Ripon, Wisconsin. Discontinuing his service
in the regular ministry in 1868 he became a
missionary, representing the American Mis-
sionary Society, and along that line labored
for the moral upbuilding of his fellow men un-
til about twelve years prior to his death, when
he also left that field of labor, devoting liis re-
maining days to magazine work and the au-
thorship of a didactic character. His most
notable works have been "A Theory of the
Moral System," "Law and Penalty Endless in
an Endless Universe,'' "The Endless Future,"
and "The Origin of Sin," which was his last
work and was published in 1899. These vol-
umes are well known to representatives of the
ministry and deep thinkers who are interested
in the great moral problems. He was a man
of broad intelligence, of scholarly attainments
and genuine public spirit, one whose career as
an author and theologian added to the fame
of the Yale class of 1837. His widow is yet
living, as are their five daughters and a son,
and the family home is still maintained in
Brooklyn, where Rev. Elisha W. Cook spent
the last twelve years of his life.
DAVID S. QUIMBY.
From the early days that Brooklyn was but
246
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
a small town the name of Quimby has figured
consecutively in its business records, and for
a half century David S. Quimby was a well
known and leading merchant in the borough.
Honored and respected by all, he occupied an
enviable position in commercial circles not
only because of the success he achieved but
also because of the honorable, straightforward
business methods he ever followed, and while
he led an active life as a representative of
trade interests he also' found time and oppor-
tunity to> sei've his fellow townsmen in pub-
lic office and to aid in the promotion of varied
interests that proved of benefit to the city.
David S. Quimby was born on Vine street
in the first ward of Brooklyn, July 23, 1838,
and spent his entire life here. His par-
ents were David Lands and Sarah (Relay)
Quimby. His ancestors came from Morrow
borough, New York, where the family had
been established at- a very early epoch in the
development of that section of the state. His
grandfather opened a grate and stove store
at the corner of Poplar and Henry streets in
1816 and the business was continued for sev-
enty-five years. The firm was originally S.
Quimby & Son and afterward became D. S.
Quimby & Son, which name is still retained.
After acquirmg his education in the public
schools David S. Quimby became connected
with the stove and grate business. He mas-
tered the work in every detail and as the
years advanced assumed more and more of the
responsibility of conducting the enterprise. It
eventually became his property, and later he
associated his son with him in the ownership
of the store. For almost half a century he
was connected with the business, and his re-
liable methods, unfaltering perseverance and
progressive ideas were a most potent factor
in promoting the success of the house. On
his retirement from mercantile circles he en-
tered the insurance business and was thus en-
gaged up to the time of his death.
In i860 Mr. Quimby was united in mar-
riage to Miss M. Louise Archer, a daughter
of George E. Archer, who was closely asso-
ciated with the early growth of Brooklyn and
died in this city at a very advanced age, about
1902. To Mr. and Mrs. Quimby were born
two children: Ida F., who is the wife of
Rev. Ernest Victor Collins, rector of Holy
Trinity Protestant Episcopal church in Cham-
bersburg, Pennsylvania; and Louis F., who is
engaged in business in Manhattan.
Mr. Quimby was widely and popularly
known in the first, third, twenty-second and
eleventh wards of the borough of Brooklyn,
where he had resided at various times, his
last residence being in the eleventh ward for
about fifteen years. He made friends, how-
ever, in all places where he was known be-
cause of his genial manner, his genuine worth
and his appreciation of the good in others. He
was a valued and influential member of several
fraternal organizations and enjoyed in high de-
gree the brotherly regard of those who were
associated with him in these societies. He be-
came one of the charter members of Stella
Council No. 400, Anierrcan Legion of Honor,
in which he was filling the chair of commander
for the third year at the time of his death.
He had alsO' been chairman of the grand coun-
cil finance committee of the order. He like-
wise belonged to Stella Lodge No. 485, F. &
A. M. ; DeWitt Clinton Council No. 419, R.
A. /Brooklyn Council No. 375, National Un-
ion; and was an associate member of Grant
Th<^ laioiB P^yMshin^ Co.
'■/n Biidha-r .'^':l
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
249
Post, G. A. R. He was likewise connected
with the Society of Old Brooklynites. His
life was ever actuated by honorable principles
and methods, and his career was in harmony
with his professions as a member of the Meth-
odist Episcopal church. In his boyhood days
he united with Landstreet church of that de-
nomination and for many years was the secre-
tary of its Sunday-school. In later life he
belonged to the Summerfield Methodist Epis-
copal church. He served as supervisor of
Kings county from the third ward of Brook-
lyn in 1876-7. He was also deputy city audi-
tor during Mayor Webster's administration.
He passed away after an illness of typhoid
fever of two weeks' duration, and the funeral
services were held in the church of which he
was a member, Rev. James E. Holmes, its
pastor, officiating.
His public career and his private life were
alike above, reproach. He had the faculty of
not only winning friends but of drawing them
closer to him as the years passed by. Few
men were more prominent or more widely
known in Brooklyn, for he was an important
factor in business circles and his popularity
was well deserved, and in him were embraced
the characteristics of industry that never flags
together with unbending integrity and unabat-
ing energy. He was public-spirited and thor-
oughly interested in whatever tended to pro-
mote the material, the intellectual and the
moral welfare of the city, his influence ever
being on the side of justice, truth, right and
progress.
ROBERT WHITE.
Robert White, deceased, during a long and
peculiarly useful life was held in high honor
13
in the commercial and social circles of Brook-
lyn as a progressive citizen and masterly man
of affairs, as well as for his fine personal quali-
ties which endeared him to all with whom he
was brought into contact.
He was a native of Scotland, born in Glas-
gow, May 6, 18/] 3, son of John and Elizabeth
(King) White, and inherited the virile quali-
ties of the race from which he sprang, and also
the splendid gifts which marked the father.
The latter, John White, was a celebrated en-
gineer who came to the United States, sent
out by a prominert Glasgow firm to take a
position as consulting engineer. His mental
powers were at their best, but he was well ad-
vanced in years, being nearly seventy years
old, and he succumbed to overheating and ex-
haustion, the results of non-acclimatization,
and died within a month after his arrival.
His remains were interred in the city of New
York.
Robert White completed his literary educa-
tion in the schools of Glasgow and Edin-
burgh. He was early predisposed to the call-
ing in which his father had become conspicu-
ous, and to prepare himself therefor took up
the study of mechanical engineering and
draughting in Edinburgh, and received his
diploma of graduation in 1862, being then only
nineteen years of age. Shortly afterward he
came to the United States, locating in Jer-
sey City, New Jersey, where he took employ-
ment in a machine works. He was thus en-
gaged for three years, and at the expiration
of that time (in 1874) removed to Brooklyn,
New York, which was thenceforth the scene
of his effort and his place of residence. Here
he at once established himself in an engineer-
ing business at the foot of Smith street. At
250
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
first he manufactured pumps, but later fitted
up a steamship yard and shops where he built
steam vessels complete, as well as the celebrat-
ed boiler which bears his name as patentee,
and which met with instant approval by the
highest authorities and came into general use.
Scores of small craft were sent out of the
White shipyards, including many of the most
powerful steam tugboats plying the New
York waters, among them the "Robert
White," "Agnes White," "White & Price,"
and "Kate Buckley." He also built and
ec|uipped many first-class ocean-going vessels,
and was busily occupied with the personal
management of this great and complex busi-
ness almost to the very hour of his death.
Just prior to that sad event he sold one of his
vessels, equipped with the boilers which aided
in making his name world-famous, to the
Hamburg-American line, and at the same time
was engaged in two other important enter-
prises — the building of -the "Frank Steers,"
which was put into commission on January i,
1904, and the erection of the handsome and
commodious establishment now occupied by
the firm which succeeded to his business, at
the corner of Columbia, Hicks and Sigourney
streets. The business thus built up by Mr.
White was one of the most extensive and suc-
cessful known to the history of the borough,
and it has been continued by his sons under
similar honorable and capable management,
and with an ever-increasing volume of trans-
actions.
Mr. White was highly regarded in the cir-
cles of his profession, and was one whose judg-
ment with reference to professional questions
was habitually sought and confidently deferred
to. He was a leading member of the Amal-
gamated Society of Engineers, of which his
father was among the founders; of the Mari-
time Association of the Port of New York;
an active and honorary member of several
trade and benevolent societies; a member of
several boat clubs, and at one time rowed
stroke in the old Harlem Boat Club crew. He
was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity. He
was a consistent member of the Presbyterian
church. He was of domestic disposition and
tastes, and was peculiarly devoted to his fam-
ily and home.
January 7, 1862, and before his coming to
the United States, Mr. White married Miss
Agnes Haddow, daughter of Thomas Had-
dow, who was an engineer of Glasgow, Scot-
land, and the founder of the Amalgamated
Society of Engineers, of which body he was
secretary for forty-nine years. Mrs. White
was one of seven children, among whom were
two brothers who embraced the profession of
their father and became distinguished in it;
William, who was educated and received his
scientific degrees in Edinburgh, Scotland, and
rose to distinction as an engineer in London,
England ; and Archibald, who was similarly
reared, became a noted engineer, and located
in Alexandria, Africa.
To Robert and Agnes (Haddow) White
were born five children : i . Robert W.,
whose children are Jessie, Agnes and Robert,
deceased. 2. Thomas H., who is the active
head and general manager of the business es-
tablished by the father, the Robert White En-
gineering Works ; he married Miss Emily An-
derson, and they are the parents of three chil-
dren, Lilly, Archibald and Florence. 3. John
H. K., who is a qiember of the same firm with
the brother before named ; he married Char-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
251
lotte Donovan, a native of Toronto, Canada.
4. Lillie H. K., who resides at home. 5.
Archibald H. K., who is a student of engineer-
ing at the Stevens Institute.
Mr. White died at his residence, 609 Sixth
street, Broolvlyn, on August 18, 1902, after a
Hngering ilhiess of more than three months,
in the fifty-seventh year of his age. Meas-
ured by years, he was cut off entirely too soon,
for his mental powers had not passed if they
had reached their zenith, and he gave promise
of even greater accomplishments than had
been permitted him, vast as they had been.
His loss was deeply felt by all with whom
he had be^i in any manner associated, and,
particularly in the ranks qf his profession, his
name continues to be treasured as one of its
brightest ornaments.
LOUIS PEASE NOSTRAND.
The death of Louis Pease Nostrand, of
Brooklyn, removed one of the oldest and best-
known residents of the Eastern district. He
was a native of the city, born May 23, 1823,
and his life was spent there with the excep-
tion of a portion of his childhood and youth.
Pie was formerly a manufacturer of Manhat-
tan, but during the long years of his retire-
ment he identified himself with religious and
philanthropic work, which, notwithstanding a
successful career in business, was the most
fruitful portion of his life, and to him the
most satisfying. Plis father, Isaac Nostrand,
who was a shoe dealer of Fulton street, was
also greatly interested in church work, and
served for many years as a member of the
board of trustees of the Sand Street Method-
ist Episcopal church, His mother's maiden
name was Mary A. Pettit, and her family
lived at Hempstead.
During his business life he was connected
with the firm of Truslow and Nostrand, who
had a factory on Pearl street, Manhattan, for
the manufacture of cork stoppers. The firm
did an extensive business, and Mr. Nostrand
found scope for his fine endowment of execu-
tive ability and commercial sagacity in direct-
ing its affairs. But he had no sympathy
with those who accumulate vast wealth for
its own sake, or for the excitement of the
pursuit. He retired early with a competence,
to devote his energies to other lines of effort.
He became a member of the Methodist church
about 1840, uniting with the South Second
Street church of Brooklyn at the time of its
dedication. He was active in all church work,
and for a number of years was librarian of
the Sunday-school. In 1849 Mr. Nostrand
and his wife, with their pastor, the Rev. E.
T. James, and a few others of the South Sec-
ond street church joined in organizing the Cen-
tral Methodist Episcopal church of Williams-
burg, which has lately been sold to the commis-
sioners of the new East River bridge. In
1886 he attended a meeting called for the
purpose of raising funds for founding the St.
John Methodist Episcopal church on Bedford
avenue, and was largely instrumental in suc-
cessfully launching the project. He was
elected treasurer of the board of trustees of
the church after its organization, holding the
position for eighteen years until compelled to
resign by failing health, although he retained
his membership on the board at the time of
his death. In 1858 he was elected a trustee
of the Eastern District Industrial School, and
he maintained his interest and active work for
252
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
that institution all the remainder of his Hfe.
When he died he was vice-president of- the
hoard of trustees.
Mr. Nostrand was seven years old at the
time of his father's death in 1830, when his
family removed to Manhattan. About 1840
they returned to Brooklyn, making their home
in what was then the village of Williams-
burg. This time marks the beginning of Mr.
Nostrand 's business career, and here he spent
the remainder of his life, being a resident of
the Eastern district through the great changes
of half a century, ■ and for forty years an
occupant of the house in which he died.
March 29, 1849, he married Sarah Elizabeth
Ricker of Brooklyn. This couple lived to
celebrate their golden wedding in the Taylor
street homev though on account of the fail-
ing health of Mr. Nostrand the anniversary
passed c^uietly, only the members of the fam-
ily and immediate relatives and friends being
present. Besides his widow, Mr. Nostrand
is survived by three daughters — Mrs. William
H. Hoag, of Troy, New York; Mrs. Samuel
C. Anderson, and Miss S. Nostrand, of Brook-
lyn. There are three grandchildren also. Dr.
Louis N. Anderson, Miss Helen Anderson and
Miss Elizabeth Hoag. The last five years of
Mr. Nostrand's life was a period of almost
constant suffering, and during most of that
time he was obliged to remain indoors ; but
he bore his heavy trial with the greatest for-
titude, his constant thought being of the com-
fort of those who strove to lighten his pain.
During his illness he was attended by his
grandson, Dr. Louis N. Anderson, and by Dr.
James D. Nade. He died in September, 1903,
of heart failure resulting from a complica-
tion of diseases, the feeble action of the heart
confining him to the bed for the last five weeks
of his life. The funeral services were con-
ducted at his late home, 149 Taylor street, by
the Rev. Dr. David G. Dawney, pastor of St.
John's Methodist Episcopal church, Bedford
avenue.
J. EDWARD SWANSTROM.
J. Edward Swanstrom, former president of
the borough of Brooklyn, is an excellent rep-
resentative of a class of men whose depth of
character and firm adherence to principle and
duty in public as well as in private life make
their services to the community invaluable,
not only in the affairs of the hour during
which they are occupied with official duties,
but as an example.
Mr. Swanstrom is a native of Brooklyn,
born on Atlantic avenue, July 26, 1853. His
father was a Swede who came to the United
States in company with John Ericsson, the
distinguished scientist and the inventor of the
"Monitor/' which in the early days of the
Civil war saved the northern cities from hos-
tile shot and shell, and revolutionized naval
warfare, laying the foundation for the pre-
sent magnificent war fleets of the world. Rev.
Swanstrom was a Lutheran clergyman whose
ministerial life in Brooklyn was eminently
useful. One of his many deeds of kindness
at one time wrought an unexpected public
good. At one time his son, then president of
the borough, was desirous of securing the pas-
sage of an important measure which lacked
one favoring vote. At this moment a gentle-
man approached President Swanstrom and
said : "I know an alderman who is opposed
to this bill, and I can get him to vote for it.
HISTORY OF LONG- ISLAND.
253
I want you to know that I will do so because
of a kindness which your father did nie many
years ago." Through this aid the bill was
passed, greatly to the advantage of the bor-
ough.
J. Edward Swanstrom attended the public
schools of Brooklyn, and completed his edu-
cation in the University of the City of New
York. He entered upon the study of law un-
der the preceptorship of Miller, Feet & Op-
dyke, of New York city, and afterwards took
a full course in the law department of the
University of New York, from which he was
graduated in 1878, with high honors, being
awarded the highest prize for proficiency, a
purse of $250. He at once engaged in prac-
tice, establishing his office at 20 Nassau street.
New York, where he is yet located. At first
he shared his office with John E. Miller. He
subsequently practiced alone until his election
to the borough presidency, when he formed
a partnership with Conrad E. Keyes, thus
forming an association which proved so pleas-
ant and profitable to both that it has been
maintained to the present time. Mr. Swan-
strom has devoted his attention principally to
corporation law, and he has conducted many
large litigations in this field. He, is also recog-
nized as an entirely capable authority upon
state law, and one of his notable achievements
was the proving of the legality of the law
allowing married women to be teachers in the
public schools. His effort in this direction
was in keeping with his continued interest in
educational affairs. He was for several years
a member of the Brooklyn board of educa-
tion. He served on the law committee and
the committee on rules, and was president of
that body the year prior to the consolidation
of the cities of New York and Brooklyn, in
which movement he took an active part, also
aiding in framing the new charter, and after
the union he became vice-president of the Cen-
tral Board of Education, when it was first
formed.
Mr. Swanstrom's most conspicuously useful
public service was rendered while he occupied
the position of borough president. An inde-
pendent of pronounced individuality in poli-
tics, in 1901 he joined the Sheppard move-
ment, and when the organization dissolved he
allied himself with the Citizens' Union, and
was an ardent supporter of Mr. Low. Be-
ing made a compromise candidate for the
presidency of the borough, he was elected,
and served in that high position for two tenns.
His administration was notable for many
salutary innovations in the public interest, and
he gave instant exhibition of his high concep-
tions of official duty and public needs. He
placed at the head of the various municipal
departments men of the highest capability and
strictest integrity, among them Mr. Redfield,
as commissioner of pubHc works; William M.
Golden, superintendent of building; John
Thatcher, superintendent of sewers ; Frank J.
Helmle, architect in charge of public build-
ings and offices; and Otto Kempner, a well
equipjped lawyer, as commissioner in charge
of contracts for public works. In two years
ihe work of street paving was more rapidly
and thoroughly advanced than for several
years before. Mr. Low projected a new sys-
tem of sewerage,, and the work now in prog-
ress, constituting one of the finest systems
known, had its mception in his effort. He
caused the Rapid Transit Company to accept
the Fourth Avenue terminal, and procured the
254
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
establishment of the Flatbush Avenue termi-
nal. With the assistance of the park com-
missioner he procured the paving of Fourth
avenue and the curbing and parking of that
street, making it one of the most attractive
boulevards in the city. He effected such a
reduction of cost of paving as to save tO' the
city one and a quarter million dollars, which
sum was devoted to further paving work. He
caused the borough hall to be renovated and
remodeled,, providing it with a new heating
plant and ventilating apparatus, at the low
expenditure of sixty thousand dollars, and he
began the remodeling of the hall of records,
a worb which is still in progress. He also
instituted the pubUc indoor baths at Hicks
street and at Brownville, and their utility is dis-
cerned in the fact that at the last-named the
daily summer attendance is as high as six thou-
sand, of both sexes. He also caused the build-
ing of underground comfort stations at various
places in the city. ' He also procured the pas-
sage of a tenement law, the New York law
being too stringent for the necessities of
Brooklyn. Mr. Swanstrom also procured the
first appropriation for rebuilding the court
house, the plans for which are now awaiting
final action, President Swanstrom retired
from office at the close of the municipal year
1903, with a record of public service which is
without a parallel in the history of the bor-
ough. He was not, however, to be entirely
relegated to private life, for his successor, in
appreciation of his ardent regard for his native
city, his broad public spirit and his esthetic
tastes, at once appointed him to membership
upon- the commission known as "the City
Beautiful," whose purpose is the improvement
and beautification of the city.
Mr. Swanstrom is a member of the Brook-
lyn Club, the Hamilton Club and the Cres"
cent Club, of Brooklyn, and the City Club of
New York. He is an enthusiastic pedestrian,
a lover of golf, and an angler of the old-time
type. Broadly informed, an excellent conver-
sationalist, and with a vein of native humor,
his companionship is highly prized in all
circles in which he moves.
Mr. Swanstrom has two children : Mrs.
Ada Winters, of Brooklyn; and Arthur, who
is a student in school.
WILLIAM H. SILVER.
William H. Silver, who for more than twen-
ty years was a resident of the Stuyvesant sec-
tion of Brooklyn, was throughout that period
an influential factor in industrial, political and
church circles of the borough, and his well
rounded character and practical judgment
made his services of- value in any movement
with which he was allied.
Mr. Silver was born in Milford, Ohio, on
the i8th of March, 1850, a son of Dr. David
Hall Silver, who removed from Milford to
Columbus, Ohio, where he became a distin-
guished and most successful physician. The
son, but a boy at the time the family home
was established in Columbus, was reared in
that city and attended its public schools. He
entered business at nineteen years of age,
choosing the field of manufacture and com-
merce for the exercise of his business ability,
and for a number of years was the senior
member of one of Brooklyn's large and suc-
cessful productive industries, being engaged in
the manufacture of household inventions. The
trade was large and profitable, and the enter-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
257
prise was conducted along modern business
lines. Although for three years prior to his
death Mr. Silver was in ill health, he remained
in charge of the business as the head of the
concern, thus displaying the indomitable en-
ergy and perseverance which were numbered
among his most dominant traits of character. ■
Mr. Silver was married to Miss Evans,
daughter of Guy Evans, and they had one son,
Arthur E. He was a lifelong member of the
Presbyterian church, active in its work and
a liberal contributor to its support. Socially
he was identified with General Putnam Coun-
cil of the Royal Arcanum, and his political
faith was indicated by his membership in the
Stuyvesant Heights Republican Club. For
three years he suffered from nervous pros-
tration, and .passed away January 22, 1904.
JOHN H. McCOOEY.
John H. McCooey, president of the Civil
Service Board of New York, which is regarded
as one of the most important in the municipal
government, has spent sixteen years in the va-
rious civil service departments, and his prede-
cessors in the city included such distinguished
citizens as Alexander E. Oirr, Charles H.
Knox and Willis L. Ogden.
John H. McCooey was born June 18, 1,864,
in Manhattan, but the following year his par-
ents removed to Williamsburg, eastern district
of Brooklyn, New York, locating on North
Seventh street, and in the schools of that local-
ity he obtained his early education, subse-
quently graduating from the Chester High
School, in Pennsylvania, to which state his
parents had removed. He gained his first
business experience by entering the employ of
the celebrated shipbuilders, John Roach & Son,
of Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1871, whose foun-
dries, forges and shops, for more than a third
of a century, turned out iron and steel steam-
ships which have included among their number
many of the most noted vessels which have
flown the American flag. In due course of
time Mr. McCooey became a mechanical engin-
eer of considerable ability, and served in that
capacity until his separation from the service
of the firm in the year 1886. He then became
associated with the Worthington Pump Com-
pany, and came at once to Brooklyn, New
York, where he has since resided. He left the
employ of the Worthington Company to accept
an important position as a skillful mechanical
engineer at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and
while there had charge and performed consid-
erable work on the ill-fated battleship "Maine"
that was blown up in Havana Harbor. After
two years' service he left the Navy Yard to
accept an appointment as superintendent of
Postoffice Station S, under Postmaster Joseph
C. Hendrix ; later was promoted to superinten-
dent of Station W, and later to assistant
postmaster under Andrew T. Sullivan, and he
also served under the administration of his suc-
cessor, Hon. Francis H. Wilson, until the close
of 1897, when he resigned to accept the
office of deputy county treasurer of Kings
County, and shortly afterward he resigned
from this to accept the assistant secretaryship
of the Civil Service Commission in 1898. He
served in that capacity until appointed presi-
dent of the board by Mayor McClellan, Janu-
ary I, 1904. Prior to his appointment on the
Civil Service Board, Mr. McCooey had served
several years on the Board of the Federal Civil
Service Commission, so that he has been ac-
258
HISTORY OF Long island.
tively identified with the civil service commis-
sion worl< since 1888, a very valuable experi-
ence that is of great service to him now in the
performance of his duties.
Mr. McCooey has been most remarkably
successful in securing appointments,' all of
which have been on merit rather than of a po-
litical character. He has made a very careful
study of civil service and its requirements and
its adaptation, and has been instrumental in
bringing it up to its high state of efficiency.
He has made a special effort tO' adopt the civil
service examination as a test for the require-
ments of the office as near as possible. He is
probably one of the best informed men on the
service in the country, and he is extending 'the
system, making it more practical and raising
the standard of proficiency. More than fifty
thousand employees of the city are controlled
by the civil service, and this fact alone gives
a fair estimate of the importance of the com-
mission. Personally Mr. McCooey is a very
approachable and congenial man, and he en-
joys the confidence and esteem of a wide cir-
cle of intimate friends. One of his chief char-
acteristics in office is his thoroughness and
industry, which he has brought to bear in the
discharge of the duties attached to every office
he has held. He is an inveterate worker, and
therefore has justly earned his various promo-
tions. He is also a director in the Nassau
Trust Company. The present commission is
as follows: John H. McCooey, president;
Joseph P. Day, Edwatd Croninshield, Jerome
Siegel, Hal Bell and Hon. Eugene F. O'Con-
nor. He is a stanch Democrat in his political
affiliations, is a member of several political and
fraternal organiza'tions, and a member of the
Brooklyn Qub, Hanover Club, and the Friend-
ly Sons' Society.
Mr. McCooey married Miss Catherine I.
Sesnon, of Brooklyn, New York, and they are
the parents of three children.
HENRY L. PRATT.
The life record of Henry L. Pratt is an
answer to the question, Can a Christian be a
successful business man? for with him activ-
ity in business and zeal in the work of the
church went hand in hand and the same prin-
ciples guided both. With a reticent nature
that shrank from any public prominence and
gave him almost the presence of cold reserve
to those who did not know him, he neverthe-
less possessed a warm sympathetic nature and
a judicial mind, that made his influence a most
potent element in the lives of those with whom
he came in contact. He was well known in
business circles in Manhattan and as a factor
in the moral development of Brooklyn, and
these two elements were the strongest forces
in his career.
Henry L. Pratt was born at Shutesbury,
Massachusetts, on the 14th of. July, 1826. His
advantages w"ere only such as were enjoyed
by New England lads of the period whose
people were in only fair financial circum-
stances. In fact, it became necessary for him
at an early age to ptit aside his text-books and
enter the field of business in order to pro-
vide for his own support. .He inherited, how-
ever, a strong intellect and as the years ad-
vanced improved his opportunities for ex-
panding his knowledge. In early manhood
he had qualified himself for school teaching,
which profession he followed for a number
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
259
of terms. He was still but a young man when
he went to Cleveland, Ohio, to engage in
the manufacture of chairs, being thus identi-
fied with the industrial interests of that city
for seven years. On the expiration of that
period he returned 16 his native state, locat-
ing in Greenfield, Massachusetts, where he
was connected with the lumber trade. An-
other seven years passed in that field of la-
bor and he afterward went to Detroit, Michi-
gan, where he became proprietor of a man-
ufacturing enterprise conducted under the
name of the Detroit Chair Company. In 1868,
however, he disposed of his interests there,
and returned to Greenfield, where he con-
cluded arrangements that resulted in his con-
nection with a business that has become one
of the important productive industries of New
England. The firm of Gunn & Amidon was
manufacturing bit braces and other tools in
Greenfield, and Mr. Pratt arranged with them
to form a stock company with their business
as a basis. An undeveloped water power at
Millers Falls was purchased, a new factory
was there erected and business was begun un-
der the name of the Millers Falls Company.
In December of the same year an office and
salesroom were opened at No. 87 Beekman
street. New York, and from that time until
his death Mr. Pratt remained president of
the company and superintended its executive
interests. From a small beginning the en-
terprise was developed to large proportions,
and every year additions were made to the
line of tools produced until the product of the
Millers Falls Company became widely known
throughout the United States.
Mr. Pratt believed in maintaining a high
quality in whatever the company manufac-
tured, confident that a business built up on
that principle would be permanent and endur-
ing. He himself possessed considerable in-
ventive genius which took tangible form in
his work at the bench in Manhattan and re-
sulted in some desirable improvements that
were embodied in the tools manufactured at
the factory in Greenfield, Massachusetts. His
success resulted largely from a watchfulness
of the market, a thorough study of the de-
mands of the public and the development of
his enterprise along modern lines, and his
business associates and patrons had the same
confidence in his methods and dealings that
was shown by his friends of social and church
circles. The days of his business career were
not all equally bright, for at times there arose
clouds m the business horizon that threatened
disaster, but these seemed to stimulate him
to more persistent effort. During the period
of the early years of his business career he
knew what it meant to bear the struggles that
result from a limited income, and while he
desired success, as does every ambitious, ener-
getic business man, he seemed to regard him-
self merely as the steward of his accumula-
tions and never allowed his wealth to in any
way warp his kindly nature or affect his treat-
ment to those less fortunate in the business
world.
All who knew Henry L. Pratt bore testi-
mony to his upright life, his high principles
and his undeviating consistency. At the time
he established his office in Manhattan he also
established his home in Brooklyn, and soon
afterward became identified with Plymouth
church and through a long period served as
a member of its board of deacons, and when-
ever he filled that office he was by common
260
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
consent chairman of the board. He rarely
spoke in any church services outside of the
committee-room, but in the councils of the
church his opinions were so sound, his judg-
ment sOi practical, that the course which he
advocated was almost without exception fol-
lowed. One who worked for many years with
him as a member of the board of deacons, in
speaking of his characteristic calmness and
wisdom of his judgment, said: "That quality
manifested itself always, but especially in the'
meetings of the deacons when they had to
deal with the cases of members of the church
who needed help. If there is anything men
have to do which calls for the exercise of
loving kindness and cool wisdom combined,
it is dealmg with cases of that kind; and I
observed that when Mr. Pratt, as chairman
of the board, called upon the deaconesses to
mention the cases of need which had come to
their knowledge, he always paid the closest
attention to their reports and when cases were
presented in respect to which there was doubt
as to whether it would be wise to render as-
sistance at all, or as to how much assistance
should be given, Mr. Pratt always heard pa-
tiently what others had to say before he ex-
pressed his own opinion, and I observed that
his opinion was always characterized by a
ready recognition of need, a prompt and quick
sympathy, and, at the same time, a wise judg-
ment as to what should be done ; and his opin-
ion was very apt to determine the action of
the board."
Henry L. Pratt passed away in December,
1900, and the prayer-meeting service of Ply-
mouth church held on the 19th of December,
took the form of memorial exercises, at which
many bore testimony to his position in the
church and of the love and respect which all
entertained for him. From one of the younger
members came the following: "Though in
personal disposition he was one of the most
quiet and retiring of all the numerous merfi-
bers of Plymouth church, Mr. -Pratt has
been, nevertheless, one of the church's
most influential and widely known mem-
bers (widely known among its mem-
bership, I mean. From larger publicity
he always shrank.) His wide influence came
from the sheer force of his character, break-
ing through his great natural diffidence. Mr.
Pratt was a man clean cut and four-square to
all the world. A maii who could face any
crisis, any danger, with perfect calm. Though
an ocean of tender feeling might surge
through his soul, he was always in absolute
self-poise. Controlling himself, he easily con-
trolled others." "It would be well nigh im-
possible for me to be absent from such a meet-
ing as this and by at least my presence, if not
by my words, to bear testimony to the affec-
tion and esteem and honor for the one who
has gone from our bodily presence and whom
we all honored and loved," said Dr. Abbott,
his former pastor. "In losing Mr. Pratt from
the councils of Plymouth church we have lost
one of its wisest counselors, one of its most
loyal friends. He v/as a man, in one sense,
of singular contradictions. He was very cau-
tious and yet never timid. He was, perhaps,
the ablest representative of what I may call
the conservative element of Plymouth church.
He was never in a hurry to enter upon ex-
periments, and yet when a course of action
was decided upon, a change of policy was
adopted — and there were some radical changes
of policy during the time that I was connected
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
261
with the church — he was in the fore-front in
their administration and their execution. He
was a man reserved and yet not reticent. He
was always accustomed to keep his own coun-
sels, and yet he was always ready to give his
counsel to any one that asked him. I think
I am safe in saying that during my connec-
tion with his church as its pastor, he never
volunteered advice, he never brought to me a
criticism, he never requested me to change my
course of action, and I know that I am right
in saying that I never went to him on any
question respecting, administration that he was
not ready with his advice and glad to express
his opinion, and I generally found his opinion
already formed. I do not like to be positive
in general statements. My impression is, I
always followed his advice. I am sure if I
ever didn't, I was sorry for it afterward.
"He was a man of great sobriety of judg-
ment, of great seriousness of demeanor, a man
temperamentally serious-minded, and yet with
a sense of humor, an appreciation of it an.d
a creative power which was very remarkable.
I really do not think that in the mock trial
which was held in this room there was any
witness on the stand that was funnier than
Mr. Pratt.
"He very rarely spoke in prayer meeting,
but I think that two of the most notable
speeches I ever heard in this room were
speeches from him. For my part I was very
sorry we didn't oftener hear him in these Fri-
day evening meetings. I once went to him
and told him so. I said, 'Mr. Pratt, you have
power of reaching this church that few men
have. May I not call on you? May we not
hear from you often?' He said, 'It costs me
too much physically every time I make a
speech ; it is too much of a peril to my life.'
I never asked him again, for two reasons :
first, I had entire confidence in his judgment;
in the second place, I knew if I argued until
doomsday, it would do no good.
"And yet with these contradictions, this
caution and courage, this conservatism and
this progress, this sobriety and this humor,
this reticence and this readiness to give coun-
sel, he was not a man of contradictions. That
was the curious thing about him. Most men
of contradictions, you can parcel them off as
I am trying to do to-night in a crude way ;
and yet I know it wasn't so. With him all
these curious contradictions were merged to-
gether. He wasn't a variety of men. He
was one man always, a consistent man. He
was the one man in whom all these various
temperaments and qualities were merged and
united in a strong unity, i don't think I ever
thought of him as a man of contradictions un-
til, as I caine to the meeting to-night, I said,
how shall I speak of what I have seen of him ?
And I said, I have seen this and this and
this and these are antithetical. I had never
thought of these things as antitheses before.
I doubt if any of you had unless you had
studied his character.
"When I am asked what is Christianity, I
reply first, Jesus Christ; and then I reply
secondly, the followers of Jesus Christ. To
believe in Christianity is to believe in Jesus
Christ and then, secondly, it is to believe in
just such men as Mr. Pratt. Men ask, with
an almost cynical shrug of the shoulders, is
it possible to be a consistent Christian and
a really prosperous man in this business world
of ours, and I answer Mr. Pratt. He was
a successful business man and he was a con-
262
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
sistent Christian. He had a New England
conscience; nothing could induce him to
swerve from it. He had not a New England
conscience; he never tried to- impose his con-
science upon other people. By what he be-
lieved to be true and just and pure and right
he would have stood by whatever it cost him."
Throughout his entire life Mr. Pratt gave
evidence of the possession of superior literary
tastes and of literary ability, remarkable in a
man of continuous and engrossing business
activity. He read broadly, was a deep thinker
and thoroughly enjoyed the companionship of
the master minds of ancient and modern ages.
Thus through his business, his church and his
books he developed a well-rounded character,
giving due prominence to the trifold nature of
man as manifested in his physical, mental and
moral possibilities of growth. It was, per-
haps, his warm-hearted sympathy that most
endeared him to his fellow men. He was
especially interested in young men, and while
he never volunteered advice or counsel no
one gave more freely from the rich stores of
wisdom and experience than did he if his
opinions and aid were solicited. He could en-
ter heartily into intellectual pleasures or with
his keen zest into the joy of others, and his
heart was ever touched by the story of sor-
row or distress, and it was, perhaps, this ele-
ment in his nature which won most strongly
for him the friendship of those with whom
he was associated and causes his memory to
remain as a benediction to those who knew
him.
JOSEPH WECHSLER.
In the sudden death of Joseph Wechsler,
which occurred on the evening of October 21,
i8g6, the commercial and financiaj circles of
Brooklyn were deprived of one of their most
prominent and useful members, and the com-
munity of one who was known as a true phil-
anthropist whose benefactions were generous
and broadly distributed. His life affords a
remarkable illustration of what may be accom-
plished in the United States by the exercise
of the talents marking his character, and which
enabled him to rise from a position of obscur-
.ity to a commanding place among the most
important classes in the metropoli-s. A strang-
er in a strange land at his coming from his
home in Bavaria, with youth, health and ambi-
tion as his sole possession, he made constant
advancement in development of character and
acquisition of means, and closed an active ca-
reer of nearly forty years as the possessor of
an ample fortune, and recognized among those
who during that period had been most con-
spicuously identified with the growth and im-
provement of the city.
Mr. Wechsler was born in 1844, in the vil-
lage of Poppenhausen, Bavaria. At the age
of twelve years he came to the United States
in company with his mother and his brothers,
Abraham, who was his senior, and Samuel and
Herman. The little family made their home
in the city of New York, where for three years
Joseph Wechsler followed the calling of an '
itinerant vendor of dry goods and notions. In
this humble beginning he displayed the quali-
ties of the real merchant, and his industry and
economy found their reward in the accumula-
tion of a small capital. At the age of fifteen
(in 1859), with his brothers, he opened his
first store, at 137 Myrtle avenue, Brooklyn,
under the firm name of J. W. Wechsler &
Brothers. This business was profitably con-
? Lsu-ts Pibblishinq Co,
^<H!^U ??-tU^ .S^^,.^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
265
tinued for a period of six years until 1865,
when the partnership was dissolved, and Jo-
seph Wechsler became associated with his
cousin Abraham Abraham in a new firm, that
of Wechsler & Abraham, whose store on lower
Fulton street, and above Gallatin Place since
1884, became the favorite establishment with
the best class of shoppers in the dry goods dis-
trict. Wechsler & Abraham were the pioneers
in the upper Fulton street movement, and be-
fore they dissolved partnership they had wit-
nessed that great change of traffic which made
their establishment the center of business.
In 1892 Mr. Abraham paid to Mr. Wechsler
a cash sum of nearly one and a half million
dollars ($1,488,000) for his interest in the
business. Tliroughout his mercantile career
he was recognized as an expert judge of silks
and dress goods particularly, and he was
known to the dry goods trade of the country
as one of the largest and most sagacious buy-
ers in the American market. Among the hun-
dreds of people of both sexes and all ages who
were in his employ during the many years of
his mercantile life, he was held in the highest
esteem, and many owed to him the friendly
counsel and opportune means which enabled
them to enter upon an independent career and
become the owners of homes and business.
After the dissolution of his partnership with
Mr. Abraham, Mr. Wechsler became actively
interested in real estate affairs and became the
owner -of several very valuable buildings. In
Brooklyn he owned the Bijou Theatre, the
Crescent Athletic Club House on Clinton
street, the building at the junction of Fulton
and Washington streets, several valuable pieces
of land on Fulton street, and for a long time
he was owner of the old Abbey property on the
last named thoroughfare and DeKalb avenue,
on which the Montauk Theatre now stands.
In New York city he bought the corner lot
at Broadway and Thirty-first street which be-
came well known as "the White Elephant,"
which took its name from the sporting-goods
house built thereon, and on this site, as soon
as he acquired title, he erected a large stone
building. He was also owner of two other
large buildings in the city, one on Bond and
the other on Mercer street. He was interested
in various important corporations, among
them, the Brooklyn Bank, in which he was a
director.
Mr. Wechsler maintained his activity in
business affairs until the very hour before his
demise, which was sudden and pathetically re-
mindful of the passing away of his mother
about twenty years before. Mf. Wechsler had
been for years a sufferer from diabetes, which
was the cause of his death, but his stirring
activity and ambition would not permit him to
desist from effort on 'account of ?. mere bodily
infirmity.
The funeral of Mr. Wechsler took place on
Sunday morning following, the services being
held in Temple Israel, at the corner of Bed-
ford and Lafayette avenues, in the presence
of a deeply affected congregation of friends
who held the lamented deceased in deep affec-
tion for his personal worth and signal useful-
ness. He was deeply attached to the faith of
his fathers, and was among the founders of
the congregation from whose midst he was ten-
derly carried to his last resting place, and with
whom he had constantly worshipped from the
time of organization, twenty-seven years be-
fore. Mr. Wechsler was a man of warm-
.hearted sympathy and unstinting liberality to-
266
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
ward the sick, poor and distressed, and he was
an active member in the leading benevolent and
charitable organizations — the Samuel Lodge
No. 63, Independent Order of B'Nai B'Rith,
of Brooklyn ; the Hebrew Orphan Asylum As-
,sociation, of which he was treasurer for sev-
eral years ; and the Hebrew Benevolent Soci-
ety. While he was among the foremost in car-
rying out the purposes of these excellent
bodies, his benevolences were not restricted to
them, but he was a liberal contributor to va-
rious other charities which appealed to him,
and his benefactions to individuals were many
and liberal. In the social circle, his fine per-
sonal qualities attracted to him a host of
friends, and he was a highly regarded member
of the Constitution Club and the Portland
Club, and he was numbered among the organ-
izing members, of the last named. His quali-
ties as husband and parent are scarcely to be
written of here. His home was his delight
and pride, and upon it and its inmates he lav-
ished all that wealth could command or refined
taste could suggest. His qualities as a man
have found reflection in his sons, who are men
of high character and excellent business quali-
fications. The family reside in the beautiful
home at 31 Eighth avenue, Brooklyn, which
was the abode of the deceased parent, and
where his children were born and reared.
JAMES DALE.
There is no one element in man's nature that
appeals so strongly to the entire human race
as courage, and no history that is of as wide-
spread interest as that which records deeds
of valor in the face of great danger. This
is looked upon as a utilitarian age, in which
the spirit of the times seems a search for
wealth and for rapid gain, and yet there are
found here and there men who follow a given
pursuit or vocation not for the money con-
sideration alone, but for a real love of their
work and for the good they can do through
that avenue of activity. Such a man was
James Dale, who for a number of years was
chief of the Brooklyn fire department and
who throughout almost his entire life was
connected with this department of public serv-
ice. He made a record for bravery in fight-
ing fires that is unsurpassed, and by his fear-
less efforts he did immeasurable good in sav-
ing life and property.
James Dale was a native of South Amboy,
New Jersey, born June 11, 1841, and when
nine years of age accompanied his parents on
their removal to New York. His youth was
fraught with many hardships and privations,
and he was denied many pleasures and privi-
leges which other boys enjoy, but he seemed
to thrive under the rough treatment of the
world, and grew up on the river, making
the most of his opportunities and seemingly
giving little heed to what was unpleasant in
his environment. When he was old enough he
went aboard a Hudson river boat, but the
monotony of the trips up and down the river
palled on' the spirit of the boy who loved ex-
citement and was at his best in the face of
danger. The opportunity came for a change
of occupation when he was eighteen years of
age, and he entered upon a life work which
was entirely congenial and which proved to
him a field of great usefulness. He joined
the Hudson Hose Company, No. 21, of Brook-
lyn, a volunteer organization located on Wash-
ington street, between Reade and Duane
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
267
streets. Volunteer firemen were kept verj' busy
in those clays and therefore Mr. Dale found
himself in a congenial atmosphere. In fact the
work of the company was so great that a
steam engine was purchased for it, and the
Hudson River Engine Company, No. 58, was
organized. Mr. Dale's familiarity with en-
gines gained for him the position of engineer,
in which capacity he long served.
At that time there was much rivalry be-
tween the various volunteer fire companies,
and usually when two companies went to the
same fire they would contend for champion-
ship before the beginning the work of ex-
tinguishing the conflagration. On more than
one occasion blood was shed before one com-
pany would retreat, leaving the other in pos-
session of the field. Captain Dale had trou-
blous times to keep his men in order and make
them do their work in fighting fire, rather
than fighting the men of the rival company.
The feeling between his own company and
that of Company No. 40 became so great that
both were finally disbanded.
Captain Dale then joined Engine Company
No. 38, and about the time of the close of
the Civil war in 1865 he became a member
of the Brooklyn Pacific Engine Company, No.
15, on Pierrepont street, as its engineer, the
position being secured for him by Frederick
S. Massey, afterward fire commissioner, then
foreman of the company. From that time on
his promotions were continuous and consecu-
tive until he became chief. When he
had served as engineer for four years the
paid department was organized, and Mr. Mas-
sey, who became commissioner, appointed Mr.
Dale to the position he had vacated, that of
foreman of Company No. 14, which became
Company No. 5. The new foreman made an
excellent record, and in 1872 was advanced
to the position of district engineer, which
corresponds to that of battalion chief at the
present. In 1893 he succeeded Assistant Chief
John Smith, who was retired, and after a
brief interval in that position he became the
successor of Fore Chief Thomas F. Nevins,
through appointment of Commissioner Mer-
ster. He had remained at the head of the
Brooklyn department for four years, when
the consolidation of the cities was affected,
at which time he was made deputy chief of
the department of Greater New York and was
placed in command of the entire division of
Brooklyn and Queens.
Chief Dale was never absent from any fire
of importance, while at the head of the fire
system of this borough, and in his work he
manifested superior ability in directing the
labors of his men, the use of the apparatus,
so that maximum results were accomplished
with minimum effort.' He never needlessly
exposed his men to danger, and yet when
duty called he led them into most perilous
positions, always taking the greatest risks him-
self, and doing everything in his power to
guard against the loss of life and the destruc-
tion of property. On many "occasions he was
injured and he bore the scars of many fires.
Among the notable conflagrations at which
he was in attendance, in his official capacity,
were the wholesale grocery store on Flushing
avenue and the Harbeck store, in 1882. In
the former his ears were almost burned off
and were sw6llen to several times their nor-
mal size for days afterward; in the latter he
was one of the daring band of nineteen, all
of whom were injured, while one was killed.
268
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
in a desperate attempt to save endangered
property. He it was, at the Brooklyn The-
ater fire, who first suggested that there might
be bodies in the ruins. Chief Nevins had
put out the fire and soal'ced the ruins with
water and nearly all of the firemen had gone
home, when Mr. Dale said he believed many
people had been lost in the theater, notwith-
standing the assertion of the police that all
had escaped. His judgment was correct, for
upon investigation more than three hundred
bodies were taken out.
One of the largest fires which Chief Dale
was called upon to fight was that of Newtown
Creek. The blaze started in a whiting factory,
around which were lumber yards covering
hundreds of acres — a splendid thing for the
flames to feed upon, and when it was all over
pile after pile of half burned boards showed
how strenuously Captain Dale and his men
had worked to impede the progress of the
destroying element. In the meantime envy
and the ambition of others had set on foot
a plan to get rid of Captain Dale, who had
reached the age limit of service, and whose
place was sought by others. Charges were
made of inefficient service at the Newtown
Creek fire, but Commissioner Learnell exoner-
ated him and praised highly his conduct infight-
ing fires. That eflfort failing, it was then at-
tempted to secure his removal on the grounds
of physical disability, but it was not until
four months before his death that this was
done.
It was a great blow to Captain Dale to
have to give up his chosen life work, and
when he did not have the stimulus which it
gave him he failed quite rapidly. Heart trou-
ble and nervous indigestion undermined his
once strong constitution, and undoubtedly the
malady was greatly aggravated by the fact that
his life occupation was gone, and to a man of
his active, energetic nature, work was a neces-
sity. He spent many hours in the fire de-
partments and in neighborhoods where his
labors had called him, and ever manifested the
same genial, jovial spirit, but the end came,
after a few weeks of illness. The personal
characteristics of the man endeared him to
a very large circle of friends. None who
ever saw him at a fire ever doubted his per-
sonal bravery and valor. Those who knew
aught of his methods also recognized his cool-
ness in times of excitement, the calmness and
soundness of his judgment, which permitted
him to use to the best advantages the oppor-
tunities and the equipments at hand. They
also saw that study and experience had well
qualified him for the most responsible work
which fell to his lot. His co-laborers and
his friends in social life always found him
with a ready smile and pleasant word, and
the true nobility of his nature was manifest
in countless little acts of his everyday life
as well as upon momentous occasions when
he faced peril and death.
WILLIAM KING CORT.
William King Cort, whose influence and
activity were factors in the business and re-
ligious life of the Eastern District, was born
on the Bowery in New York, March 3, 1829.
He was the son of Elizabeth King, of the
old New England King family, and Nicholas
Cort, who was the grandson of Michael House-
worth, one of the pioneer settlers of New
York city, who was killed during the Revolu-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
271
tionary War. Nicholas Cort, a genial, happy-
hearted Methodist, was a stove manufacturer,
and introduced the use of anthracite coal for
heating purposes. In 1823 he established a
business in New York city which had a con-
tinuous exi,stence for more than eighty years.
He conducted stores both on the Bowery and
in Water street, and was succeeded in mer-
cantile life by his sons. He had five sons and
three daughters, six of whom survived him,
and until the demise of William K. Cort,
there had been no death in his family during
a quarter of a century.
William K. Cort was reared in New York
city, educated in the Mechanic's School, and
was for more than forty years a resident of the
city, but for the last thirty years of his life he
was a resident of the Eastern District of
Brooklyn.' He was with his father in business
until the Gold Fever of 1849, when he went
to California, fully equipped with material for
establishing a business such as he was familiar
with in the new west. He even carried with
him a portable house, which was quite a nov-
elty in those early days. His long six months'
trip 'in a sailing vessel to that new country
was one of great interest, and he never tired
of telling, nor his family of hearing, of those
thrilling incidents of his life on shipboard. He
visited various ports in Mexico and South
America along the route. The voyage around
Cape Horn, while a rough one and attended
with difficulties, was safely made, and the de-
sired haven reached at last. He stayed in
California about five years, with more or less
success in his business venture, when on a
summons home to see his mother, who had
what was supposed to be a fatal illness, he
returned, and yielded to his family's persua-
sions to remain in the east, though he fully ap-
preciated the beauty and wonder, to say noth-
ing of the promise, of that new land of the
west. After his return to New York his busi-
ness career was identified with the mercantile
enterprises of his father, and in this line he
continued with more or kss activity until his
death, which occurred on the 27th of February,
1903.
He was a zealous member of St. John's
Methodist Episcopal Church, with which he
united during the period of its early history.
His labors in its behalf extended to many
lines of religious activity, and as an official
member he was known as trustee and as class
leader, while he regularly served as usher in
the church until his wife's feeble health pre-
vented her from accompanying him, and he
gradually fell into the habit of spending his
entire Sabbath at home in her company, as, in
fact, was all of his leisure time, his love of
home being intense.
He was a man of striking appearance, of
marked vitality, and with a vigorous consti-
tution, which enabled him to continue an ac-
tive life, untiringly at the period when vigor
usually gives way to age. He neither felt nor
acted old, his favorite reply to an inquiry as
to his health being, "Pretty well for a young
fellow." He possessed a most genial, happy
disposition, which, combined with his high
Christian character, gained for him the love
and respect of many. His kindly, sympathetic,
unselfish nature influenced him in his rela-
tions to those with whom he came in contact,
and he took great pleasure in doing a friendly
turn or granting a favor.
He was married in 1858 to Charlotte A.
Conklin, and lived a harmonious and beautiful
272
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
life with her until his death. She survives
him with four daughters : Ida Cort Davenport ;
Lottie A. Cort, M. D., a practicing physician
in Brooklyn; May Isabel, wife of William C.
Black; and Marion Willa, wife of George P.
Needham. Also four grandchildren, daugh-
ters and son oi William C. and May C. Black :
Lottie Cort, William Clayton, Jean Van Hol-
land, and Ruth Havens Black.
DAVID B. POWELL.
David B. Powell, a native of Rockville Cen-
ter, Queens county. Long Island, is a descen-
dant of an old and eminently respected family.
His grandfather, Stephen Powell, was among
the early settlers of Rockville Center, and
his ancestors were among the colonists who -
came to Long Island from New England.
Family tradition states that they were of Eng-
lish origin. Stephen Powell was a farmer by
occupation and followed that line of work
for the greater part of his life in the town of >
Rockville Center, where his death occurred at
the age of more than four score and ten years.
Among his children was a son, Thomas Pow-
ell, who was reared and educated at Rockville
Center and spent the majority of his life upon
the family homestead. He, like his father, was
a tiller of the soil, and at the time of his death
had attained nearly four score years of age.
He was united in marriage to Sarah Cornwell,
who was of English descent, and a daughter of
William Cornwell, the mother dying when
their daughter Sarah was an infant, therefore
not much is known of her family record. The
following named children were born to Mr.
and Mrs. Powell : William, David B., Henry
S., Stephen, Gideon N., and Thomas Powell,
all of whom married and attained mature years
of life with the exception of Henry S., who
died a bachelor. The mother of these children
lived to the extreme old age of ninety-six
years.
David B. Powell was born September 23,
1 82 1. He spent his childhood in the parental
homestead, and received his early educational
training in the schools of the neighborhood.
When he was fifteen years of age he decided to
begin life on his own account, his first employ-
ment being in a grocery store in Brooklyn,
where he continued in the same line of work
for three years. During this time the ambi-
tious clerk sought to improve every opportun-
ity for accjuiring more knowledge, and so suc-
cessful was he in his object that at the
expiration of his three years of clerkship he
was cjualified to become a teachef. He then
returned to Rockville Center, where he taught
school for about two years, after which he re-
turned to Brooklyn and established a grocery
business of his own on Myrtle avenue, he being
then only twenty years of age. In this under-
taking he met with a well merited degree of
success, and in 1865, wishing to engage in a
line of business which would afford a broader
field for trade, he engaged in the boot and shoe
jobbing and wholesale trade at No. 6 Warren
street, New York city, where by his perse-
verance and industry he built up the nucleus
of a successful business. The demands of the
trade having outgrown his facilities, he re-
moved his business to No. 130 Duane street,
where he soon after organized the firm of
Powell, Broiher & Co., which consisted of
David B. Powell, as the senior member, his
brother Gideon N. Powell and Enoch R. Tuth-
ill. Under the well directed efforts of these
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
273
three gentlemen the business rapidly increased
in volume and importance, and the name of
the firm became everywhere known as synon-
ymous with straightforward and honorable
business methods. Mr. Powell continued his
active participation in the conduct of the busi-
ness up to 1894, when owing to his numerous
and varied interests he withdrew from the ac-
tive managenient of the firm, but retaining his
interest in the same. His son, Leander T.
Powell, a member of the firm of Powell &
Campbell, having died in 1893, Mr. Powell
assumed the direction of the business, and
th? following year, upon the demise of Mr.
Campbell, he purchased his interest and has
conducted the business up to the present time.
Thus it will be seen that the name of Powell
has been uninterruptedly associated with the
wholesale shoe business in New York city
' for nearly forty years. Having started from
a modest beginning, Mr. Powell has by his
indefatigable perseverance and straightfor-
ward business methods aided materially in
building up a business aggreg'ating nearly
two million dollars annually. In addition to
his commercial interests Mr. Powell is con-
•nected with a number of leading financial
institutions. In 1886 he was elected presi-
dent of the National City Bank of Brooklyn,
a position which he filled for nine consecu-
tive years, after which he resigned, owing to
the increased demand upon his time by his
numerous other interests ; he, however, is still
a member of the directorate of th'e bank. He
is an active member of the board of direc-
tors of the Washington Trust Company of
New York city; the Hamilton Trust Com-
pany of Brooklyn ; the New York and New
Jersey Telephone Company ; the Phoenix In-
surance Company of Brooklyn; and the
Brooklyn Warehouse and Dry Dock Com-
pany. While Mr. Powell has never shirked
his duties as a citizen, he has always
refused public preferment, choosing rather
to give his undivided time and attention
to his varied business interests. In brief, to
sum up the various characteristics which have
insured success in his entire business career,
it can be correctly stated that he is a self-
made man in the fullest sense in which the
term is applied.
Mr. Powell was married at Miiburn, Queens
county. Long Island, January 3, 1843, to Miss
Hester A. Treadwell, daughter of William and
Elizabeth (Cornell) Treadwell, both of whom
were natives of Long Island. Their son,
Leander T. Powell, was born June 11, 1845,
and died March 3, 1893. The faithful wife
and mother passed away September 17, 1901.
She was a most estimable lady, possessed of
many excellencies of character, and was be-
loved and esteemed by all who came in con-
tact with her.
LEANDER T. POWELL.
Leander T. Powell, son of David B. and
Hester A. (Treadwell) Powell, was' born at
the family homestead in the Fourth Ward,
Brooklyn, June 11, 1845. His educational
training was obtained under the tuition of
private tutors. When he was eighteen years
of age he began his first employment, in a
clerical capacity, with the Moritauk Insurance
Company of Brooklyn, where he continued
for some time. Soon after he had attained
his majority he decided to begin business on
his own -account, being possessed of good
274
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
purpose and a strong determination to suc-
ceed. He began in the shoe jobbing and
wholesale trade at number 20 Warren street,
New York city, in partnership with Aaron
Smith, under the firm name of Aaron Smith
& Company. The business was successfully
continued by this firm until Mr. Smith's
death. The enterprise had attained consid-
erable proportions under the well directed
efforts of these two gentlemen, and Mr. Pow-
ell soon after associated himself with Robert
Campbell, and they moved their establish-
ment to 122 and 124 Duane street, under the
firm name of Powell and Campbell. Here the
business was successfully continued under the
able management and direction of Mr. Powell
and his associate, and for about a quarter of a
century the firm name of Powell & Campbell
enjoyed a foremost place in the wholesale
shoe trade in the metropolis, and the firm
name was always regarded as synonymous
with straightforward business methods.
Mr. Powell, not unlike his father, was also
identified with several leading financial insti-
tutions. He was one of the organizers and
for a number of years served on the board of
directors of the Washington Trust Company
of New York city, and was also a member
of the directorate of the National City Bank
of Brooklyn, of which institution his father
had honorably served as president for a pe-
riod of nine years.
Mr. Powell was married in February, 1882,
to Miss Rebecca B. Frances, daughter of John
and Isabella Frances, both of Brooklyn, and
to this union had born to him two children
viz. : Isabella F., who became the wife of
Dr. C. S. Elevash, of New York city,- and
has one son, Baisley Powell Elevash. The sec-
ond child of the marriage of our subject is
Ethel H. The father of these children passed
away March 3, 1893, leaving to his family an
ample competence ■ and the priceless heritage
of an honorable name. Mr. Powell was a
most worthy and good citizen and in all his re-
lations in life conscientiously performed his
duties according to his just convictions. He
was a kind and loving husband, and an in-
dulgent parent to his children.
THOMAS F. BYRNES.
Thomas F. Byrnes, collector of city revenue
and superintendent of markets, for many years
a well known contractor on public work in
Brooklyn, and one of the leaders of the Demo-
cratic party in the Eleventh Assembly Dis-
trict, was born May 2, 1859, in Brooklyn, New
York, of Irish parentage.
His educational privileges were those af-
forded by public school No. 3, and after lay-
ing aside his text books he served an appren-
ticeship at the trade of blacksmith, which line
of work he followed for twelve or thirteen
years. He then devoted his attention to work
for the city. He also performed macadam
work in Flushing, Bayside, the Eastern Park-
way, about $260,000 worth of work on the
streets of New Utrecht, Glenmore avenue
from old city line to East New York, to
Woodhaven, besides other large and import-
ant contracts in Brooklyn. Prior to his en-
tering the political arena as a candidate for
legislative honors he was prominently identi-
fied with labor matters, having served as dele-
gate to District Assembly No. 75, Knights of
Labor, member of the Central Labor Union,
and for two terms was president of the Na-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND. ,
275
tional Association of Journeymen Horse-
shoers.
During the years 1890-91-92-93, four terms,
he served as a member of assembly, was then
appointed deputy commissioner of water sup-
ply, gas and electricity, January i, 1904, and
later received his present appointment, having
been removed for political reasons as deputy
cratic Club, member of Christopher Council,
K. of C, and a delegate to various conven-
tions.
commissioner of water supply, gas and elec-
tricity. He is a member of the Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks, serving as a
member of the board of trustees of the same;
member of the Democratic Club of New
York ; member of and president of the Monroe
Democratic Club ; member of the Eleventh
Assembly District Democratic Club; one of
the incorporators 6f the Kings County Demo-
CHARLES H. DUTCHER.
Charles H. Dutcher, deceased, for many
years an active and influential factor in the
financial and church circles of Brooklyn, New
York, was born in Sheffield, Massachusetts,
and traced his lineage tO' a mixed Puritan
and Holland Dutch stock. He possessed a
weight of character, a native sagacity, a keen
and far-seeing judgment, and a fidelity of pur-
pose that commanded the respect of all with
whom he was brought in contact either in a
business or social relation.
The public school and the town academy
of Sheffield, Massachusetts, aflforded Charles
H. Dutcher a practical English education
which qualified him for an active and use-
ful career. In early life he settled in Hart-
ford, Connecticut, and for a - short period of
time was employed in a mercantile business.
During the year 1855 he removed to Brook-
lyn, New York, and engaged in the commis-
sion business, which he conducted until the
outbreak of hostilities between the north and
south, when he enlisted as a private in Com-
pany A, Thirteenth Regiment, New York
State M.ilitia, which was assigned to- duty un-
der the command of General Benjamin F.
Butler and stationed first at Annapolis, Mary-
land. He remained with the regiment until
his term of service expired and then returned
to his home in Brooklyn. In 1865 he entered
the service of the Continental Fire Insurance
Company, was attached to the Brooklyn
branch, and served in various capacities un-
276
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
til he was appointed to the secretaryship,
which post he held up to within a few months
prior to his decease. He was one of the or-
ganizers of the Baptist Home, in Brooklyn,
served as its secretary from 1875 to 1883,
when he was appointed president, and from
that year up to his death he creditably and
efficiently performed the duties of that office ;
he was also one of the organizers and the
treasurer of the Brooklyn Boys' Club. He
was a- constituent member of the Emanuel
Baptist church, which is under the pastoral
care of Dr. Humpstone, was a deacon from
the time of its organization, and for many
years served in the capacity of superintendent
of the Sunday-school. He was an active par-
ticipant in the better part of politics, and
fulfilled all the duties and obligations of a
loyal and public-spirited citizen. He held
membership in the Veteran Association of the
Thirteenth Regiment, the Ulysses S. Grant
Post No. 327, Grand Army of the Republic,
and the Society of Old Brooklynites.
In 1859 Mr. Dutcher married Amanda
Strong, daughter of Captain Henry and Eliza
Strong, and six children were the issue of
this union. The illness of Mr. Dutcher, which
resulted in his death in Octobef, 1903, began
with an attack of angina pectoris in May,
1903, and wa.s aggravated by a complication
of diseases. Although in his sixty-ninth year,
he was strong and vigorous and his death was
a severe shock to many of his friends, who
were unav/are of his illness. The funeral
servites were conducted in the Emanuel Bap-
tist church, and from pulpit to door there was
not a vacant seat. But a crowded church,
sweet music, and eloquent and fitting ad-
dress — these do not suffice to characterize this
unusual occasion. It was due to, and can be
understood only by the life and record of the
man, and it signalized the fact that in these
days when materialism seems to reign tri-
umphant, spirituality still has its own scep-
ter, its own power. His service to Brook-
lyn was a service of goodness. Widows and
orphans, charitable societies, wordly men to
whom he brought the vision of the other
world, the poor and suffering, the white and
black man, all these rise up and call him
blessed. The following is an extract from
the address of Dr. Humpstone : " 'My dear,'
said the dying Bunsen to his wife, 'in your
face I see a revelation of the eternal' — in
Charles H. Butcher's face we saw a revela-
tion of the divine — God grant him rest !"
HENRY. EDWIN NESMITH.
Henry E. Nesmith, prominent in business
in Brooklyn and New York, is a native of the
city, born in 1854, son of Henry Edwin and
Sarah (Macomber) Nesmith, and grandson
of James Nesmith, who was a native of Bel-
fast, Maine. James Nesmith 'came to New
York in 1828, where he was a shipowner and
merchant, maintaining bis office on South
street. New York city, where the son and
grandson were since located.
Henry Edwin Nesmith (father) was born
in Adams street, Brooklyn, his parents having
removed thence from Boston. He was edu-
cated in public school No. i, and subsequently
engaged in a .shipping and commission busi-
ness, at his death being the surviving mem-
ber of the firm of Nesmith & Sons, founded in
1828. He erected the house in which he died,
No. 117 Remsen street, Brooklyn, forty-eight
■^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
279
years ago, at that time there being but half a
dozen houses in the block. He served as a
director of the Mechanics' National Bank for
thirty-three years. He died at the age of
seventy-three years. Of the children born to
him and his wife, Sarah (Macomber) Ne-
smith, a member of an old family of Boston,
Massachusetts, the following named survive
him: Henry E. Nesmith, Mrs. Benjamin A.
Jessup, of Brooklyn; Mrs. Henry E. Baxter,
of Montclair, New Jersey; Howard M-
Nesmith, of Flushing, Long Island; Mrs. Ed-
ward H. Shethar, of Great Neck, Long Island ;
and Charles A. Nesmith, of Flushing, Long
Island. Twenty-three of his grandchildren
were living at the time of his death.
Henry E. Nesmith, son of Henry E. and
Sarah (Macomber) Nesmith, was educated in
the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. In
1875 he entered the shipping and warehouse
business established by his grandfather, and
in 1893 his brother, Howard M. Nesmith, be-
came associated with him in its conduct. Mr.
Nesmith is the president of the Nesmith &
Constantine Company, whose business is the
storing of mahogany, cedar and other hard
woods. He is also interested in various other
corporations. He has taken an active and in-
telligent interest in public affairs, and was
prominent in the famous "Citizens' Move-
ment" of some years ago. He is a member
of the Chamber of Commerce, the Produce and
Maritime Exchanges, and of the Sons of the
Revolution ; also of the Lawyers, Hamilton,
Oxford and Crescent Clubs, and the Citizens'
League, and with his family is a pewholder in
Emanuel Baptist Qiurch.
Mr. Nesmith married in 1878 Miss Sarah
Mann Macomber, of Boston, Massachusetts,
and to them were born four children — Sarah
Helena, Ralph H., Ruth and Ethel C. Nesmith.
The family reside at No. 265 Washington ave-
nue, Brooklyn.
ALBRO J. NEWTON.
Faithfulness to duty and strict adherence to
a fixed purpose in life will do more to advance
a man's interests than wealth or advantageous
circumstances. The successful men of the day
are they who have planned their own advance-
ment and have accomplished- it in spite of many
obstacles and with a certainty that could have
been obtained only through their own efforts.
Of this class is Albro J. Newton a representa-
tive,, and his extensive business interests now
bring him an excellent financial return. At
the same time he belongs to that class of rep-
resentative Americans whose labors result not
alone to their individual prosperity, but are
far-reaching in their valuable influence and
public aid.
Mr. Newton is numbered among the native
sons of the Empire State, his birth having, oc-
curred in Sherburne, Chenango county, New
York, in 1832. His father, William Newton,
was a native of Connecticut, but located in
New York in the early period of the nine-
teenth century. He became a farmer and
contractor, and was not only known as a
prominent business man but was also one of
the foremost citizens of his native town, and
was honored with various public offices. He
was likewise a member of the Congregational
church, and did all in his power for the pro-
motion of Christian principles among his fel-
low men. His death occurred in 1879, when
he had reached the age of ninety-three years.
280
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
and his wife passed away in 1883, when ninety-
four years of age. The worthy couple traveled
life's journey together as man and wife for
sixty-nine years, and were the parents of
eleven children, nine of whom reached mature
life, while some attained to prominence in pro-
fessional circles.
Albro J. Newton pursued his education in
Sherburne Academy of his native town, and
after leaving school remained upon the farm
until 1854, when he went to Binghamton,
New York, and entered into partnership in the
lumber business with Whitman Kenyon. The
firm carried on operations at that place until
1861, when they decided to remove their busi-
ness to Brooklyn, and under the firm name of
Ken3'on & Newton they soon established an
extensive business as dealers in lumber and
manufacturers of doors, sashes and blinds, on
Wyckoff street. In 1867 the enterprise was
removed to its present location on Union
street, they being forced to secure more com-
modious quarters in order to meet the grow-
ing demands of a constantly increasing pat-
ronage. The plant now covers a space of
seventy city lots, and employment is fur-
nished to from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred men. Whitman W. Kenyon, son of
Mr. Kenyon, was admitted to the firm, and
on the retirement of the senior partner in
1893, Mr. Newton and Whitman W. Kenyon
continued the enterprise. In 1897 the busi-
ness was incorporated with Mr. Newton as
president, L. A. Lewis as vice-president, and
William L. Newton as secretary and treas-
ury:.
Mr. Newton is a man of strong business
force and sound judgment, as well as resource-
ful ability, and his efforts have been extended
into many fields of labor. He is a director of
the Eighth Ward Bank, and of the Kings
County Bank, also of the Franklin Trust
Company, and is a trustee for the Brooklyn
Society for Saving. He is likewise vice-presi-
dent for the Lumbermen's Association of New
York and trustee of the South Brooklyn Sav-
ings Institution.
In the year i860 Mr. Newton was united in
marriage with Miss Delia Lewis, a daughter
of Nathaniel L. Lewis, of Otsego county. New
York, and by their union were born four
children : Grace^ now the wife of A. G,. Dana ;
Harriet, wife of Edwin R. Dimond, of San
Francisco, California ; William L., who mar-
ried Florence E., a daughter of Joseph E.
Crown, of Brooklyn, and has one child ; and
Adelia L., who completes the family. The
mother passed away in 1878.
Mr. Newton is a trustee of Pilgrim Church,
and has given a hearty co-operation to many
movements which have contributed in a large
measure to the improvement and upbuilding
of the city. Few lives furnish so striking an
example of the wise application of sound prin-
ciples and safe conservatism as does that of
Mr. Newton. The story of his success is short
and simple, containing no exciting chapters,
but in it lies one of the most valuable secrets
of the great prosperity which it records, and
his private and business life are pregnant with
interest and incentive, no matter how lacking
in dramatic action — the record of a noble Hfe,
consistent with itself and its possibilities in
every particular.
CAPTAIN CHARLES C. BARNES.
Captain Charles C. Barnes, deceased, for
almost half a centurv a resident of Brook-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
281
lyn, New York, widely known in political and
military circles and in religious and benevo-
lent activities, was born February 25, 1824,
in the district now known as the east side of
New York city, which at that time was one
of the best, but subsequently he became a resi-
dent of the eastern district of the borough of
Brooklyn, and his interest in community af-
fairs was manifest by co-operation in many
measures for the public good. His father
died when he was sixteen months old, and his
mother was left with two sons tO' support.
Charles C. Barnes was reared on the east
side of New York city and attended the pub-
lic schools in the neighborhood of his home.
During his boyhood he secured employment
in. a stationery store in New York and after-
ward as a clerk in the employ of Crocker &
Warren, East India merchants, whose place
of business was destroyed by the great fire of
1845. After five years' service with the house,
in recognition of his valuable and conscien-
tious labor, he was given charge of a vessel
and sent to Calcutta, India, to purchase a
one hundred thousand dollar cargo of goods,
he being then only twenty-one years of age.
About this time he met his future estimable
wife, who, after her marriage, accompaniril
him on some of his subsequent five voyages to
Calcutta, on one of which the ship was
wrecked and lost off the coast of Africa, but
Captain Barnes returned, procured another
vessel and made the trip. As the climate'of
India was unhealthful to Mrs. Barnes, and
not wishing to be away from his wife and
home as long as the trips necessitated, he
abandoned them entirely and became a weigh-
er of East India goods, in which he continued
until seventy-twO' years of age, when he re-
tired from active pursuits.
At the time of the Civil war Mr. Barnes
espoused the cause of the Union and fought
for its defense on southern battlefields, per-
forming his full duty as a soldier. He was
afterward one of the organizers of the Forty-
seventh Regiment of the New York National
Guard, and became a captain of Company
B. Later he was affiliated with the Veteran
Organization of that regiment, and his deep
interest in military circles never abated. At
the time of his death he was one of the old-
est trustees of the Eastern District Hospital,
was ever deeply interested in its afifairs, and
gave effective co-operation in its practical and
commendable work. He was likewise zealous <
and untiring in behalf of the growth of the
Tompkins Avenue Congregational church and
in the extension of its influence, and for
fifteen years served as one of its official mem-
bers. Fraternally he was connected with
Hyatt Lodge No. 215, Free and Accepted
Masons. Captain Barnes was very highly
esteemed by all who^ knew him, and he had
many warm friendships. He possessed a very
genial nature and atfectionate disposition, and
was always extremely solicitous and affec-
tionate in his devotion to his wife, who had
been his faithful companion for over fifty
years. While Captain Barnes never sought
political preferment of prominence outside of
the borough of Brooklyn, yet because of his
close connection with the various activities
mentioned and because of the sterling traits
of his character, he so endeared himself to
his fellowmen as to cause his death to be
the occasion of deep and uniform regret
throughout Brooklyn, and when he passed
282
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
away on May 5, 1903, his remains were in-
terred with both Masonic and Military honors.
In June, 1848, Captain Barnes was married,
and a half century later he and his wife cele-
brated their golden wedding anniversary. His
widow, in the eighty-sixth year of her age,
survives him, as do also five children : Charles
W., George H., Mrs. Richard Kelley, Mrs.
Samuel Brown, and Mrs. Paintor Meserole.
ALLEN GRAY.
Allen Gray, deceased, was for nearly a half
century one of the most widely and favorably
known business men of Brooklyn, and one
whose graces of personal character endeared
him to an unusually large number of personal
friends, particularly in the eastern district of
the city where was his home and where his
social life was passed in greater part.
Mr. Gray was a native of the state of New
York, born in CHnton, April 8, 1816. With
such educational preparation as the public
schools could afford, he eijtered upon an act-
ive career at the early age of sixteen, engag-
ing in a clothing business in New York city
in association with his brother-in-law, James
Vance. They were reasonably successful, but
conceived the idea that the south presented a
more promismg field, and they went to New
Orleans, Louisiana, where they opened a store
in the same line of trade. Success attended
them, and they soon established a branch store
at Little Rock, Arkansas. They were now
on the high road to larger enterprises, but
there were serious obstacles. Mr. Gray was
unacclimated, and yellow fever had broken out
in a virulent form, while at the same time
the mutterings of the approaching Civil war
were already to be heard. Fearing for his
health, and also apprehensive of a paralyza-
tion of business, Mr. Gray closed out his af-
fairs and took his departure for Brooklyn,
New York, which was destined to be his home
and the scene of his activity during the re-
mainder of his life.
Associating with himself Mr. Edward
Smith, in the firm of A. Gray & Company,
the two opened a clothing store at 51 Fourth
street, now Bedford avenue, on the site of
the building of the Nassau Trust Company.
From the first Mr. Gray devoted all his ener-
gies to the upbuilding of the business, and
during his entire connection with it was noted
for his great industry, sagacity and progres-
siveness. He was almost restless in his activ-
ity, and was ever on the alert to find new
channels of trade, and his effort found its re-
ward in a continuous expansion which neces-
sitated various changes in the personnel of
the firm and in the location of its establish-
ment. After a time T. S. Cooper was ad-
niited to partnership, and the firm became
Smith, Gray, Cooper & Company. Mr. Cooper
subsequently withdrew and was succeeded by
John S. McKeon, and the style of the firm
was changed to Smith, Gray, McKeon &
Company. The business was removed to a
larger house at 93 and 97 Broadway, which
came to be known as the Smith Building.
The building of an addition soon became nec-
essary, and not long afterward, another
removal was made to the present location at
Broadway and Bedford avenue, and it was
here that the business passed intO' the hands
of Smith, Gray & Company. During all these
years Mr. Gray was the moving spirit, and
the mainspring of the various movements
J^^i^ ,y^a.^iyL^(y<l-dh^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
285
which resulted in an almost phenomenal ex-
pansion of its field until it came to be nuriiT
bered among the most progressive and. suc-
cessful mercantile houses of the city. Mr.
Gray was particularly sagacious in recogniz-
ing opportunities, and he established a num-
ber of branch stores at eligible points.
During the months of his application to
business Mr. Gray exerted himself to the ut-
most, but soon after his firm establishment he
made it his custom to pass a summer vaca-
tion each year at Saratoga. Here in the year
1900 he first realized that he had overtaxed
his strength. He was attacked with heart fail-
ure and dropsy, and he at once returned home,
where he was afforded the best of medical at-
tendance. On several occasions afterward he
sought recuperation in the bracing atmos-
phere of the Blue Ridge, in Virginia, but
without avail. While practically invalided
from the first appearance of his ailment until
his demise, he did not lose his buoyancy of
spirit, rarely complained, and kept in touch
with his business affairs, in an advisory and
directory way, and for these reasons, in spite
of his greatly advanced age (eighty-seven
years), many of his friends entertained the
hope that he would yet be. spared for some
years. They were doomed, however, to a
bitter disappointment, and the stricken man
passed away. The sorrow of the afflicted was
intensified by the illness of a daughter-in-law
of Mr. Gray, Mrs. Leslie Gray, who was
scarcely convalescent after a serious attack of
typhoid fever. On this account the funeral
was private. The officiating clergyman was
the pastor and close personal friend of the
deceased, the Rev. Dr. Darlington, who pro-
nounced a fervent tribute in which he said
of Mr. Gray that "he was a man of kindly
disposition, liberal to those in need, and de-
voted to his home and family." The inter-
ment took place in Greenwood cemetery, by
the side of the wife of his youth, a woman
of lovely character who had been his de-
voted companion for but a few months less
than fifty years. She was Miss Eliza Smith,
to whom he was married September 25, 1844,
and who died June 23, 1894. Surviving the
parents are two children — Leslie H. Gray and
Mrs. James E. Wilson.
Mr. Gray was an attendant at Christ church
(Protestant Episcopal) Bedford avenue. He
was a member of Metropolitan Lodge, ,F. &
A. M., of Ancient Chapter, No. i, R. A. M.,
and of the Hanover Club. He was warmly
benevolent, and his aid was freely extended
to deserving objects, through organized chari-
ties and in personal contact with those who
were the recipients of his bounty.
WILLIAM FRAZJER GARRISON.
William Frazier Garrison was born in
Brooklyn, within the limits of what consti-
tuted the old village, on January 3, 1833. He
died at his country home at Morristown, New
Jersey, on July 8, 1902. His life record cov-
ering a period of sixty-nine years is the
history of unwearied industry, honorable en-
deavor and successful accomplishment.
Mr. Garrison was the youngest child of
Jacob Garrison and Huldah Deming Richard-
son. His mother was of Etnglish extraction,
the Richardsons being among the early set-
tlers of Connecticut. On his father's side he
was descended from Dutch ancestors who es-
tablished themselves in New Utrecht, Long
286
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Island, and in the highlands of the Hudson.
It was in the former township that his grand-
father, John Garrison, was born and spent his
boyhood, removing to the village of Brooklyn
shortly after reaching manhood. John Garri-
son was a man of importance and influence in
the community. He served as justice of the
peace at a time when the office was a respon-
sible and respected one, and his massive fig-
ure stands prominently forth in Guy's picture
of early Brooklyn which was painted at that
time and now hangs on the walls of the Long
Island Historical Society. Other members of
the family have also figured in the public life
of the city, including two uncles of Mr. Gar-
rison. One of these was Samuel Garrison,
county judge, who is still remembered by
the older members of the bar, and the other
was Fletcher Garrison, who served as coun-
ty treasurer, and was a recognized leader in
local political circles.
As a lad Mr. Garrison displayed decided
mechanical talent, and his inclination in this
direction was so marked that at a very early
age he entered the machine-shop of Worth-
ington & Baker. In those days the life of an
apprentice was not an easy one; but, notwith-
standing long hours and hard work, he found
spare time during the first year of his service
to construct a small steam engine which he
put in successful operation. While still in his
minority he formed a partnership with the
late William H. Guild, under the name of
Guild & Garrison, their capital consisting
largely of hope, skill and industry. The new
firm began its existence in a small room in
a building which stood near the foot of South
Tenth street, where the present factory is situ-
ated. Here they took up the manufacture of
a pump designed to be operated by steam
without the use of a fly-wheel, or what is
now known as the direct-acting pump. They
had few tools and appliances, and the ma-
chines of this type so far designed had been
imperfect and unreliable and largely experi-
mental. All difficulties were, however, even-
tually overcome and a practical machine was
produced.
In the history of engineering, the devel-
opment of the direct-acting steam pump is
considered by some as being quite as impor-
tant as that of the Corliss engine. It is a
question whether it was not of greater value,
as it had a greater range of application. The
firm was closely identified with this invention.'
Afterward other companies took up its manu-
facture, and the capital now invested runs in-
to millions of dollars. With the improve-
ments made in the machine, the demand
increased, and the business of the firm was
gradually extended to the whole field of
hydraulic and pneumatic machinery. Among
other devices they built one of the first suc-
cessful steam fire engines. Larger quarters
were secured, and later a factory was erected
and equipped. The wants of the sugar refin-
ing and planting industries, the growth of
which, were contemporaneous, becoming im-
portant and calling for the designing of spe-
cial pumping machinery, the principal part
of this work was delegated to the firm. About
i860 Mr. Garrison made an extended visit
to Cuba, where he was engaged in remodeling
and refitting some of the large plantation-
houses. He was v/ell known as an engineer
of large practical ability in the lines in which
he was associated, and was the inventor of
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
287
many valuable devices in connection with
pumps and air compressors.
For the last ten or twelve years of his life
Mr. Garrison did not coniine himself closely
to his old business. It was during this time
that he became identified with the Manufac-
turers' National Bank, of which he was vice-
president, and with the Nassau Trust Com-
pany, in which he served as a member of the
executive committee. The president of the
latter company in speaking of him said : "He
was the most thorough-going business man
with whom I have ever had the pleasure of
coming in contact ;" and continuing, said :
"He was one of the kindest of men and his
disposition was of the sweetest character."
It was this disposition that led him to become
interested in many charitable and benevolent
enterprises, and his private charities were
numerous, but unobtrusively bestowed.
Mr. Garrison was married to Ellen C. Guild,
a daughter of his partner, and to her and to
his daughter, their only child, he was de-
votedly attached. His kindly spirit extended
to all with whom he had business or social
relations.
JAMES EDWARD DEAN.
James Edward Dean, well known and pop-
ular in social and club circles of Brooklyn
and of equally wide and favorable acquaint-
ance in business circles of Manhattan, was
born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1841, his
parents being James and Sarah D. (Chase)
Dean, of Clitheroe, England. After acquir-
ing his education in the public schools he
entered the field of commerce as an employe
in the house of Reed, Chadwick & Dexter, of
Boston, and his faithfulness and capability led
to his retention in that service for several
years. In 1864 he went to New York with
Edward E. Poor, when that gentleman began
business in Manhattan, and when the latter
became a member of the firm of Gardner, Dex-
ter & Company, Mr. Dean went with him to
the new house and there i-emained until the
formation of the firm of Denny, Jones & Poor.
After the death of Mr. Jones the company
was re-organized under the firm style of Den-
ny, Poor & Company, with Mr. Dean as a
partner, and he remained active in the man-
agement of the house until his retirement from
business in 1895. He was also the vice-presi-
dent of the Dime Savings Bank of Brook-
lyn and a director of the Passaic Print Works,
and his business ability found expression in
the expansion of the house with which he
was so long connected and which owed an era
of prosperity in large measure to his untir-
ing eflforts and keen discrimination.
In 1867 Mr. Dean was married to Miss Isa-
bel C. Sanderson, who survives him, together
with their two daughters— Mrs. Alfred H.
Porter and Mrs. Mabel D. Kalbfleisch. He
was very fond of his home and devoted to
the v/elfare of his wife and children. Of
rather retiring disposition, his circle of friends
was select rather than large, and yet he was
a popular member of the Hamilton, Oxford,
Brooklyn and Players clubs and the Mer-
chants Club of New York. He greatly en-
joyed a good story and delighted in telling one,
and he possessed a most kindly and genial dis-
position that won him the good will and
friendship of many with whom he came in
contact — a feeling which often developed into
the stronger ties of friendship. At one time
288
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
he was somewhat active in political affairs of
the borough, and he always took a public-
spirited interest in whatever pertained to gen-
eral progress and substantial improvement.
He was a vestryman in Dr. Baker's Episcopal
church of Brooklyn and until ill health pre-
vented was an active worker in the church.
His death occurred January 22, 1894.
WILLIAM H. DAVOL.
William H. Davol, deceased, was for a full
half century a resident of Brooklyn, and dur-
ing the greater part of this period he was
prominently identified with its industrial and
social life. He came from a sturdy race, and
was a fine type of that New England char-
acter, now all but extinct, and was a potent
factor not only in the material upbuilding of
Brooklyn, but in the development of its social
order and the creation of those institutions
which conduce to ideal citizenship.
His father, John Davol, was one of the
early stockholders of the Walcottville Brass
Company, of Wolcottville, Connecticut, and
was associated with John Hungerford in the
ownership and conduct of that enterprise. Mr.
Davol subsequently severed his connection
with that business, and came to Brooklyn,
bringing with him several experienced em-
ployes who had been associated with him in
the Wolcottville establishment. Here he or-
ganized the Brooklyn Brass and Copper Com-
pany, and became well known as a strong
representative of the brass and copper indus-
try of the country.
William H. Davol was nine years of age
when his father- took up his residence in
Brooklyn. He was afforded excellent educa-
tional advantages in the public schools of
Brooklyn, and under the private tutorship of
the Rev. Samuel T. Seelye, of Wolcottsville,
Connecticut, of whose household he was a
member while he was pursuing his advanced
studies. Meantime, he had also been qualify-
ing himself for an active career by dihgent
application to business affairs. He made his
beginning in the well' known hardware house
of Clark, Bliven & Mead, where he earned
the commendation of his employers, and laid
the foundations of his mercantile character.
He subsequently entered the works of the
Brooklyn Brass & Copper Company, under
the management of his father, and applied
himself with such diligence to the mastering
of whatever work was committed to him as
to secure regular advancement until he was
entirely familiar with every department of the
business, mechanical and directorial. He be-
came a prmcipal stockholder active in the
management of the business, and for many
years prior to his death was the president of
the corporation. It is not too much to say
that through his wise conduct in the direction
of its affairs, the business was expanded to
phenomenal proportions, and this, too, during
a period of remarkable industrial activity and
keenest competition. While holding an as-
sured position in the ranks of manufacturers,
Mr. Davol also maintained a firm place in the
estimation of his employes, for whose welfare
he ever displayed a thoughtful consideration,
treating them as friends as well as servants.
His successful conduct of the affairs of the
Brooklyn Brass and Copper Company neces-
sarily brought Mr. Davol into intimate asso-
ciation with various financial and industrial
circles, and he became actively interested in
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
289
numerous corporations, including the Hamil-
ton Trust Company of Brooklyn, and the
Metal - Exchange, the Mitchell- Vance Com-
pany and the Riley-Klotz Manufacturing
Company of Newark, New Jersey, in each of
which he was a member of the board of
trustees. Jn all these varied relations, as well
as in his personal intercourse with men, he
displayed the admirable traits of the really
self-made man, and was held in honor for his
spotless integrity as well as his masterful
ability. His religion was of that broadly
Christian type which manifests itself in an en-
lightened humanitarianism. He was for sev-
eral years a trustee of Emanuel Baptist church,
and an efficient aid in its maintenance and in
furthering its works of benevolence. He was
a Highly regarded member of the Montauk
Club and the Fulton Club. His principal in-
terest, however, centered in his home and in
his family, whom he surrounded with all that
a refined taste could suggest.
Mr. Davol was married in Wolcottville,
Connecticut, to Miss Jennie Brooker, a daugh-
ter of Samuel Brooker, of that city. Of that
marriage were born three children — William
H. ; Laura, who became the wife of Harry
Seelye, of Waterbury, Connecticut ; and Mar-
ian. Mrs. Davol died in 1898, and her hus-
band survived until December 15, 1903, when
he passed away, leaving to his children, all
of whom survive, the priceless legacy of an
honored name.
ARTHUR J. O'KEEFFE.
Among those whO' have attained to positions
of distinctive preferment in the political cir-
cles of the borough of Brooklyn, New Ybrk,
is Arthur J. O'Keefife, commissioner of sew-
erage, who was born in the Sixth Ward of
Brooklyn, August 28, 1866, a son of William
C. O'Keeffe, who has been a prominent factor
in business circles for forty years, is a mem-
ber of the Master Plumbers' Association, hav-
ing served as its president three terms, and a
staunch supporter, of the principles of De-
mocracy.
Arthur J. O'Keeffe received his education in
public schools Nos. 10 and 40, and public even-
ing high school, from which he was gradu-
ated at the age of sixteen. After serving an
apprenticeship at the trade of plumber he
entered his father's employ and worked as a
journeyman for twelve years, and at the expi-
ration of this period of time he was admitted
290
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
to partnership under the firm name of Wilf-
iam C. O'Keeffe & Son. They conducted an
extensive and lucrative business along the
lines of general sanitary plumbing, giving
employment to about fifty men, and their
places of business were located on Third and
Fifth avenues, Brooklyn. Mr. O'Keeffe was
appointed tO' his present office, that of com-
missioner of sewerage, because of his recog-
nized ability as a practical plumber, being
considered an expert in that line of work, and
not for political reasons. He is also a practi-
cal sanitary engineer, being at the head of a
competent and skillful staff, and his depart-
ment, the work of which is carried out in a
highly gratifying and satisfactory manner, is
looked upon as one of the most improved
under the municipal government in the bor-
ough. He has charge of an ofiice force of
three hundred people, including the engineer-
ing and repairing departments, and at the
present time (1904) they have in process of
construction work to the amount of five mil-
lion dollars, which equals five times as much
as that of the Bronx and Manhattan. The
appropriation for mamtenance was two hun-
dred thousand dollars less than for Manhat-
tan, but Mr. O'Keeffe has succeeded in hav-
ing the annual appropriation favorably re-
ported by the board of aldermen of one hun-
dred thousand dollars more. The department
has under contract and construction contracts
to the amount of seven million dollars for the
year 1904, but this large amount is not ade-
quate for cost of the work contemplated. All
the work of the department is under the per-
sonal supervision' of Mr. O'Keeffe, and the
wonderful development of sewers in the bor-
ough, also the excellency of the work accom-
plished as well as that in course of construc-
tion give ample evidence of his ability and
efficiency. Under his direction the department
of sewers laid in 1904 more miles of sewer in
Brooklyn than were ever before built in a
single year, and fifty per cent more than in
1903 — thirty miles in 1904, and twenty miles
in 1903. His service was so satisfactory that
in 1905 he was the administration candidate
for borough president, to succeed Martin W.
Littleton, who declined a renomination.
Mr. O'Keeflfe is a member of the following
organizations : Brooklyn Club, Catholic Club
of New York, Benevolent and Protective Or-
der of Elks, Knights of Columbus and the
Catholic Benevolent Legion, and is chairman
of the house committee of the Brooklyn Dem-
ocratic Club. His political affiliations are with
the Democratic party.
COLONEL THOMAS A. KERRIGAN.
In his summer residence at Northport, Long
Island, Septem.ber 27, 1903, Colonel Thomas
A. Kerrigan, the owner of the famous Wil-
ioughby Street Auction Rooms, the pictur-
esque and historical Democratic headquarters
of Kings county, died from a complication of
diseases after an illness of six weeks. He was
born in the old fifth ward of Brooklyn in the
year 1833, and his boyhood and early man-
hood were spent in that vicinity. At an early
age he entered politics, and later removed to
the Seventh ward, where he continued his
political life and became the Democratic leader
of the ward. In this office he displayed rare
ability as an organizer and early became an
ally and a valuable lieutenant of Hugh Mc-
Laughlin, the Democratic leader of the county.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
291
Colonel Kerrigan served as sheriff's auc-
tioneer nnder both Democratic and Republican
sheriffs for a period of twenty years prior to
the election of Sheriff Guden. His first auc-
tion rooms were located at 35 Willoughby
street, from there he moved to No. 13, and
about' ten years ago he finally settled in the
present auction rooms at No. 9 Willoughby
street, near the city hall, where for a score of
years Hugh AIcLaughlin, the venerable Dem-
ocratic leader, has held his court, refusing to
transact any business elsewhere. This meet-
ing place has become historical in county,
state and national politics, and the " Wil-
loughby Street Organization " — " Willoughby
Street '' — " Auction Rooms " are terms known
in all parts of the country as symbolical for
the wonderful organization built up and so
ably . maintained by Hugh McLaughlin. In
spite of his wonderful magnetic personality,
Colonel Kerrigan has always been known and
probably always will be known as Mr. Mc-
Laughlin's friend and the owner of the Wil-
loughby Auction Rooms. He was a member
of the old Brooklyn volunteer fire department,
and the news of his death caused the same
sorrowful discussion in the basement of bor-
ough hall as it did in Willoughby street.
Judge Courtney, who was busy distributing
pensions, interrupted his work long enough to
say : " Torn Kerrigan was a good true man ;
his death is a personal loss to all who knew
him.'' A few years ago Colonel Kerrigan took
up his residence at 155 Prospect Place, which
was his Brooklyn home up to the time of his
death. For the past eight years he had been
a summer resident of Northport, Long Island,
owning one of the handsome residences on
Bay View avenue. He was one of the best
known figures about the village, and held the
respect and esteem of all who knew him. He
was greatly interested in St. Philips church,
and was one of the largest contributors to the
maintenance of all church and philanthropic
work.
Throughout his entire life of nearly seventy
years, Mr. Kerrigan was a man of exemplary
habits and never in any way undermined the
strong constitution which he inherited • from
sturdy ancestors. He passed away quietly and
peacefully, surrounded by his immediate fam-
ily, which consisted of his sons, Joseph and
George, and his daughters, Annie, Sarah, Julia
and May Kerrigan. The last rite was admin-
istered to him by the Rev. F. A. McCartney,
pastor of St. Philips Roman Catholic church,
and during the last hours he spoke cheerfully
to the individual members of the family tell-
ing them not to grieve as his life had been a
happy one. His remains were brought to his
late home at 155 Prospect Place, Brooklyn,
vi^here the funeral services were held. His
wife, to whom Mr. Kerrigan was greatly at-
tached, had died about fifteen years before.
One of his sons is the clerk of the court of
special sessions in Brooklyn.
Among the notable politicians who received
the news of the death of Mr. Kerrigan at the
Willottghby Auction Rooms from John Smith,
the manager of the rooms in Mr. Kerrigan's
absence, were : Frank Kerrigan, a brother of
Thomas A. Kerrigan, who was completely
overcome at the sad news ; Bird S. Coler, who
offered his sympathy to the bereaved brother ;
and Hugh McLaughlin, who said, " Tom Ker-
rigan and I have been friends all our lives.
He was a good solid man and a loyal friend.
I feel a deep personal loss, but I don't feel like
292
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
talking about it." A'^ery few of the old-time
Brooklyn Democrats, life-long friends of Col-
onel Kerrigan, had not heard of his death until
they reached headquarters, but the announce-
ment was not altogether a surprise, as it was
generally known that he had been very ill and
would probably not recover, but they all ex-
pressed their sympathy for the bereaved fam-
ily and spoke in glowing terms of the life and
work of their departed friend.
THOMAS CORRIGAN.
Thomas Corrigan, one of the oldest build-
ers in point of service in the borough of
Brooklyn, his operations extending over a pe-
riod of thirty-three years, also well known as
a contractor and speculative builder, being
one of the most familiar figures on the Park
Slope or Twenty-second Ward, where his
speculative work has been mostly on the Litch-
field estate, was born in county Fermanagh,
Ireland, November 22, 1843.
At the age of ten years he came to the
United States, locating in the then city of
Brooklyn, New York, and for a number of
years he attended the public school on War-
ren street, which was then under the principal-
ship of Professor Sims. Fie learned the trade
of carpenter in New Jersey, and after thor-
oughly mastering all the details was employed
as a journeyman in the city of Brooklyn by
Frank Norris, a well known builder. In 1872
he went into business for himself, and being
a man of sound judgment, keen discrimination,
and rare business ability succeeded beyond his
most sanguine expectations. His first opera-
tions were on Fifth street, where he erected six
two-story and basement houses on the estate
of E. C. Litchfield; ten three-story houses on
Seventh avenue ; on Fifth avenue, between Un-
ion and President streets, he built seven busi-
ness houses ; fourteen two-story and basement
houses on Union and President streets, be-
tween Fifth and Sixth avenues; twenty-three
three-story dwelling houses on Eleventh
street; eight houses on Eighth street, between
Sixth and Seventh avenues ; five on the corner
of Sixth avenue and Eighth street ; two five-
story houses on Gold street; one house on
Pearl street, near Sand street ; four houses on
Quincy street, near Reid avenue; and ten
houses on Park Place, near Albany avenue,
making in all about eighty-five houses. The
majority of these buildings were erected in
company with his brother, William Corrigan,
of Brooklyn, who was engaged with him in
business pursuits for twenty years. In addi-
tion to these Mr. Corrigan erected a number
of fine residences for prominent citizens, all of
which were thoroughly first class in all their
appointments, and met with the approval of
their respective owners. Mr. Corrigan is a
Republican in politics, a member of the Free
and Accepted Masons, affiliating with Min-
erva Lodge No. 792, and a member of the
Veteran Masonic Order.
In Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Corrigan mar-
ried Jane Johensen, who bore him nine chil-
dren, four of whom are living : Harriet J.,
Grace, Walter I. and Ruth. The family resi-
dence is at 456 Seventh street, Brooklyn.
RICHARD F. DOWNING.
Richard F. Downing, deceased, for many
years the head of the firm of R. F. Downing
& Company, customhouse brokers and for-
^^^l^-^-z-^^e-^-^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
295
warders of New York city, and also an influ-
ential and potent factor in the business and
social circles of Westchester county, Brooklyn
and New York, was born in the city of New
York, May 5, 1849, a son of Thomas K. Down-
ing, a native and old-time resident of New
York, a prominent contractor of his day, and
who for many years held the then important
office of city inspector.
During the early boyhood of Richard F.
Downing the family removed to Rye, ' West-
chester county. New York, where, they occu-
pied the Downing homestead, which has been
in the possession of members of the family
for more than a century. Upon attaining man-
hood Mr. Downing established a custom bro-
kerage and shipping business under the firm
name of R. F. Downing & Company, with
branch offices throughout Europe and this
country^ and this enterprise steadily grew both
in volume and importance until it became one
of the leading industries of its kind in the
city. He was considered an expert on tariff
matters, and on each change of the tariff law
issued the volume known as " Downing's Cus-
toms Tariff," and the government and treas-
ury officials for many years consulted him as
a great authority on tariff subjects. He took
a keen and active interest in the Democratic
politics of Westchester county, but repeatedly
declined nominations to high national and state
offices which' were tendered him. He was a
devout member of St. Augustine's Roman
Catholic church of Brooklyn for many years,
and he also held membership in the following
named clubs : The Indian Harbor Yacht Qub,
the American Yacht Club, the Larchmont
Yacht Club, the Fish and Game Club of Can-
ada, the Prospect Gun Club of Long Island,
the Montauk Club of Brooklyn, of which he
was a director, the Columbian Club of Brook-
lyn, of which he had been president, the Man-
hattan Qub of New Y~ork, the Lawyers' Club,
the Down Town Club, the Catholic Club of
New York, the Xavier Alumni Sodality of
New York, and the Amaranth Dramatic Club
of Brooklyn, of which he was president for
several years. He was an enthusiastic sports-
man and yachtsman, and was the owner of
several handsome yachts.
jMr. Downing was united in marriage to
Miss Julia A. Lyons, of Oswego, New York.
Mr. Downing died at his late residence, 93
Eighth avenue, Brooklyn, in 1903, survived
by his widow, Julia A. (Lyons) Downing,
three sons and two daughters.
WILLIAM T. NOONAN.
William T. Noonan, commissioner of char-
ities of the borough of Brooklyn, is a man of
keen discrimination and sound judgment. As
a citizen he has ever been alert, earnest and
conscientious, keenly alive to everything which
concerns in any way the well being of the
borough and county, and the number of posi-
tions of trust and honor to which he has
been called afford ample evidence of the high
estimate placed upon his abilities and char-
acter by his fellow-citizens.
He was born in the Sixth Ward of Brook-
lyn, New York, December 26, 1864, and has
resided there all his life. He attended Public
School No. 13, and after his graduation en-
tered the employ of Joseph Navarro, of New
York. Later he was employed by the Sixth
Avenue Elevated Railroad, and in 1883 he
engaged in the coal business on his own ac-
296
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
count. In 1892 he was appointed personal
property clerk in the assessor's office, then
served one year in the office of the commission-
er of records, later was appointed to a posi-
tion in the county court, which he held until
1904, when he was appointed to his present
position, commissioner of charities. He is
now regarded as one of the ablest lieutenants
of James Kane. Since 1892 he has been an
executive member of the third assembly dis-
trict and Democratic general committees, and
he has been a delegate to several state con-
ventions. He is a member of the following
named clubs and societies : Royal Arcanum,
Catholic Benevolent Legion, Knights of Co-
lumbus, Ancient Order of Foresters, Improved
Order of Red Men, and Knights of Macca-
bees.
HENRY BOERUM.
Among the old Long Island names is that
of Boerum — a name which the citizens of
Brooklyn have perpetuated in Boerum street,
and Boerum Place. The emigrant of the fam-
ily was a Hollander, and his descendants,
for many generations, have been landed pro-
prietors on the Island.
His father, Jacob Boerum, married Adri-
anna Remsen, a daughter of William Remsen,
at the Wallabout. They had eight children,
Henry being next to the youngest, born April
8, 1793. He passed the days of his boyhood
on his father's farm, and during' the winter
months availed himself of the limited educa-
tional advantages afforded by the common
schools of his time and locality. After he
grew to man's estate he man-aged the farm,
which at that time meant hard work, as all the
market truck had to be carried to the Walla-
bout in a wagon, then put in a rowboat, pulled
across to the New York market, and sold
out by measure. On November 21, 1827, he
married Susan Rapelje, a daughter of Folkert
Rapelje, at Cripplebush, of the well known
family of that name, which has been promi-
nently identified with Long Island almost
from the date of its first settlement. May i,
1828, he purchased from the executors of the
estate of Folkert Rapelje sixty-two acres of
land, being'a part of the old Rapelje farm at
Cripplebush, for the sum of $7,000, on account
of which he paid $2,700 — money which he re-
ceived as a part of his wife's dowry — and
gave a mortgage for the balance, $4,300. He
was a hard worker and good manager, and in
October, 1834, he had paid off his indebted-
ness, the executors having given him the priv-
ilege of paying on account of the principal
when he paid his yearly interest. In 1835,
during the great land speculation, the home-
stead farm was sold, by which he secured
as his part several thousand dollars, which
together with his earnings amounted in 1842
to some $20,000. About this time the bubble
burst, taking away from him the greater part
of his income. He also sold in 1835 three
and one-half acres of the Cripplebush farm
for $3,500, with which he built the house now
occupied by his son, F. Rapelje Boerum. In
1853 DeKalb avenue was opened, graded and
paved through the farm, and Mr. Boerum
began selling lots and making loans on the
property to purchasers, enabling them to erect
dwellings thereon. His policy toward pur-
chasers was a liberal one, and resulted in the
rapid development of that part of the city em-
braced within the limits of the Cripplebush
The Lewis Pu.hlishm^.Cp-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
299
farm, and indirectly to considerable contiguous
property. Within the borders of the farm
now stand some five or six hundred houses.
Mr. Boerum pursued a similar policy with
respect to his part of the old' Boerum home-
stead, at Bushwick, and it was mainly throiigh
his instrumentality that the section commonly
called Dutchtown was built up and populated.
In all matters of public interest he always
took an intelligent and helpful part; and, al-
though he was not in the active sense a poli-
tician, his judgment was often sought by
those in authority, and he was many times
asked to become a candidate for public hon-
ors, but almost invariably declined, though he
served two terms as assessor, and two as al-
derman of the old Ninth ward. He was from
time to time connected with numerous well-
known institutions, having been an organizer
and director in the old Brooklyn Gas Com-
pany, the Mechanics' and City Banks, the Me-
chanics', Montauk and Atlantic Insurance
Companies, and as stockholder in the Brook-
lyn Academy of Music and the Brooklyn
Athenaeum.
Mr. Boerum had seven children, of whom a
son and daughter died in infancy. F. Rap-
elje Boerum was born October 26, 1829, and
now occupies the old homestead. He mar-
ried Diana Remsen, May 26, 1868, and has
three children living. Charles died in boy-
hood. Susan was born February 22, 1835,
and married Charles Vanderveer, deceased,
and has three children. Adrianna, born No-
vember 27, 1836, married Charles Bush.
Agnes, born September 27, 1839, died October
24, 1875.
Mr. Boerum was a man of plain, unosten-
tatious manners and unquestioned integrity.
His life was a busy one from boyhood, and
terminated May 8, 1868. In a quiet way he
did much good, was instrumental in develop-
ing a now important part of the city, and left
the impress of his business capacity and high
commercial honor on the times in which he
lived. He was a friend and companion of the
leading Brooklynites of the period during his
manhood, and his name is inseparably linked
with that part of the city within the borders
of which he lived and died. When he passed
away his death was sincerely regretted by a
large circle of friends and acquaintances, and
such honor was paid to his memory as was
due to one who had long been an influential
resident of the city. His wife died May 18,
1859, aged fifty-seven years.
FOLKERT RAPELJE BOERUM.
In the recent decease of Folkert Rapelje
Boerum was lost to Brooklyn one of the most
honored of its old and native citizens, who
during an active career of nearly a half-cen-
tury was one of the foremost in promoting
the public welfare and in contributing to the
usefulness of its humanitarian and charitable
institutions.
Folkert Rapelje Boerum, eldest child of
Henry and Susan (Rapelje) Boerum, was
born October 26, 1829, in the family home-
stead jn Bushwick, which was built during
the reign of William and Mary, and where
his father also was born. This was one of the
notable edifices of its day, and was a counter-
part of the old Wyckofif homestead on Flush-
ing avenue. In 1835 the elder Boerum built
upon the site of the old home a modern resi-
dence which became the home of Folkert Rap-
300
History ok long island.
elje Boerum, who there reared his family and
there died. It was characteristic of him that
he should cling to this old abode, with its hal-
lowed memories, even though the greater num-
ber of those about him sought other sections
as population increased, and he preserved the^
natural condition of the grounds, his house
standing far back from the sidewalk and upon
the hill which he would not suffer to be grad-
ed down.
From the time of his attaining his majority
until a few years before his death, Folkert
Rapelje Boerum was one of the best known
and most highly regarded of Brooklyn's citi-
zens. Plain and unostentatious of manner,
he was at the same time earnestly progressive
and public-spirited, and he contributed in
large degree to the development of what came
to be an important section of the city. He
was a trusted and cherished friend of the
leading men of his time, who were his allies
in various political and civic movements in
which he was recognized as a leader. With-
out personal ambition, he never shrank from
engaging with all his virile powers in what
he regarded as the duty of a citizen, and he
made his influence deeply felt in local public
affairs. He was largely instrumental in in-
ducing his intimate friend and companion,
Darwin R. James, to become a candidate for
congress, and was active and useful in the
canvass which resulted in the election of that
gentleman. There was much in common be-
tween the two. They were both citizens of
the best type, holding to lofty ideals of public
service, as well as practical philanthropists
who had labored side by side in various organ-
izations formed for the promotion of salutary
public objects, siich as the improvement and
dev£lopment of the city and the honest and
economical administration of its public affairs,
and in behalf of various humanitarian insti-
tutions, such as the Bushwick and East Brook-
lyn Dispensary, the Brooklyn Bureau of
Charities, the Association for Improving the
Condition of the Poor, the Good Samaritan
Society and others. Mr. Boerum was for
many years prominently identified with numer-
ous such charitable organizations and, when
the encroachments of age made it necessary
for him to abate something of his personal
activity, he kept closely in touch with their
managers, whom throughout the remainder of
his life he continued to aid in an advisory
way and with his liberal contributions. It
has justly been said of him that he never
failed to afford his influence and means to
any worthy movement, whether in the inter-,
ests of the general public or of a deserving
object, and his benevolences were unstintingly
extended alike to the charitable societies of
Jew and Gentile, Catholic and Protestant, be-
liever and unbeliever. Of his personal bene-
factions it is to be said that they were fre-
quent and generous, but not to be computed
because of the modesty with which they were
bestowed, leaving no orator to proclaim them
except the recipient himself. He was one of
the charter members of the famous Union
League Club, a body which has accomplished
so much in the interests of good government,
and his name stands second upon its original
membership roll. He was also a member of
the Society of Old Brooklynites and of the
Long Island Historical Society.
In his personal life Mr. Boerum was of mod-
est and retiring disposition, shvmning notori-
ety of whatever description. He found his
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
301
greatest delight in the circle of his own fam-
ily, to which he was devotedly attached. His
death occurred November 13, 1903, at his
home, 155 Nostrand avenue, after an illness
of about two years. The funeral took place
on the evening of the 15th, and the services
were conducted by the Rev. Dr. William Bel-
linger, pastor of Grace church, Utica, New
York, who was formerly pastor of St. Mary's
church, Classon and Willoughby avenues,
Brooklyn, and were attended by a large num-
ber of the most representative citizens, who
had been associated with the lamented de-
ceased in various relations, and who held him
in affection and reverence. The remains of
deceased were interred in Greenwood ceme-
tery.
Surviving Mr. Boerum are his widow, two
sons, Henry and Abram Remsen, and a grand-
child, Gretchen, only child of Mr. and Mrs.
Abram Remsen Boerum. Mrs. Folkert Rap-
el je Boerum was in maidenhood Miss Diana
Remsen, a daughter of Abram Remsen, of
Wallabout, Brooklyn, in the original Remsen
homestead.
GEORGE HENRY SOUTHARD.
George H. Southard, president of the
Franklin Trust Company, located at the south-
west corner of Clinton and Montague streets,
Brookh-n, New York, and one of the promi-
nent and influential men in the business, phil-
anthropic, religious and social circles of the
borough of Brooklyn, was born in Boston,
Massachusetts, February 23, 1841. He is" de-
scended from a pure Pilgrim ancestry, being
in the direct lineal line from Constant South-
ard, who, accompanied by his mother, Alice
Southard, who later became the wife of Will-
iam Bradford, governor of the colony, arrived
at F'lymouth, Massachusetts, on the ship Ann
in 1623.
George H. Southard spent his boyhood and
early manhood in Boston, and was graduated
in 1856 from the English high school of that
city. Entering at once upon a business life,
he received his early and excellent training in
his father's office, the latter being a member
of the firm of Southard, Herbert & Company,
oil manufacturers of Boston. In 1861, about
the commencement of the Civil war, when
twenty years of age, he entered into the lum-
ber business in his native city with James
Pope, who held the contract for supplying the
navy department with lumber for shipbuilding
during the war. Subsequently he removed to
Newburgh, New York^ continuing in the same
business there as a member of the firm of
J. Bigler & Company. In 1874 he removed to
Brooklyn, New York, and established the lum-
ber firm O'f Southard & Company, in New
York city. After having maintained for over
twenty years a high and successful position in
mercantile affairs, in 1887 he took the impor-
tant step which identified him with financial
interests by participating in the organization
of the National Bank of Deposit, of which he
became cashier, and, in 1888, in the organiza-
tion of the Franklin Trust Company of Brook-
lyn, of which he became the first secretary,
the following year was appointed second vice
president, and January i, 1892, was appointed
president, which important office he continues
to occupy at the present time (1904), and dur-
ing these years he has been enabled to witness
the substantial growth and prosperity of the
institution. When the Fifth Avenue Bank of
302
History of loNg island.
Brooklyn was organized, he was one of the
mcorporators, and later was a member of its
board of directors. He was also a director of
the Broadway Insurance Company, and the
New York Fire Insurance Company, and in
1880 he became a director of the Maritime
Exchange and a member of its finance com-
mittee.
His political affiliations have been with the
Republican party, while his influence has made
itself strongly felt on the side of good govern-
ment. In philanthropic and ecclesiasticar af-
fairs he has rendered unostentatious and sub-
stantial service as a trustee of the Brooklyn
Hospital, a member of the board of home
missions of the Presbyterian church, a mem-
ber and officer of the First Presbyterian
church of Brooklyn, a trustee of the Brooklyn
Presbytery, and a director of the Union Theo-
logical Seminary of New York. He was one
of the organizers of the New England Society
of Newburgh, New York, was its first secre-
tary, and later served in the capacity of a
director; he is a member of the Hamilton
Club, New England Society of Brooklyn,
Union League Club, Down Town Association,
the New England Society of New York, and
the Chamber of Commerce of New York.
MAJOR PETER H. McNULTY.
Major Peter FI. McNulty, deceased, during
a life of intense and well directed activity, was
one of the most forceful factors in commun-
ity affairs in New York and Brooklyn. He
entered upon the active duties of life unaided
by influential friends or adventitious circum-
stances. He was the sole architect of his own
fortune, molding his own character and shap-
ing his own destiny. He came to be a mer-
chant and man of afiFairs of commanding
ability, and at the same time extended his
effort to various fields in which, as an ac-
knowledged leader, he championed the highest
interests of the municipality and of the people
at large. His character and services were
such that he was held in honor while he lived,
and his untimely death was , regarded with a
sorrow which was general and sincere.
A native of Brooklyn, Major McNulty was
born in Middagh street. May 4, 1859. He
began his studies in Public School No. 8, and
subsequently attended St. John's College. He
would seem to have been inadequately
equipped for other than a humble career.
However, he was ambitious and resolute, and
so trained himself that he not only proved his
capability in whatever station he was called
to, but inspired such confidence that his field
of effort constantly broadened before him.
On leaving school he took a boy's place in
the wholesale dry goods house of Peake, Op-
dyke & Company, in New York city, and it
was here that he laid the foundation for his
future. His industry was untiring, and he
was scrupulously careful in the performance
of every task; while at the same time he de-
voted his spare hours to self-instruction
through judicious reading. His worth found
early recognition, and was rewarded with
frequent promotions, each advancement afford-
ing him new opportunity for development and
the acquisition of new knowledge of commer-
cial affairs. In time he became a traveling
representative of the dry goods firm of Wech-
sler & Abraham, of Brooklyn, and inspired
confidence to such a degree that he was called
home to take the position of manager. In
HISTORY OP LONG ISLAND.
305
this capacity he conducted the affairs of the
firm with signal success, largely increasing its
volume of business. After a period of nine
years the firm was dissolved, and Major Mc-
Nulty became a member of the firm of Wech-
sler & McNulty, and established a large dry
goods house at the corner of Bedford avenue
and Fulton street, Brooklyn. In 1895 Major
McNulty withdrew from the firm to give closer
attention to his real estate interests, and from
that time until his death was known as one
of the largest and most sagacious operators
in the city. He was'primarily the founder of
Kensington Heights, in South Brooklyn,
which became one of the most beautiful resi-
dential districts of the borough, and laid out'
a spacious boulevard and wide streets, selling
building lots on such terms and under such
restrictions as to attract a large and particu-
larly desirable class of residents who built
homes which are noted for elegance and com-
fort. One of the principal adornments of the
Heights is his own villa, one of the first to
be erected, at the corner of the Boulevard and
Avenue D.
In his public Hfe Major McNulty displayed
all the combined qualities of the large-minded
citizen and the sagacious official and legisla-
tor. He was appointed by Mayor Whitney to
membership on the board of education, and in
this position his service was of signal value.
He vvas the first member of the board to sug-
gest the advisability of adding to the system
of public instruction that of manual training,
now one of the most approved features of the
public school instruction. At the outset his
proposal failed to awaken any interest what-
ever, and when, after much persistence, he
succeeded in bringing it to a vote, he was
the sole supporter of his beneficent measure.
Year after year he renewed his efforts, and
he ■ spent much time and considerable means
in the endeavor to convince his fellow board-
members, on several occasions conveying them
to Philadelphia to visit the Drexel Industrial
school. He was ultimately successful in pro-
curing an appropriation for the experimental
institution of a manual training department>
and he was appointed chairman of the sub-
committee of the board to which the matter
was committed. Major McNulty urged his
plans with such ability and persistency that
he secured their approval, and lived to see
them fully perfected, and as a result the Man-
ual Training School of Brooklyn is recog-
nized as a model for imitation throughout the
country. He was as urgent in caring for the
proper instruction of girls as of boys, and
in their behalf he aided in estabhshing, de-
spite the most strenuous opposition, a system
of instruction in sewing, which has been fol-
lowed by cookery, type-writing and stenog-
raphy, thus placing the sexes upon an equal-
ity for preparation for self-support. It is
pleasing to note in thjs connection that Major
McNulty's effort in behalf of these schools is
now so deeply appreciated that a popular
movement is on foot for the erection of a
memorial bust and tablet in his honor, and as
a recognition of what he deemed his best
life work.
In 1896 Major McNulty was elected to the
state senate from Kings county. In that body
he was placed upon some of the most impor-
tant committees, including those on banks and
banking, military affairs, education and revi-
sion of laws. His strong personality and inti-
mate acquaintance with public affairs gave
306
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
him at once a commanding influence. He in-
troduced various salutary measures which he
brought to enactment, among them those for
an appropriation for the Twenty-third Regi-
ment Armory; for the government of the
National Guard when called into service, con-
cerning the compensation of public school
teachers, and relating to Sunday amusements.
He was a member of the senate when the crea-
tion of the Greater New York by consolidation
became a vital question. In that movement he
was the firm ally of his personal friend, the
revered Andrew H. Green, who was father
of the project, and was the only Brooklyn
senator who, in the face of bitter opposition,
had sufficient self-assertion to openly support
and vote for it. And this, too, like the Manual
Training School movement, he lived to see
amply vindicated.
Major McNulty was particularly active in
championing the interests of the city poor.
While in the senate he procured the appoint-
ment of a senatorial committee to investigate
the failure of the department of docks to set
aside certain piers and sheds as recreation
spots for the tenement dwellers, with the re-
sult that the recreation piers came to be estab-
lished as was contemplated. He also procured
an appropriation of $25,000 for the beautify-
ing of Prospect Park, with artistic and
picturesc|ue entrances at Ninth and Fifteenth
streets. He was equally active before and
subsequent to his senatorial service. He re-
peatedly led delegations from Brooklyn to
Albany to importune the legislature for the
enactment of needed legislation, and he con-
tributed in large degree to the improvement
of the transit system of Brooklyn, being a
leader in the movements which resulted in the
existing transfer system on street-car lines.
He was also largely instrumental in securing
the depression of the Long Island Railroad
tracks on Atlantic avenue, and the extension
of Flatbush avenue. To sum up, no man
of his day exerted a more potent and salutar.y
influence than did Major McNulty in promot-
ing the public interests of the city and the per-
sonal comfort of its inhabitants, and it is
said of him that his name was not once con-
nected with a failure. At the same time, amid
all the conflicts and antagonisms incident to
Major McNulty's pleas and efforts in behalf
of the various public legislative measures
which he championed, his ability and sincerity
were so apparent that he enjoyed the respect
of his opponents to such a degree as to ever
preserve their personal friendship.
Major McNulty became interested in mili-
tary affairs in early life, and was a valued
member of the National Guard of New York
for a period of fourteen years. He enlisted
as a private in the Third Catling Battery, and
in six months his soldierly qualities had won
him the commission of second lieutenant. He
was subsequently assigned to duty pn the staff
of General Ward, as aide-de-camp with the
rank of captain, and at a later day was made
quartermaster with the rank of major on the
staff of General McLeer, commanding the
third brigade. He was a true soldier, and
his military record was one worthy of the
highest commendation.
Major McNulty was a life member of the
Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences; of
the Montauk Club, which he aided in found-
ing ; the Columbian Club, the Brooklyn Club,
the Emerald Association, the Order of Elks,
and the Royal Arcanum. He was also among
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
307
the most prominent members of the Parkway
Driving Club, and was the promoter of the
memorable coaching carnival held in Prospect
Park. This was one of the most notable social
events iii Brooklyn history, and it was to his
great disappointment that his efforts to make
it a permanent annual observance were un-
successful.
The death of Major McNulty occurred on
September 5, 1902. It came unexpectedly,
when he was apparently in the full vigor of
life; and when his mental powers had not
yet reached their zenith. The press of the
city and various bodies of which he was a
member bore fervent testimony to his personal
worth and value of his services to the com-
munity.
Major McNulty married Miss Margaret
Walsh, a lady whose tastes were in harmony
with his own, and who was ever an efficient
ally in all that engaged his effort. Their
children were six in number — five sons and
one daughter.
WARREN SCOTT SILLCOCKS.
By the death of Warren S. Sillcocks, which
occurred at his late home, 23 South Portland
avenue, in 1903, Brooklyn lost one of her old-
est and most esteemed citizens. Mr. Sillcocks
was born in New Brunswick, New Jei-sey, Sep-
tember 23, 1833, a representative of a family
who participated actively in the Revolutionary
war. His father, Henry Sillcocks, was well
known in New Brunswick, New Jersey, as
Squire Sillcocks, and was a son of Gabriel Sill-
cocks, who was a member of the New Jersey
troops and displayed his heroism and courage
during the troublous period of the Revolu-
tionary era. His mother, Isabella (Hull) Sill-
cocks, whose death occurred in the ninety-
fifth year of her age, in 1891, at her home in
Brooklyn, New York, was a relative of Com-
modore Hull, of Revolutionary fame, and a
granddaughter of Isaac Emmons, who was
captured by the British at Perth Amboy, New
Jersey, and confined in the old Sugar House
in New York until his death; his remains lie
with the Sugar House and Prison Ship mar-
tyrs in Fort Green, Brooklyn.-
Warren S. Sillcocks took up his residence in
New York city in the seventeenth year of his
age, and began his business career in the jew-
elry trade. In 1862 he entered into partner-
ship with Joshua S. Cooley, and they estab-
lished the well known firm of Sillcocks &
Cooley, which continued in existence until
1874, when the product " celluloid," then in
its infancy, was brought to his attention. His
keen judgment and foresight at once grasped
the future possibilities of this material, which
to-day is known throughout the entire world,
and he persuaded his partner to abandon their
prosperous jewelry business and embark in
this new venture. The large degree of suc-
cess which attended their well directed efforts
was in a measure due to his enterprise, per-
severance and, pluck. Mr. Sillcocks was ap-
pointed president of the Celluloid Novelty
Company, and after the death of Mr. Cooley,
his partner, was for a time president also of
the Celluloid Brush Company. Subsequently
when all the separate companies were consol-
idated as the Celluloid Company under the
competent and efficient leadership of Marshall
C. Lefferts, he continued his connection with
the company in the capacity of manager of the
novelty department, and also served as a mem-
308
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
ber of the board of directors. While not act-
ive in politics, Mr. Sillcocks had always given
a strong support to the candidates and meas-
ures advocated by the Republican party, and
had served as a member of a number of city
conventions. He was a member of the Ox-
ford Club, the Society of the Sons of the Rev-
olution, and for some years of the chamber
of commerce.
In 1859 Mr. Sillcocks was united in mar-
riage to Mary Wyckoff, a representative of
an old and. honored New Jersey family, and
thereupon settled in Brooklyn, where he con-
tinuously resided up to the time of his decease.
Prior to his removal to Brooklyn, he was a
member of Dr. Cuyler's Market Street church,
later joined the membership of the Brooklyn
Tabernacle under the teaching of the late Dr.
Talmage, m which he served as trustee, and
subsequently he transferred his letter to the
Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian church, then
under the pastorate of his old pastor, Dr. Cuy-
!er, where he served for a number of years
as trustee. Mr. Sillcocks is survived by his
widow and two sons, Warren S. Sillcocks, Jr.,
v/ho is also connected with the Celluloid Com-
pany, and Henry Sillcocks, a leading member
of the legal profession. Theodore N. Sill-
cocks, the eldest son, who died in 1899, was
for many years adjutant of the Twenty-third
Regiment.
THOMAS MARCHANT.
Thomas Marchant, who was one of the
most highly respected citizens of Brooklyn and
whose personal qualities and charm of an un-
affected manner, kindly disposition and sterl-
ing worth made him greatly beloved by his
many friends, was for many years well known
as the superintendent of Greenwood cemetery,
and his death was the occasion of sincere and
widespread regret among those- who had
known him. His genial disposition and his
sincere interest in the welfare and happiness,
of others won the affections of all whom he
met.
Mr. Marchant was born in England on the
3d of April, 183S, was educated in the public
schools of that country and on attaining his
majority came to America, locating in Brook-
lyn. Almost immediately after his arrival here
he secured a position as gatekeeper at Green-
wood cemetery and was gradually advanced in
recognition of his faithfulness and capability
until he had been made assistant superintend-
ent, and in 1885, upon the death of William
Scrimgeour, the former incumbent, he was
promoted tO' the position of superintendent.
He had practically, however, been superintend-
ent for a number of years prior to this time,
owing to the ill health of Mr. Scrimgeour.
Thus Mr. Marchant's service in connection
with the cemetery covered forty-seven years,
and as superintendent extended over a period
of a quarter of a century. For thirty-seven
years he made his home in Greenwood at the
Sixth avenue entrance. A man of striking
appearance, his was a familiar figure at Green-
\vood to twO' generations. He possessed much
administrative and executive ability, and the
surpassing beauty of the cemetery from an en-
gineering as well as an artistic standpoint
makes it one of the most famous burying
grounds of the country, and this is, indeed, a
monument to the zealous, conscientious and
devoted life work of Mr. Marchant. Aside
from his activity in Masonic circles, Green-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
309
wood cemetery was his whole existence. Em-
ploying a large force of caretakers and labor-
ers, Mr. Marchant in their control displayed
excellent executive forge and keen discrimina-
tion, obtaining the best possible results and at
the same time maintaining the most cordial re-
lations with his subordinates. It was his con-
stant study to enhance the beauty of the city
of the dead, and Greenwood in its park-like
appearance, with its fine trees and beautiful
flowers, is perhaps unequaled throughout the
length and breadth of the land.
Mr. Marchant was prominent in local Ma-
sonic circles and enjoyed the warm personal
friendship of Right Worshipful Theodore A.
Taylor, grand treasurer of the order, and be-
tween them there existed a genuine affection
that plainly illustrated the brotherly spirit
which forms the basic element of the craft.
Mr. Marchant was initiated into the mysteries
of Masonry in Greenwood Lodge No. 569, F.
& A. M., in v/hich he filled various positions,
including that of master. He was a Scottish
Rite Mason, attaining the thirty-second degree'
in the Consistory and elected grand represent-
ative of the state of Louisiana to the grand
lodge by Minerva Lodge, on which occasion
he was presented with a handsome apron, the
insignia of master's rank, and also with a val-
uable jewel. He subsequently organized Min-
erva Lodge, was its first master, was twice
re-elected to that office and served continu-
ously as one of its trustees from its inception.
He was likewise an honorary member of Com-
monwealth Lodge and of the French Lodge
of Manhattan, and was a member of the
Brooklyn Masonic Veterans' Association.
During the entire period of his connection
with the fraternity he never failed to- attend
one of the regular lodge meetings, and was a
frequent visitor at various Masonic meetings
throughout Brooklyn, so that he became one
of the best known Masons in the city and one
of the most zealous workers in behalf of the
fraternity. His younger Masonic brethren re-
garded him with tlje affections bestowed by a
son iipon a father, and he was always looked
upon as counselor in connection with every
important movement of his home organization.
In his life he exemplified the true spirit of
the craft, was very familiar with its tenets
and teachings, and to his fellow men displayed
the kindly, helpful and charitable spirit which
has made the institution a prominent one and
a power for good through many ages.
Mr. Marchant was twice married, his sec-
ond wife being Caroline E. Tanner, a sister
of John F. Tanner. The marriage was cele-
brated in the early '60s, and Mrs. Marchant
still survives her husband, as does their
daughter, Lillie A. He displayed great affec-
tion for his family and considered no personal
sacrifice on his part too great that would en-
hance the welfare or promote the happiness
of his wife and daughter. Mr. Marchant was
a man of striking personal appearance, of fine
physique, and wore a long flowing beard. The
expression of his face indicated his kindly,
genial nature, and also the force of his char-
acter. He always enjoyed robust health, was
never confined to his home save during the
period of the illness which terminated his life.
Few men have occupied a more enviable po-
sition in the regard of their friends than did
Mr. Marchant. He never sought prominence
in political or public life, but in his business
and social relations displayed the qualities
which command respect and admiration and
310
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
win warm personal regard. He held friend-
ship inviolable and was genuinely glad of an
opportunity to do a service for a friend. He
was firm in his convictions, the soul of honor
and integrity, yet possessed a most kindly,
sympathetic and charitable spirit, and his
memory is now enshrined in the hearts of all
who knew him.
ROBERT W. GLEASON.
Robert W. Gleason was born in Saugerties,
New York, November 4, 1833. His father
was George Gleason, and his mother Julia
Ann Miller. He attended the common schools
of his time for a short period, and during
his spare time assisted his father, acting the
part of clerk in his father's general store in
Saugerties. He later on entered the town of
Hudson, New York, and became a clerk in
one of Hudson's largest general merchandise
stores. Through his efforts and in recogni-
tion of his ability and devotion to his employ-
er's interests he was made manager of the
establishment. After - serving his employer
faithfully for a few years, he being ambitious
and deeply impressed with his possible oppor-
tunities, came to Brooklyn and engaged in
the retail butter business, and opened a small
store in Grand street. This business pros-
pered, and in a short space of time he num-
bered among his customers many of the large
bakeries throughout the city, supplying them
with butter and in connection with his retail
business he was doing a large wholesale busi-
ness.
About the year 1864 he engaged in the
manufacture of tin cans in the city which had
in the past served him so well. Through
his combined eflforts this latter business grew
to some magnitude, and he formed a part-
nership with Mr. William Vogel; the firm
became Gleason & Vogel, their factory being
located at the foot of South Ninth street,
Brooklyn. For some years he was thus en-
gaged and the development of this industry
has been remarkable.
In the course of events Mr. Gleason's at-
tention was drawn to that of machinery, and
after disposing of his interests in the firm of
Gleason & Vogel he entered into the business
of manufacturing boilers and engines and con-
structing parts of machinery, and established
himself at Water street and Rutger Slip,
Manhattan. This business had many fascin-
ations for him, and by close application it like-
wise proved successful, and he became justly
credited with being well informed in matters
pertaining to the construction of machinery.
In the year 1885 Mr. Gleason disposed of his
latter business and retired from active com-
mercial pursuit;;, and became interested in the
- future of Brooklyn's real estate. By his broad
conception of values and opportunities of
Brooklyn property his success was marked,
and his judgment and counsel was much
sought after in the general market. Few men
were better informed concerning realty loca-
tions and their values than Mr. Gleason. He
was a member of the Brooklyn Real Estate
Exchange, and a charter member of the Un-
ion League Club.
Mr. Gleason's home life was one; of great
devotion ; he was always concerned about those
near to him, and ever manifested a desire to
make happy and to prolong a contented life,
and ready at all times to sacrifice his per-
sonal welfare for those by whom he was sur-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
313
i-ounded. In his business relations he was up-
right, indulgent to those needing assistance,
with strong inclinations to assist for the better-
ment of their condition. His methods were
conservative and cautious, rather than radical
or innovating.
His many years of Christian life' were
marked by great consistency, being a mem-
ber of the Central Baptist church, serving as
deacon and trustee, and for many years treas-
urer of the Sunday school. He was a liberal
contributor to the church for its maintenance
and support. In his politics, he was a Re-
publican. At no time did he aspire to any
office, however, but was always a very close
observer of the affairs of the city in which he
lived.
In 1861 Mr. Gleason married Eliza A.,
daughter of George Slater, of Brooklyn, New-
York, by whom he had five children, three
sons and two daughters. There survived him
at the time of his death, which occurred on
April 10, 1904, his widow and two daughters,
Mrs. E. Nevada Smith and Mrs. C. Milton
Burgess.
JOHN ELDERKIN, Sr.
Litterateur and art connoisseur, is a lineal
descendant of that John Elderkin who was
born in England between 1612 and 1616, and
came to New England, there to become one
of the founders of the Connecticut colony.
He is first heard of in 1637 at Lynn, Massa-
chusetts, which was the third plantation of the
Massachusetts colony, and was settled in 1629.
In 1638 twenty acres of land were allotted to
him. He was a carpenter and millwright, and
his occupation led to frequent removals of
residence. He appears in Dedham in 1641,
in Reading in 1646, in Providence in 1648, in
New London in 1651, and in Norwich in 1664,
where he lived until his death, June 23, 1687.
His services as builder were in great demand,
and he was in particular repute in church
building. In 1648, while he was in Provi-
dence, Governor Winthrop besought him to
come to Connecticut, and "engaged Roger
WilHams to mediate in his favor," and appar-
ently with success, for in 1651 he was church
building in New London. While there he
built the first merchant vessel ever built or
owned there, the "New London Tryall"
(Trial), in 1661, at a cost of more than two
hundred pounds, and which was regarded as
a great undertaking. His name is of fre-
quent reference in the Winthrop papers in the
Massachusetts Historical Collection. He was
licensed to keep the town inn, November 6,
1654, and this appointment was subsequently
confirmed, as appears from the following
quaint entry :
Generall Court of Election,
Hartford, this 17th of May, 1655.
John Elderkin of Pequett (the original
name of the settlement — Ed.) being p'sented
to this Court as chosen by ye Towne of
Pequett to keepe an ordinary, according to
order of Courte, wch he hath accepted of
to attend after 29 Sept : next. The Court con-
firms him in that place.
John Elderkin went to Norwich about 1661
in a company from New London. Their com-
ing was the year after the site of that settle-
ment had been designated, and relating to this
is a deposition given in court by Elderkin,
whose signature appears in facsimile in the
"History of Norwich." Two lots were allotted
314
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
to him in remuneration for services which are
not stated. The first lot was probably given
to him in 1667, but, being too far removed
from his business, the town consented to his
conveying it to Samuel Lothrop, August 24,
1668, and he received in its stead another lot
at the old landing below the Falls, where he
built a grist mill. This had been a favorite
Indian resort, and its spring was famous far
3nd wide. Forty acres on the south side of the
Little Plain side hills, upon the cove, were
given to the mill, "to lye to it with the landing
place, for the use of the town," and to be im-
proved by John Elderkin, the miller. This
grant covered the Indian burying place, and
to the Indians was reserved free access and
continued right of burial. This grant ex-
tended over the greater part of what is now
Washington street, Norwich. In 1668 John
Elderkin is named among the twenty-five
freemen of the colony. That he was a man of
wise judgment is evident from the fact that
by town vote in 1669 there was "granted to
Mr. Brewster and John Glover two bits of
land on the east side of Showtucket River,
near their own land, they two, with the help of
Goodman Elderkin, to agree peaceably about
the division of it between them, and in case
they can't well agree about the division, then
it falls to the town again." In 1673 he was
commissioned to build a new meeting house,
and his petition in reference thereto is well
worthy of reproduction :
Christian Friends and Neighbors : Your
humble petitioner pleadeth yOur charitie for
the reasons hereafter expressed. Gentle men,
it is well known that I have been undertaker
for building of the meeting house and it being
a work very difficult to understand the whole
worth and value of, yet notwithstanding I
have presumed to doe the work for a sertain
sum of money (to wit) 428 pound, not have-
ing any designe thereby to make myself rich,
but that the towne might have there meeting
house dun for a reasonable consideration. But
upon my experience, I doe find by my bill
of cost, I have dun said work very much to
my damage, as I shall now make appear.
Gentlemen, I shall not say much unto you, but
onely if you may be made sencible'of my loss
in said undertaking, I pray for your generous
and charitable conclusion toward me whether
it be much or little, I hope will be well except-
ed from your poor and humble petitioner.
JOHN ELDERKIN.
A gallery was built in the meeting house,
and as compensation the town granted to Eld-
erkin a tract of land "at Pocketannuck's cove's
mouth." In March; 1698, a "lean-to" was
added to the house, and "Goodman Elderkin,
carpenter," was engaged to arrange the pews
into eight classes, according to their dignity,
viz. : "The square pue to be considered first
in dignity, the new seats and the fore seats
in the broad alley next, and alike in dignity,"
and so on through the eight classes, following
a custom prevailing in all the settlements. A
"paper vote" was taken whenever a meeting
house was finished, and a committee elected to
"dignify the seats." The rules for seating, or
"dignifying," were based upon age, rank, of-
fice, estate, and aid furnished in the erection
of the building, and frequent disputes and bit-
ter feuds often resulted.
John Elderkin was twice married. His first
wife was Abigail, whose family name is un-
known, as are also the dates of their marriage
and her death. March i, 1660, he married
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
315
Elizabeth (Drake) Gaylord, daughter of John
Drake, and widow of William Gaylord, of
Windham. She died at Norwich, June 8,
1 716, aged ninety-five years. She was a lineal
descendant of Henry de Bohun, first Earl of
Hereford, and in her family the line runs
direct to three of the seven earls who were
elected guardians of Magna Charta.
In succeeding generations the Elderkins in-
termarried with the descendants of Elder Will-
iam Brewster. Judge Elias Brewster, of
Oswego county, New York, married Harriet
Clark, and she was the connecting link between
the White, Elderkin and Brewster families;
her mother, Mary Anne Elderkin, was the
daughter of Vine Elderkin and Lydia White,
daughter of Rev. Stephen White, of Wind-
ham. Vine Elderkin was a son of Colonel
Jedediah Elderkin. The Elderkins also inter-
married with the Jackson family, and Dr,
James H. Jackson, the friend and colaborer of
Hon. Gerrit Smith, traced his descent from
Colonel Jedediah Elderkin, Colonel Giles Jack-
son, Rev. Stephen White and Judge Elias
Brewster. Hon. Noble S. Elderkin, of Pots-
dam, St.^ Lawrence county. New York, was a
descendant of Bela Elderkin, second son of
Colonel Jedediah Elderkin. Major William
Anthony Elderkin, U. S. A., is one of his sons.
These are only a few of the more notable mem-
bers of this sturdy New England family.
John Elderkin (2) eldest son of John El-
derkin (i) by his second wife, Elizabeth
Drake, was an early settler upon the west bank
of the Shetucket river, near Lord's (then El-
derkin's) bridge, and his dwelling was located
upon the precise spot now occupied by
Sprague's boarding-house, in the village of
Baltic. He was proprietor of the nearby saw
and grist mills. He often acted officially, and
was particularly designated to direct the lay-
ing out of highways from the outskirts of the
settlement to the church. On an early map
of Norwich (West Farms) 1663 to 1725, El-
derkin's house, mills and bridge are all laid
down. In December, 1713, he completed a
new meeting house on the site of the one
originally built by his father. He, too, lost
by the transaction, and having prayed the
town to "make some retaliation," was re-
lieved by a grant of fifty acres of land. He
had much to do with the wharfing, building
and general beginnings of the "Landing,"
or present city of Norwich. He married Abi-
gail Fowler, daughter of William Fowler, of
Milford; she was born in Norwich, May 7,
1694.
John Elderkin (3) was the eldest son of
John Elderkin (2). Little is known of him
beyond the fact that he married Susannah
Baker, August 26, 1714, and that he was the
father of three sons who became remarkable
men. The eldest. Colonel Jedediah Elderkin,
was a prominent lawyer of Windham, a mem-
ber of the general assembly of Connecticut for
seventeen years, and for more than thirty
years a justice of the peace. He was ah ar-
dent patriot, and during the revolution was a
member of the governor's council of safety.
In March, 1775, he was commissioned colonel
of the Fifth Regiment of Connecticut militia.
Throughout the entire war he was continued
in important positions of trust, and was among
the principal agents for provisioning and
equipping the army, particularly with muni-
tions of war. His last public service of mo-
ment was as a member of the state convention
which ratified the Constitution of the United
16
316
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
States. He was among the first, if not the
first, to introduce the silkworm into Connecti-
cut, and for twenty years ptior to his death
in 1793 he was engaged in silk manufacture.
Dr. Joshua Elderkin, youngest son of John
Elderkin (3), was a graduate of Yale College,
a man of high ability and great energy, and is
celebrated in the annals of Connecticut as an
ardent patriot. A daughter of John Elder-
kin (3), Susannah, born in Norwich, August
12, 1722, married Jabez Bigelow, of Hebron,
Connecticut, and from her descended a num-
ber of distinguished men, among them Pro-
fessor Melville M. Bigelow, of Cambridge,
Massachusetts, an eminent lawyer and author
of several authoritative legal text-books.
John Elderkin (4), second son of John El-
' derkin (3), was born February 3, 1719. He
was commissioned quartermaster in the mili-
tia July 6, 1775 ; quartermaster in Colonel
Qiarles Webb's (Nineteenth Continental)
regiment, in 1777; and quartermaster in Sec-
ond Regiment, Connecticut Line, in which
Nathan Hale was a captain. He was prob-
ably a farmer and builder, and a large land-
holder. In 1742 he married Rebecca Allen,
of Norwich.
John Elderkin (5), eldest child of John El-
derkin (4), was born January 16, 1743. He
was educated at Yale College, probably lived in
Groton, and died at a comparatively early
age.
Joshua Elderkin (5), second son of John
Elderkin (4), was born in 1750. He married
Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Newton, of
Groton.
John Elderkin (6), who was the ancestor
of the Long Island branch of the family, was
the son of Joshua Elderkin (5). He studied
medicine with Dr. John O. Minor, at Groton,
1800 to 1804, then removing to Setauket, on
the north side of Long Island, near the Sound.
He married Martha Smith, daughter of one
of the early proprietors, who inherited a large
tract of land in the middle of the island, and
which is yet in possession of her descendants.
Dr. Elderkin inherited the ancestral taste for
building. He erected most of the houses in
the old village of Setauket, those about the
mill pond. He was the friend and family
physician of the best people for thirty miles
about, and his reputation as a physician is a
tradition among the older residents in all
that portion of the country. He belonged to
the Masonic fraternity. His children were
John, and two daughters. Mary became the
wife of Thomas Gwynne, a cotton merchant of
New York, and their children were John A.,
the well known banker; and William, who
served in the federal army during the rebel-
lion. Dr. Elderkin's youngest daughter, Au-
gusta Frederica, became the wife of Charles
Orme, of Clifton, England, a man of good
family, who held a judicial position in Bris-
tol, England, for many years. Their son
Robert studied medicine in Guys Hospital,
London, and became a physician ; another son,
Frederic, vvas an officer in the British army,
and died in India.
John Elderkin (7), son of Dr. John El-
derkin (6), studied medicine but did not enter,
the profession. He was the third graduate
from the New York College of Pharmacy, and
engaged in the drug business in Pearl street,
New York, not far from the corner of Vande-
water street. After the death of his father in
1836 he left New York and took up his resi-
dence in the family mansion in Setauket. At
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
317
this place he engaged in business as a drug-
gist and general merchant until his death in
1885, also serving as postmaster. He mar-
ried Renelcha Hallock, a daughter of Captain
Charles D. Hallock, of Stony Brook, a large
shipowner and shipbuilder. She was a wom-
an of refinement, ambition and energy, untir-
ing in her effort to afford her children the
advantages of education, social culture and
sound moral principles. She excelled in ev-
ery womanly quality, and her home was noted
for comfort, intelligence and good cheer. Four
sons and two daughters survived her. One
of the sons, George Hallock Elderkin, resides
in the old town of Setauket, and is a trustee
of the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library re-
cently founded there by the late Thomas G.
Hodgkins. A daughter, Renelcha (or Nellie)
became the wife of Sinclair Tousey, late presi-
dent of the American News Company.
John Elderkin (8), eldest son of John El-
derkin (7), is the eighth in lineal descent to
bear the full patronymic as it has come down
from the emigrant ancestor of the American
branch of the family. In 1856 he came tO' New
York on the invitation of Robert Bonner, pro-
prietor of the Nezi' York Ledger, and has
borne intimate relation to that journal to the
present time. As journalist, editor and author,
he has for many years held an acknowledged
position of prominence. In 1870, a few weeks
after the Lotus Club was projected, he be-
came identified with it, and participated in
the first meeting of the club at No. 2 Irving
Place. In 1873 he became a member of the
board of directors, and was frequently re-
elected. He is as well and favorably known
as an art critic as an author, and has made
valuable collections of paintings. As a member
of the art committee of the Lotus Club he made
the remarkable exhibition of paintings of the
Barbizan school in 1897. He also served upon
the art committee of the Union League Qub,
and as chairman of the art committee of the
Colonial. Qub. He has a fine collection of
paintings in his home in West Eighty-third
street, chiefly works of American artists. He
has also collected a fine library, loving choice
literature for its own sake, and his leisure
time is divided between his books and the
diversions of pictorial art. He has long been
a leading promoter of art in America, but
has always stoutly opposed a tariff on for-
eign art, save such as would ensure the im-
portation of works of merit only. Among
the fruits of his pen, in literary and art cir-
cles, those most highly regarded are "Lotus
Leaves," 1874, which he edited in collabora-
tion with John Brougham; and his own
charming "History of the Lotus Club," 1895.
In 1865, William L. Weaver published in
the Willimantic Jownml a sketch of the El-
derkin family as far as he has been able to
trace it from 1637 to 1865. At the close of
his article he says : "We- have been much
interested in tracing this family. It was of
good stock, and, unlike some of our early
families, has not deteriorated. Descendants
in both the male and female line are high-
ly respectable, and many talented men art
found among them. Some of the characteris-
tics of the family are patriotism, ambition, a
love of military life, frankness, liberality and
public spirit." Tlie author of the Elderkin
genealogy says : "To the alDove might be
added with propriety that as a race of people
they are strictly honest, and with few excep-
tions thev have all embraced the Christian
318
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
religion. So far as the writer has been able
to learn, not one of the Elderkin name has
been convicted of a crime in the ten genera-
tions, as recorded in his work. This family,
taken in connection with the families of like
grade and qualities of mind, make up the great
central power of this nation of free men.
They are America's strength in war and her
resources in time of peace."
FERDINAND FISH.
Ferdinand Fish, for many years an impor-
tant factor in building operations in and near
lower Broadway, in the city of New York, and
also in the development of various residential
settlements near the metropoHs, is a native of
Brooklyn, born March 24, 1851, in Bedford
avenue, Williamsburgh, where is now the ap-
proach to the new bridge. His parents were
Paul J. and Eliza (Howland) Fish. His father
came from Vermont, a representative of one of
the old pioneer families of that state, and was
associated with Horace Greeley of the " New
York Tribune," in early days, and his brother
published the first newspaper printed in
Brooklyn, in the late thirties or early forties.
Paul J. Fish was a counsellor at law, for
many years located at the foot of Broadway,
Williamsburgh, and was for several years cor-
poration attorney of the city of Brooklyn. His
wife came from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and
was a direct descendant of John Howland,
of Governor Carver's family, who came over
in the "Mayflower."
Ferdinand Fish was educated in part at
public school No. 16, in Clymer street, and
finished at the military academy at Tarry-
town, New York, in 1870. For three years
he studied law with his father as his preceptor,
and for three years following was engaged
in engineering and architecture. He early de-
veloped a taste for construction work, and
when twenty-one years old planned and built
a $10,000 house, working personally in every
line of the work. In 1872 he engaged in the
real estate and building business in Plain-
field, New Jersey, at the same time publishing
a newspaper. He opened a branch office in
Broadway, New York, in 1873, and the fol-
lowing year discontinued business in Plain-
field to enter into a partnership with the late
James M. Taylor, then one of the leading real
estate agents in New York, at ij Pine street,
and this association was maintained until the
death of Mr. Taylor in 1881, when Mr. Fish
succeeded to the business. In 1882 he re-
moved to the large first floor front offices on
the northwest corner of Broadway and Lib-
erty street, where he remained until 1895,
when he sold the property, together with two
adjoining buildings, to the Singer Sewing
Machine Company for a site for their present
building. During the thirteen years that Mr.
Fish occupied these offices at No. 149 Broad-
way he built up a business of great magni-
tude for those times, his income from com-
missions frequently reaching over $35,000 a
year, and one year more than $50,000. He
made a specialty for a number of years of the
alteration of old buildings to adapt them to
the new demands of tenants, putting in ele-
vators, steam heat, etc., until the advent of
the modern sky-scrapers, when business
ceased to justify further continuance, and
since which few attempts have been made to
alter old structures. A noticeable relic of
those days, and of his construction, was the
^(h'ZlviA.^^i^^d^ 9"<7>Ww
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
321
present office building opposite City Hall Park,
No. 265 Broadway, which was then one of the
ornaments of that part of Broadway. He also
transacted a large office renting business, and
for a number of years his " To Let " bills
were a conspicuous feature of the office rent-
ing district. During all these years he was
an important factor in the sales market, and
many of the more inportant transactions of
the day were consummated in his offices.
Among the most important of these with
which he was identified were the sales of 104-
106 Broadway, corner of Pine street; 149-151-
153 Broadway, corner Liberty street; 177-179
Broadway and 10 Cortland street; 13-15-17
Dey street, 14 Cortland street in connection ;
53-55-57-59 West Forty-second street; 65-67
William street; 62-64 William street, corner
Liberty and Washington streets, and many
other smaller parcels all over the city. For
over ten years Mr. Fish was the expert for
the Manhattan Elevated Railroad, and has
been employed by the United States govern-
ment, the city of New York, the New Jersey
Central Railroad and the Long Island Rail-
road and other large corporations, estates and
concerns. He has always made more or less
a specialty of court cases, and his qualifica-
tions as an expert both in real estate and
building matters have never been denied by
any of the many judges before whom he has
appeared.
A business of this magnitude would seem to
be sufficient to keep one man employed, but
Mr. Fish's temperament seems always to have
driven him to further effort. During these
years of his greatest activity he further inter-
ested himself in many other enterprises. He
organized the Highland Beach Improvement
Company, enlisting the aid of some of the fore-
most men in the financial world, and built up
an excursion resort on the New Jersey coast,
known as Highland Beach, which for the nine
years during which he conducted it as presi-
dent of the company, was very popular. Ai
the same time he organized a New York cor-
poration known as the New York Real Estate
and Building Improvement Company, which
for years operated in leasehold properties.
During most of the period the leases were in
force the business was successful, but finally
became less remunerative for the reason that
all the possibilities of the company were de-
pendent upon " net income " rather than in-
crease in fee values. An anomalous condition
was revealed in the operations of this com-
pany. Notwithstanding all of the valuable
downtown properties held under lease by this
company have been sold and are largely nov^^
owned and built upon by great c&rporations
which paid from two to four times the price
the leases were based upon, the " net rents "
went on going down year after year until the
cost for ground rents and the increased de-
mands of tenants for modern service made
many of the undertakings losing propositions.
During two years of this activity Mr. FFsh
also edited and managed a real estate publi-
cation called " The Bulletin," which in the
last year of its career consisted of sixteen
pages and was earning money, but at this
critical point the strain of overwork so told
on Mr. Fish that he was obliged to drop every-
thing and make a voyage to Europe for a rest.
There was no one to take his place, and the
paper ceased to exist. He was always, in
the earlier years of the Real Estate Exchange,
actively interested in some of the important
322
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
phases of its work, and " The Bulletin " was
really instituted in this interest. He wrote a
great deal for many of the New York papers
on topics relating to this business and the Ex-
change, and he has always been more or less
engaged in some kind of literary work.
In 1896 Mr. Fish undertook what he al-
ways regarded as his crowning and finishing
work. He organized the Water Witch Club
in the Highlands of Navesink, New Jersey,
The Water Witch Clubhouse is situated al-
most at the summit ,of the famous Highlands,
and overlooks Sandy Hook, the Navesink and
Shrewsbury rivers and the Atlantic ocean. It
derives its name from James Fenimore Coop-
er's novel, " The Water Witch," and the lo-
cality is most interestingly reminiscent to the
student of Colonial and Revolutionary his-
tory. The reader of Cooper's delightful ro-
mance will recall the strangely-named villa,
" Lust in Rust,'' built by the smuggling Dutch
alderman, Van Beverout, and the adventures
of the " Water Witch," guided by the mysteri-
ous sea-green lady, which glided in and out of
a secret inlet that existed near the Hook.
The inlet is visible from the veranda of the
club house. Around the building, winding in
and out among the trees, are pretty walks
and drives whose names are remindful of the
novel — Coquette Lane, Fenimore Terrace,
Cupid Path, Witch's Lane, Gypsy Pass, and
Water Witch Drive. The club was conceived
on unique lines, intended for people of mod-
erate means as a summer home. The price
of membership, which included a building
site, was started at $250. The type of house
encouraged at the beginning was such as cotild
be erected for $1,250, and prizes were given
for artistic designs. In less than five years
the enterprise entirely outgrew its first habili-
ments. Nearly all of the original lots were
sold, values increasing to as high as $2,000,
and most of the choicest sites have been im-
proved with residences costing upward of
$10,000, and as much as $30,000. Adjoining
lands have been bought and improved, and
the Water Witch Club is now a full-fledged
social success, and financial as well. It has
a complete water and sewerage system and
macadamized roads, and is now planning to
replace the original club house with a struc-
ture to cost nearly $40,000. Among the labors
of Mr. Fish in the establishment of this de-
lightful resort, was the editing and pubHsh-
ing of " The Oracle," an illustrated journal
which he maintained until the undertaking
was firmly estabhshed and its success no
longer problematical.
Mr. Fish is now devoting himself particu-
larly to real estate, building and contracting,
at 1099 Flatbush avenvte, Brooklyn, still main-
taining his office for expert work at No. 150
Broadway, Manhattan, besides several inter-
ests in connection with clients for whom he
has done business during his entire career of
more than thirty years. His more recent work
in Brooklyn has been in connection with
" The Thrift " and the Morris Building, both
at 207 Ryerson street. He laid out and de-
veloped for the latter company Kensington
Park, Flatbush, comprising extensive work in
street opening and finishing, house construc-
tion, etc., etc. He has also erected a consid-
erable number of houses in the Flatbush sec-
tion for individuals, making a specialty of
superior construction.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
323
MECHANICS' AND TRADERS' EX-
CHANGE.
On February 7, 1905, the annual banquet of
the Mechanics' and Traders' Elxchange marked
the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of
that organization. The event is of peculiar in-
terest in this connection because of the fact
that this body is by many years the oldest or-
ganization of the building trade and its allied
interests in Brooklyn. Besides, all similar or-
ganizations here have in a way grown out of
it, and practically all the men who have been
largely concerned in the upbuilding of the
present Brooklyn have been of its membership,
as are some of them to the present day.
Whether of the past or the present, the mem-
bership of the Exchange has included, as. it
now includes, a large number of the most en-
terprising and successful contractors and
builders of the day in which they flourished.
The records of the Mechanics' and Traders'
Exchange are too meager to enable us to ex-
actly ascertain when the body had its begin-
ning. Certain it is, however, that about 1855
the builders began to congregate in the even-
ings on the sidewalk in front of the old Phoe-
nix Building, on Court street, where now
stands the modern edifice which bears the
name of its prototype. At these informal gath-
erings deals for realty, material and work were
made, and discussions with reference to ques-
tions aflfecting building interests were carried
on after the fashion still prevailing in strictly
rural neighborhoods.
It would appear that weather inclemencies
were principally responsible for the present
effective organization. Rain and snow con-
spired to drive the pioneer builders indoors.
and, once in a room, business began to be trans-
acted more me'thodically. It was not, however,
until 1870 that a formal organization was ef-
fected, and it was two years later (in 1872)
that the body was incorporated, and under the
name which it has borne tO' the present time.
The constitution then adopted recited the pur-
poses to be as follows :
"To provide and regulate suitable rooms for
the daily meetings of the Exchange in the city
of Brooklyn. To establish a more general and
good understanding, just and equitable prin-
ciples in all business transactions with each
other; to acquire, preserve and disseminate
valuable business information ; and, in all cases
of misunderstanding arising between members
of the Exchange, they shall be adjusted as
may be provided in the by-laws."
This organization was effected at a time
when such was most needed. The Exchange
became at the outset, as it has continued to be,
a helpful stimulus to its individual members,
and a power in the upbuilding of the city. At
first only a gathering of individuals interested
in a common pursuit, its influence broadened
until it became an agency for good in all per-
taining to the material interests of the entire
community.
The first president after the incorporation of
the Exchange was Henry Harteau. He was
succeeded by James Howell, who was elected,
after an exciting canvass, over William H.
Hazzard, one of the most prominent and
wealthy builders of that day. Mr. Howell
served for about ten years, and declined fur-
ther service. He was peculiarly energetic,
and his administration is remembered as being
particularly useful. His successors in the pres-
idential office were : James H. Stephenson,
James Sharkey, F. J. Ashfield, Elbert Snede-
324
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
ker, Thomas B. Rutan, Ellis H. Baillie, Fran-
cis Conklin, Arthur G. Stone, and WiUiam
Kennedy. The last-named, who was elected
in 1904, was re-elected in 1905.
The first secretary was Benjamin Lewis, who
first served under President Harteau, and then
during a part of President Howell's adminis-
tration. He was succeeded by F. J. Ashfield,
who held the office several years. The suc-
ceeding secretaries w.ere Firank Bernard,
George C. Cranford, F. J. Kelly, Jr. ; Charles
Caccavajio, and William C. Williams, who is
now serving in his second term.
An early treasurer was Benjamin C. Miller,
who occupied the position for a number of
years. The present incumbent of the office is
Isaac P. Sutherland, who in February, 1905,
was re-elected, and is now serving his twenty-
first term. To him is due in largest degree,
according to the consensus of opinion of the
membership, the maintenance of the prestige
enjoyed by the Exchange, and the enlargement
of its usefulness.
The Exchange has made several changes of
location. Leaving its first quarters in ti.e
Phoenix Building, it occupied second-story
rooms at the corner of Myrtle avenue and
Fulton street. For a number of years after-
ward it was domiciled on Montague street,
near Clinton street, where the Peoples' Trust
Company building is now in course of con-
struction. Here its rooms were fitted up elab-
orately; elegant and expensive walnut boo--
cases were made, and a valuable library was
accumulated — largely technical works on
building and architecture, with an assortment
of general literature. These rooms were, how-
ever, away from the thoroughfare, and, as a
result, membership largely diminished, and
the investment (about ten thousand dollar^sj
disappeared almost altogether. The library
was abandoned, and the books were sent to
the Kings County Penitentiary, where they
have remained to the present time. Abandon-
ing the Montague street location, the Ex-
change returned to its old quarters at Myrtle
avenue and Fulton street, where it remained
until its removal to its present rooms at 359
Fulton street. During the crucial epoch of
which narration has been made, and owing to
the disappearance of the accumulated fund
spoken of, the acquisition of a permanent home
for the Exchange and the establishment of a.
technical school (both of which objects had
been contemplated and provided for in the ar-
ticles of incorporation) were lost sight of, and
these purposes were never carried out.
The present membership of the Mechanics"
and Traders' Exchange is about twO' hundred,
and comprises representative contractors and
firms dealing in lumber and building supplies
of every description, as well as individuals and
firms representing allied trades. The Exchange
maintains open rooms daily ( Sundays and holi-
idays excepted) from nine o'clock a. m. to 4 :30
o'clock p. m. The annual meeting occurs
on the third Tuesday in February, and quar-
terly meetings are also held. In addition to
the officers before named is a vice-president,
C. E. Anselm, re-elected. The board of man-
agers is : Arthur G. Stone, F. C. Candee, Jr.,
Henry Grassman, D. J. Creem, Charles H.
May, J. Morton Halstead and Thomas B. Min-
iter. While the Exchange takes no part what-
ever in politics, the body is keenly alive to the
interests of the city and has exerted a potent
influence in placing in position, particularly in
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
325
the municipal building bureau, men of ac-
knowledged capability and integrity.
For some years past the annual banquet oi
the Exchange has been numbered among the
important social events of the city. February
9, 1904, the dinner was given in honor of Ar-
thur G. Stone, the retiring president, as a fit-
ting testimonial of the esteem in which he was
held as an officer and a man. On February
7, 1905, the banquet was particularly notice-
able as commemorating the fiftieth anniversar\
of the institution of the organization.
The Exchange will not permit the publica-
tion of its membership roll.
builders' association.
It is curious to note, in view of the magni-
tude of speculative building operations for
so many years, that the formation of an asso-
ciation by those interested therein should have
been so long deferred. The subject was fre-
quently discussed in an informal way by promi-
nent builders, but it was not until the year 1903
that the desired result was accomplished.
The inception of the enterprise is to be cred-
ited to Thomas F. Martin, who broached the
subject to Charles Hagedorn and Charles G.
Reynolds, and these three gentlemen united in
a call inviting a number of prominent specula-
tive builders to a meeting to consider the feasi-
bility of such an organization as they had in
mind. The following named builders signified
their acquiescence by their presence in the
Johnson building. No. 8 Nevins street, on May
22, 1903 : Thomas F. Martin, Charles Hage-
dorn, Thomas Eraser, Otto Singer, Eli H.
Bishop, Qiarles G. Reynolds, John J. Magilli-
gan, William FI. Reynolds, Lewis Bonnert,
Peter Collins, WiUiam Flanagan, Louis Beer,
John O'Neil, William B. Greenman, Albert
Johnson and Edward J. Maguire. A temporary
organization was effected by the unanimous
selection of William H. Reynolds as chairman,
and Edward J. Maguire as secretary, and the
following "plan and scope committee" was ap-
pointed, with instructions to report at a subse-
quent meeting: Charles G. Reynolds, Edward
J. Maguire, Charles Hagedorn and Louis Bon-
nert.
May 29th a further meeting was held, open
to all speculative builders of Brooklyn, when
a permanent organization was effected with the
following officers : William H. Reynolds,
president; William Flanagan, vice-president;
Thomas F. Martin, treasurer. It was provided
that the secretary should be appointed, and
John J. Magilligan was named for the position.
At the same time committees were appointed
as follows : Executive, Membership, and Ar-
bitration. At a subsequent meeting a Legisla-
tive committee was added.
The constitution as adopted gave the title
of -the body to be the Builders' Association of
the Borough of Brooklyn, New York city, and
recited its purposes to be las follows :
First. To elevate the standing of the
Builders, to foster, protect and promote their
welfare, and, in conjunction with other or-
ganizations now existing (or to be formed),
to promote the interests of the building trade
in general.
Second. To adopt such measures for the
better protection of employers and employees
as shall lead to the promotion of harmony be-
tween all parties engaged with us in business ;
to arbitrate all differences, and so' avoid the
great evil of strikes, which unsettle our busi-
ness and drive capital into other channels of
investment.
Third. To demonstrate to our employees
that our interests are identical, and that, ,con-
326
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
sequently, all laws affecting the building inter-
ests must be considered jointly, if they are to
operate for the benefit of all.
July 2, 1903, rooms for the use of the Asso-
ciation were secured in the Johnson Building
before mentioned, and which have been its
quarters up to the present time.
December 17, 1903, provision was made for
a first and second vice-president, and at the
meeting of January 21, 1904, the following of-
ficers were elected : William M. Calder, pres-
ident; Frederick W. Rowe, first vice-presi-
dent ; Frank L. Singer, second vice-president ;
Thomas F. Martin, treasurer. John J. Magil-
ligan was appointed secretary. On February
16 following, the first annual banquet was
held at the Montauk Club. Hon. William M.
Calder, president of the Association, presided,
and one hundred and fifty-six members were
present. The addresses were informal.
The Association was incorporated under its
first and present title on March 31, 1904, the
articles of incorporation being drawn up by
Edward M. Perry, commissioner of deeds, and
approved by G. J. Garrettson, justice of the
supreme court.
At the meeting of January 19, 1905, the fol-
lowing officers were elected : Hon. William
M. Calder, president (re-elected) ; Frederick
W. Rowe, first vice-president (re-elected) ;
Henry B. Hill, second vice-president ; Thomas
F. Martin, treasurer (re-elected). John J. Ma-
gilligan was re-appointed secretary. The sec-
ond annual banquet took place at the Montauk
Club, February 20 following. President Cal-
der presided, and one hundred and seventy-one
members were present.
The Builders' Association has exerted itself
usefully in the promotion of public interests
as well as of those which it is its principal
purpose to safeguard. It procured from the
gas companies an important concession in the
abrogation of the street opening house charge
(ten to twenty dollars a building) against
buildings located on asphalt streets or gran-
ite pavements. It also procured the abolition
of the roof and water tax on new buildings at
the beginning of their construction, and the
substitution of a provision that such t^x shall
not be levied until four months after enclosure,
thus relieving the property until it shall have
become productive. It endorsed an important
measure which has not yet been carried into
effect — Borough President Littleton's plan
for building a loop connecting the two bridges
over East River, in order to admit of trains
running both ways ; and it also strongly urged
the construction of salt water mains for fire
purposes. During the less than three years of
its existence the Association has made strenu-
ous effort for the abolition of the tax on build-
ings in course of construction, and for defer-
ring the levy until completion. It also ap-
pointed an efficient committee (Frederick W.
Rowe, Monroe Stiner, Otto Singer, Thomas
F. Martin and Alfred Hamilton) to cooperate
with other botlies in behalf of the Brooklyn
subways.
One o^ the most important efforts on the
part of the Association was the active and effi-
cient part it took, in connection with other or-
ganization (in 1904) in effecting the forma-
tion of the Employers' League of Brooklvn —
an association now in full working order, and
comprising in its membership nearly all the
trades connected with the building industries.
The following is the membership roll of the
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
327
Builders' Association of the Borough of
Brooklyn :
William M. Calder, President.
John J. Magilligan, Secretary^ 56 Berkeley
Place.
Abrams & Stockton, 462 Forty-fifth street.
J. T. Allen, 567 Seventh street.
Balleisen & Wexler, 11 Graham avenue.
L. Beer, 808 Broadway.
E. H. Bishop, 647 Putnam avenue.
L. Bonert, 487 Fourth street.
N. C. Bonnlander, 876 Hart street.
C. Buehl, 527 Humboldt street.
Burkardt, Schmidt & Findeisen, 1169
Myrtle avenue.
W. Burr, 410 Hancock street.
A. G. Calder, 420 Eighth street.
W. M. Calder, 551 First street.
J. A. Canfield, 469 Marion street.
A. J. Cieslinskie, Avenue E and East Fifth
street.
W. F. Clayton, 1745 Pitkin avenue.
P. J. Collins, 67 Clearmont avenue.
C. G. Cozine, 364 Macon street.
J. Dawe, 1047 Forty-first street.
P. F. Delaney, 115 Underbill avenue.
■C. H. Dennison, 1124 Prospect place.
J. H. Dougherty & Bro., 286 Flatbush ave-
nue.
G. Eisenbach, 720 Broadway.
W. Flanagan, 69 Seventh avenue.
J. Eraser, 44 Rochester avenue.
J. M. Eraser, 185 Prospect Park West.
T. H. Eraser, 1042 Bergen street.
J. J. Gilligan, 741 Carroll street.
A. Gload, 558 McDonough street-
Green & Co., 4807 Sixth avenue.
J. Graham, 1788 Brooklyn avenue.
W. B. Greenman, 350 Fulton street.
A. Hamilton, 448 Fifty-fifth street
W. S. Hassan, 468 Fifty-sixth street.
J. A. Heinlein, 549 Forty-eighth street.
W. Herod, 121 1 Sterling Place.
H. B. Hill, 329 Decatur street.
E. Johnson, Forty-ninth street and New
Utrecht avenue.
W. H. Johnson, 478 Seventh street.
G. F. Keim, 734 Macon street.
A. J. Lamb, 75 Cornelia street.
P. Larsen, 464 Second street.
F. Lee, 415 Fifty-sixth street.
R. Leininger, 183 Kingston avenue.
H. H. Lucke, 5413 Fifth avenue.
A. T. Mack, 406 Ninth street.
J. J. Magilligan, 56 Berkeley Place.
E. Ji Maguire, 1304 Pacific street.
T. F. Martin, 753 Nostrand avenue.
P. McTiernan, 127 Russell street.
C. Menig, 278 St. Nicholas avenue.
F. B. Norris, 208 Lincoln road.
O. Olafson, 5108 Sixth avenue.
A. Olsen, 1523 Fifty-ninth street.
C. L. Prudden, 468 Fifty-ninth street.
B. C. Raymond, 1431 Dean street.
E. Reineking, 753 Qeveland street.
W. J. Reineking, 336 Hawthorne street.
■ Richtberg & Tataksky, 47 Sumner avenue.
C. G. Reynolds, 999 Sterling Place.
W. Rexter, 4809 Sixth avenue.
F. W. Rowe, Eastern Parkway & Brooklyn
avenue.
F. L. Singer, 1181 Bushwick avenue.
O. Singer, 671 Macon street.
F. A. Slocum, Twenty-second avenue and
Eighty-sixth street.
Spaeth & Senger, 1480 DeKalb avenue.
M. Stiner, 467 Fifty-sixth street.
S. Tate, 528 Fifty-fifth street.
' C. Tritschler, 808 Broadway.
L. Ulrich, 6001 Fifth avenue.
B. Wood, 427 Forty-third street.
Wilson & Morgan, 456 Fourteenth street.
328
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
MODERN BROOKLYN.
ITS UPBUILDING AND ITS BUILDERS.
The Story of the growth of Brooklyn, its
development from an inconsequential village
to a residential city of incomparable import-
ance, has been told in a previous volume. The
purpose of the present narrative is to trace
some of the agencies through which this
mighty change has been accomplished.
Among those who contributed in largest
degree to the upbuilding of Brooklyn was a
class known as "speculative builders," com-
prising many of its most capable builders and
progressive citizens. The term by which they
were designated served to distinguish them
from that class of builders who devoted them-
selves entirely to contract work. The method
of the speculative builder was to purchase
such unimproved realty as he conceived to be
capable of early and profitable improvement,
and the erection thereon of such buildings as
in his judgment would meet the wants of an
already waiting populace, or could be brought
to the attention of homeseekers, and find
among them a ready market. These operations
were of greater or less magnitude as the oper-
ators were more or less sanguine, and were
extended to the bounds of their means. Some
would purchase one or two lots ; others, suffi-
cient land to lay off in a city block and fre-
quently on tracts where were no streets,
and even on farm lands in the outskirts of the
borough, or beyond. When the building was
completed the builder would find a purchaser,
and with the proceeds repeat his venture,
sometimes in the same locality, and again in
an entirely different section. These undertak-
ings met with varied degrees of failure or
success. In some instances it proved disas-
trous, and sent the optimistic operator into in-
solvency; in others, he reaped a rich reward,
and found himself on the highway to wealth
and independence. No matter, however, how
the speculative builder fared personally, the
community was largely the gainer, for the city
was greatly expanded and beautified, and the
wants of an ever-increasing population were
adequately provided for by thousands of fam-
ily residences, tenements and apartment
houses, adapted to the requirements of every
class of home buyer or tenant, from the small
wage earner to the man of large affairs who
demanded a luxurious habitation and the rich-
est appointments.
Thus was the builder a public benefactor.
Many of the class were also men of broad con-
ceptions and stirring enterprise, outside the
line of their calling, and bore a large part in
municipal affairs, efficiently aiding in the de-
velopment and improvement of the city along
all material and moral lines. Many have been
called from time to time to high official posi-
tions, particularly in connection with the Bu-
reau of Buildings, where their expert knowl-
edge made their service particularly valuable.
Their infltience has also been potent in legis-
lation, and through their influence many salu-
tary laws relating to the construction and se-
curity of buildings have been enacted and cod-
ified. The greater number of the early build-
ers have passed away, and in various instances
their places are now occupied by their sons,
whom they reared to their own calling. Of
the pioneer builders who yet remain are three
conspicuous examples : John Magilligan, who
began work in Brooklyn in 1850"; William
Flanagan, whose work dates from about 1859 >
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
329
and A. Bush — all septuagenarians. Of a some-
what later date there are two prominent repre-
sentatives — Alexander G. Cakler, lately re-
tired, and whose son, Hon. William M. Calder,
served as building commissioner, is the present
president of the Builders' Association, and
was elected to congress in 1904 ; and A. Bush.
The era of speculative building began on a
small scale shortly before the outbreak of the
Civil war, when the population of Brooklyn did
not greatly exceed twenty thousand, and wheti
the residences of the people were mostly with-
in the distance of three-quarters of a mile from
the Fulton Ferry. Beyond this limit there
were no streets of any consequence, and the
ground was chiefly occupied for agricultural
.purposes. The subsequent tremendous expan-
sion of residential territory resulted from an
imperative necessity for providing for a large
part of the commercial and industrial popula-
tion of the city of New York, and was accom-
plished through the foresight and enterprise
of the description of men to whom reference
has been made. The residential districts thus
created include the Park Slope region, which
was opened up about i860 by Clinton Daniels;
the Bedford section, which was opened up
about 1870, and which was until then mere
farming lands ; Prospect Park South, which
less than ten years ago was a cornfield; and
others, of which these may serve as examples.
The ends accomplished through the labors of
those who developed these large tracts are dis-
cernible in thousands of comfortable family
homes and apartment houses, while in some re-
gions the buildings are wholly detached from
others, affording lawns and garden spots, while
all are fully provided with all that is called for
by high sanitary standards — ample and clean
water supply and effective sewerage, electric
lighting, telephone service and elevators.
GEORGE F. KEIM.
George F. Keim, an enterprising and promi-
nent business man of Brooklyn, New York,
who first engaged in the mercantile line and
later as a speculative builder, was born in
New York city, March 14, 1856, a son of
William • Christian Keim, an extensive real es-
tate owner of that city.
He attended the public schools of his na-
tive city, graduating from the same at the age
of fourteen years, after which for one year he
pursued a business course in the College of
the City of New York. He then secured em-
ployment in a wholesale house, and three years
later went on the road for the firm, making
western trips and achieving a large degree of
success. After dissolving his connection with
this firm he entered into partnership with his
brother, Henry G. Keim, under the style of
Keim Brothers, their place of business being
on Prince street. New York, and there they
manufactured flowers and feathers. In 1882
the partnership was dissolved and George F.
Keim went on the road for the firm of De
Pinna & Son. He continued as a traveling
salesman up to 1884, when he engaged in the
millinery business on Broadway, Brooklyn,
which increased rapidly, enlarging from time
to time until there was no more available
room. In 1892 erected an extensive building
on Broadway, corner of Ditmars street, one
block above Myrtle avenue, in which he con-
ducted business up to 1900, a period of eight
years, when he disposed of the same and de-
voted his entire time to speculative building,
330
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
for which line of work he evinced a decided
taste and aptitude since the erection of his own
building.
Mr. Keini erected a four-story apartment
house at No. 328 Madison street, between
Marcy and Tompkins avenues. He then built
and sold twenty-two two-family houses on Jef-
ferson avenue, between Hamburg and Knick-
erbocker avenues, these being two^ story and
basement, and the first to be erected in that
section of the borough, which was then noth-
ing but fields. He built eleven first-class two-
family houses on Hancock street, between
Hamburg and Knickerbocker avenues, and
during this time he also purchased and sold
a large amount of real estate. October 15,
1904, Mr. Keim began operations on Halsey
street, betweeli Throop and Tompkins ave-
nues, where he has erected five double four-
story apartment houses of a superior class,
which give accommodations to forty families.
They are built after the latest style, all mod-
ern improvements, and up-to-date in every-
thing known- to the building trade, such as
fire-proof partitions, steel girders, the latest
plumbing, steam heat, hot water, gas range,
tile bath room, automatic dumb waiters, etc.,
all of the very best material. Mr. Keim has
been largely instrumental in the development
of the section of the city in which his opera-
tions were conducted, and has made a success
of every enterprise in which he has engaged.
He is recognized as a careful and expert
builder. Mr. Keim is a veteran of the Sev-
enty-first Regiment, New York State Na-
tional Guard, and a member of the Brooklyn
Masonic Veterans, Clinton Lodge No. 453,
Free and Accepted Masons, the Union League
Club, the Kings County Republican Club, and
the Builders' Association of the Borough of
Brooklyn.
BENJAMIN C. RAYMOND.
Benjamin C. Raymond, who for the past
twelve years has been a factor in building op-
erations in Brooklyn, both as a contractor and
speculator, was born in Yarmouth, Nova Sco-
tia, July 26, 1865. His father, Joseph I. Ray-
mond, was a ship builder who came with his
family to Brooklyn in 1880 and followed his
trade in this city until his retirement from
business life. He is still a resident of this
borough.
Coming to Brooklyn when a youth of fifteen
years, Benjamin C. Raymond learned his trade
with Stephen Hassard and John Y. McKayne,
and the efficiency which he attained at car-
pentering and building enabled him to fill a
responsible position as foreman in early man-
hood. When twenty-four years of age he be-
gan business on his own account as a general
contractor, and soon demonstrating his ability,
was awarded the contracts for the erection of
various houses and flats. He had a shop on
Baltic street, near Fourth avenue, and his suc-
cess enabled him to enter the field of specu-
lative building in 1893, since which time his
labors have contributed to the improvement
and progress of the city along architectural
lines, and at the same time have promoted his
individual prosperity. His first undertaking
of this character was the erection of ten houses
on Ralph and Macon streets — brown stone
structures, two stories in height with base-
ment, also four-story corner flats. Successful
in this venture into a new field of business
activity, Mr. Raymond has since continued
therein. He erected on Macon street, near
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
331
Howard, five private houses, each with ac-
commodations for two families, and afterward
four more of the same character on the same
street. Four houses near Howard street are
also monuments to his business enterprise,- and
he further continued his building operation by
the erection, on Fifty-seventh street, South
Brooklyn, below Third avenue, oi a large
frame building. Erecting five houses on Six-
tieth street, and two rows of five each on Six-
ty-first street, he has thus been actively iden-
tified with the improvement of that section of
the city, and it is now a populous residence
district owing to the provision made, largely
through the efforts of Mr. Raymond, of pro-
viding comfortable homes in that locality.
Transferring the field of his activity to Park
Place, near Kingston avenue, he erected five
and later four houses. About the same time
he built five two family brownstone houses,
two story and basement, on Dean street near
Kingston avenue, and in 1892 began building
on the boulevard, erecting five each on Park
Ridge, seven on New York avenue and East-
ern Parkway and others. In his building
operations he has made a specialty of two
family houses, two story and basement, of the
better class, selling from nine thousand dol-
lars upward. He has always labored for im-
provement in all of his building operations
and in his career has kept abreast with the
spirit of progress so characteristic of the age.
Giving careful study to the points of archi-
tectural beauty, he has also given much
thought to practical convenience and to in-
terior adornment, and attractive modern
houses have resulted, adding to the desirabil-
ity of the sections where he has operated as
places of residence, and also being a direct
factor in the general advancement of property
valuations there. He is now, in the spring
of 1905, erecting six large houses on the north
side of Eastern Parkway, between Nostrand
and New York avenues, which when com-
pleted will be, on account of construction and
location, as handsome and desirable as any
residences in Brooklyn.
Mr. Raymond was married to Miss Anna E.
Wichmann, a native of Brooklyn, and they
have five children : Rosalie, Etta, May, Rus-
sell and Fred. Their home is at No. 607 East-
ern Parkway and they are members of
the Embury Memorial (Methodist Episcopal)
church, of Brooklyn. Mr. Raymond is a mem-
ber of the Royal Arcanum, and has been a
Mason since 1897, belonging to Long Island
Lodge No. 382. He is an advocate of Re-
publican principles and keeps well informed
on the questions of the day, but is not an
aspirant for office. He belongs to the Master
Builders' Association, and while feeling an in-
terest in comnumity afi^^airs and in questions
affecting the general welfare, his attention fo-
cuses upon business conditions. Every step
in his career has been thoughtfully made, and
although celerity of mental action has resulted
in business despatch, his judgment is rarely
at fault in determining upon a building pro-
ject and has thus led to wise and profitable in-
vestment.
JERRE J. GILLIGAN.
Jerre J. Gilligan, whose practical knowledge
of and broad experience in connection with
the builder's art makes him particularly well
qualified for speculative building, has through-
out his entire business career been connected
332
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
either with active building operations or with
the construction of houses as a means of in-
vestment.
He was born in New York, February 20,
1856, began his education in the eighth ward
pubHc school, afterward attended school No.
15, on Third avenue and State streets, and
subsequently the Brooklyn Institute. Soon af-
ter leaving the s.choolroom he became asso-
ciated in business with an uncle, now de-
ceased, who was one of the best known build-
ers in Brooklyn in his day. Mr. Gilligan is
a carpenter by trade, served a regular appren-
ticeship under his uncle, and advanced in his
employ as his knowledge of construction and
practical skill gave reason for business pro-
motion. He eventually became superintendent
and draftsman, acting in these capacities for
his uncle for a number of years. He also
became familiar with speculative building in
connection with his uncle, and they carried on
extensive important operations on the slope and
South Brooklyn and west of Atlantic avenue.
The uncle erected as many buildings as any
man in the city in his day, including a large
number of private residences and some corner
apartment buildings. He built many on Ber-
gen street and between Wood and Hoyt
streets, on Fourth and Fifth avenues. He also
erected twenty-five on Park Place, between
Fifth and Seventh avenues, and among his
more recent work was the erection of four
on First avenue, west of Eighth avenue. He
had the old Prospect Hotel removed, it be-
ing moved by Mr. Miller, the grandfather of
the well known Mr. Miller, who is now en-
gaged in such work in Brooklyn. He died
in the year, 1892, after a residence in Brook-
lyn covering forty years. He was in the city
when the water-works system was installed,
and was active in community interests, con-
tributing in large measure to advancement and
upbuilding along lines that were of marked
benefit to the general public.
Jerre J. Gilligan, entering his uncle's em-
ploy, continued with him until 1889, since
which time he has been closely identified with
the improvement of the city through contract-
ing and building, including speculative build-
ing. He has erected apartments and residences
on Eighth avenue. First and Garfield, and he
built on Garfield Place, on Eighth avenue. Sec-
ond street and Park Place. He built a four-
story double apartment house on Carroll
street, and on Vandeveer avenue, between
Park and Prospect, he built a two-story build-
ing and store. This is his last work. He also
built on Park Place between Carlton and Van-
derbilt, the fine apartment building and on
Adelphi and State streets apartments and
houses. Some of the buildings which he has
erected are numbered among the fine resi-
dences on the hill. On Fifth street, west of
Eighth avenue, he is erecting five houses, thir-
ty-six by eighty-three feet, which will be
among the best in the city. Altogether his
building operations have resulted in the erec-
tion of two hundred and twenty residences in
Brooklyn, including substantial buildings of
'the middle class and many of the best struct-
ures of the borough.
Mr. Gilligan belongs to the Builders' Asso-
ciation, and is constantly on the alert to note
the indications pointing to success in the field
of his chosen endeavor. He is thoroughly con-
versant with business' conditions having direct
or indirect bearing upon building operations ;
has had the prescience to discern what the fu-
^t/^^.
^(X^ipCtf^n^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
335
ture held in store for certain districts of tlie
city ; and through his keen foresight has made
investments that have proved of marked value
in promoting his individual prosperity. His
political views accord with the principles of
Democracy, and he is a membef of the As-
sembly District Association. He belongs to
the Bachelors and Benedicts' Club, of which
he v/as one of the organizers. Hunting, bowl-
ing and fishing and various outdoor sports af-
ford him his chief source of recreation and
pleasure, and his skill with the rod and gun
have frequently been demonstrated.
Mr. Giliigan is married, and has seven chil-
dren : Harry C, Elizabeth M., Agnes E.,
Genevieve, Mildred, Paul and Catherine. The
family hom.e is at No. 741 Carroll street.
WILLIAM M. CALDER.
William Musgrave Calder, president of the
Building Association of Brooklyn, enjoys pe-
culiar distinction as a prime factor in the mam-
moth operations of the past twenty years, a
period marked by an entire revolution, princi-
pal features of which are the modern apart-
ment house, which is at once a real utility
and ornament to the borough ; and the neces-
sary methods to regulations for its proper san-
itation. He entered upon his varied duties
with admirable equipment. He was a practical
carpenter and builder to begin with, and his
abilities found high recognition in his appoint-
ment by Borough President Swanstrom to the
position of building commissioner. His office
clothed him with power sufficient to command
important building reforms, while at the same
time it is said of him that under his rule the
building industries of the borough made
17
greater progress, in extent and character, than
during any other similar period in its history.
Mr. Calder was "to the manner born," go-
ing to his trade in extreme youth, and under
the capable mastership of his father, Alexan-
der Grant Calder. The father was born in New
York city, July 8, 1841, and came to Brook-
lyn with his parents when he was four years
old. He learned the trade of carpenter with
Donald McDonald, at that time one of the
leading builders m the city of New York. He
became a contractor and builder, and followed
the twofold occupation for many years. Yet
later he engaged in speculative building, car-
rying out his projects with such industry that
he is credited with the erection of nearly a
thousand buildings. In 1898 he declined
further efforts, and since that time has lived
in a pleasant semi-retirement, at 420 Eighth
street, Brooklyn, concerning himself only in
the care of his invested interests.
William Musgrave Calder was born in
Brooklyn, on March 3, 1869. Pie attended the
public schools, and when fifteen years old be-
gan his apprenticeship under his father, with
whom he became partner after the expiration
of his term and his coming of age. The two,
father and son, were thus associated in a spec-
ulative building business, their operations ex-
lending throughout the eighth, ninth and
twenty-second wards, and largely on the Park
Slope. The partnership terminated with the
retirement of the senior Calder, and William
M. Calder thenceforv/ard continued the busi-
ness upon his own account. Among the many
apartment and flat-houses of his building are
included the block on Thirteenth street be-
tween Eighth and Ninth avenues ; the block of
flats on Eighth avenue, between Twelfth and
336
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Thirteenth streets ; the southeast corner of
Seventh street and Seventh avenue ; the south-
east corner of Ninth avenue and Seventh
street ; and the southwest corner of Fifth
street and Seventh avenue. He also built
a block of ten .new-law tenement houses
on Lincoln and Berkeley Place, east of Fifth
avenue, and a new apartment house at Four-
teenth street near Ninth avenue. These and
many others are among the principal orna-
ments in their respective neighborhoods, pleas-
ing to the eye, and constructed with consci-
entious regard for real utility and comfort and
health of their inmates. In all these large con-
cerns Mr. Calder has not only been a large
contributor to the wealth of the borough
through the erection of much valuable proper-
ty, but he has brought great benefits to the
community in providing homes for a multi-
tude of worthy families of the best middle
classes, and in furnishing employment to hun-
dreds of workmen.
Aside from his personal concerns, Mr. Cal-
der has afforded public service far reaching
and of enduring value. As has been stated,
his ability as a builder and his high regard for
the public health and convenience, as evi-
denced in his construction work, led to his ap-
pointment in 1 90 1 by Borough President
Swanstrom as building commissioner. At the
time of his installation in that position condi-
tions in Brooklyn with reference to house
construction were unsatisfactory and detri-
mental to every interest, public and private.
A largely increased population was to be pro-
vided for and immediately. But there was a
serious obstacle in the new tenement house
law which was enacted with a view to condi-
tions in Manhattan, and which in its opera-
tions was seriously repressive as to the bor-
ough of Brooklyn, making an almost absolute
stoppage of tenement and apartment house
building, and denying admission to thousands
of people of the most desirable classes who
were homeseekers at its gates. Such was the
condition of affairs which Mr. Calder was
called to encounter. He applied himself with
intelligence and vigor to the remedying of the
evil, and succeeded in procuring an amend-
atory enactment permitting the erection of the
four-story flat, a type of building popular in
Brooklyn, and better answering the desired
purpose than any other form. The effect was
most salutary. The borough at once began to
build up, and it is estimated that in the time
which has elapsed between then and the pres-
ent, more than four times the number of build-
ings have been erected than in any like period.
The advantages grov/ing out of Mr. Calder's
well-considered action were many and far-
reaching. Real estate in all parts of the bor-
ough rapidly advanced in value, unsightly
vacancies were occupied by attractive edifices,
and an increase in population of a hundred
thousand has been provided for. While build-
ing commissioner, Mr. Calder also procured
legislation providing for improved sanitary
conditions — the installation of effective plumb-
ing, by means of an adequate valve-system,
and a stringent inspection of all pipes in dwell-
ings, sewer and gas, and their fixtures. All
these beneficial innovations, the result of Mr.
Calder's effort, have been retained and are
now in force.
The work accomplished by Mr. Calder met
with cordial and general appreciation. It was
generously comm.ended in the public press,
and at the time of his retirement from office
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
337
the builders and real estate dealers of the bor-
ough presented to him engrossed resolutions
expressive of their sense of the value of the
services. In December, 1903, he was elected
to the presidency of the Building Association
of Brooklyn. The Vv^orth of such a tribute is
to be discerned in the fact that the Associa-
tion membership comprises about one hun-
dred of the leading speculative builders, whose
annual building business aggregates the im-
mense sums of fifteen million dollars.
Mr. Calder is also a director in the Fifth
Avenue Co-operative Builders' Association;
a member of the Manufacturers' Association
of New York; and a director in the South
Brooklyn Board of Trade.
Mr. Calder is a staunch Republican, and
wields a potent influence in the councils of his
party. He is a trustee of the Twelfth Assem-
bly District Republican Club; for seven years
past has been a member of the Republican
county central committee ; and is president of
the famous Logan Club. In 1904 he received
from his party the congressional nomination
for the sixth congressional district and was
elected by a majority of 2,700 over Robert
Baker, the incumbent representative. The
district is nominally Democratic, and has
never before given such a Republican victory.
Mr. Calder's personal popularity is dis-
cernible in the fact that he holds membership
in as many as twenty-four different organi-
zations, including the Montauk Club and the
Crescent Club. In Masonry he is affiliated
with Greenwood Lodge, in which he is a past
master, and he has attained to the commandery
degrees. He is also a member of the Royal
Arcanum and the order of Heptasophs. He is
a trustee in the Twelfth Street Reformed
Church and a director of the Prospect branch
of the Y. M. C. A.
Mr. Calder married' Miss Catherine Har-
loe, a daughter of William Harloe, former
mayor of Poughkeepsie, New' York. Two
children have been born of this marriage :
Elsie Frances, aged nine years, and William
M., aged four years. The family occupy a
handsome lioine at 551 First street, Brooklyn.
JAMES DAWE.
James Dawe, a successful speculative build-
er and contractor, also an extensive real estate
dealer, whose office is located on New Utrecht
avenue, is a self-made and self-educated man,
and his business career has been one of marked
enterprise, wherein his reliable methods have
contributed in large measure to his prosperity.
His operations are conducted principally in
Borough Park and Blythbourne, two of the
finest residential suburbs of the city, the
growth of which within the past few years has
indeed been marvelous, and being an architect
of note he also draws the plans for his own
buildings and many others.
James Dawe is a native of England. He
was reared, educated and learned his trade of
carpenter in that country, worked for a num-
ber of years as a journeyman in the city of
Plymouth, and in 1887 emigrated to the
United States, locating in Brooklyn, New
York, where he has since resided. He se-
cured employment at his trade in Brooklyn,
New York city, and on government work, and
during this time attended Pratt Institute,
where he studied architectural drawing, thus
becoming competent tO' make the plans for his
building operations. He also attended night
338
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
school, thereby becommg proficient m other
branches of study, and this assisted him great-
ly in his future career. His first building-
operations were in the Bay Ridge section of
the borough of Brooklyn — three houses on
Seventy-seventh street, between Third and
Fourth avenues. Later he erected houses on
Seventy-third street, between Second and
Third avenues, and then in partnership with
two builders and contractors completed twelve
two-story and basement houses on Fifty-sev-
enth street, between First and Second ave-
nues, suitable for two families each. He
erected by contract two houses on Fifty-fifth
street, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth ave-
nues, a private house on Eighteenth street, be-
tween Avenues C and D, Flatbush, and houses
on Throop avenue and Halsey street, Brook-
lyn, besides several others. He erected a first-
class private frame residence — on One Hun-
dredth street and Fort Hamilton avenue, also
one on the Boulevard and Avenue T, and six
or seven houses on Jersey Heights. He then
built on speculation, and later sold houses on
Fifty-fifth street and Fourteenth avenue, pri-
vate residences, four on Fifty-seventh street
and Twelfth avenue, private residences ; three
on Forty-fifth street, near Twelfth avenue;
four on Forty-fourth street, near Twelfth
avenue ; one on Forty-second street, between
Twelfth and Fort Hamilton avenues; three
on Twelfth avenue, between Forty-third and
Forty-fifth streets ; and on Forty-seventh
street, near Twelfth avenue. At the present
time (1905) he is erecting a two-family house
on Forty-second street, near Twelfth avenue.
Mr. Dawe personally superintends all the
details of his building and contracting opera-
tions, which are among the most extensive in
his section of the borough, and in addition to
this he devotes considerable time and atten-
tion to real estate transactions, from which he
derives a goodly incoriie, not only buying and
selling on his own account but also for a large
number of customers, who rely implicitly on
his judgment in these matters. The houses
he has erected are noted for their architectural
beauty, and add greatly to the attractiveness
of the locality. Mr. Dawe is a member of
the Builders' Association of Brooklyn, and is
a charter member of the Royal Arcanum.
Mr. Dawe married Miss Alice L. Isaacs, a
native of Brooklyn, New York, and their chil-
dren are Lyle and Evelyn Dawe. Mr. Dawe
and his family are members of the Methodist
Episcopal church of Borough Park. Their
residence is located on Forty-first street, nea'^
New Utrecht avenue. Borough Park.
JOHN T. ALLAN.
John T. Allan, a speculative builder, resid-
ing at No. 23 Fort Green Place, Brooklyn,
who for the past fifteen years, or since 1890,
has been actively and prominently identified
with the building interests of the borough, is
a native of Brantford, Canada.
After completing a common school educa-
tion in his native land he learned the trade
of carpenter and the profession of an architect,
which he followed with a fair degree of suc-
cess for a number of years in his native city.
He then located in Boston, Massachusetts,
and three years later, in, 1884, came to New
York city and was appointed superintendent
of a mill there. He then came to Brooklyn,
New York, and filled a similar position in the
International Tile and Trimming Company's
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
339
plant, remaining three years. At the expira-
tion of this period of time he engaged in busi-
ness for himself, choosing the line of work-
followed by his father, that of carpentering
and building. He began his operations in East
New York, en Arlington avenue, between El-
ton and Linwood streets, where he built two
private houses. He then built five three-story
flats on Fifth street, between Fourth and Fifth
avenues, of brick and stone; fifteen private
houses of a good class on Fourth street, be-
tween Seventh and Eighth avenues ; three pri-
vate houses on Third street, between Eighth
and Ninth avenues; four private houses on
Carroll street, between Eighth and Ninth av-
enues; nine flats, suitable for three families
each, on Bedford avenue and Hughes street ;
four flats, suitable for six families each, on
Lee avenue, near Hooper street; seven double
flats on Classon avenue, near Bergen street;
several houses on Dean street, near Kings-
ton avenue; the flat house on the corner of
Orange and Hicks streets; six private houses
on Fourth street, near Eighth avenue; nine-
teen houses on Seventh street, near Eighth
avenue ; the HefHey School, on Ryerson street
and De Kalb avenue. He also remodeled a
large number of the old houses on Montague
street, and erected a great number not herein
mentioned. In the borough of Manhattan he
erected a large stable on Ninety-sixth street,
west of Columbus avenue; a large private
house near Eighth avenue; an office building
on Duane street, near Broadway; and a hotel
on Forty-seventh street, between Sixth avenue
and Broadway. He is a member of the Build-
ers' Association of Brooklyn, and of St. John's
Lodge, Knights of Malta.
Prior to leaving his native land Mr. Al-
lan was married. He has one son, Jackson,
who is now employed in the Borough Bank.
ANDREW OLSEN.
Andrew Olsen, whose building operations
have been conducted principally in the suburb-
an sections of the borough of Brooklyn,namely :
Borough Park, Bensonhurst, Vanderveer Park,
Jamaica and Richmond Hill, and who em-
ploys on an average about thirty-five hands,
all experienced and expert mechanics, is a
native of Norway, in which country he re-
sided until 1880, attending the schools there-
of, when the attractions of the new world
induced him to emigrate thither. He located
in Brooklyn, New York, where he completed
his education in the public schools, and in
1887 moved to Borough Park, where he has
since resided, having been one of the early
settlers of that section.
He served an apprenticeship at the trade '
of carpenter in New York city and Brooklyn,
was employed for about ten years as a journey-
man, and began operations on his own account
by erecting a residence for himself and fam-
ily on Fifty-seventh street, near Sixteenth ave-
nue, which he later disposed of. He then built
a house for Mr. Frank Slocum in Benson-
hurst, and during the following three years
built twenty houses, six the first year, eight
the second, and six the third. He built four
houses on Dyker Heights, one of which is
the home of Captain Bedell, and also built all
the houses in Borough Park on the north side
of Fifty-fifth street, between Fifteenth and
Sixteenth avenues. He built two houses on
Fifty-fourth street, between Fourteenth and
Fifteenth avenues, the Borough Park Presby-
340
HISTORY OP LONG ISLAND.
terian church, and is now building the Third
Church of Christ on the corner of East Fif-
teenth street and Dorchester road. He built
cottages on the corner of Eightieth street and
Twenty-third avenue; on Eightieth street,
near Eighteenth avenue; on Avenue R and
East Thirteenth street ; and on Neptune ave-
nue, between East Fifth and Sixth streets.
He built a house on East Twenty-ninth street,
near Avenue F, Vanderveer Park; four be-
tween Poplar street and the Boulevard ; one
on East B street, between Avenues E and D ;
five in Jamaica in the winter of 1893 for the
Franklyn Society; a store and flat house, suit-
able for three families, on the corner of Fifty-
fifth street 'and Sixteenth avenue; two on
Fifty-seventh street, between Fifteenth and
Sixteenth avenues, and is now building three
in Richmond Hill on Wine street, near Cen-
tral avenue. He has also performed con-
siderable work on Ridgeview avenue. White
Plains. The workmanship on his houses is
of the best, and their neat and attractive ap-
pearance greatly enhances the value of the
property thereabouts. Mr. Olsen is independ-
ent in politics, casting his vote for the man
who in his opinion is best qualified for office.
ALEXANDER GRANT CALDER. .
Alexander Grant Calder, one of the oldest
contractors and builders in Brooklyn, is num-
bered among the most enterprising and largest
operators in the development of the modern
city, his busy activities having extended over
the long period of nearly forty years, during
which time he has been the principal builder in
various of the most desi'rable and now beautiful
residential districts. Capable in every depart-
ment of his work, and scrupulously conscien-
tious, the monuments to his skill and foresight
are discernible in hundreds of sightly struc-
tures. Indeed, it is said on excellent authority
that he has built as many as a thousand homes.
He was a pioneer in the development of the
now splendid Park Slope neighborhood, be-
ginning in a day when what is now a thickly
built up avenue was a country road, the slope
lying in fields under cultivation, dotted with a
few old-fashioned farm houses.
Mr. Calder was born in the city of New
York, July 8, 1841. His father, Isaac Calder,
was a native of Scotland, who came to New
York in 1833. The father was a builder, and
erected many structures under contract in both
New York and Brooklyn. These included
houses on Seventeenth street near Eighth ave-
nue, and on Thirty-ninth street between Ninth
and Tenth, avenues, most of which have since
been replaced by modern edifices. He died
about 1853, leaving an excellent reputation for
ability and integrity, but no means to his fam-
ily, on account of business reverses.
Alexander G. Calder was a lad of eleven
years when his father died. He had acquired
the foundations of an English education, but
at the age of twelve years, being the eldest of
five children, was obliged to leave school and
aid in the support of the family. For three
years he was employed in the shipyards of
Captain Tucker, at Red Hook Point, and dur-
ing this time learned the trade of ship carpen-
ter, meanwhile and for several months all
alone, serving as watchman on board a vessel
lying in the basin, in order to protect the in-
surance thereon — a weighty responsibility for
a boy not yet in his teens. Discerning the fact
that advancement in the calling of a ship car-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
343
penter would be but slow, he apprenticed him-
self to Donald McDonald, a most capable
house carpenter, and then one of the leading
builders in New York city. His mother and
her children were then living in Sixteenth
street, Brooklyn, and this necessitated his
boarding in New York, but he habitually spent
his Sundays at home. His means were ex-
tremely limited and he was obliged to practice
the closest economy. When he left the ship-
yard he was getting five dollars a week, but
his apprentice wage was only three dollars.
He managed, however, as his earnings became
a little more, to save a small sum, with which
he rented a shop in Brooklyn, in Fourteenth
street, near Fifth avenue, and engaged in
work on his own account. Industry and
economy were rewarded with a constantly in-
creasing trade, and after some years he built
a shop of his own on Thirteenth street, be-
tween Fifth and Sixth avenues, which he oc-
cupied from 1867 to 1897. During this time
he brought up as many as twenty-five appren-
tices, some of whom or their sons are yet in
his employ, while others have long ago en-
gaged in business for themselves.
In 1867 Mr. Calder, while still carrying on
general contract building, purchased a num-
ber of lots and engaged in speculative build-
ing. In that year he erected twelve houses
on Thirteenth street, between Sixth and
Seventh avenues — some of brick, two stories,
with basement, and some frame, three stories
and basement, all one family houses. In 1868
he built six two-story brick buildings, with
basement, on Thirteenth street, between
Fourth and Fifth avenues ; six on Twelfth
street, between Sixth and Seventh avenues ;
six three-story flats on Fourteenth street, be-
tween Fourth and Fifth avenues. He subse-
quently began the erection of a more preten-
tious class of buildings — on Fifth avenue and
St. John Place, five four-story store buildings
and flats, brick and brown stone fronts ; on
Seventh street, between Seventh and Eighth
avenues, ten three-story flats, brown stone
fronts ; on Seventh avenue, between Seventh
and Eighth streets, five four-story stores and
flats; on Tenth street and Fourth avenue,
eight three-story flats and one corner store
building; on Ninth street and Seventh avenue,
four four-story stores and flats; on Seven-
teenth street and Fourth avenue, five three-
story flats, and on the corner a four-story
building, the lower floor for store purposes ;
on Twelfth street, between Fourth and Fifth
avenues, thirteen three-story brick flats; on
Eleventh street and Fourth avenue, six three-
story flats, with one large corner store; on
Seventh avenue, between Twelfth and Thir-
teenth streets, four four-story brick stores and
flats ; at Fifth avenue and Twenty-third street,
five four-story flats. On Thirteenth street,
between Eighth and Ninth avenues, he built
forty-five houses with brown stone fronts,
taking in both sides of the street. Other locali-
ties which he builded upon were, in part, as
follows : On Ninth street, between Fourth
arid Fifth avenues, four four-story flats ; on
Eighth street, between Fourth and Fifth ave-
nues, three four-story flats, and on Twelfth
street, between Eighth and Ninth avenues,
nine four-story apartment houses. One of his
largest undertakings at one time was the
building on Eighth street, between Seventh
and Eighth avenues, of ten brown stone three-
story residence buildings, of thorough and
beautiful construction, and one of which is
344
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
his residence. On Third avenue, between
Forty-eighth and Fifty-sixth streets, he built
twenty-one store buildings and apartment
houses, and many others in different localities
in the city. In the later years of his career, as
a speculative builder, he had the assistance of
his sons, Hon. William M. Cakler and Alex-
ander G. Calder, Jr., both of whom are sub-
jects of mention elsewhere in this work.
In i902-'Mr. Calder retired from the build-
ing trade, after having made a most useful
and honorable record, and with wide recogni-
tion of the great part he had accomplished in
the upbuilding of the modern city of Brook-
lyn. Retirement, however, was unattended by
idleness, which were entirely foreign to his
energetic spirit and industrious life, and he
has since given his attention to the various
large interests with which he had become
identified while pursuing the calling which
had been his principal object. For ten years
past he has been a director in the Fifth Ave-
nue Bank. He has been the vice-president of
the Greater New York Savings Bank for some
years. He aided in the organization of the
South Brooklyn Board of Trade, of which he
was the first president, and he has long been
a member of the Master Builders' Association
of Brooklyn. He is a member of the Masonic
fraternity, affiliated with Greenwood Lodge
since 1867, and in which he is a past master.
He was originally a Republican in politics, and
served as a member of the Republican county
central committee. He associated himself with
the Democratic party in 1876, but in recent
years has not held himself as committed to
any particular party, and has cast his ballot
and exerted his influence independently. He
and his family attend the Twelfth Street Re-
formed church. Throughout his life he has
maintained an unsullied reputation, and is
held in well deserved regard by all with whom
he has at any time been associated, whether
in business or in social relations.
CHRISTIAN BRANDLEIN.
Qiristian Brandlein, a speculative builder,
whose business career has been one of marked
enterprise, wherein his reliable methods have
contributed in a large measure to his prosper-
ity, is a man of keen discrimination, sound
judgment and executive ability. He was born
in Germany, and acquired an excellent edu-
cation in the schools of his native land, after
which he served an apprenticeship at the trade
of carpenter, becoming a thorough and ex-
pert mechanic in wood work and able tO' build
anything made of wood. The first few years
of his active career were spent in the man-
ufactory of Mr. Howlet, the well known maker
of musical instruments. Later he took up
the carpenter trade, engaging shortly after-
ward in contracting, building over fifty houses
by contract, but since 1,903 has engaged al-
most entirely in speculative building, erecting
many houses which average in price about
$5,500. His place of business is located at
No. 241 Onderdonk avenue, Brooklyn, where
he receives orders for contracting, carpenter-
ing, building and all kinds of repairing. His
work is performed in a thoroughly reliable
manner, only the best of materials are used
in the construction of houses, and therefore
his high reputation as a builder is well merited.
He is a member of the Concordia Club, of
which he was president many years, and the
founder of the Williamsburg Saengerbund.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
M5
Prior to his coming to the United States, he
served in the German army.
Mr. Brandlein is married and has a family
of five children, four sons and one daughter.
GUSTAVE PETTERSEN.
Gustave Pettersen, a practical man of busi-
ness and a thorough and expert mechanic,
who had followed contracting for a number
of years, and whose operations in a specula-
tive way have extended over a period of three
years from 1902 to 1905, was born in Sweden,
August 2, 1867. He was reared and educated
there, and at the early age of ten years turned
his attention to a seafaring life, which he fol-
lowed for a period of ten years, during which
time he visited many foreign countries. He
finally settled in Brooklyn, New York, in
1885, which he thought was an excellent city
in which to gain a footing in the world.
He worked at his trade of carpenter in
Brooklyn until 1889, in which year he began
contracting on his own account, building in
Sheepshead Bay, and performing a large
amount of alteration work in the city proper.
His first operation in a speculative way was a
cottage of the Queen Anne style on East Thir-
teenth street and Avenue D, and since then
he has erected seven simila.r cottages, the in-
terior finish and improvements being of the
very best, which average about $8,200, and are
among the finest in that section of the city.
He is building, on contract a house for Mr.
Hodges at the corner of East Nineteenth street
and Ditmas avenue ; a tennis court on East
Nineteenth street for Mr. Frank H. Quimby,
an architect; two on East Fifteenth street,
near Avenue D, one for Ella A. Warner and
one for Mr. Bond, and one on East Thirteenth
street and Avenue C for Mr. Ottens. He has
also built fourteen of the best houses in the
Flatbush and Ditmas Park section of the bor-
ough. Mr. Pettersen is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal church, a trustee of the
same, and takes an active interest in all re-
ligious work. He is a Republican in politics.
Mr. Pettersen married Miss Theodora Ton-
nesen, who bore him four children. The fam-
ily residence is at No. 312 Union street, Brook-
lyn.
JERE D. MAHEGIN.
Jere D. Mahegin, builder and jobber, whose
place of business is located at 336 Broadway,
Brooklyn, New York, is a representative of
the class of men who win and retain an en-
viable reputation among builders and their nu-
merous patrons, as well as the public in gener-
al, by conscientious and painstaking labor and
reliable and conscientious transactions. He is
a son of James and Mary (Burke) Mahegin,
who were residents of Brooklyn for the long
period of thirty-two years.
After completing a common school educa-
tion, Jere D. Mahegin secured employment
with James E. Baker, with whom he remained
in the capacity of overseer for several years, ,
after which he entered into partnership with
him, this connection continuing for two years.
He then purchased his partner's interest, this
being in the year 1900, and since then has
conducted a successful business at the old
place, where the same line of work has been
carried on for many years. He has a force
of from ten to twenty men, whom he employs
according to the work on hand, and being a
346
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
practical carpenter himself is fully qualified
to superintend the work. During his twenty
years connection with this business, he has
amassed a handsome coriipetence as the re-
sult of well directed effort.
WILLIAM MASKE.
William Maske, who has been identified
with the building interests of Brooklyn for a
quarter of a century, and who has been large-
ly instrumental in the development of various
sections of the borough of Brooklyn, particu-
larly in the Eastern District, was born in Prus-
sia, Germany, January 27, 1837.
He acquired a practical education in the
schools of his native land, and as was the cus-
tom in his country he made a master piece
which passed examination, and this entitled
him to enter the Building Academy of Berlin,
where he took up his studies and became a
highly proficient architect and builder. Dur-
ing young manhood he came to the United
States, locating in Brooklyn, New York, and
for several years thereafter worked at his pro-
fession both in Brooklyn and New York city.
In due course of time he engaged in a build-
ing and contracting business on his own ac-
count, and since then his career has been most
successful, his large patronage bearing wit-
ness to his ability and skill in his particular
kind of work. He began his operations in
the Williamsburg district and built extensively
on Broadway and Flushing avenue, erecting
business houses as well as private residences.
He erected two two-family brick houses with
stores on Hamburg avenue and Grattan street ;
thirty-two family houses on St. Nicholas ave-
nue, with stores and flats above them on the
corners; and in 1904 nine houses with stores
and flats above on Nostrand avenue and St.
John's Place. The houses are of brick, mod-
ern in all their appointments, the materials used
in their construction being the best procur-
able, and in every respect they compare fa-
vorably with houses of first-class workman-
ship. Mr. Maske has also built several
churches, among them being All Saints', on
Seventh street and Seventh avenue, and a
number of factories. Mr. Maske gives con-
stant employment to a large force of men on
contract work, all of which receives his per-
sonal supervision. He is reliable and con-
scientious in his business transactions, and
thus well merits the success he has attained.
He is a member of the Master Masons' Asso-
ciation of New York. His political views co-
incide with those of the Republican party, and
he is an active and potent factor in local poli-
tics.
Prior to his emigration to the United States,
Mr. Maske was married to Gisella Koronz,
and they are the parents of the following
named children : Margaretta, wife of Otto
Singer ; Theodore, a mason builder of Brook-
lyn; Albert, who was a graduate of the Poly-
technic in jgo2, and is engaged in business
with his father; Grace C, and Adeline G.
Maske. The family reside at No. 16 Palmetto
street, Brooklyn.
NICHOLAS BONNLANDER.
Nicholas Bonnlander, a speculative builder,
with office at 898 Broadway, Brooklyn, is a
man of excellent ability, keen discrimination
and sound judgment, and therefore well quali-
fied to enter upon active and responsible busi-
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HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
349
ness duties. He was born in Bavaria, Ger-
many, November 4, 1856, and was diere edu-
cated and learned the trade of mason. In 1879.
attracted by the possibiHties ofifered to young
men in the business world of America, he
crossed the Atlantic ocean and at once took
up his residence in Brooklyn, New York. His
first employment was in a sugar refinery,
' where he remained for two and a half years.
He afterward learned the trade of a clothing
cutter, which he followed for a number of
years.
In 1895 he began to operate in the real
estate business, and from that entered the
field as a speculative builder, operating in the
section east of Broadway, Brooklyn, and has
been a potent factor in the growth and de-
velopment of that locality. In 1900 he built
on the north side of DeKalb avenue, between
Knickerbocker and Irving avenues, three dou-
ble apartments constructed of brick with stone
trimmings. The following year he erected four
of the same class on the south side of Madi-
son street, between Central and Hamburg ave-
nues, and the same year erected two houses
on the south side of Hart street, between Irv-
ing and Wyckofl avenues. In 1902 he built
on the north side of Pulaski street a steam-
heated three-story flat, brick; in 1903 on the
west side of Knickerbocker avenue, near Starr
street, one three-story single flat, brick, suit-
able for two families and storage; in 1904 on
the west side of Onderdonk avenue, near Lin-
den street, known as Ridgewood Heights, in
Queens county, tv/o two-story frame houses
suitable for four families. At the same time,
in the same section he built on the southeast
corner of Onderdonk and Greene avenues two
two-story frame houses, one suitable for four
families and one for three families and store ;
also on the south side of Greene avenue, eigh-
ty feet east of Onderdonk avenue, one three-
story frame house suitable for two families
and storage. In the same year he built on the
west side of Onderdonk avenue, corner of
Ralph street, three three-story apartments con-
structed of brick, with stone trimmings ; and
on the north side of DeKalb avenue, corner
of Irving avenue, eight four-story apartment
houses, in one the lower part for business pur-
poses. He will also erect two four-family
houses on Madison street, near Covert ave-
nue, and two three- story single flats on Wood-
bine street, near Covert avenue, frame houses ;
also three four-story brick houses on the south
side of Hart street, corner of, Irving avenue.
Mr. Bonnlander belongs to the Builders' As-
sociation of Brooklyn, of which organization
he was a charter member. Although he ad-
heres tO' the prmciples of Democracy, he has
frequently cast his vote for the candidates of
the Republican party whom he thought best
suited for office.
In Brooklsn, New York, July 27, 1884, Mr.
Bonnlander was married to Ernistene B.
Rohde. Their children are : Vincent C, who
graduated from Public School No. 74, in 1904
from the Manual Training High School, and
in September of that year entered upon a four
years' course of study in civil engineering at
the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy,
Newi York. Juliet T., who graduated from
Public School No. 74, and in the spring of
1904 from Hefifley College, having taken the
course in bookkeeping and typewriting. The
family reside at No. 876 Hart street, Brook-
lyn.
350
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
WILLIAM THOMAS BOWEN.
Among the men who have attained promi-
nence and gained financial prosperity along
the line of their chosen calling may be men-
tioned the name of William T. Bowen, a build-
er, who was born in Bristol, Rhode Island,
October 9, 1858, a son of George W. and Julia
Bowen, natives of Bristol, Rhode Island, but
for many years residents of Newport, same
state, where George W. Bowen (father) fol-
lowed the occupation of builder. They reared
a family of four children: George S., Will-
iam Thomas, mentioned hereinafter ; Belle,
who became the wife of Walter Bahnam, and
they reside in Yonkers, New York ; Sarah,
who is acting as housekeeper for her father,
who is now (1904) a resident of Brooklyn.
William T. Bowen was reared and educated
in his native city, learned the trade of car-
penter, becoming proficient in all of its various
branches, and in 1882 came to Brooklyn, New
York, where he engaged in the building busi-
ness. The following are some of the handi-
works of Mr. Bowen, who during his busi-
ness career has gained for himself an en-
viable reputation among his business asso-
ciates and the public in general : Twenty
two-story and cellar frame houses on Ashford
street; thirty houses on Ridgewood avenue,
near Crescent, some of which are two-story
and basement and some two-story and cellar;
fifteen two-story and cellar houses on Lin-
coln avenue, between Glenmore and Liberty
avenues ; and ten two-story and basement
frame houses on Crescent avenue.
In 1882 Mr. Bowen married Miss Catherine
Hefifert, who was born in Brooklyn, New
York, November 6, 1859. The first two years
of their married life were spent in Newport,
Rhode Island, after which they moved to
Brooklyn, where they now reside. Their chil-
dren are: Charles, born October 23, 1883,
now employed in the Eagle Lead Pencil
Works of Brooklyn; Julia, born May 27, 1886;
James-, born December 11, 1898; Amanda,
born February 2, 1896.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS FIRTH.
Christopher C. Firth, for more than a quar-
ter of a century actively and prominently iden-
tified with speculative building operations in
Brooklyn, New York, is a native of that bor-
ough. His birth occurred at the residence of
his parents, Jacob and Martha (Naylor)
Firth, on Jackson street, now Hudson' avenue,
Brooklyn, on January i, 1837, the day after
the arrival of the second voyage across the
Atlantic of his mother in this country from
Yorkshire, England, where both she and her
husband were born, reared and married. Jacob
Firth (father) emigrated to the United States
previous to his wife; he settled in Brooklyn,
New York, and resided there up to the time
of his decease. Pie was a farmer and dealer
in cattle. Four of their children are living at
the present time (1904).
Christopher C. Firth obtained a common
school education in Public School No. 10, con-
ducted in the basement of what was formerly
known as the North Dutch Reformed Church
on Third avenue, between Twentieth and
Twenty-first streets, under Peter Rouget,
principle, who was still principle when his six
children graduated from the same school.
Leaving school he served an apprenticeship of
five years and four months at the masonry
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
351
trade with John Van Nostrand, the best build-
er in the city at that time, and becoming an
expert mechanic he was able to secure a good
position as journejanan, continuing^ as such
for several years. He then became engaged
in contracting and building, following the
same for twenty years, and for over twenty-
five years has been engaged in speculative
building. He erected a number of houses in
Bay Ridge and Prospect Heights, and is one
of the oldest speculative builders in the Park
Slope section, having built houses on the fol-
lowing streets : Four on Thirteenth ; eleven
on Fourteenth ; eleven on Fifteenth ; six on
Sixteenth ; seven on Forty-first ; six on For-
ty-second; four on Forty-third; ten on Fifty-
second ; five on Fifty-fifth ; and three on Fifty-
seventh. A number of his houses are brown-
stone and brick with brownstone trimmings,
and he has disposed of them as soon as they
were completed. He also erected the first
house on the celebrated Tliomas Hunt estate.
In business life success depends so entirely
upon individual merit that when one has at-
tained a position of prominence as has Mr.
Firth, it is an unmistakable evidence of ability,
natural and acquired. He personally superin-
tends all the details of his building operations,
and his reliable and conscientious methods
have contributed in large measure to his pros-
perity.
Mr. Firth is a zealous and consistent mem-
ber of the Eighteenth Street Methodist Epis-
copal church, in which he has held the office
of trustee for a number of years, and liberally
contributes to the support of the various so-
cieties connected therewith. He was former-
ly a member of Company D, Fourteenth Regi-
ment, National Guard of New York, prior to
the Civil war, when Colonel Alfred Wood was
m command. Owing to a combined plea frorp
his aged mother and the captain of his com-
pany, he did not go to the front, which was
very grievous to Mr. Firth. Mr. Firth has
performed all the varied duties of life in a
faithful and conscientious manner, and well
merits the confidence and respect reposed in
him by all who have the honor of his acquaint-
ance, either in business or social Hfe.
On March 24, 1864, Mr. Firth married An-
na R. Fielding, and the issue of this marriage
was seven children, as follows : Robert W.,
Walter F., Isabella N., Albert, Oscar W., El-
mer W., and Carrie, who died in the fifth year
of her age. Mr. and Mrs. Firth have eight
grandchildren.
HALSEY F. WING.
Halsey F. Wing, a builder, and one of the
foremost citizens Oif the borough of Brook-
lyn, New York, is a man well endowed with
rare business ability, keen discrimination and
sound judgment, and by strict application to
business and honorable, reliable methods
achieved large financial gain.. He is a native
of Newburg, New York, a son of Benjamin
L. Wing, who was a brick maker by trade,
conducting his operations at Newburg, in
which city his death occurred in the year 1856,
having been lost in a snowstorm, he being then
eighty-two years of age. The mother died at
the age of eighty-four years. Louis Wing,
grandfather of Halsey F. Wing, served in the
war of 1812, also his uncle, John Hannon; his
grandfather died at the age of ninety years.
Louis Wing, great-grandfather of Halsey F.
Wing, served in the Revolutionary war, where-
352
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
in he displayed his patriotism and courage.
Halsey F. Wing is indebted to the common
schools of Newburg, Orange county, New
York, for his educational advantages. Upon
attaining young manhood he came to Brook-
lyn, New York, and for the long period of for-
ty-seven years ■ resided in the Seventh Ward.
For thirty years he served in the capacity of
superintendent for the well known firm of
Long & Barnes, famous builders, during which
time he had complete charge of the constrtic-
tion of many important structures, both pub-
lic and private. He has recently engaged in
business on his own account, purchasing the •
interest of his employers, including a well
equipped shop for making building materials.
In addition to the extensive and rapidly in-
creasing patronage afforded him in his line
of work, he is building a number of houses
on speculation.
Mr. Wing married Miss Harriet Scott,
great-granddaughter of General Winfield S.
Scott, born at Petersburg, Virginia, of Scot-
tish ancestr)', 1786. In 1852 General Scott
was the candidate of the Whig party for the
presidency, but was defeated ; he died in 1866.
Four children \iere the issue of this union.
The family reside in a beautiful and commo-
dious home at No. 358^ Lafayette avenue,
Brooklyn, which is equipped with all modern
improvements for the comfort and .well being
of its inmates.
PATRICK J. CARLIN.
Patrick J. Carlin, who enjoys the distinc-
tion of having builded or aided in the building
of a larger number of public and other large
edifices than any other contracting builder of
his day in Greater New York, comes of a
family which for several generations belonged
to the same useful calling with himself.
His father, Patrick Carlin, was one of the
most expert stonecutters and masons who ever
came to the metropolis. He was born in
county Derry, Ireland, and learned his trade
under his father, who was an expert work-
man. Patrick Carlin filled out his period of
apprenticeship faithfully, and came to the
United States in young manhood. His skill
and thoroughness were soon recognized by his
employers, and he was called to the position
of foreman for Thomas Sullivan, who subse-
quently became president of the Brooklyn City
Railroad. Mr. Carlin was too progressive and
enterprising to long act a subordinate part.
In the course of a few years he engaged in a
contracting and building business on his own
account, in which he successfully continued
throughout the remainder of his active life, re-
tiring in 1898. Many prominent edifices in
Brooklyn testify to his ability and conscien-
tiousness as a builder, among them a number
of public schools, St. Charles' church, the
large Planet Mills buildings, the Buchanan &
Lyle tobacco works, on Carroll street ; the car
barns for the Brooklyn City Railroad at Third
avenue and Fifty-eighth street, covering a full
block of ground, and a large number of ele-
gant private residences. At whatever stage of
his career, he was a leader among his work-
men, and his example spurred them to their
best effort. He was a thorough mechanic, and
had the ambidextrous- faculty of using one
hand as readily as the other. Fie was a man
of genuine public spirit, taking an active part
in the advancement of all community interests,
and was held in respect and confidence in
^^^-^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
355
whatever circles he moved. He was a Cath-
olic in religion, and a member and liberal sup-
porter of the Catholic Orphans' Asylum So-
ciety. In politics he was a Democrat, and he
was an active and trusted ally of General Slo-
cum in the formation of the Independent
party. He died in 1902, at the age of seventy-
six years, having survived his wife, whose
maiden name was Catherine McDermitt, to
whom he was wedded in Ireland, and who
died about 1891. They were the parents of six
children : Susan, Catherine, Patrick J., John
C, F. W., and Thomas J. Carlin.
Patrick J. Carlin was the second child and
eldest son in the family above named. He was
born in county Donegal, Ireland, and came to
this country a babe in his mother's arriis. He
had little opportunity for education, for he left
school at the age of eleven to learn the trade of
bricklayer under his father. His ambition,
however, would not permit him to content
himself with the knowledge he had thus far
obtained, and, after the labor of the day, he
attended a night school under the instruction
of Mr. William J. Dainty, who was a most
capable ^eacher and took a warm personal in-
terest in him. His apprenticeship lasted the
old-country period of seven years, and at the
end of that time he was so thorough a me-
chanic that he became his father's foreman,
and, at the age of twenty-one, his partner, and
this association was maintained until 1876.
As an incident of these days, Mr. Carlin re-
calls the fact that his father once (in 1865)
contracted to build a house on Atlantic ave-
nue and Grand avenue, a point then so far out-
sid6 the city that he was obliged to pay extra
wages to the workmen to induce them to go
such a distance.
After the partnership with his father had
•been dissolved, Mr. Carlin entered into a con-
tracting business for himself, and during the
succeeding years was busily employed with
many of the most important building contracts
in Brooklyn, among them the Hall of Records,
the Brooklyn Savings Bank, the Brooklyn Fire
Headquarters, the New York and New Jer-
sey Telephone Building, the West Shore Rail-
road shops, the Boys' High School building,
and a score more of public school edifices in
Brooklyn; the church at St. John's place and
Seventh avenue, and several other churches,
besides a large number of private residences
of the best class, such as Guido Pliesner's and
Charles M. Pratt's, on Clinton avenue.
In 1894 Mr. Carlin associated with himself
his brother, J. W. Carlin, and his- cousin, John
J. Carlin, in the firm of P. J. Carlin & Com-
pany. The new organization has fully main-
tained the high reputation which was estab-
lished by its founders, and is recognized as the
first of its class in New York. It has built,
among other large edifices, the Eagle Ware-
house, and all the telephone stations (in value
amounting to about a half million dollars), in
Brooklyn ; the city prison, in New York ; St.
John's Hospital, in Long Island City; the
Fahey Watch Case Factory in Sag Harbor;
the Naval Academy building and sea-wall at
Annapolis, Maryland ; and is now building the
new Harlem Hospital, and the Giockner build-
ing at Fulton and Greenwich streets, and the
power station for the Rapid Transit Subway,
in New York ; and the extension to the Will-
iamsburg Savings Bank and A. I. Namm's
store, in Brooklyn.
Besides giving his attention to the manage-
ment of his large business interests before
356
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
stated, Mr. Carlin is prominently identified
with numerous commercial and political bodies,
to whose purposes he. devotes intelligent in-
terest. He is a member of the Manufacturers'
Association ; of the arbitration board of the
Master Masons' Association of the city of New
York ; and president of the Employers' League
of Brooklyn. He is a Catholic in religion,
and a liberal supporter .of various benevolences
conducted under the patronage of the church ;
he is secretary of the board of trustees of St.
Mary's Hospital ; a member of the Roman
Catholic Orphans' Society, of the Catholic
Benevolent Legion, and of the Catholic
Knights of America. He is also a member of
the Order of Elks, the Hanover Club, and the
Juniata Club. A Democrat in politics, he ad-
heres to the cardinal tenets of his party, and
opposed the candidacy of Bryan for the presi-
dency, in the national convention of 1896, in
which he was a delegate. He was a member
of the Democratic general committee when
Andrew D. Baird was a candidate for mayor,
and gave a hearty support to that gentleman.
Mr. Carlin was married in Brooklyn, in
1873, to Miss Catherine Lennon, and of this
marriage were born seven children : J. P.,
Catherine A., Mary, Harry V., Frederick T.,
Francis J., and Genevieve. Mrs. Carlin died
in 1892, and Mr. Carlin was married to Miss
Lillian F. Raynolds, and of this union were
born five children : Raymond, P. J., Leo,
Lillian and Charles. The family residence is
on Clinton avenue, and Mr. Carlin's offices are
in the Garfield building, Brooklyn.
CHURCH & GOUGH.
The name of Church & Gough, speculative
builders, at 1344 and 1346 Jefferson avenue.
Brooklyn, whose operations have been con-
fined to the Twenty-eighth ward of the bor-
ough of Brooklyn, New York, is synonymous
with integrity and probity, and by energy,
perseverance and business tact they have made
a mark for themselves in trade circles. In
1885 they erected their first house, double
fiats, on Wyckoff avenue, near De Kalb ave-
nue, valued at $6,500. They then built one
house on Hart street, value $6,500; two
houses, double fiats, one on Stockholm street
and one on Center avenue, value $15,000; two
at Morris Park, value $6,000 each; two on
Myrtle avenue, value $7,000; one on Ralph
street and one on Grove street, value $7,000;
one on Putnam avenue, value $8,000; four on
Cornelia street, value $36,000, and thirteen
houses on Ralph street, value $75,000. From
1902 to 1903 they built four on Central ave-,
nue, value $45,000; and from 1903 to 1904
built ten houses on Jefferson avenue, value
$65,000; and eighteen double tenement houses
on Putnam avenue, value $168,000. All of
these houses are of brick, and the greater num-
ber have been built on speculation.
Mr. Church was born in Berkshire, Eng-
land, February 19, 1857. He was reared, edu-
cated and learned the trade of mason in his
native land, and at the age of twenty-six years
emigrated to the United States. He has been
a resident of Brooklyn for eighteen years, and
during that period has gained a wide circle of
business associates and personal friends who
hold him in high esteem. He is a son of Joseph
Church, a native and resident of England,
who followed the occupations of contractor
and excavator.
Mr. Church was united in mairiage to
Hannah Smith, of Berkshire, England, and
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
357
they are the parents of three children, namely :
Fred Church, Joseph Church, and Lillian
Church.
Mr. Cough was born in Berkshire, England,
a son of William Cough, a native of Eng-
land, who followed the occupation of mason.
After completing a common school education
he served an apprenticeship at the trade of
mason, becoming an expert mechanic. At the
age of twenty-four years he left his native
land for the new world, and upon his arrival
here went west, where he remained for some
time. Returning east, he located in Brooklyn,
New York, in 1884, and has resided there ever
since. He is an active and public-spirited citi-
zen, and well merits the confidence reposed in
him by those best acquainted with him. He
is a Republican in politics.
Mr. Cough married Jane Cotterell, a native
of Berkshire, England, and their family con-
sists of three children, namely : Edith, Henry,
and Alice.
WILLIAM E. KAY.
The career of William E. Kay, one of the
best known builders in the borough of Brook-
lyn, has been one of marked enterprise, where-
in his reliable methods have contributed in
large measure to his prosperity. He is a thor-
oughly selfmade man, having started without
any capital whatever, but by perseverance, hon-
esty and fair dealings he has obtained an inde-
pendent position in the business world and has
gained a handsome competence with which to
retire. He is a native of Brooklyn, New York,
a son of Peter S. Kay, who served in the
United States navy four years during the Civil
war, thus displaying his bravery and patriot-
ism.
His educational privileges were limited to
those afforded in old No. 2 school on Forty-
seventh street. After completing his studies
he worked for fifteen years at carving on mar-
ble, and at the expiration of this period of time
concluded to take up carpenter work. His first
venture was the erection of four houses on
Nineteenth street, for which he drew all the
plans and designs and performed all the arch-
itectural work, and he has also made the plans
for some of the finest buildings in the city.
He drew up the deeds for the same and per-
formed all other business pertaining to the
building trade. His building operations have
been mostly in the "Eighth ward, from Twenty-
ninth to Thirtieth streets, within which he has
built eighty houses, and between Forty-fourth
and Sixtieth streets, east of Sixth avenue, he
built one hundred and thirty houses. He has
built over four hundred dwellings throughout
the district comprising Borough Park and Van
Pelt Manor, which is more than that performed
by any other builder in that section. His style
of building is commonly known as Queen
Anne detached houses, the majority of which,
however, are built for two families.
He offers a system of selling whereby the
purchaser is enabled to pay for a house with a
reasonable rental, and by this plan he has been
able to dispose of his houses as fast as erected,
and sometimes sooner, as he has now (1904)
on hand twenty-nine houses under process of
construction, the entire lot having been sold
before completed. He has been offering this
plan of payment for eighteen years, and dur-
ing this long period has been able to prove that
ninety-five percent of all those who purchased
on that plan have paid for their property. He
offers three important inducements to pur-
358
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
chasers — first, the best house for the money;
second, the best location ; third, the best terms.
He does not allow an arrearage of two or three
months' payments to inviolate the ' terms of
purchase. He sells houses valued at five thou-
sand dollars on that plan. Mr. Kay operates on
a large scale, purchasing large tracts of build-
ing property at a time, and his lumber in the
woods. He manufactures his own material,
having a large storage shed where he keeps
constantly on hand over two hundred thousand
feet of lumber, which is prepared for use as re-
c]uired. He sells on an average three or four
houses a month, and his reliable plan of pur-
chase has made him a benefactor to many a
poor man seeking a home. During his eight-
een years of business life he has won and re-
tained the confidence of the public at large,
particularly his large number of patrons, there
being about two huiidred and fifty families oc-
cupying his houses, and he is adjudged one of
the most successful builders and operators* in
the city. He has held membership in the Royal
Arcanum since its organization in Brooklyn,
this being one of the oldest associations of the
borough.
Mr. Kay married July lo, 1898, and two
sons and one daughter have been the issue of
this union. One son is associated in business
with his father.
STEPHEN BURKHARDT.
The greatly increased population of the
Bushwick section of the borough of Brooklyn
has been provided for in great degree through
the prescience and detennination of a class of
men known as speculative builders. These, dis-
cerning the necessity for affording living ac-
commodations for a continuously increasing
mass of people, fixed upon eligible locations
and erected suitable homes and dwelling houses
of all dimensions, adapted to the means of all
classes, from the man of affairs in opulent cir-
cumstances to the m.echanic who is dependent
upon his weekly wage. In this work the spec-
ulative builder performed the part of a genuine
public benefactor and enterprising citizen.
Among those of first prominence in the work
of speculative buildings is to be recognized
Stephen Burkhardt, who has been an indus-
trious laborer in this field for twenty-two years.
A native of Bavaria, Germany, he came to the
United States in 1872, when twenty-six years
of age. He was an accomplished mechanic
when he came. He had learned the trade of
mason after the thorough fashion prevailing
in the fatherland, had passed his "wander-
year," and been received into the craft as a
finished master workman. He had also learned
millwrighting, which he successfully followed
in Newark, New Jersey, during his first years
in the country. He located in Brooklyn and
engaged in building, an occupation which has
engrossed his attention continuously from that
day to the present time. He was a pioneer in
the development and modernization of the
Bushwick section of Brooklyn, and was the
builder of the first brick house in that locality.
He ever kept in advance of the necessities of
the day, and, while providing for immediate
necessities, erecting under contract business
houses and residences, he grew into that line
with which his name is most prominently as-
sociated — that of building apartment houses.
The edifices of his erection have always been
known as among the best of their class in the
entire city, aflfording every comfort and con-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
359
venience known to modern life, and a constant-
ly increasing degree of architectural beauty.
His reputation for conscientious fulfillment of
every obligation was established from the first,
and in no instance was his work glossed over
or skimped for the sake of a trifling saving.
He yet continues in the calling which has
claimed his best powers during tHe ripest por-
tion of his life, and scores of structures stand
as monuments to, his skill as a workman and
his public spirit as a citizen, while he has also
gained a satisfying pecuniary reward, to which
he is justly entitled.
Mr. Burkhardt married Miss Eva Wagen-
brenner, and of this union were born six chil-
dren, the elder of whom have entered upon
most promising careers in life. George began
his education in the public schools of Brook-
lyn, and pursued professional studies in the
universities in Wurzburg and Munich, Ger-
many, graduating from, the last-named with
the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Louis grad-
uated from the Royal Gymnasium in Wurz-
burg, receiving the degree of Doctor of Philos-
ophy, served as co-assistant in German hos-
pitals, and is now in business as a druggist at
1649 Bushwick avenue, Brooklyn; he married
Hermina Kohn, and they have one child. Will-
iam was educated at St. Lawrence (Wiscon-
sin) College, where he pursued a classical and
business course, graduating in 1900; he is
now a student in the Brooklyn College of
Pharmacy, class of 1905- Otto apd Stephen
are engaged in their preparatory studies. The
mother of these children died October 29, 1893.
Mr. Burkhardt married Miss Thekla E. A.
Butsch, and of this marriage was born
a daughter, Qara. The family occupy a
handsome residence at 743 Bushwick avenue,
one of Mr. Burkhardt's own planning and
building.
GEORGE FLETCHER.
George Fletcher, of Brooklyn, New York,
who has gained a high reputation as a build-
er, and for many years has enjoyed the confi-
dence of his numerous patrons and the public
in general, was born in Leeds, Yorkshire,
England, in 1833.
At the age of nineteen years, having pre-
viously decided to test the busiftess opportuni-
ties of the new world, he came to the United
States alone, and after a tedious journey of
six weeks on a sailing vessel landed in New
York city. During the early years of his life
he served an apprenticeship at the trade of
millwright, which occupation he followed for
several years in this country, and later turned
his attention to shipbuilding. In conjunction
with the above-named trade he mastered six
other distinct lines of work, and thus was fully
equipped for an active business career. More
than a C[uarter of a century ago Mr. Fletcher
took up his residence in Brooklyn, New York,
and for over twenty years has resided in his
present home. He has built a great number
of houses throughout this borough, which
stand as monuments to his skill and ability,
and which, if placed all together would con-
stitute a fair-sized village. During one sum-
mer alone he erected houses for the accom-
modation of one hundred and forty-eight fam-
ilies. His houses range in value from $5,500
to $12,000, and by drawing his own plans and
purchasing the building materials by the car
load is enabled to give his patrons the best
constructed houses for the money. When ac-
360
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
lively engaged as a contractor he gives em-
ployment to as many as eighty men, all skilled
in their particular line of work, and his pay
roll averages from $i,ooo a week to more than
$11,000 a month, and thus it will be seen that
not he alone benefits from his extensive trans-
actions. He gives his personal supervision
to the work, is .particular in all details,- and
these facts account for the success which has
attended his efforts. He is the owner of con-
siderable property, which is valued at $80,000;
he purchased one block for $72,000, paying
for the same in three years. His residence on
Palmetto street is one of the modern and beau-
tiful houses which abound in that select resi-
dential section of the city, and is equipped with
every appliance for the convenience and com-
fort of its inmates. Mr. Fletcher is a Repub-
lican in politics.
Mr. Fletch.er married Rebecca Kidd, who
bore him eight children, three of whom are de-
ceased. The surviving members of the family
are : John William, who is, associated with
his father in business; he married Elizabeth
King. Joseph P., who married Florence Cox.
George W., a graduate of Columbia College,
Department of the School of Mines. David
Winfield, who married Emma Wesley. Mary
Victoria, wife of August Prall.
WILLIAM FLANAGAN.
William Flanagan, one of the oldest and
also one of the best known speculative build-
ers in the borough of Brooklyn, New York, is
a representative of that class of men, who,
with great directness of purpose, and with a
zealous and hopeful temperament, toil assidu-
ously and unceasingly to gain success in what-
ever enterprise they embark in, and whose well
directed efforts are universally recognized and
appreciated. He is a native of Ireland, born
in Queens county, February 14, 1837.
He obtained his education in the schools
of his native land, and when a lad of fourteen
years emigrated to the United States, landing
in New York city. He located in Niagara
county, New York, remaining two years, and
then he came to Brooklyn, New York, and
became an apprentice to Joseph H. Townsend
to learn the carpenter trade. After becom-
ing thoroughly proficient in the various
branches of that line of work, he secured em-
ployment as carpenter in Brooklyn, and dur-
ing the years 1858-59 he followed the same
occupation in the city of Chicago, Illinois., In
the latter named year, having decided that the
east furnished better opportunities for ad-
vancement in business pursuits, he returned
to Brooklyn and at once began a contracting
business on. a small scale, performing the
greater part of the work himself, and there-
fore employing only a limited number of men.
He was an excellent mechanic, full of en,ergy,
and could accomplish as much work in one
day as two ordinary men. He operated in
this way for several years, achieving a large
degree of financial success, and in 1864 became
a speculative builder, purchasing lots and
erecting houses on them, then holding the
property for sale, and this business he has con-
tinued up to the present time, a period of forty
years, during which time he has built and sold
more than four hundred private houses in
Brooklyn, and has handled considerable real
estate. For a number of years his operations
were mostly in the twentieth ward — on Port-
land, Clinton, De Kalb and Carlton avenues.
^
',JU^
i
'^,
^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
363
About the year 1867 he began his operations
in the, district called the Park Slope, on which
there were no houses, and he has erected at
least one-fourth of the handsome and modern
dwellings in that section. He built what could
be called the first apartment house in Brook-
lyn, but his principal work has been the erec-
tion of high-class private residences, some of
which are among the finest in the borough, and
his operations have been on a larger scale and
exceeded those of any three men. Mr. Flana-
gan is one of the oldest and most respected
men in the city, and he distinctly recollects
when there was but one house on Fulton
street, where the shopping district is now lo-
cated, the old road to Coney Island, which
was through Prospect Park, when Fifth ave-
nue was a residential section, and when
Gowanus Canal ran up as far as Flatbush and
Fifth avenues, that section being nothing but
a swamp. Mr. Flanagan is an independent
Democrat in politics, and has taken an active
part in local affairs, serving as delegate to many
of the conventions. He was a stanch adher-
ent to the principles advocated by Mr. Shep-
pard, and is strongly opposed to corruption
and vice. He is a member of the Speculative
Builders' Association of Brooklyn, and served
as vice-president up to 1904, when he decided
to abdicate his position in favor of a younger
man.
In 1863 Mr. Flanagan married Miss Mar-
garet O'Brien, a native of Brooklyn, New
York, and ten children were born to them,
four of whom are now living : Penelope, de-
ceased ; Sarah, deceased ; Mary D. ; Tillie, de-
ceased; Maggie, deceased; Nellie, deceased;
Lulu, the wife of Hugh Mackey, of Brooklyn ;
William, deceased; William, who is an archi-
tect under the municipal government ; and Ar-
thur, who is pursuing a course of study in
architecture. Mrs. Flanagan, mother of these
children, died in 1888. In 1891 Mr. Flanagan
was united in marriage to Miss Lena O'Brien,
daughter of the late James O'Brien, who was
a well-known Wall street cotton broker. The
family residence is at No. 69 Seventh avenue,
Brooklyn, where they have resided since 1880.
AUGUST BAUER.
August Bauer, of Brooklyn, New York, a
native of Baden, Germany, his birth having
occurred there in the year i860, ranks- among
the most expert and successful speculative
builders in that borough. Administrative abil-
ity of the highest order is requisite for the
management of this business, and this Mr.
Bauer possesses in a rare degree, as well as
capacity for ■ details, thoroughness, prompt-
ness and financial ability. His success has
fully justified his judgment in selecting this
line of work, and great pecuniary gain has
been the result.
Upon the completion of his studies in his
native land, he served an apprenticeship at the
trades of cabinet-making and carpentering, and
at the age of twenty years came to the United
States, thinking thereby to increase the scope
of his business possibilities. For the past
twelve years his attention and time have been
devoted to the building of houses on specula-
tion, erecting the first house on St. Nicholas
avenue. He has recently completed seventeen
houses, and at the present time (1904) has
extensive operations on hand which will
amount to about $175,000. He is regarded
as one of the best builders in the city of two
364
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
and three family houses. He has a very val-
uable assistant in his wife, who is a very prac-
tical and businesslike woman, enthusiastic and
industrious in assisting her husband in his
building operations, and very frequently she
is seen exercising a watchful eye on the prog-
ress of the various houses erected.
Neither Mr. or Mrs. Bauer care for the or-
dinary frivolities of life, their chief pleasure
being the management of their extensive busi-
ness. They enjoy the pleasures to be derived
from a wide circle of friends, with whom they
are popular and highly esteemed.
CHARLES KOEHLER.
Charles Koehler, a representative specula-
tive builder of the Twenty-eighth ward, bor-
ough- of Brooklyn, New York, and one of the
most successful operators in that section, pos-
sesses in a large degree the characteristics so
essential to an active business career — enter-
prise, energy and perseverance — and these,
combined with rare executive ability and far-
sightedness, have gained for him an enviable
reputation among the followers of his voca-
tion.
Charles Koehler was born in the First ward
of the city of New York, and his educational
advantages were obtained in the public schools
of Brooklyn, whither his parents removed dur-
ing his early childhood. Leaving school at the
early age of twelve years he secured employ-
ment in a printing office, and there gained his
first practical experience. Later he learned
the trade of plasterer with his father, with
whom he remained as employee for a number
of years, subsequently being admitted to part-
nership in the business, which was most ex-
tensive and lucrative, this connection contin-
uing up to the time of his marriage, a period
of several years. Since then he has been en-
gaged in the management of a hotel and in
the building business, the latter-named occu-
pation being the most successful. He draws
the designs and plans for his houses, which
are of the best style 6i architecture, construct-
ed from the best materials and put together
by competent mechanics, and range in value
from $4,000 to $20,000.
In 1896 Mr. Koehler married Elizabeth
Kuecherer, daughter of Charles Kuecherer,
for many yea,rs a well known resident of
Greenpoint, but of late years his home has
been in the Twenty-eighth ward of Brook-
lyn. Mr. and Mrs. Koehler reside in a hand-
some and commodious home at No. 178 Irv-
ing avenue, and occupy a prominent place in
the social life of that section.
HARRY GRATTAN.
That surpassingly beautiful residential por-
tion of the borough of Brooklyn known by the
distinctive name of Ditmas Park West is in
large degree the creation of Mr. Harry Grat-
tan, and is at once evidence of his public
spirit, sagacity and artistic taste, the last-
named attribute, displayed by him in perfec-
tion, being one foreign to many who are
known as builders. It is curiously interesting
to note that the work in which he has proven
so successful and which has brought to him
so much well-deserved commendation is
wholly outside the lines to which he devoted
himself at the beginning of his career, and
that his capabilities as an architect and build-
er were entirely self-developed.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
365
A -native of Minnesota, born in the vicinity
of Preston, August i, 1869, he was reared to
rural pursuits. His father, M. T. Grattan, is
a well known horseman and a breeder of fancy
carriage and trotting horses. Young Grattan
found amid his surroundings such enjoyment
as a lad should, but at the same time was am-
bitious to enter upon a distinctively business
career. After obtaining a liberal English ed-
ucation in the public schools he obtained a
situation as clerk in the local bank, and re-
mained therein for a period of four years.
In 1889, at the age of twenty, he came to
Brooklyn, Ndw YorK, where he found employ-
ment as private secretary to Major General
Daniel Butterfield, a Civil war hero, who was
as much a captain in business affairs as he
had been in the fields of a memorable strife. "
While serving with General Butterfield he
was also employed by the Brooklyn Bank. Mr.
Grattan proved more than equal to every task
Vi'hich came to him, and at the same time
gained the personaj friendship of his superiors
to such a degree that he was called into inti-
mate association with them in larger enter-
prises. Among these was the establishment
of the Greater New York Savings Bank of
Brooklyn, of which he was among the original
incorporators, and in which he served as sec-
retary. In this position he acquitted himself
most usefully and creditably, and at the end
of a year and a half resigned in order to de-
vote his energies to speculative building — a
new departure in which he was destined to
prove eminently successful.
While yet engaged in his duties in connec-
tion with the bank which he aided to found,
he erected on East Thirteenth street a build-
ing designed for his own residence. He drew
the plans, selected the material and superin-
tended the work of construction from the
ground breaking to the decoration of the com-
pleted structure. It found great favor with
the residents of the region in which it was lo-
cated, and it was not long until he was ap-
proached by a purchaser who was so pleased
with it that he made offer of a sum which
afforded to Mr. Grattan a handsome profit
upon his investment. The proffer was ac-
cepted and the incident proved the turning
point in his career, ' suggesting to him, as it
did, the building of family residences and
apartment houses for the market. He accord-
ingly purchased a quantity of adjacent open
property upon which he built, disposing of each
building as soon as it was ready for occupancy
and frequently in advance of its completion.
Extending his operations, he reached out into
all the Ditmas Park West region — on East
Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth
and Fifteenth streets — adding building after
building, until the number has grown to more
than fifty, and are among the most original
and artistic edifices to be found in any portion
of the great city. In all this long continued ef-
fort Mr. Grattan has steadily adhered to his
own ideas, and has utterly refused to be tram-
meled by the rules of any particular school,
or to fall into dreary monotony by following
after the fad of the hour. He has designed
each edifice, availing himself of every known
architectural standard, modifying here and
elaborating there, as his own taste would sug-
gest, and again producing what was in ef-
fect an entirely new creation. As a result the
district which he has thus built up is adorned
with a variety of designs which is pleasing
by reason of its variety, yet not contrasting so
366
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
strongly as to shock the sense of harmony.
His principal ornaments are of the Queen
Anne style, relieved here and there, and in no
two edifices just alike, as his judgment might
dictate at the moment. The actual cost of
these properties ranges from $4,500 to $10,-
500 each, and the aggregate cost to Mr. Grat-
tan is estimated at not less than $400,000. The
actual value may he discerned when it is noted
that, as a result of his effort, values in the
neighborhood have so appreciated that in sev-
eral instances houses have been sold at an ad-
vance of fully seventy-five per cent. Among the
patrons of Mr. Grattan may be named such
men of means and cultivated taste as Robert
G. Smyth, John W. Goodrich, S. H. Moore
and John Thompson. With such magnificent
results as have herein been to some degree
indicated, Mr. Grattan abates nothing of his
industry or enthusiasm, but is as diligently
prosecuting his work as when it was a new
task, and at each step introduces some pleas-
ing innovation which serves to further beauti-
fy the Ditmas Park region and bring to him
additional credit as a public benefactor, under
the good old adage that such is he who makes
two blades of grass to grow where thefe was
but one before.
His family consists of his wife, who was
Miss Amy E. Freeman, a native of Brooklyn,
and their son, Harry Grattan, Jr.
CHARLES H. DENISON.
Charles H. Denison, who has advanced from
the initial step of apprenticeship through the
successive stages of journeyman and contrac-
tor to that of speculative builder, has been
associated with the improvement of the bor-
ough since 1882 in the construction of fifty-
eight houses here. A native of Pennsylvania,
he was born in Susquehanna county on the
15th of May, 1853, his parents being George
M. and Sally (Crocker) Denison, the latter a
resident of Pennsylvania. The son attended
school at Montrose, Pennsylvania, and also at
Factoryville, after which he engaged in teach-
ing school in Wyoming county, Pennsylvania.
His early manhood was then devoted to educa-
tional labors, and in 1877 he went to the oil
fields at Bradford, Pennsylvania. He has had
wide experience in the buildirlg line, being
thoroughly familiar with every department of
the trade both as a practical workman and
contractor. He served a regular apprentice-
ship as a carpenter. When thoroughly quali-
fied in the builder's art he worked by the day
as a journeyman, being thus employed in
many places, including Scranton and Brad-
ford, Pennsylvania, and Atlanta, Georgia, and
in 1882 he came to Brooklyn, where his capa-
bility soon won him recognition in responsi-
ble positions in connection with the building
industry.
He was the superintendent of construction
of the Regent Hotel for the Brooklyn Hotel
Company, and, having in the meantime gained
an insight into building conditions and possi-
bilities of Brooklyn, on the completion of the
hotel he began speculative work by the erec-
tion of five three-story flat buildings on Sixth
street, between Fourth and Fifth avenues.
This investment proved a remunerative one
and was followed by the erection of five three-
story flat buildings on Fifth street between
Fourth and Fifth avenues, and five on Second
street, between Fourth and Fifth avenues. He
then erected a four-story double apartment
rt^CL^-^^>c-'C-<z^f^^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
369
house on Eighth street, between Fifth and
Sixth avenues, and successively five private
houses on Fifth street between Seventh and
Eighth avenues, four on Prospect place be-
tween Kingston and Albany avenues, six on
Park place near Kingston, these being two-
family houses, and two five-story apartment
houses on Gold street, near Willoughby, each
furnishing accommodation for fifteen fam-
ilies. On Ditmas avenue between East Sec-
ond and East Third streets he erected six cot-
tages and then built five on Sixteenth street,
near Ninth avenue, these being two-family
houses. He also erected similar structures on
Windsor place, near Ninth avenue, and then
began his building operations on Sixth street,
between Seventh and Eighth avenues, includ-
ing nine structures there, which are a better
class of two-family houses. Altogether his
building operations have included the con-
struction of fifty-eight houses, which have
mostly been of the kind of residences de-
manded by the middle class, thus proving com-
fortable and substantial homes. Most of the
carpenter work on these was done by the day
and the other work was let to contractors. Mr.
Denison's practical knowledge of the builder's
art has made him well qualified for the field of
activity that he has chosen, enabling him to
understand whether he is getting value re-
ceived on the purchase and use of materials.
Mr. Denison resides at No. 515 Sixth street.
He was married in Brooklyn to Miss Mary
Reynolds Carpenter, and they have two chil-
dren, Madaline and Jessie. His political al-
legiance is given to the Democracy, and he is
a member of the Speculative Builders' Asso-
ciation of Brooklyn and the South Brooklyn
Board of Trade. His , identification with the
borough covers eleven years, during which
time he has demonstrated his right to be
' classed among its prominent and progressive
citizens. His effort leaving a stiong impress
upon the industrial activity and consequent
growth and development of the borough, his
connection with any undertaking insures a
prosperous outcome for the same, for it is in
his nature to carry forward to successful com-
pletion any enterprise with which he becomes
connected. He has earned for himself an en-
viable reputation as a careful man of business
and in his dealings is known for his prompt
and honorable methods, which have won him
the deserved and unbounded confidence of his
fellow men.
JOHN DREHER.
In business life success depends so entirely
upon individual merit that when one has at-
tained a position of prominence it is an un-
mistakable evidence of ability, natural and ac-
quired. It is so in the case of John Dreher, a
speculative builder of the borough of Brook-
lyn, New York, who was born in Germany,
January 28, 1854.
He obtained a good education in the schools
of his native land, which qualified him for the
duties and activities of life. He then began
the study of architecture, and, being an apt
and diligent student, was thoroughly prepared
to fill the responsible position of superintend-
ent of construction of buildings at the early
age of nineteen years. Having decided that
the business opportunities were greater in the
new world than in the old, he emigrated to the
United States at the age of twenty-seven years.
In 1882 he located in Brooklyn, New York,
370
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
and served an apprenticeship at the trades of
stone cutter and bricklayer. He then became
a sub-contractor, but later took contracts on
his own account, building his first house in
what was then Adams street, now Evergreen
avenue, in 1888. He has erected houses on the
following streets and avenues in the borough
of Brooklyn : Crawford, Palmetto, Bleeker,
Hamburg, Himrod, Gates, Irving, Greene,
Wyckoff, Woodbine, St. Nicholas and Cy-
press. In 1902 he built sixty houses, and he
enjoys the distinction of being the pioneer
builder of that section of the city in which the
above-named streets and avenues are located,
having erected the first six houses. He per-
sonally superintends all the details of his
building operations, which are among the
most extensive in the borough. He is reliable
and conscientious in all his business transac-
tions, and thus well merits the success he has
achieved.
Mr. Dreher was united in marriage to Miss
Caroline Ackerman, and four children have
been born to them, two sons and two daugh-
ters.
ADAM METZ.
Adam Metz, one of the oldest, as well as
one of the most extensive and successful build-
ers of the eastern district of Brooklyn, New
York, is a representative of that class of men,
native-born sons of Germany, who are faithful
and loyal in their support of American princi-
ples, and who are numbered among the most
public-spirited citizens of this great and glo-
rious Republic. His birth occurred in Ger-
many, October 11, 1863. His parents were
Jacob and Cathrina Metz,
He was reared, educated and learned the
building trade in his native land, followed
journey work for eight years, and during five
years of that time served in the capacity of
foreman. At the age of twenty-five years he
came to the United States and at once engaged
in the same line of work. During his seven-
teen years of business enterprise on his own
account he has erected over three hundred and
fifty houses. Last year (1903) he built five
houses on Gates avenue, one on Ralph street,
one on Greene avenue, and at the present time
(1904) has seventeen houses under process
of construction on Greene avenue, both sides
of the street, between Stanhope and Knicker-
bocker avenues. For several years he has been
the most extensive builder in that part of the
borough, and is the oldest builder in the
Twenty-eighth ward. His place of business is
located at Nos. 1776- 1778 Greene avenue, be-
tween Fairview and Grandview avenues, and
he has in his employ a regular force of fifty
men, all expert mechanics, which often at times
is augmented to sixty-five. Mr. Metz is a prac-
tical man in every department of the building
business, buys nothing but the best material,
and personally superintends all the work. His
transactions are conducted in a conscientious
manner, and by exercising the utmost dili-
gence and perseverance his business has in-
creased and prospered wonderfully. ,
STEPHEN M. RANDALL.
One of the influential and reliable business
men of Brooklyn, New York, is Stephen M.
Randall, who is a descendant of one of the old-
est families on Long Island. He was born in
Brookhaven, Suffolk county. Long Island, in
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
371
February, 1843, '^^ were also his father and
grandfather. His great-grandfather, Stephen
Randall, .was a native of Rhode Island, but his
father, some time in the seventeenth century,
came to this country, settling in Rhode Island.
About the year 1750 he removed to Long Isl-
and, and was an active participant during the
Revolutionary war.
Jehial W. Randall, father of Stephen M.
Randall, was a son of William Randall, of
Brookhaven, Long Island, where his educa-
tion was acquired in the common schools.
Throughout his business career he engaged in
agricultural pursuits with marked success, be-
ing the owner of a farm, most of which was
under a high state of cultivation and well im-
proved. He married Marietta Moorehouse, of
Fairfield, Connecticut, who, like her husband,
was a descendant of the Burr family, of which
Aaron Burr, the famous American statesman,
was a descendant,, who was born in 1756, died
in 1836; was a lieutenant-colonel' in the Revo-
lutionary war, attorney general of New York,
United States senator and vice-president of
the United States. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ran-
dall were active and consistent members of the
Presbyterian church of Brookhaven, Long
Island. Mr. Randall died in 1879, survived
by his widow, who passed away in 1902, at
the age of eighty-nine years.
Upon the homestead farm Stephen M. Ran-
dall was reared to manhood, acquiring such
an education as was then afforded by the town
school. He then turned his attention to farm-
ing, at which he spent a number of years, and
also learned the trade of a carpenter. In 1864
he came to Brooklyn, where he worked at his
trade for three years, and at the expiration of
this period of time he entered into partnership
with his brother, John J. Randall, now a lead-
ing business man of Freeport, Long Island,
in the contracting and building line. They
continued in business for seven years, and dur-
ing this time erected many noted structures,
both public and private. Mr. Randall then
purchased his brother's interest in the busi-
ness, which he has since continued to conduct
alone, and the success he has attained is the
result of perseverance, steadfast purpose and
indefatigable industry, combined with sound
business principles. He also acts in the ca-
pacity of trustee of the East Brooklyn Sav-
ings Bank, director of the Seventeenth Ward
Bank, and a member of the Manufacturers'
Association. Mr. Randall takes an active in-
terest in the New York Avenue Methodist
Episcopal Church, of Brooklyn, being a trustee
and member of the official board; he is also
trustee of the Greenpoint Tabernacle, trustee
of the Greenpoint branch of the Young Men's
Christian Association, and a member of the
executive committee of the Brooklyn Church
Society.
In 1868 Mr. Randall married Catherine Da-
vis, daughter of Thomas Davis, and they now
reside at 669 St. Mark's avenue, one of the
most aristocratic sections of Brooklyn, New
York. Tliree children have been born to them,
two of whom are living at the present time
(1903) : George W. and Stelle J. Randall.
HENRY J. BROWN.
Henry J. Brown, senior member of the firm
of Henry J. Brown & Son, builders and con-
tractors, of Brooklyn, New York, was born
in Southold, Long Island, July 2, 1837, a son
of Samuel and Bethiah (Overton) Brown.
372
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
He received a common school education,
continuing his studies until seventeen years
of age, when he served an apprenticeship at
the trade of carpenter. In the early sixties
he took up his residence in Brooklyn, New
York; was employed as journeyman at his
trade for six years, and then engaged in busi-
ness for himself in the Twenty-third ward of
Brooklyn. Later he admitted his son, Abram
H. Brown, into partnership under the style of
Henry J. Brown & Son, and their operations
have been crowned with success. Among the
structures that stand as monuments to their
skill and ability are the following : St. Luke's
Protestant Episcopal Church, Brooklyn ; Cen-
tral Presbyterian Church, Marcy avenue,
Brooklyn; Greene Avenue Presbyterian
Church, Greene avenue, Brooklyn; St. George's
Protestant Episcopal Church, Marcy avenue,
Brooklyn ; St. James Protestant Episcopal
Chp<rch, Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn; St. An-
dri v's Methodist Episcopal Church, Rich-
mo id street, Brooklyn ; St. Matthew's Evan-
gelical Lutheran Church, Sixth avenue, Brook-
lyn; The Second Church of Christ (Scientist),
Park Place, Brooklyn; Government Hospital,
Fort Hamilton, New York ; the Kings County
Medical Library, Bedford avenue, Brooklyn;
Public School, Floral ^ark, Long Island ; Pub-
lic School No. TJ, First street, Brooklyn ; Club
house, Long Island Wheelmen Club, Bedford
avenue, Brooklyn ; Maternity Hospital, Wash-
ington avenue, Brooklyn ; John Stephenson
Car Factories, New Jersey; Fowler Car Com-
pany Works, Elizabeth, New Jersey ; the Boat
House and Crescent Athletic Club, Brooklyn,
New York.
In 1866 Mr. Brown was united in marriage
to Mrs. Susie J. Horton, and the issue of this
union was one son, Abram H., born Novem-
ber 3, 1868, in Brooklyn, New York. He at-
tended the old No. 11 school and later the
high school in Livingston street, graduating
from the latter institution. He was then ad-
mitted to partnership with his father, and a
large measure of the success which has at-
tended their efforts is the direct result of his
business ability and capable management. He
is a Republican in politics, as is-also his father.
In 1891 he married Qare A. Fitch, of Oneida,
New York, who bore him two children : Edith
G., born May 27, 1895 ; Ethel M., born Sep-
tember 22, 1900. Abram H. Brown and fam-
ily reside in Richmond Hill, Long Island.
MUNROE STINER.
Munroe Stiner, who has practical knowl-
edge of the builder's art and since 1898 has
engaged in speculative building, was born in
New York city on the 29th of April, 1876.
His father, Simon Stiner, is a wholesale
dealer in Washington Market. The son ac-
quired his early education in the public
schools, afterward attended the Brooklyn
Polytechnic school and subsequently continued
his studies in Hudson River Military Acad-
emy of New York. His early schooling as an
artisan was largely acquired under the direc-
tion of John H. French & Brother, with whom
he learned the carpenter's trade, and through-
out much of his life he has been identified with
building operations, either in practical con-
struction or as a speculator. He was, how-
ever, engaged in the exporting, business for
two and a half years, and then, putting aside
business cares, he responded to the country's
call for troops for service in the Spanish-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
375
American war. He went out with the Thir-
teenth Regiment and afterward was trans-
ferred to the Twenty-second Regiment.
Following his return he did some building
as a contractor, and in 1899 he began the erec-
tion of five two-family frame houses on Forty-
ninth street, below Sixth avenue. Subse-
quently he erected six of the same class ad-
joining his first buildings in the spring of
1900, and his next constructive work resulted
in the building of a two-family brick and
stone house on Forty-ninth street, below Sixth
avenue, followed by six of the same kind on
Fifty-second street, below Sixth avenue. In
the year 1902 he began and completed eleven
two-family houses of stone and brick, each
two stories and basement. Each year has wit-
nessed the growth of his business, and in the
spring of 1904 he began the erection of ten
houses, eight of these being two-story and
basement, while the others were tenement
houses, three stories in height, with accommo-
dation for three families. He built in the fall
of 1904 and spring of 1905, a lull block, ten
houses, of two-family stone houses, on Sixth
avenue, between 47th and 48th streets. He
has also to some extent engaged in contracting,
and his practical knowledge along mechanical
lines has been of marked value to him in his
building operations, enabling him to judge ac-
curately of the worth of building materials
and also of the labor which is put into the con-
struction. Constantly enlarging the scope of
his effort as his financial resources have in-
creased, he is now the owner of valuable prop-
erty, and from his previous sales has realized
a handsome financial return from his invest-
ment.
Mr. Stiner is a member of the Builders'
Association and also of the West End Board
of Trade, and he has an office at 4901 Fourth
avenue in Brooklyn, while his home is at 553
Fifty-ninth street. He holds membership in
the Seventh Assembly District Republican
Club.
JOHN PETERS.
John Peters, a carpenter and builder, whose
office and shop is located at No. 160 Seventh
avenue, Brooklyn, New York, is one of the
representative business men of that borough,
who has achieved a large degree of financial
gain, which is the direct result of energy, per-
severance, skill and integrity. He is a native
of Scotland, born in the Clyde district on No-
vember 28, 1859.
During his boyhood days he attended the
schools in the neighborhood of his birthplace,
thus acquiring a practical education which
thoroughly qualified him for a life of useful-
ness and activity. After serving an appren-
ticeship at the trade of carpenter, he was em-
ployed as journeyman in his native country
for a number of years. In 1881, at the age of
twenty-two, he emigrated to the United States,
locating in Brooklyn, New York, where he fol-
lowed his trade. He also was employed as a
journeyman in various large cities, including
Philadelphia, but finally settled in Brooklyn,
where he engaged in business on his own ac-
count in 1891. Since that date to the present
time (1904) his trade has steadily increased
in volume and importance, and he is recog-
nized in business circles and among his nu-
merous customers and patrons as a skillful and
reliable man of business. He performs all
kinds of jobbing work, such as remodeling
376
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
residences and stores and putting in new
fronts, and his trade extends not only through-
out the borough of Brooklyn, but also into
Manhattan. He has in his employ about eight
men, skilled mechanics, whom he personally
superintends, and in this way he has gained
an enviable reputation., All measures to ad-
vance the welfare of the people receive his co-
operation, and he may be justly ranked among
the progressive citizens who are laboring for
the development of the best interests of the
city. In politics he is independent, casting
his vote for the candidate best qualified for of-
fice, irrespective of party affiliation.
Mr. Peters was united in marriage to Miss
Anna Miller, of Brooklyn, New York. Their
children are : Norman, John, Ellen, Mar-
garet, Dorothy and Catharine. The family re-
side in a comfortable home in Brooklyn.
WILLIAM H. HAZZARD.
William Henry Hazzard, contractor and
builder, the president of the Brooklyn Street
Railway Company and the president of the
Fulton Bank, spent his early years amicT un-
favoring circumstances upon a Delaware farm,
where limited financial circumstances deprived
him of many of the opportunities and advan-
tages which the average youth enjoys, but the
inherent force of his character, his unwearied
industry, unfaltering perseverance, and his
laudable ambition triumphed over difficulties
and his latent powers were developed through
the opportunities of the business world, where
he iTiade for himself a name and place of
prominence as one of the foremost iiien of
Brooklyn.
His birthplace was the parental farm six
miles from the village of Lewis, in Sussex
county, Delaware, and the death of his father,
Stephen Hazzard, in 1831, left him orphaned
at the age of eight years — he was born April
8, 1823. The family was large, the income
very meager, but the mother did the best she
could for her children, and while she gave
them no luxuries and little beyond the bare
necessities of life, she instilled into their minds
principles of industry, economy, integrity and
morality, which formed the foundation upon
which William H. Hazzard builded his worldly
successes' and his upright character.
As opportunity offered he attended the dis-
trict school and with the other boys of the
household worked on the home farm until
thirteen years of age, when, in 1836, he went
to Philadelphia and was apprenticed to learn
the carpenter's and joiner's trade. He applied
himself with diligence to the mastery of the
tasks assigned to him and became a skillful,
thorough and reliable workman. On attain-
ing his majority he sought a broader field of
labor in New York, and in February, 1847,
became a resident of Brooklyn. For many
years he was identified with its building opera-
tions, and there stand as monuments to his
handiwork many of the largest and most sub-
stantial structures of the city. He had to
prove his worth, skill and honesty, however,
ere the patronage was accorded. One of the
prominent residents of the city, whose invest-
ments caused him to have many buildings
erected, found that he was not receiving full
value for his money from some of the older
contractors of Brooklyn, and he resolved to
test Mr. -Hazzard. He gave him the contract
for putting up a small building and carefully
watched him, not only as to workmanship, but
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
377
also as to the amount of materials used. He felt
that his confidence was fully justified in the re-
sult that followed his investigation, and from
that time forward his contracts for large
buildings were awarded to Mr. Hazzard.
Others followed the example of this leading
business man, and Mr. Hazzard's patronage
grew to extensive proportions, and with the
expansion of the city and the development of
commerce and industry, local business enter-
prises multiplied and Mr. Hazzard's business
grew proportionately in magnitude. Leaders
in the business life of the city began the im-
provement of the water-front property, and to
Mr. Hazzard was awarded the contract for the
erection of the Fulton store, Watson's and
Harbecks' stores, and the vast emporiums con-
ducted by the New York Warehousing Com-
pany and the German-American Company.
When Do'w's stores were projected in i88g
the work of construction was entrusted to the
man who had made such a splendid record on
less pretentious buildings. The Dow build-
ings, the largest of the kind in the world at
that time, had a frontage of one hundred feet,
a depth of twelve hundred feet and a "height of
eighty-five feet, and above this rose three high
towers. Many intricate problems of construc-
tion had to be considered and mastered, his
builder's skill, however, working these out sat-
isfactorily. Some of the finest residences of
the city were also built by him, and in 1878
he did a notable piece of work- — the erection
of the Brighton Beach Hotel in eighty-eight
days, while later he built the annex in sixty-
six days. His business grew to such propor-
tions that he needed the assistance of his son,
whom he admitted to a partnership under the
firm name of William Hazzard & Son. His
last work in connection with the trade which
he had learned in his boyhood and had fol-
lowed so successfully through many years of
his manhood, was the supervision of the laying
of the foundation of the New York Produce
Exchange.
Mr. Hazzard discontinued his building oper-
ations in 1882, and on the ist of July of that
year was elected to the presidency of the
Brooklyn City Railroad Company, adminis-
tering the affairs of that corporation most
creditably and acceptably for four years, dur-
ing which time he traveled quite extensively
while making investigations with the view of
changing the motive power from horses to
electricity. He resigned that position to accept
the presidency of the Fulton Bank and re-
mained at the head of that institution from
1887 until it was merged into the Mechanics'
Bank, after which he had no active business
connection, enjoying throughout his remain-
mg years the retirement from labor which he
had so justly earned and so richly merited. At
different times, however, he was called upon
to act as executor of a number of large estates,
for which his business skill and integrity well
qualified him.
While deeply interested in community af-
fairs, Mr. Hazzard always preferred to do his
public duties as a private citizen rather than
as an official, and while his aid and co-opera-
tion proved a helpful factor in the promotion
of many measures for the benefit of the
borough, he always avoided office, save that
in the earlier years of his residence here
he served twice as supervisor and was after-
ward chosen a n^tmber of the board of
public works. The nomination came to him
entirely without his solicitation or knowledge.
378
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
but the board thereby gained a -well qualified,
efficient and trustworthy officer. Not long
afterward, however, the board was legislated
out of existence, with pay for the unexpired
term, but with a scrupulous sense of personal
honor he voluntarily relinquished his right to
the money and turned it over to the commis-
sioners of the sinking fund.
Two years after his arrival in Brooklyn — in
1848 — Mr. Hazzard married Miss Rhoda T.
Ward, a daughter of John L. Ward, then a
well known resident of the borough. Six of
their children, together with the mother, lie
buried in Greenwood. In i8gi Mr. Hazzard
married Miss Elizabeth Rockefeller, and they
had one son. Mrs. Hazzard still survives her
husbandj who passed away at his home, 211
Schermerhorn street, January 24, 1904, in the
eighty-first year of his age. He had been a
life-long member of the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, and was for twenty-five years
an active member of the Hanson Place Meth-
odist church. He always attributed his suc-
cess in life to his mother, and deHghted in
thus paying tribute to her devotion and love,
and yet it required the activity of his manhood
to ripen and bring to fruition the seeds of in-
dustry and integrity which she sowed in his
youthful mind and which made him one of the
strongest of Brooklyn's citizens — strong to
plan and to perform, strong in his honor and
his good name.
HENRY C. BAUER.
Henry C. Bauer, who was one of the pioneer
builders of Brooklyn, and later one of the ex-
tensive real estate operators and who was
equally well known and prominent in Demo-
cratic circles of the city, was born in New
York, February 28, 1844. His residence in
Brooklyn covered five years. His early edu-
cation was acquired in the public schools, and
when but a boy he learned the carpenter's
trade, becoming an efficient and skilled work-
man. In early life he was employed in the
construction of various buildings in this city,
and afterward began contracting and building
on his own account, forming a partnership
with his brother, Emil C. Bauer, which con-
nection was continued until 1870. He erected
many of the homes in the Bushwick section
of Brooklyn, and became an extensive real es-
tate owner. Recognizing the advantages that
might accrue from the development of upper
Broadway, he built hundreds of houses there,
and was still the owner of many of these at
the time of his death. Purchasing property
from time to time in that locality, he would
build thereon, and thus he contributed in large
measure to the improvement of the city. About
fifteen years prior to his death he retired from
active connection with building interests in or-
der to devote his attention to the supervision
of the property which he had previously pur-
chased, and he continued his real estate opera-
tions up to the time of his demise.
Mr. Bauer married Miss Augusta Stich, a
representative of one of the old families of
Brooklyn, and her death occurred about 1892.
The seven surviving members of the family —
four sons and three daughters — are Henry C.,
Charles F., Frank G., Alfred, Mrs. M&rgaret
Lane and Matilda and Augusta Bauer. Dur-
ing the greater part of his residence in Brook-
lyn Mr. Bauer made his hom'e in the Williams-
burg district, and his influence there extended
to church, social and political activities. In
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
379
early life he belonged to the Bushwick Ave-
nue Baptist Church. He was a life member
of Ridgewood Lodge No. 710, F. & A. M.,
and funeral services were conducted by the
Masonic fraternity. His interest in politics
was active, zealous and helpful. He was a
charter member and one of the organizers of
the Bushwick Democratic Club and was also
a m.ember of the Twentieth Assembly District
Democratic Club, and he put forth every effort
in his power to advance the cause of the party.
OTHNIEL FOSTER NICHOLS.
Othniel Foster Nichols, chief engineer of
the Department of Bridges for the city of New
York, whose name has been for many years
prominently identified with great engineering
enterprises, stands in the forefront of his pro-
fession in this country. As assistant engineer
in charge, the recent completion of the great
Williamsburg bridge couples his name with
one of the greatest feats of engineering of the
age.
He was born at Newport, Rhode Island, July
29, 1845, of Welsh descent, and New England
ancestry of Pilgrim origin. The American
progenitor of the family was Sergeant Thomas
Nichols, who emigrated from Wales by the
way of the island of Barbadoes, where he tar-
ried a short time, subsequently coming to
Newport, Rhode Island, in 1660. The name
became prominent in the early settlement and
colonial history of New England, two of his
descendants having served as deputy govern-
ors of the Rhode Island colony. His father
was Thomas Pitman Nichols, and his mother
was Lydia Foster, who was a descendant of
John Foster, of Salem, Massachusetts, who
had settled in Rhode Island early in the seven-
teenth century.
Mr. Nichols has resided in Brooklyn since
childhood, and attended the public schools
there. He left school to learn the trade of ma-
chinist, but, realizing the advantage of a
broader foundation for the successful pursuit
of mechanics, he entered the Rennselaer Poly-
technic Institute, graduating therefrom in
1868 with the degree of civil engineer. His
rise in the profession was rapid from the start.
He at once became employed on the construc-
tion of Prospect Park, Brooklyn, and later, as
assistant engineer in the offices of Cooper &
Hewitt, Manhattan, and had charge, in 1869
and 1870, of the construction of the first ele-
vated railroad in Manhattan. During the
380
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
same time he taught mathematics in the night
schools at Cooper Union. He went to South
America in 1871, and for the ensuing four
years had charge of the location and construc-
tion of tunnel divisions of the Oroya and the
Chimbote Railroads in Peru. He returned to
the United States in 1876, and as assistant en-
gineer and superintendent had charge of the
construction of a section of the Metropolitan
Railroad in New York city. He was subse-
quently employed by the Park Department as
engineer in charge of construction of sewer-
age systems in the annexed districts of New
York city. In 1878 he went to Brazil as resi-
dent engineer and attorney for the Madeira
& Mamore Railroad, which was controlled by
an English syndicate, representing large inter-
ests, where he remained imtil 1879, when he
returned and became connected as engineer
with the New Jersey Steel and Iron Company,
at Trenton, New Jersey, and later with the
Peter Cooper Glue Factory as assistant super-
intendent, in Brooklyn. He was appointed
resident engineer of the Henderson bridge
over the Ohio River in 1882, and chief engi-
neer of the Westerly Water Works, Rhode
Island, in 1886; this position he resigned to
become principal assistant engineer of the Su-
burban Rapid Transit Company of New York
city. He remained in that position up to 1888,
when he was appointed chief engineer of the
Brooklyn Elevated Railroad, to which duties
were added those of general manager in 1892.
In 1896 he was selected by Mr. L. L. Buck
and confirmed by the bridge commission for
the position of first assistant engineer in the
construction of the new East River bridge.
This magnificent structure, from its inception,
commanded the attention of the engineering
world, and, surpassing, from an engineering
standpoint, the great Brooklyn bridge, repre-
sents without a doubt the greatest feat of sus-
pension bridge construction in the history of
the engineering world. A just recognition of
his services on that great work was his ap-
pointment to his present high position. His
fidehty to his own ideals was shown in his
courageous presentment to the board of alder-
men of the city of New York, setting forth the
folly of what he characterized as a "colossal
experiment" on the part of his superior, Mr.
Lindenthal, in his effort to substitute eye-bar
chains for wire cables on the Manhattan bridge.
As nothing of the kind had ever before been
attempted, he held that such an innovation,
entailing upon the city an additional expense
of over three million dollars, was too' costly
an experiment, and attacked the plan vigor-
ously, to the evident displeasure . of his su-
perior. After the subject had been thoroughly
aired in the press and the clouds had cleared
away, when the administration of 1904 was
inaugurated, all interest was centered in Mr.
Nichols as the only logical and most capable
man for the important position of chief engi-
neer of the Department of Bridges -for the city
of New York, and his appointment to his pres-
ent office is a splendid endorsement of all Mr.
Nichols's contentions.
Mr. Nichols has been a frequent contrib-
utor to various scientific journals on engineer-
ing subjects, keeping thoroughly abreast with
the wonderful strides in his profession, and,
though not given to rash innovations, is a man
of advanced thought and a thorough student
of the science of engineering. He is a prom-
inent member of the American Society of
Civil Engineers ; the American Society of Me-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
381
chanical Engineers; the Institution of Civil
Engineers; a fellow of the American Geog-
raphical Society; and a member of the Engi-
neers' Club of New York city, of which he is
a trustee, and he is also president of the Brook-
lyn Engineers' Club.
Mr. Nichols was married November 21,
1876, to Miss Jennie Swasey, a daughter of
Hon. Samuel Sterne, judge of the court of
probate of Newport, Rhode Island.
WILLIAM A. MUNDELL.
William' A. Mundell, the monument of
whose life work is found in many of the finest
buiktings of Brooklyn, of which he was the
architect, was born in this borough ifi 1844,
a son of Jeremiah Mundell, and acquired his
early education in public school No. i. In his
youth he became interested in architecture and
determined to devote his life to that as a pro-
fession. He completed his preparatory train-
ing in private institutions and in the office of
Kennan Teckritz, with whom he entered into
partnership in 1866. From the beginning of
his business career his interest has centered
in public buildings and works of that charac-
ter', and with many of these in Brooklyn his
name is associated as the designer and archi-
tect. Among the leading structures erected
from plans which he made are the Hall of
Records, the Twenty-third, Fourteenth and
Thirty-second Regiment armories, the How-
ard Orphan Asylum, the Alms House at Flat-
bush, the Popenhusen Institute, the Raymond
Street Jail, the Pouch Mansion and many other
prominent Brooklyn landmarks.
Mr. Mundell's widow is still living. They
had a son and three daughters. The fam-
ily home is located in the section of the
city known as the Hill, and has long been a
favorite resort with the many friends of the
family. Mr. Mundell was always popular
socially, having the genial kindly nature which
easily wins friendships, while his genuine
worth enabled him to retain the high regard
and good will oi those with whom he came in
contact. Reared in the faith of the Methodist
church, he was closely associated with the
Washington Street Methodist Church, contrib-
uting generously to its support and laboring
zealously for its upbuilding and the extention
of its influence.
WILSON & MORGAN.
The building firm of Wilson & Morgan is
justly famed for its great accomplishments in
the development and upbuilding of Park Slope,
the most beautiful residential section of the
boroitgh of Brooklyn, and their mfechanical
skill and btisiness sagacity is affirmed by the
presence there of many of its most valuable
and ornamental homes.
The firm comprises John Wilson and Rob-
ert Morgan, both natives of Scotland, and
marked with the sterling traits of character
which belong to their race. They came into
association with each other in the building
trade in 1897, 3^"^ the relationship has been
pleasantly and profitably maintained to the
present time. They began operations in the
twenty-fourth ward, and on the Lefferts es-
tate in Flatbush, where they erected about a
score of private residences and apartment
houses, adding greatly to the value and desira-
bility of that section of the borough. They
subsequently bought and built upon property
382
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
on Park Slope, at the corner of Sixth avenue
and Seventh street, where they erected three
houses and, shortly afterward, two on Twelfth
street and Ninth avenue. In 1893-94 they
built up the block on Eighth avenue, from
Ninth to Eighth streets, with residences of a
better class, consisting of four stories with
basement, and one of the most commodious,
best appointed and attractive apartment houses
in the borough. The members of the firm are
practical mechanics as well as experienced
overseeing builders, and have given their per-
sonal direction and oversight to the work of
construction at its every stage. They both
learned house carpentering in Scotland, after
the thorough manner of that country, serving
long-term apprenticeships, and their work nat-
urally made them almost as familiar with stone
and brick work as with their own trades.
Mr. Wilson was born in Aberdeen, Scot-
land, in i860, and came to the United States
the year after attaining his majority. He
worked at his trade in New York city until
1897, when he located in Brooklyn, and en-
tered upon his career as a builder, in associa-
tion with Mr. Morgan, as before stated. He
is a man of family, and makes his home at 546
Fourteenth street.
Mr. Morgan, who is unmarried, came from
Scotland, also with his trade well learned,
about the same time as did Mr. Wilson. Both
are members of the Builders' Association of
Brooklyn.
CHAUNCEY G. COZINE.
Among the active and prominent builders
of Brooklyn, New York, whose operations have
been conducted principally in the East New
York section of the borough, is Chauncey G.
Cozine, who was born January 18, 1874, in
the borough in which he now resides, a son of
John G. and Emma E. (Garrett) Cozine. John
G. Cozine (father) was also a native of Brook-
lyn, the date of his birth being January 12,
1850, and that of his death April 12, 1891.
He was a builder by occupation, cofiducting
operations in partnership with James Gas-
coine for fifteen years, and during this period
of time erected over one thousand houses,
which stand as monuments to their practical
skill and ability. John G. Cozine and his wife
resided in Williamsburg, and were the parents
of one son, Chauncey G. Cozine.
Chauncey G. Cozine is indebted to the pub-
lic school system of Brooklyn for th6" educa-
tional advantages he enjoyed, and after lay-
ing aside his school books he devoted his at-
tention to the same line of work as followed
by his father, building, and since then has
taken his place among those who have gained
a reputation for good workmanship and honor-
able business transactions. His first enter-
prise was the erection of twelve four-story
dwellings — with corner stores — on Euclid
avenue, between Ridgewood and Etna streets,
and later he erected four four-story brick
houses, suitable for twenty-eight families.
He is actively interested in all that concerns
the welfare of his city, and is in every way a
public-spirited citizen.
In 1896 he was united in marriage to EHiza-
beth Hadley, and the issue of this union was
two children : Beatrice, born August 21, 1898,.
and Chauncey G., Jr., born January 24, 1902.
The family reside in a comfortable home at
No. 364 Macon street, Brooklyn.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
383
WILLIAM HEROD.
William Herod, well known as an enterpris-
ing and successful speculative builder, was a
contractor and builder for a number of years
before engaging in the larger affairs which
have of late occupied his attention. During
the past twenty years he has been a leader in
the development of that section of the city of
Brooklyn in which he lives. His remarkable
industry is evidenced in the large number of
buildings to his credit, some two hundred. His
operations have largely been on Sterling
Place, Park Place, Prospect Place, Atlantic
avenue, St. Mark's, Albany, Ti-oy and New
York avenues — a section which is rapidly be-
coming one of the most attractive and desira-
ble in the city for residential purposes.
Mr. Herod was born May 27, 1847, i"^ the
village of East Bridgeford, Nottinghamshire,
England, where he obtained his education.
In 1870, at the age of twenty-three, he came
to the United States. A practical mechanic,
he worked at his trade for a time, husbanding
his means, and fitting himself for a career
which was destined to be advantageous to the
community as well as to himself. About 1880
he engaged in building on his own account, his
first large venture being the erection, on Pros-
pect Place, near Albany avenue, of six houses,
two of brick and four of frame, two stories in
height, and with basement. He next built on
St. Mark's avenue and Rogers avenue four
residences, three stories and basement, these
with brownstone fronts, in elegance of ap-
pearance and .solidity of construction, mark-
ing, a mitch advanced step in residential prop-
erty in that part of the city. He then built
on Atlantic avenue, near Albany avenue, four
one-family dwellings, these being of two
stories and basement. On Prospect Place, be-
tween Troy and Schenectady avenues, he built
ten one-family houses, of three stories and
basement, and of a better class than those be-
fore mentioned. He then erected on Sterling
Place, between Albany and Troy avenues, on
both sides of the street, blocks of dwellings
of two stories and basement, and nineteen of
the same description on Park Place, between
Albany and Troy avenues. In the present
year (1904) he has built on the corner of Troy
avenue and St. John's Place, six two-family
dwellings, of brick and stone, two stories with
basement. In East New York he has recently
erected, on Barby street, seventeen two-story
dwellings suitable for two families.
This by no means exhausts the list of Mr.
Herod's accomplishments, but serves to show
his activity and the highly useful part he has
taken in the building up of the city, certifying
to his recognized position among those whose
labors are of enduring value, and wholly ad-
vantageous, however indirectly, to the entire
comjnunity.
Mr. Herod's position in his profession is at-
tested by his high standing in the Builders'
Association of Brooklyn. He was one of the
charter members of that body, and is a mem-
ber of its arbitration committee. His politi-
cal affiliations are with the Republican party,
but he has never been desirous of public dis-
tinction, a'nd he has never been a candidate for
office. Of domestic tastes, his highest enjoy-
ment is found in his home.
Mr. Herod was married in Brooklyn to Miss
Josephine Stephens. The children born of
this marriage are Amelia, Mary Jane and Will-
iam.
384
HISTORY OI? LONG ISLAND.
ALFRED HAMILTON.
Alfred Hamilton, president of the South
Brooklyn Company, whose investment in un-
improved property and construction of mod-
ern residences and apartments has led to the
substantial development and material progress
of the city, has thus been identified with build-
ing operations for thirteen years. He was
for some time associated in this line of busi-
ness activity with his brother, Charles Hamil-
ton, and prior to that time they were partners
in the steamboat and barge business on the
river and bay. They prospered in that under-
taking, in which they continued until 1891,
when, feeling that they would have a broader
scope for their expanding business powers and
for the profitable investment of capital, they
sold their steamboat business and began specu-
lative building.
In 1892, having purchased a lot on Fifty-
second street, between Fourth and Fifth ave-
nues, they built a frame house thereon. Their
second step in this direction was the construc-
tion O'f five brownstone houses on Fifty-fourth
street, between Fourth and Fifth avenues,
these being two and three stories in height.
On these occasions they garnered the just
recompense of their labor, and encouraged by
their success were led to further investment
in lots and the further improvement of prop-
erty. Their building operations have also
grown in volume and importance. They built
seven houses on Fifty-second street, between
Second and Third avenues, these being frame
structures, and since that time they have con-
fined their attention to brick and stone con-
struction, building twenty brick houses on
Forty-fifth street, between Second and Third
avenues, these being two-family buildings; on
Forty-sixth street a row of seven two-family
houses, two stories and basement ; on Fifty-
fifth street, between Fourth and Fifth ave-
nues, twenty-one two-story brick houses ; on
Forty-first street, between Fourth and Fifth
avenues, ten brick houses, two story and base-
ment ; a row on Fifth avenue, between Forty-
ninth and Fiftieth streets, of ten buildings,
containing stores and fiats ; on Fiftieth street,
between Fourth and Fifth avenue, forty
brownstone houses ; on Fifty-second street, be-
tween Fifth and Sixth avenue, ten brick build-
ings, with accommodations for two families ;
on Fifty-ninth street, between Fourth and
Sixth avenues, twenty-eight two-family build-
ings, two-story and basement ; and many
others. Mr. Hamilton was associated with
his brother from the time that he entered
building circles until the latter's death, in July,
1903. Later the South Brooklyn Company
was organized, with Mr. Hamilton as presi-
dent, and has since continued in successful op-
eration in building lines for tlie purpose of
speculation. The operations of the firm of
Hamilton Brothers and of the South Brooklyn
Company have been largely confined to the
district between Forty-first and Fifty-ninth
streets and Second and Sixth avenues, and
Mr. Hamilton and his business associates have
been the leading speculative builders of that
section of the borougli. He built, in the fall
oi 1904 and spring of 1905, seventeen two-
family brick houses on Forty-fifth, between
Second and Third avenues.
The South Brooklyn Realty Company, or-
ganized in 1904, is now building on Fifty-
fourth street, between Fifth and Sixth ave-
nues, ten two-family houses, each two-story
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
387
and basement. The materials used in con-
struction are brick and stone. The company
also has purchased a number of other excel-
lent building sites, including lots on Sixth
avenue and Bay Ridge, and on these they will
soon build. The partners are Alfred Hamil-
ton, D. T. Hislep and E. T. Salisbury.
Charles Hamilton was married and had the
following children — Lumma. Bond, Ella,
Charles E., Alfred, Frank and Hazel. He
was a man of even temperament and quiet
disposition and enjoyed to the full the con-
fidence of the business community. He was
a Democrat in politics and belonged to Day
Star Lodge, A. F. & A. M., the Royal Arca-
num and the Order of Druids.
Alfred Hamilton is also married, having
wedded Anna Davis, of Brooklyn, and they
have two children: Mabel and Elizabeth.
Their home is at No. 448 Fifty-fifth street. He
gives his political support to the Democracy,
and is a prominent member of the Royal Ar-
canum, serving for twO' years as the chief
officer in Adirondack Council, while for the
past two years he has been district deputy
grand regent. As a Mason he is connected
with Orion Lodge No. 717, A. F. & A. M.,
of Brooklyn ; Caldene Chapter, R. A. M. ; and
Damascus Commandery, K. T. Along busi-
ness lines his membership associations are
with the West End Board of Trade and the
Speculative Builders' Association. He gives
close and unremitting attention to his busi-
ness, both in principle and detail, and his suc-
cess, from the beginning of his connection with
building operations in Brooklyn, has been uni-
form and rapid. Although the years have
brought changes in property valuations, his in-
vestments have been so carefully and wisely
made that his sales have always yielded profit,
and to-day he- iS enjoying the fruit of unre-
mitting diligence and capable management,
while his position in business circles is indeed
enviable.
GEORGE W. PIPE.
In business life suctess depends so entirely
upon individual merit that when one has at-
tained a position of prominence, as has George
W. Pipe, builder, of Brooklyn, New York, it
is an unmistakable evidence of ability, natural
and acquired. He was born in Brooklyn, No-
vember 19, 1849, 3- son of William, a native
of England, whence he came to the United
States, locating in Brooklyn, New York, at a
very early day, and Sarah (Ringgold) Pipe,
a native of Brooklyn, in which borough she has
always resided.
George W. Pipe acquired a practical educa-
tion which prepared him for the activities Of
life in the public schools adjacent to his home,
and at the early age of twelve years was em-
ployed in a Bible house in New York city.
Later he decided to test the business oppor-
tunities of the western section of the country
and accordingly went to Indiana, locating in
the city of Bedford, where he resided for five
years. At the expiration of this period of time
he returned to Brooklyn, his native city, a,nd
served an apprenticeship at .the trade of car-
penter with the firm of Morris & Selover, of
Brooklyn, with whom he later served as jour-
neyman for four years. For several years
following this he was employed in different
shops, and finally, in 1884, engaged in busi-
ness for himself at No. 15 10 Fulton street,
Brooklyn, where he has continued ever since.
388
HiStofeY oP Long island.
He has a force of from fifteen to twenty men,
who are constantly employed in attending to
the demands of a large and constantly increas-
ing trade. His wOrk consists principally in
putting in new fronts to houses, repairing of
all kinds, and, in fact, everything pertaining
to a first-class jobbing trade. Mr. Pipe enjoys
the confidence of all who have had business
deahngs with him, and is meeting with suc-
cess in his chosen vocation.
Mr. Pipe was united in marriage to Alice
L. Cunningham, who- was born in Brooklyn,
New York, November i6, i860, and their
family consists of four children, namely:
Alice D., born December 22, 1878; Laura F.,
born in 1879; Anna M., born February 6,
1881 ; and Lois A. Pipe, born March 19, 1895.
JOHN ASSIP.
John Assip, whose success in speculative
building is the logical sequence of his entire
business career, in his young manhood began
learning the mason's trade and later followed
contracting and building, entering upon his
present field of labor about 1882. He had the
prescience to discern what the future had in
store for this growing borough, and by careful
investment and later building operations, was
enabled to meet the demands of the time for
residence property. He learned the mason's
trade in Brooklyn in early life, gaining thor-
ough knowledge of the work, and after serv-
ing for some time in the employ of others he
began contracting on his own accoimt in 1876.
He then continued in the active construction
of buildings in Brooklyn until he began build-
ing as a means of speculation, and during that
time he erected a number of important struc-
tures in the city. One of the best plans which
he executed after determining to engage in
the jDurchase, improvement and sale of prop-
erty was the erection of three houses on Hoyt
street near Sackett. These were tenement
houses which were capable of accommodating
eight families. His success in this venture
prompted him to further activity as a specu-
lative builder, and he erected five such build-
ings on Ninth street and five on Tenth street,
between Fourth and Fifth avenues. The Ninth
street apartment house was three stories in
height with a corner store, and the tenth
street building contained four private houses
and one corner store, the building material
being brick. He afterward erected on Sixth
avenue, between President and Carroll streets,
five houses of brownstone, and at the time of
construction they were among the best on the
hill. They were built in 1885, being private
homes, three stories and basement. Mr. As-
sip later built, on Fifth avenue, between Pres-
ident and Carroll streets, a block containing
stores and flats, and then for a number of
years continued his building operations large-
ly on Fifth avenue, between Bergen and Third
streets, probably erecting fifty houses, stone
structures containing good apartments.
He then changed the scenes of his labors to
President and Henry streets, where he built
seven apartment houses. He also built one
on Carroll and another on President, and
this work was followed by the construction
of five private houses three stories and base-
ment, built of brownstone, on Tenth street,
between Eighth and Ninth avenues. He also
built on Fifteenth street and Ninth avenue
and on Prospect Park West. The charac-
ter of his building operations has continually
History of long island.
38$
improved until he has erected some very
fine structures, including the Park Circle
Hotel on Sixteenth street, between Ninth
and Tenth avenues; eleven three-story flat
houses of brick and stone, and behind them,
on Windsor Place, eleven two-story houses
with accommodations for ten families each.
On Third avenue and Fifty-sixth street he
built four houses, being four-story double
apartments ; on Seventy-fifth street, between
Third and Fourth avenues, five two-story
houses ; on Eighth avenue, between Garfield
and First street, four three-story apartments,
all high class, together with other buildings.
The history of the building operations in
Brooklyn is an index to the growth, prosper-
ity and material improvement of the city, and
because of his chosen field of labor Mr. Assip
has contributed to the general welfare as well
as to individual prosperity. He was at one
time a partner of T. J. Buckley, the relation be-
ing maintained until about five or six years
ago. Mr. Assip is a practical builder, having
a wide knowledge of this industrial art, and
few men of the city are better informed con-
cerning the location and value of property, its
possibilities as a marketable commodity and
its worth in relation to residence districts.
Mr. Assip is Hving at his home at No. 224
Sixth avenue, which he erected in 1885. He
was married in Brooklyn, and has two sons,
John T. and Thomas, the former connected
with his father in business. In politics Mr.
Assip is a Democrat. Earnest effort, close
application and the exercise of his native tal-
ent have won him a desirable measure of suc-
cess, while in building circles he has ever sus-
tained an unassailable reputation.
JOHN DOBBINS.
John Dobbins, a speculative builder, whose
operations have been conducted principally in
the section known as South Brooklyn, he hav-
ing resided in that vicinity for the long period
of twenty-seven years, purchasing property
there when it was totally undeveloped and
therefore at a very low figure, and from which
he realized a goodly profit upon disposing of
it, is a native of the borough in which he re-
sides, the date of his birth being July 24,
1847.
His entire life has been spent in his native
city, and his education was acquired in the
public schools thereof. He gained his first
practical experience in business life in a drug
store on Atlantic avenue, Brooklyn, the pro-
prietor of which was Lester B. Hubbard, with
whoin he remained for a number of years. He
then became actively interested in politics, and
for ten years was a member of the police de-
partment, being promoted through the various
grades to that of sergeant, in which capacity
he served in the old forty-third district and in
the sixth precinct of Williamsburg, retiring
from the department in August, 1873. In that
year he became a member ot the board of al-
dermen, having been appointed from the sixth
ward, and served acceptably for two terms,
Subsequently he engaged in the building busi-
ness, being assisted therein by his son, John J.
Dobbins, and they have erected a large num-
ber of houses of a Superior class, some of
which were on their own property and were
later advantageously disposed of. They erect-
ed three four-story double flats on Third ave-
nue, between Fiftieth and Fifty-first streets ;
five stores on Third avenue, between Fiftieth
390
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
and Fifty-first streets; five two-family houses
of brick and stone on Fifty-fourth street, near
Sixth avenue; a blocl<: of first-class flats on
Fourth avenue, between Fiftieth and Fifty-
first streets; one four-story double flat on
Forty-ninth street, corner of Fourth avenue;
and since 1902 they have erected twenty-two
two-family brick, brownstone and limestone
houses on Fiftieth street, between Third and
Fourth avenues. His political allegiance has
always been given to the Democratic party,
the principles of which organization he be-
lieves to be for the best form of government.
He is a member of the Knights of Columbus,
and an honorary member of St. Michael's Base
Ball Club.
Mr. Dobbins married Miss Mary J. Ander-
son, a native of Red Bank, New Jersey, the cer-
emony being performed in Brooklyn, New
York. Nine children were the issue of this
union : William, who died at the age of twelve
years ; John J., who is engaged in business with
his father; James died at nine years of age;
Josephine died at nine years of age; Edward,
who died at the age of three years ; Nellie,
died at four years ; Harry J., who is engaged
in the real estate business, his office being at
No. 311 Fifty-first street; Mary Josephine,
who died at the age of ten years; Fred J., a
student at college. The family reside at No.
320 Fiftieth street, Brooklyn.
Such is the case with Daniel Lauer, a native
and resident of Brooklyn, New York, who has
engaged in speculative building since 1876,
a period of twenty-eight years.
He attended public school No. 28, on Her-
kimer street, the eastern district of Brooklyn,
in which vicinity his parents resided. He
served an apprenticeship of four y«ars at the
carpenter trade, becoming a thoroughly com-
petent and expert mechanic. In 1876 he en-
gaged in speculative building, and during that
year erected one hundred and twenty-one
houses in the Twenty-fifth and Eighteenth
wards of borough of Brooklyn, the houses
averaging about $5,500 each. He operated
extensively in the Twenty-third and Twenty-
fifth wards from 1876 to 1893, a period of
seventeen years, and from ,1898 to the present
time (1904) has operated in the Flatbush dis-
trict, Ditmas Park, South Midwood, and
Vanderveer Park, erecting fifty detaclied
frame houses, averaging from $6,000 to $9,000
in value, and which rank among the most at-
tractive houses to be found in that locality. He
is one of the most successful and prosperous
builders of Flatbush. Mr. Lauer is a mem-
ber of the Royal Arcanum, and his political
affiliations are with the Republican party.
He married Miss Addie Wilson, and they
have two children.
DANIEL LAUER.
In whatever profession or business a man
may engage, success depends so entirely upon
individual merit that when one has attained a
position of prominence it is an unmistakable
evidence of ability, natural and acquired.
WILFRED BURR.
Wilfred Burr, for fourteen years one of the
speculative builders of Brooklyn, sustaiiiing
an unassailable reputation with the builders
and brokers of the borough, has demonstrated
his business capacity and his power of recog-
nizing favorable opportunity, and at the same
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
393
time contributed to the improvement of the
city by his erection of two hundred and twen-
ty-five houses of the borough, the larger part
being two-story two-family stone houses of
attractive architecture that furnish comfort-
able homes to the great middle class.
He was born in Brooklyn, January 26, 1868,
His parents being William H. and Elvira
(Fowler) Burr. His mother was first mar-
ried to George W. Bates, and after his death
became the wife of William H. Burr, who in
his early business career conducted a retail
shoe store and afterward engaged in the man-
ufacture of shoes in Williamsburg. He died
at the age of seventy-five years, and his widow,
still surviving him, is living with her son, Wil-
fred, at the age of seventy-nine years.
He pursued his studies in the public schools
on Norman avenue, the Tenth Street School
and Public School No. 19, on South Second
street, and on putting aside his text books en-
tered upon his business career as a boy in the
employ of Butler Pitkin & Company, being
retained in the service of that firm until its
retirement from business. His close applica-
tion and ready adaptability won him contin-
ued promotion, and he gained a practical and
comprehensive knowledge of mercantile meth-
ods, so that on the dissolution of that firm he
was enabled to secure a lucrative position with
a resident buyer for wholesale houses. He
afterward became connected with the Union
Stove works and was there advanced from!
time to time until he became cashier, then city
salesman, but desiring that his labors should
be of more direct benefit to himself, he en-
tered the field of speculative building, which
has furnished am.ple scope for his expanding
genius and business enterprise. His opera-
tions have largely been confined to Stuyvesant
Heights. His first connection with building
operations, however, led to the construction of
six houses on McDonough, between Ralph
and Howard avenues, these being construct-
ed in 1891. He was enabled to gain a start
through the assistance of a friend who was a
builder and who sold him the property on
which he erected the houses mentioned. Suc-
cess attended his labors from the beginning,
for during the first year he sold these houses
at a good profit. He has since been a watch-
ful observer of business conditions, especially
along the line of building operations, and has
improved every valuable opportunity as far
as his financial resources wOuld permit, by
investing in land and erecting thereon desira-
ble residence property that has found a ready
sale. Following his first successful specula-
tion he operated on Patchen avenue and Hal-
sey street, securing a property there that had
proved an vmprofitable investment to three
people. However, he had buildings erected
there and soon afterward sold to advantage.
On Macon street, near Howard avenue, he
built six houses three stories in height, with
basement, and then transferred his business
energies to Hancock street near Ralph, where
he built five houses. On Putnam' avenue, near
Reed, he built eight houses, four being three
stories with basement and four two stories
with basement. Again profitable sales fol-
lowed his building operations, and he in-
creased the extent of his investment by the
erection of ten houses on Jefferson avenue,
near Sumner street. He built successively four
houses on Hancock street, four on Halsey
near Tompkins, and seven on Jefferson, and
the extent of his operations and the rapidity
394
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
with which he executed his plans is indicated
by the fact that he buiU and sold twenty-five
houses in twenty months. His next building
operations resulted in the erection of nine
houses on Pulaski street and Tompkins ave-
nue, followed by five on Monroe street near
Bedford, ten on Madison near Marcey and a
four-story house on Jefferson and Lewis
streets. Then came the erection of three on
Macon near Tompkins, a four-story flat build-
ing on Kingston avenue and Prospect Place
and thirteen on Bergen and Kingston
streets. He bought thirteen lots on the 13th
of January, in the thirteenth , year of his busi-
ness and the numbers were 1300 and the in-
vestment proved so profitable that Mr. Burr
feels that it would take much to convince him
of the unluckiness of the number 13. He
built five houses on McDonough near Stuy-
vesant avenue, and he has now in process of
construction six houses on Jefferson avenue.
He also built thirteen houses on Halsey be-
tween Throop street and Sumner, and he has
never carried his property more than a year.
He has been one of the largest builders in
the neighborhood in which he has operated,
and has contributed in important measure to
the improvement of the city. He is a reHable
builder, his name being a synonym for in-
tegrity as well as enterprise and successful
achievement among the builders and opera-
tors in speculative building.
Mr. Burr is a member of the Master Build-
ers' Association and belongs to several fra-
ternal and social organizations, including
Aurora Grata Lodge No. 756, A. F. & A. M.,
and the Royal Arcanum. He likewise be-
longs to the Union League Club, arid he finds
his chief recreation in bowling and golf. He
is likewise extremely fond of hunting, and
has some splendid evidences of his skill in
this direction, including fine specimens of
moose and other game. His political alle-
giance is giveii to the Republican party and he
attended Dr. Waters's church.
In 1891 Mr. Burr was married to Miss
Nettie S. Coyle, of Brooklyn, and they have
four children: Hazel Maude, Helen P., Wil-
fred L., and Ruth H. Theirs is an attractive
home at No.' 410 Hancock street, and Mr.
Burr is widely and favorably known in social
as well as business circles. For a number of
years he has been an important factor in the
development and improvement of the bor-
ough, and his connection has been with a
field of activity that has not alone advanced
his individual success but has also promoted
the general welfare and prosperity of the city
in which he makes his hom'e. He is yet a
young man and, possessing the characteristic
American spirit of enterprise, will undoubt-
edly win still greater successes in the future.
J. PAUL HOFFMAN.
John Paul Hoffman, who for ten years has
been a representative of building interests,
the extent and importance of his operations
placing him among the prominent speculative
builders of the borough of Brooklyn and of
Manhattan, is a native of New York city,
born on the 8th of April, 1870. His father,
Paul Hoffman, was a butcher by trade and
conducted a meat market for many years, un-
til, believing that there was an advantageous
opening for speculative building, he directed
his energies into that channel of business
activity, operating quite extensively in New
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
395
York south of Fourteenth street. He is
to-day the holder of large and valuable realty
interests in that section of the city, his invest-
ments having been so judiciously made that
his financial resources have been constantly
increased.
At the usual age J. Paul Hoffman entered
the public schools of New York, his prelimi-
nary advantages being supplemented by a
course of study in Packard's Business Col-
lege, whereby he was well qualified for the
active and responsible duties of a business
career. He then joined his father in business,
becoming familiar with the butcher's trade
and continuing with him after his entrance
into the field of speculative building. They
were associated until the father's retirement
about 1892, since which timte J. Paul Hoff-
man has continued alone. He is still identi-
fied with building operations in New York
city in the district south of Fourteenth street,
arid has also been a factor in the substantial
improvement and upbuilding of Brooklyn.
He built the large flat building at No. 12
Goerick street with accommodations for
twenty-five families, and also an apartment
on Eleventh street. On Fourth street he built
an apartment of the better class for ten fam-
ilies, and expects soon to continue his build-
ing operations at 287 and 289 West Fourth
street, where he will erect a fine apartment
house. He likewise built six private houses
on Convent avenue at the corner of One
Hundred and Fiftieth street, ex;tending to
One Hundred and Forty-ninth street. A flat
building was being erected by him at the
same time at the corner of One Hundred
and Twenty-fourth street and Eighth avenue
with accommodation for eight families, and he
built a ten-family flat building at No. 167
Rivington street. Under contract he erected
a large number of houses and flats in New
York, at the same time continuing his inde-
pendent operations as a speculative builder
both in the uptown residence districts and
south of Fourteenth street.
Turning his attention to Brooklyn and rec-
ognizing the opportunities for the successful
conduct of business in this borough, he built
a private residence at Eighth street and Bev-
erly Road and also at the southeast corner of
Beverly Road and Ocean Parkway. He then
continued his operations on the east side of
Ocean Parkway about sixty feet south of
Beverly Road and built another house on the
west side of Ocean Parkway one hundred
feet south of Avenue C. At this writing in
'the fall of 1904 he is building two private
houses on Beverly Road between Seventh and
Ocean Parkway and is now perfecting plans
for the construction of six houses on Avenue
C in the block between Eighth and Ninth
street. He builds nothing but family houses
of a high class, all within the few blocks of
Ocean Parkway, one of the finest residence
districts of the borough. His labors have
been an essential element in beautifying and
improving that part of the city, and while
thits promoting his individual success he has
also advanced in large measure the general
prosperity in the erection of buildings that
have advanced the general valuation of prop-
erty.
Mr. Hoffman resided for m'any years on
West One Hundred and Fourth street near
Riverside Drive, but during the past three
years has made his home in Brooklyn at 820
Beverlv Road. He still maintains an office in
396
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
the Germania Bank Building at the corner of
Spring street and Bowery in New York.
He occupies an enviable position in business
circles, having the full confidence of the busi-
ness community in which he is known, and he
is honored and respected by all not alone be-
cause of the splendid success he has achieved
but also by reason of the straightforward
methods he has ever followed. He has
wrought along modern business lines in har-
mony with the spirit of m'arked enterprise and
discriminating foresight that results in the
formation of large plans and their success-
ful execution. He is an enthusiast on the
subject of the automobile and also finds one
of his chief sources of recreation and pleasure
in fishing.
GEORGE W. EGBERT.
George W. Egbert, enterprising and pro-
gressive, has contributed in large and sub-
stantial measure to the development of new
sections of Brooklyn, in the erection of fine
residences. Noting the tendencies of growth
from the old centers of the city into newer
districts with all modern improvements and
the demand for utility combined with archi-
tectural beauty, he has as a speculative builder
wrought along modern lines in accordance
with the popular demand and has received the
liberal patronage which is accorded those who
meet the public wishes through business en-
ergy and enterprise that finds expression in
marked industrial activity and satisfactory
result. Since 1890 he has operated extensive-
ly as a general contractor and speculative
builder, prior to which time he was identified
with the commission business.
Born on Staten Island on the 9th of Janu-
ary, 1857, Mr. Egbert came to Brooklyn with
his parents when a lad of nine years. He pur-
sued his education in the public schools of this
city and started in the export commission
business as errand boy. Later clerical duties
were assigned him, and by consecutive ad-
vancements he worked his way upward, re-
maining with one house for many years. A
laudable desire to enter an independent field
of business action led him into general con-
tracting and speculative building, and since
1890 he has been a well known figure in real
estate and building operations 'in Flatbush
and the borough of Brooklyn. His efforts,
however, have been more confined to the Flat-
bush section, in Tennis Court, Beverly Square,
and Ditmas Park. He began building on East
Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets between
Beverly and Albemarle roads, at which time
only a few residences had been erected in the
vicinity of Flatbush avenue. The growth of
the city, however, continued in that direction,
and he had the foresight to know that it
would one day become a valuable residence
district. He purchased thirty-one lots, laid
out streets, put in sewers and otherwise made
general improvements in the property, in ad-
dition to the erection of fifteen houses built in
colonial and Queen Anne style of architecture.
These ranged in price from seventy-five hun-
dred to fifteen thousand dollars. These houses
found ready purchasers, selling almost as soon
as completed. Fie then transferred his opera-
tions to Beverly Square on East Sixteenth,
Seventeenth and liighteenth streets between
Beverly road and Avenue C. When he pur-
chased that property it was farm land, and an
old frame residence stood in the midst of
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
397
various crops, showing that the work of agri-
culture was carried on there. Again he began
the task of transforming the land into im-
proved city property, opened streets, put in
a sewer system, laid the gas mains and other-
wise continued the work of modern develop-
ment. He began his operations there in the
spring of 1896, and has since erected thirty-
five houses, ranging in price from seventy-
five hundred to fifteen thousand dollars.
Again rapid sales followed his work, which in
that district covered a period of six years.
His next investment was in the property at
Ditmas avenue between Coney Island avenue
and Brighton Beach road. He bought prop-
erty lying along the south side of Ditmas ave-
nue, a part of the Old Ditmas farm, acquir-
ing a tract covering one hundred and seventy-
five city lots. He is now working in that dis-
trict, developing this section as he did the
others, instituting all modern general improve-
ments preparatory to the erection of homes
and already he has built four houses in that
locality, ranging in price from sixty-five hun-
dred to nine thousand dollars. The interior
finishings are of hard wood, the buildings
are supplied with all modern conveniences
and accessories, and the attractive style of
architecture makes them desirable residence
property.
Mr. Egbert is also well known because of
his contract work all ' over Brooklyn. He
built the Wyckoff home on East Nineteenth
street and Dorchester road, the John H.
Strahmann home on Caton avenue near Ocean
avenue, two houses for Mr. Kaine on Wood-
ruff avenue near Parade Place, the home of
Professor Boynton on East Nineteenth street
near Ditmas, the house of Professor Bryant
on East Nineteenth street near Dorchester,
one for Mr. Ford on East Seventeenth street
and Avenue C, a private hotel for Mrs. Will-
iams on Beverly road at the corner of Ave-
nue C, and many others. He also built the
home and other .buildings -on the property of
Mr. Neilsen on Ocean Parkway near Avenue
O.
Mr. Egbert has always been alone in his
operations, which have continually grown in
extent and importance, and has probably built
in Flatbush two hundred and fifty houses.
With the exception of a few flat buildings all
have been erected for private residence pur-
poses. His own home is located at 126 East
Nineteenth street. He was married to Miss
Virginia Lee Lightner, of Brooklyn, and they
have one son, George W., a lad of fifteen
years who is attending the Polytechnic school
of Brooklyn., Mr. and Mrs. Egbert are mem-
bers of the Congregational church, and he is
a Republican in politics, taking an active in-
terest in local political interests and in com-
munity affairs whereby the progress and im-
provement of the city are promoted.
WILLIAM HENRY JOHNSON.
William H. Johnson, one of the well known
and successful builders of Brooklyn, whose
extensive speculative building operations have
added greatly to the growth and development
of the ninth and twenty-second wards, in
which sections he has been most active and
prominent, was born at Toronto, Canada,
September 29, 1853.
At the early age of seven years he was de-
prived by death of a father's care, and at that
time he accompanied his mother to Kingston,
398
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
New York. His education was acquired in the
common schools of Kingston, Albany and Buf-
falo, and after completing the sam'e he was ap-
prenticed to his brother-in-law,. Tliomas Corri-
gan, to learn the carpentering and building
trade. For a number of years thereafter he
worked as a journeyman carpenter, the great-
er part of the time with Mr. Corrigan, and he
also filled the responsible position of foreman
for several years. He then entered into a
partnership with Mr. Corrigan, who had been
for some years engaged along the line of
speculative building, and this connection has
continued up to the present time (1905). He
erected two apartment houses on Eleventh
street, on Park Place and Qasson avenue, was
interested in the erection of many houses in
company with Mr. Corrigan, and at the pres-
ent time is erecting nine eight-family apart-
ment houses on Fourth street. In addition to
this he has carried on a large amount of
general contract work and alteration work,
mostly in private houses, and is prominently
known among the members of his profession.
He is a member of the Builders' Association
of Brooklyn, and of the South Brooklyn
Board of Trade. His religious affiliations are
with the Eighteenth Street Methodist Epis-
copal church, and his political allegiance is
given to the Democratic party.
Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to
Elizabeth S. Fritze, the ceremony being per-
formed in New Jersey. Five children were
the issue of this marriage, as follows : Jesse,
deceased; Florence, Edith, Ferdinand; and
Chauncey, deceased. Mrs. Johnson, who was
a most estimable woman in every respect,
passed away September 2, 1898. The family
home is at No. 478 Seventh street, Brooklyn.
T. BENTON ACKERSON.
Undoubtedly the most important individual
factor in the development and beautifying of
the Flatbush district of Brooklyn has been for
many years past T. Benton Ackerson. His
operations have covered a magnificent scope,
including not only provision for important
commercial and industrial establishments in
not far distant Long Island City, but also
highly improved home properties in the most
attractive restricted residential sections of
Brooklyn, the latter being of his own creation.
The magnitude of his work and the sagacity
which has underlaid his enterprises can only
be discerned by a glance at his early career,
which afifords every evidence that his accom-
plishments are due to .no stroke of fortune or
fortuitous circumstance, but to a degree of
intelligence and industry which approaches
real genius.
Mr. Ackerson is a native of the state of
New York, born at Rockland Lake, Rockland
county, June 9, 1856. He passed his boyhood
days at Poughkeepsie, New York, where he ob-
tained his education as he could, his studies
being intermitted with labor, made his gradua-
tion days a struggle. He began a boy of
eleven in Poughkeepsie with the Knicker-
bocker Ice Company, and at the age of seven-
teen came to Brooklyn to continue his employ-
ment with the same company. He served so
acceptably that in 1876, when twenty years old,
he was made depot superintendent. In 1898,
after a pleasant connection with the company
extending over a period of thirt3'-one years, he
withdrew to enter upon the larger work in
which he was destined tO' acquire high prestige
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
403
and large means, and also a reputation which
stamps him as a real public benefactor.
During the later years of his career as out-
lined above, Mr. Ackerson had entered upon
some real estate operations in a small way, and
gradually expanded into the purchase of old
properties, which he remodeled and improved
and sold to good advantage. This business at-
tained such proportions that he found it ad-
visable to associate with himself his brother,
Charles F. Ackerson, in 1896. Shortly after-
ward (in 1898) the offer' of Mr. William
Halls, Jr., president of the New York Land and
Warehouse Company, to become manager of
its affairs led him to withdraw from the Knick-
erbocker Ice Company as mentioned above, and
to his bringing into partnership with himself
and his brother Charles, in the personal busi-
ness which he had established, another brother,
Henry W. Ackerson. Out of this connection
grew in time the present important interests
which have engaged the attention of Mr. Ack-
erson to the present. Retaining his position
as general manager of the New York Land
and Warehouse Company, he is also president
of the T. B. Ackerson Construction Company,
and president of the T. B. Ackerson Company,
brokers and dealers in real estate on Long
Island, and at Roosevelt Park, Maplewood, New
Jersey. The offices of these corporations are
in Long Island City, Flatbush, Maplewood,
New Jersey, and at 140 Nassau street, Man-
hattan.
The business in these various lines which
has been carried forward by the above-named
corporations, and under the management of
Mr. Ackerson, is perhaps the largest and
most important of its class on all Long Island,
the citv of Brooklyn proper and its suburbs
included. The policy which he outlined from
the first and in which he has had the best ef-
fort of his colleagues, has been faithfully ad-
hered to — not merely providing for existent
wants, but anticipating them and meeting them
in advance of their arrival. To this end large
tracts of real estate have been purchased and
improved for commercial as well as residential
purposes. The primal object of the New York
Land and Warehouse Company has been to
develop commercial and manufacturing inter-
ests in Long Island City, and how well this
end has been subserved is attested by the many
factory sites and business blocks which it has
provided and improved by the erection of suit-
able buildings, in each case specially adapted
to the purpose for which it was intended.
In another direction Mr. Ackerson's appre-
ciation of future conditions and his enterprise
in providing for an approaching want which
few discerned and fewer ventured to plan to
meet, have led to the consummation of pur-
poses of the first importance, not only from
the standpoint of real utility, but from that of
a cultivated esthetic taste. The most notable
illustration is witnesssed in the improvements
made in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, and
particularly the neighborhoods known as Bev-
erly Square, East and West, and South Mid-
wood. Large portions of these sites, when
they came into the possession of Mr. Acker-
son's companies, were farm lands, whose only
buildings were inconsequential, and, in many
instances, sadly out of repair and hideously
unsightly. These grounds, lying between Ave-
nue C and Beverly Road and Twelfth and
Nineteenth streets, were advantageously laid
out, with spacious streets and avenues. They
were taken then as they are now, only pur-
20
404
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
chasable by real home seekers whose desire it
was to procure every available domestic com-
fort and be fully protected against all vicious
and obnoxious surroundings. To such were
offered all possible advantages — home lot care-
fully graded, with building erected thereon to
suit the taste and means of the purchaser.
The most liberal terms of payment were and
are offered — a reasonable price for cash, or the
cost extended over a term of years on easy
monthly payments. The result of this ex-
tren^iely liberal policy is seen in one of the most
invitingly beautiful residential districts in all
the Greater New York, built up v.dth the espe-
cial purpose of meeting the highest necessities
of a splendid class of people, many of whom
were, before this, crowded into uncomfortable
and unhealthy flats or boarding houses, or who
were compelled to dwell at inconvenient dis-
tances from their place of business in Manhat-
tan or Brooklyn, subjecting them to much
waste of time in travel and untoward delay.
Here was afforded them what is seldom found
in easy reach of a large population — ample
grounds for out-door recreation; clear, invig-
orating air, uncontaminated by pestilent odors ;
pure water, and ample tree shade. Amid these
delightful surroundings are these homes built
for and owned by their occupants, ranging in
value from three to thirty thousand dollars, no
two alike in appearance, presenting every va-
riety of beautiful architectural design and
adornment, each containing every modern con-
venience and detached so as to insure domestic
privacy. Taken in its entirety, this district
bears strong resemblance to a park section set
apart for home purposes, so well separated are
the homes and so garden-like their surround-
ings. The extent of the operations of the Ack-
erson Company are in some degree discernible
in the fact that ip the vicinity under consider-
ation they have within six months sold thirty
homes, hold sixteen more open to sale, and
have (December, 1904) thirty-two more in
course of construction.
The building up of the commercial and res-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
405
idential districts above-named by nO' means
bounds the capacity of the T. B. Ackerson
companies. They also own many lovely prop-
erties on Long Island, including a large num-
ber of shore fronts for summer residences.
In New Jersey the same corporations are ac-
complishing a great work in adorning, as in
Flatbush and on Long Island, the delightful
spot known as Roosevelt Park, at Maplewood,
which is rapidly becoming one of the most
fashionable in the picturesque Orange Hills.
Yet in the very prime of life, Mr. Ackerson
gives every JDromise of long continuance in
the labors which have sproven so beneficial to
his fellows. His personal qualities are such
as, to endear him to all his associates, whether
in business or social circles. He has long been
a prominent figure in the Manufacturers' As-
sociation of New York, and in May, 1904, he
was elected a director in that large and influ-
ential body. He is a member of the Knicker-
bocker Club and the Midwood Club. In relig-
ion he is an Episcopalian, a communicant of
St. Paul's Church.
The accompanying plate represents a quaint
relic of the past, which came into the posses-
sion of Mr. Ackerson. It is the doorkey of
an old Dutch mansion in Flatbush, of the co-
lonial period, and is almost six inches in length
and of corresponding weight. It bears a Dutch
inscription, which has its Einglish equivalent
in the words : "If a man need to carry this
key, he would stay home at night."
GEORGE EISENBACH.
Among the residents of the borough of
Brooklyn who have attained prominence in
the line of their chosen calling, and also
gained enviable reputations for integrity and
honorable transactions, stands out prominent-
ly George Eisenbach, a speculative builder, who
was formerly engaged in the dry goods busi-
ness with his father, who has been a mterchant
for more than three decades and a man well
known in the Broadway section of the bor-
ough of Brooklyn, his place of business being
at No. 720 Broadway. Mr. Eisenbach, Sr.,
is a director in the Merchant's Bank and in
the Broadway Theatre Company, and in ad-
dition to his mercantile pursuits is actively
interested in the building operations conduct-
ed by his son.
In 1898 Mr. Eisenbach began his building
operations, having previously gained a knowl-
edge of the business through his father-in-
law, Isaac Meyer, who is an old and honored
New York builder,- and whose success caused
Mr. Eisenbach to engage in the business on
his own account. He built some apartment
houses in the City of New York — ■ on Madi-
son avenue, One Hundredth, Ninety-eighth
and Ninety-fifth streets — operating in that
neighborhood, for about two years. He then
began to operate in Brooklyn, first on Jeffer-
son avenue, where he built three three-story
flat houses. He then built four apartment
houses pn the same avenue, between Sumner
and Throop avenues, and in 1904 he erected
three more apartment houses on the same
avenue, but on the opposite side of the way.
He built the store and office building on the
corner of Broadway and Myrtle avenue, and
later superintended the building of the Broad-
way Theatre, corner of Broadway and Stock-
ton street, for the Broadway Theatre Com-
pany. He is also actively interested in the
real estate business. Mr, Eisenbach is a nicm-
408
HISTORY OP LONG ISLAND.
and dining rooms, ample closets, handsomely
decorated, and all modern conveniences with
many new features introduced. The massive
portico entrance has iron front doors and mar-
ble vestibule, and the circle and octagon fronts
are of Indiana limestone and pearl gray
Roman brick. Mr. Magilligan is a- staunch
adherent of the principles of Democracy, and
a recognized leader in the ninth ward of
Brooklyn. He is a member of the Elks and
Knights of Columbus.
FREDERICK W. KAISER.
Frederick W., Kaiser, a leading speculative
builder of the borough of Brooklyn, whose
extensive operations have materially added to
the improvement and attractiveness of various
sections wherein he has confined his attention,
IS a native of Brooklyn, a son of John G.
Kaiser, who resides at the present time (1905)
at No. 722 Halsey street, Brooklyn.
The early educational advantages enjoyed by
Frederick W. Kaiser were obtained at public
school No. 25, Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn,
and this was supplemented by a course at
■Wright's Business College. He then turned
his attention to the building operations con-
ducted by his father, and upon the retirement
of the latter in 1892 he and his brothet —
Charles . F. — continued the business. They
built about fifty-five flat houses in the twenty-
fifth ward of Brooklyn, namely: A block of
nineteen three-story houses on Halsey street,
between Howard street and Saratoga avenue,
suitable for six families ; five on Hancock
street, between Howard street and Saratoga
avenue; eight on Halsey street, between
Ralph avenue and Howard street; nine on
Macon street, between Howard street and
Saratoga avenue; seven on McDonough
street, between Broadway and Hopkinson
street; two four-story double flats on How-
ard street and Jefferson avenue, stores on first
floors; one on Greene avenue, near Myrtle
avenue; one on Bainbridge street, near
Broadway. In 1902 Charles F. Kaiser retired
from the firm, and then Frederick W. Kaiser
opened up operations in the suburbs — at
Richmlond Hill, — where he erected a number
of modern cottages, and continued along the
same lines until 1904, in which year he again
resumed operations in Brooklyn. At the pres-
ent time (1905) he is erecting two three-
story single flats on Decatur street, and five
brick flats on Granite street. He is very san-
guine as to the future of the building trade
in Brooklyn, and firmly believes that the tene-
ment law, which at first seemed a hardship, is
tending to improve the city in appearance by
the erection of a better class of buildings. Mr.
Kaiser takes an active part in politics, and
served as delegate to the last county conven-
tion of the Democratic party. He is a mem"-
ber of the Builders' Association of Brooklyn,
of Ridgewood Lodge No. 710, F. & A. M.,
and of the Jefferson Club.
WILLIAM B. MARTIN.
William B. Martin, who has been promi-
nently and actively identified with the build-
ing interests of Brooklyn, New York, for the
long period of thirty-five years, enjoys the
distinction of having builded or aided in the
building of a large number of the prominent
structures in that borough, which stand as
monuments to his skill and ability in the use-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
409
ful calling which he chose for his life-work.
He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and
during the Civil war took up his residence in
Brooklyn, New York, where he has since
resided.
William B. Martin learned the carpenter
trade with Albert Schnedaker and John Lee,
of the firm of Schnedaker &, Lee, and the
skilful and thorough manner in which he per-
formed his duties was soon recognized by his
employers, who called him to the position of
foreman, in which capacity he served for sev-
eral years. Being of a progressive and enter-
prising disposition, he established a business
on his own account, renting a shop on Fulton
avenue, running through to Clermont avenue,
and continued there up to the year 1894. He
conducted a general line of contracting and
building, and during that time erected twenty-
five or thirty schoolhouses in Brooklyn ; the
seven hundred foot shoe factory in the Brook-
lyn Penitentiary in Flatbush and the jailer's
house there; the Home for Destitute Qiil-
dren on Butler street, which cost two hun-
dred and fifty thousand dollars; the Charity
building on Schermerhorn street; the Palmer
Cooperage, which occupies one block in the
Eastern District; twenty-five model tene-
ments for A. T. White on Baltic and Warren
streets; five houses on Sedgwick street; the
home of Seth Low on Columbia Heights ; the
apartment house for Edward Packard at 40
Clinton street, the site of the present Health
Board; the residence of Benjamin Silman at
the corner of Pierrepont and Clinton streets ;
the residences of General Alfred Barnes and
General Woodford on Columbia Heights ; the
residence of Charles Dingie on Clinton afe-
nue; the residence of General Kingsbury on
Clinton ayenue ; two fine private residences
at Prospect Park West; the residences of
Robert Feury and Philip Dwyer on Eighth
avenue; and the residence of Dr. Bodkin on
Clinton and Dekalb avenues.
During the past twenty years Mr. Martin
has been engaged in speculative building, his
operations extending over various sections of
the city. He first built on Garfield Place, be-
tween Seventh and Eighth avienues, about
forty houses ranging in price from ten to
twenty-four thousand dollars; a half block
of private three-story brownstone houses on
First street; nine on President street, be-
tween Sixth and Seventh avenues ; seven on
Carroll street, between Eighth and Ninth ave-
nues ; twelve on Polhemus Place, otie of which
is his own residence ; fifteen two-story houses
suitable for two families on Prospect Place,
between Vanderbilt and Underbill avenues ;
twenty on Sterling Place, between Washing-
ton and Underbill avenues ; five two-family
houses on Union street, between Seventh and
Eighth avenues ; the residence of Edwin
Dreggs in Flatbush ; All Saints' church on
Seventh avenue and Seventh street ; two large
buildings attached to the Long Island Hos-
pital and the Hoagland Laboratory ; . four
private houses on Ninth street and Eighth
avenue; the apartment houses at Nos. 219 and
221 St. John's Place, which he still owns; the
apartment house on Carlton avenue and Dean
street, which qontains two hundred and sev-
enty-five rooms, suitable for forty-five fam-
ilies ; and at the present time (1904) he is
building on Fifth and Sixth streets, between
Seventh and Eighth avenues, ten high-class
apartments, thirty-two feet front and eighty-
five feet deep, suitable for eight families each.
410
History of long island.
costing three hundred and fifty thousand dol-
lars and built as an investment. He built
eleven houses on President street between
Sixth and Seventh avenues, and seven on Car-
roll street, between Eighth and Ninth avenues,
one of which he sold to Colonel Britton for
twenty-four thousand dollars. He has also
built many structures which are not mentioned.
For a number of years he was in partnership
with Mr. Lee under the firm name of Martin &
Lee, but since 1894 he has conducted his af-
fairs alone. For a number of years he served
as vice-president of the Mechanics' and Trad-
ers' Exchange. His political affiliations are
with the Democratic party, but in local politics
he votes for the man best suited for office.
He is a great lover of and a good judge of
horse-flesh.
Mr. Martin was united in marriage in
Brooklyn, New York, to Miss Bessie Reid,
and they are the parents of one daughter.
Norma H. Martin. Their home, which is
noted for the utmost hospitality, is at No. 24
Polhemus Place.
WALTER R. LUSHER.
Among the prominent and influential busi-
ness men of the borough of Brooklyn, New
York, may be mentioned the name of Walter
R. Lusher, a speculative builder, who resides
in a handsome and commodious house erected
by himself at 11 16 Beverly Road, occupying
one-quarter of the block, the plans for which
he drew at night, and the structure was com-
pleted in three months' time. He was born in
London, England, on February 15, i860, a
son of Robert and Maria Lusher. Robert
Lusher (father) died at the age of thirty-two
years ; one of his brothers was lord mayor of
London, and another was governor of New
Zealand.
Walter R. Lusher attended the public schools
of London, but being deprived by death of his
father he was thrown upon his own resources
when a mere child. As a boy he obtained em-
ployment in a London wholesale woolen house,
and while serving there in the capacity of
clerk he came in contact with an American cus-
tomer of the house who wished to purchase
some goods which the house did not carry in
stock. Mr. Lusher recommended something
entirely different, and by his persuasive powers
prevailed upon the customer to purchase the
goods. The customer was so impressed with
his ability as a salesman that he offered him a"
position in the New York house which he
represented, which he accepted, and at once
came to America, being then twenty-four
years of age. His salary at first was twelve
dollars per week, but during the five years he
remained with them it was advanced to two
hundred dollars a week. At the time of his
resignation, which was due to the illness of his
wife, whom he took to Europe for her health,
but of no avail, as her death occurred there,
he had the full responsibility and active con-
ducting of the entire business. He then en-
gaged in real estate speculation, continuing the
same for two years, and since then has en-
gaged in speculative building which has
proved most successful from a financial point
of view. The houses which he erects are of
a superior grade of workmanship, averaging
from eight to twelve thousand dollars. Auto-
mobiling is his chief pleasure during his hours
of "recreation, and in this way he has made an-
nual trips south as far as Florida. The sue-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
413
cess which has attended Mr. Lusher during
his business career has been due entirely to his
own well directed efforts, and his example is
well worthy of imitation.
Mr. Lusher was twice married. His first
wife was Elizabeth (Watts) Lusher, who died
after returning from Europe, where she had
gone for her health, and his second wife was
Mary Jane (Clarkson) Lusher, sister of his
first wife.
BOYD H. WOOD.
Boyd H. Wood, whose extensive building
operations have been conducted principally in
what is known as South Brooklyn, is recog-
nized throughout the borough as a reliable and
conscientious man, and his straightforward
method of conducting business has brought
to him a large degree of prosperity. His birth
occurred in Montgomery county. New York,
August I, 1844. He was a son of Abram
Wood, who was a noted ship builder.
The boyhood days of Boyd H. Wood were
passed on a farm and he assisted his father in
his line of work. At the age of twenty years
he turned his attention to the sale of hay,
having barges on the river to carry his prod-
uce to the markets, and from this he
drifted into the coasting business, which he
conducted successfully for two decades. He
was also interested in the steamboat business,
from which enterprise he derived a goodly
income for several years. In 1898 he engaged
in speculative buildmg, erecting four double
flats, suitable for six families each, on Fifty-
sixth street, between Third and Fourth ave-
nues, of brick and stone. .On Fifty-eighth
street, near Sixth avenue, he built five two-
family brick houses ; five on Forty-third
street, between Fourth and Fifth avenues,
and a number -of residences in the section ly-
ing between Forty-third and Fifty-eighth
streets, this being one of the best residential
localities in South Brooklyn. Its growth with-
in the past few years has been almost phenom-
enal, it being transformed from a dreary
waste to a beautiful place with paved streets,
shade trees, beautiful residences and all that
go to make up an ideal spot for a home. He
built a cottage on Eightieth street, between
Fourth and Fifth avenues, and he has in con-
templation in the near future the erection of
five brownstone two-story and basement
houses, suitable for two families, on the north-
east corner of Forty-third street and Fourth
avenue. He, in 1904-5 built ten brownstone
two-family houses on Forty-third between
Fourth and Fifth avenues and will build on
Sixth avenue between Fifty-seventh and Fifty-
eighth streets ten two-family brick houses.
He also devotes considerable attention to the
buying, selling and trading of real estate,
which is one of the important industries of the
present , day. Mr. Wood is a Democrat in
politics. He is a member of the South Brook-
lyn Board of Trade, Builders' Association of
Brooklyn, and Middlebury Lodge No. 665,
Free and Accepted Masons.
In Middlebury, New York, Mr. Wood was
married to Elizabeth Wills, and two children
have been the issue of this union : Matthias
Wills, who pursued a four years' course in
the University of Pennsylvania, a two years'
course in the New York Law School, and is
now (1904) completing his law studies at
Yale ; and Hazel E., who resides at home.
Mr. Wood and his family attend the Methodist
414
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Episcopal church. The family residence is at
No. 439 Forty-third street.
SAMUEL TATE.
Among the more recent additions to building
circles in Brooklyn Samuel Tate is i;iumbered,
having since 1891 been financially interested
in the construction of good residence property
in this borough. He began by building a
home on Forty-ninth street, which he occupied
for nine years. He is a carpenter by trade,
having learned that business in the north of
Ireland. He had been reared upon a farm in
county Monaghan, Ireland, where his birth oc-
curred on the 28th of July, 1856, and through
the period of his youth he assisted in the labors
that fall to the lot of the agriculturist.
At the age of eighteen years he started out
in life for himself and after serving an ap-
prenticeship to the carpenter's trade he fol-
lowed that business on his own account in his
native country for five years. On the expira-
tion of that period he crossed the Atlantic to
America, and settling in Brooklyn here secured
employment as a carpenter. After 1891 he
again began journeyman work, and in 1899
began speculating by the building of some
houses on Sixtieth street, near Fourth avenue.
There he erected three double apartment
houses of brick and stone and three stories in
height. He then built one at No. 528 Fifty-
fifth street, in which he is living, and the ad-
joining structure at No. 526 Fifty-fifth street
is two stories in height with basement. This
is the only one of the kind in the neighborhood,
and is a fourteen-room house, which Mr. Tate
expects soon to occupy. He has erected five
brownstone front houses on Forty-eighth
street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, these
being two stories in height with basement.
His constructive labors have also resulted in
the building of three two-family houses on
Fifty-seventh street of brick and stone, and in
all of his building operations he has erected
residence property of a superior class. In
1904 he erected five buildings on Forty-eighth
street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, also
a two-family two-story house with brown-
stone front. He is at this writing building ten
brown-stone houses on Forty-eighth street be-
tween Fifth and Sixth avenues. They are
two-story and basement, for two families. He
is a member of the Builders' Association of
Brooklyn.
Mr. Tate also belongs to Lebanon Lodge
No. 195, A. F. & A. M., of New York city.
He married Miss Lena Decker, a native of
New York, and they have four children : May
Amelia, Jane Elizabeth, Lena and Samuel.
Coming to this country in early manhood, Sam-
uel Tate found in its business conditions the
opportunities which he sought, and has gradu-
ally worked his way upward,, his capability
winning ready recognitioni A young man,
he possessed the enterprising spirit common
to people of his nationality, and brooking no
obstacles that honest effort could overcome he
has steadily progressed until his name by rea-
son of his success and straightforward meth-
ods has become an honored one in building
circles in this borough.
WILLIAM REXER.
William Rexer, one of the leading and suc-
cessful speculative builders of the borough of
Brooklyn, whose business career has been one
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
415
of marked enterprise, wherein his reliable
methods have contributed in large measure to
his prosperity, is a native of Wiirtemberg,
Germany, the date of his birth being July lo,
1855-
William Rexer is indebted to the- schools of
his native land for a practical education which
has qualified him for the duties and responsi-
bilities of life. After laying aside his school
books he served an apprenticeship at the trade
of stone-cutter, which he followed in his native
land until twenty-six years of age, when ' he
came to this country and settled in New York
city. Two years later he changed his place of
residence to Brooklyn, New York, and for a-
period of six years was employed in the stone
works of Andrew Baird, having previously
worked at his trade in the city of New York.
In company with John Heinlein he established
a stone-cutting business on President street,
between Third and Fourth avenues, and from
1888 until 1894 they conducted business there
under the style of Heinlein & Rexer, during
which time they contracted for the stone work
for many buildings, also fronts and stoops of
houses.
In 1894, after the dissolution of the firm of
Heinlein & Rexer, Mr. Rexer turned his atten-
tion to speculative building, being fully compe-
tent to engage in this calling as he had pursued
a course of study in architecture and designing
in a college in his native land. He erected two
three-story frame houses, suitable for six fam-
ilies, on Thirty-seventh street, between Third
and Fourth avenues, these being his first opera-
tions in that line. He also built a four-story
flat house with store, stone and brick, on the
southwest corner of Fifth avenue and Forty-
fourth street; a four-story double flat on
Thirty-seventh street, between Third and
Fourth avenues ; a three-story and basement
building, brick and stone, tenement, on the
northwest corner of Forty-sixth street and
Fifth avenue; four two-story flats on Forty-
fifth street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues ;
ten brick and brownstone houses on Sixth
avenue, between Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth
streets, two-story and basement; and at the
present time (1905) is building seven on
Forty-sixth street, near Sixth avenue, with the
northeast corner included, five being two-story
and basement and the remainder two-story
flats, all of brick and stone. His operations
are conducted under his personal supervision,
and, the houses being first class in every re-
spect, they add greatly to the beauty and at-
tractiveness of the various sections in which
they are located. Mr. Rexer casts his vote
with the Democratic party, the principles of
which coincide with his views. He is one of
the twenty-three original charter members of
the Builders' Association of Brooklyn.
Prior to his emigration to America, Mr.
Rexer was married to Louise Mergenthaler,
who bore him' one son, William, who assists
his father in business. The family residence
is at 615 Forty-sixth street, Brooklyn.
W. B. GREENMAN.
W. B. Greenman, who for the past ten years
has devoted his undivided attention to build-
ing operations, these proving both successful
and remunerative, was born in Brooklyn, New
York, November 11, 1868.
He was educated at the Brooklyn Polytech-
nic, and these advantages he improved in such
a manner as to be well qualified to enter
416
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
upon active and responsible business duties.
In 1895 he engaged in building speculations,
giving his entire time to the erection of a
fine class of private residences. In the section
of St. Marks avenue, Prospect Place and Park
Place, he built about twenty houses of a better
class, these being mostly three-story and base-
ment, the average selling price being about
twenty thousand dollars. He erected a number
of flats on Nostrand, Bedford and Lafayette
avenues, and also erected in the same section
some very large apartment houses. During
the years 1903-4 he built twelve three-story
and basement private houses of the very latest
style and design on Seventh street, between
Eighth and Ninth avenues, and he also erected
a house on Eighth avenue near President
street, value fifty thousand dollars, which is
said to be the finest trimmed residence in the
borough of Brooklyn. He has made a spec-
ialty of country houses, having built a consid-
erable number on Long Island and throughout
the state of New York, and at the present
time (1905) is building a residence on a fine
country site near Poughkeepsie. Mr. Green-
man has recently made a specialty of erecting
buildings from their inception to their com-
plete furnishing, including decorations. He
furnishes all plans covering the entire work,
thus saving the owner considerable trouble,
since Mr. Greenman is solely responsible for
the carrying out of the contract. He lately has
given some attention to factory buildings, sev-
eral of which he has erected for his clients.
He is a member of the Builders' Association,
of Brooklyn, serving on the executive com-
mittee ; of the LTnion League Club, and the
Brooklyn League.
PATRICK McTIERNAN.
Patrick McTiernan, a well known specula-
tive builder of Brooklyn, New York, who has
devoted his entire time and attention to this
fine of business since 1895, is a native of Ire-
land, emigrating from thence to America dur-
ing his boyhood, and since 1883 has made his
home in the borough of Brooklyn, residing at
127 Russell street.
Mr. McTiernan served an apprenticeship
at the trade of bricklayer in Boston, Massa-
chusetts, where he resided until 1883, when he
came to Brooklyn, New York, to work on
the Young Men's Christian Association build-
ing. He has a wide experience in the building
business, having served as foreman bricklayer
for Mr. C. C. Woodpufif, of Long Island City,
for about ten years, during which time he
superintended the building of several large
houses, some at Baltimore, Maryland, and
others at Greenpoint, New York. He began
his speculative building operations in the year
1895, and since then has erected the following
houses : Four three-story frame buildings on
Monitor street, near Nassau avenue; three of
the same class on North Henry street, near
Nassau avenue ; four three-story brick build-
ings on Russell street, near Norman avenue;
some three-story double brick buildings on
Nassau avenue ; four three-story double frame
buildings on Newell street ; two four-story
single flat buildings on Kent avenue; three
two-story brick buildings on Humboldt street.
In 1904 he began operations on Nostrand ave-
nue, near Degraw street, erecting three dovible
four-story flats, also two four-story double
flats on Nostrand avenue, near the Eastern
Parkway, and a four-story brick apartment
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
417
house on Monitor street, near Driggs avenue,
suitable for eight famiHes. These houses have
added to the beauty and attractiveness of the
various sections, and have greatly enchanced
the value thereof. Mr. McTiernan is a mem-
ber of the Builders' Association oi Brooklyn,
and the Bricklayers' Association. He is also
a member of the Jefferson Club of the seven-
teenth ward. He is a Democrat in politics,
and takes an active interest in the affairs of his
party.
In Brooklyn, New York, Mr. McTiernan
was united in marriage with Margaret Quinn,
and their children are : Lawrence, Mary,
Loretta, Edward, and Francis McTiernan.
GEORGE W. TILLSON.
George W. Tillson, chief engineer of high-
ways of the borough of Brooklyn, New York,
is a man of keen discrimination and sound
judgment, and his executive ability and excel-
lent management of affairs have been the pre-
dominant factors in his useful and active ca-
reer. He was born in Thomaston, Maine, De-
cember 1 8, 185?, a son of Perez and Harriet
(Collins) Tillson. The Tillson family is num-
bered among the oldest and most highly re-
spected families of Maine, Periz Tillson,
grandfather of George W. Tillson, a native of
England, having been among the pioneer set-
tlers of that state, remaining there up to the
time of his decease.
George W. Tillson was educated at Bowdoin
College, graduating therefrom with the class
of '-j^. He at once secured employment in the
sewerage of Memphis, Tennessee, under the
late Colonel George E. Waring, who devised
the system of sewage adopted by that city after
the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, and made
many sanitary improvements, in connection
with the drainage of houses and towns ; was
also commissioner of street-cleaning in New
York, and in October, 1898, went to Cuba as
head of a commission to improve the sanitary
condition of Havana and other cities ; he died
in New York, October 29, 1898, of yellow fever
contracted in Cuba. Later Mr. Tillson was
employed in KalamazoO', Michigan, and in
1881 he went to Omaha, Nebraska, and en-
gaged in the paving and sewerage system, and
was city engineer from 1887 to 1892. From
that date until 1895, a period of three years,
he followed civil engineering with good re-
sults. He then came to Brooklyn, New York,
and assumed charge of the paving until 1902,
418
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
when he was appointed to his present position,
chief engineer of the Bureau of Highways.
Mr. Tillson holds membership in the follow-
ing organizations : American Society of Civil
Engineers, American Society of Municipal Im-
provement, of which he is secretary ; Munici-
pal Engineers of the city of New York, Brook-
lyn Engineers' Club, Crescent Athletic Club,
Midwood Club, and the Phi Beta Kappa and
Zeta Psi fraternities. He is a Republican in
politics.
Mr. Tillson was united in marriage in 1887
to Mary E. Abbott, of Lancaster, New Hamp-
shire. They are the parents of one daughter.
ALBERT J. LAMB.
Albert J. Lamb, an influential and potent
factor in the business circles of the borough
of Brooklyn, where he has been engaged for
the past two decades in speculative buikling
operations, is a man of strong mentality, abso-
lute business integrity and c|uick and unerring
judgment. He is a native of Brooklyn, born
June 21, 1864, a son of the late Jam'es M.
Lamb, and grandson of John T. Lamb, who
was a carpenter by trade, was engaged for
many years as a contractor and builder in
Brooklyn, where he was well known and uni-
versally esteemed, and died in the year 1894.
James M. Lamb (father)' was a native of
England, but was brought to this country by
his parents when a mere child. He learned
the trade of carpenter under his father, who
was an expert workman, and in 1864 began to
build in the city of Brooklyn, mostly in the
fifteenth and nineteenth wards, and later in
the eighteenth, twenty-fifth and twenty-eighth
wards, making a specialty of two-story houses
suitable for two families. He built the Put-
nam House at Putnam avenue and Broadway,
the row of flats adjoining, the three-story
double brick flats on Cornelia street, near
Evergreen avenue, and Putnam and Evergreen
avenues, twelve two-story frame houses for
two families on Decatur street, between Bush-
wick and Evergreen avenues, two on the cor-
ner of Bushwick avenue and Schaflfer street,
four on Bushwick avenue between Schafifer
and Covert streets, twenty on Madison street,
in which his son, Albert J. was in partnership,
eight on Putnam avenue, between Central and
Evergreen avenues, two brick flats on Putnam
avenue, near Haward street, three stories each,
one on Cornelia street, between Bushwick and
Evergreen avenues, and several more on the
same street, two brick houses on Madison
street, and about two hundred houses in the
fifteenth ward. He died at his home in Brook-
lyn, December 13, 1902, aged sixty-three years.
Albert J. Lamb attended the public schools
of Brooklyn, completing his studies at the age
of fourteen, and he then learned the trade of
carpenter under the preceptorship of his
father and Mr. R. B. Ferguson. Subsequently
he was admitted to partnership with' his father,
this connection continuing until about the year
1897, since which time he has operated alone.
His shop is located at 507 Evergreen avenue,
v/here he receives orders for all kinds of con-
tracting, building and jobbing work, and being
a practical workman performs all the labor
himself, which accounts for its excellence and
superiority. He erected four two-story brown-
stone houses, suitable for two families, on Kos-
ciusko street, near Sumner avenue ; ten on
Woodbine street, two-story and basement brick
houses, suitable for two families ; thirteen two-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
419
story and basement frame hoiises on Hancock
street, near Hamburg avenue; one three-story
house on the corner of Hancock street and
Hamburg avenue ; one three-story double flat
brick house on Evergreen avenue and Wood-
bine street ; the entire block of brick houses on
Evergreen avenue, between Madison and
Woodbine, the corner houses being three
stories and the others two stories ; and two
two-story brick houses on Madison street, near
Evergreen avenue, all of which were erected
on contract. Mr. Lamb is a member of the
Speculative Builders' Association of Brooklyn,
a member of the Royal Arcanum, a member
of Manuel Lodge No. 636, Free and Accepted
Masons, and a member of the Republican
Club. In politics he follows in the footsteps of
his father, casting his vote with the Repub-
lican party.
In February, 1890,- Mr. Lamb was married
to Mary C. Fisher, and the surviving members
of their family are Irene, Clarence and Alice.
The family reside at Park Place, Brooklyn.
GEORGE N. MORRISON.
Among the active and progressive buildprs
in Brooklyn, whose activities are discernable
in various section-s of the borough, is to be
named George Nicholson Morrison, whose
place of business is at 228 State street.
Mr. Morrison is a native of Scotland, born
in Faulkland, Fifeshire. After obtaining a
practical education in the schools of his native
village, at an early age he became an appren^
tice to a carpenter, serving for a term of five
years, and becoming so accomplished a work-
man that he was entrusted with the charge of
construction of various buildings of different
classes, both business and residential. In
1889 he emigrated to the United States and
engaged in his trade in New York and Brook-
lyn, taking . employment with various capable
builders, and through his connection with
them adding to his excellent mechanical abil-
ity a familiar knowledge of building meth-
ods in this country. In 1895 he embarked
in business upon his own account, open-
ing up a shop at 216 State street, Brook-
lyn, where he remained until 1902, when
he removed to his present location. His indus-
try, skill and that trait of character which so
strongly marks his race — thoroughness and
perseverance — assured his success from the
outset, and his career affords an illustration of
constant progression and ever increasing use-
fulness. Soon after opening his shop his busy
employment would have been creditable even to
an older and more generally known man. His
labors extended along all the lines belonging to
his trade, including jobbing and repairing, as
well as important contract building. Under the
latter head are the spacious stables of the Street
Cleaning Department on Third avenue, and va-
rious factory buildings on the same thorough-
fare, with similar edifices elsewhere in the bor-
ough. He has also erected several flat and
apartment houses and private residences. In
the latter description of buildings he has not
only performed the work of construction
proper, but has completed the buildings in-
teriorly, including painting and other decora-
tion. He has also made similar contracts out-
side the borough, in outlying villages, and in
the city of Philadelphia. He is building
(1905) a factory for Morgentheler, on
Sacket street, between Fourth and Fifth ave-
nues, and is doing the carpenter work in the
420
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
Dimond Derry, Carlton and Pacific ; and is do-
ing, also, the carpenter work on a factory on
Butler, near Third avenue, for A. E. Rods.
Mr. Morrison is held in high regard in busi-
ness and social circles. He is a member of the
Mechanics' & Traders' Exchange, and of va-
rious Masonic bodies, being affiliated with
Commonwealth Lodge No. 409, F. and A. M. ;
Orient Chapter No. 138, R. A. M. ; Brook-
lyn Council No. 4, R. and S. M. ; Clinton Com-
mandery No. 14, K. T. He is also a member
of Kismet Temple, A. A.O.'N. M. S., and of
Brooklyn Lodge No. 22, B. P. O. E. In poli-
tics he holds to a position of independency, in
national afifairs voting with the party which
most nearly represents his views as to govern-
mental politics, and in local concerns regard-
ing the character and qualifications of the in-
dividual candidate rather than the party which
he represents.
Mr. Morrison married Miss Margaret Pa-
ton, of Brooklyn, a daughter of Henry and
Elizabeth (Anderson) Paton, the last-named of
whom is yet living. Mrs. Morrison's father
was a native of Scotland, who came to Brook-
lyn a young man, and was a pioneer resident of
Flatbush, where he was engaged in the har-
ness-making business for forty-eight years. He
was a successful and highly esteemed man, and
built the first three brick buildings in what
was known as Flatbush proper.
Mr. and Mrs. Morrison maintain a pleasant
residence at 301 Henry street, Brooklyn. They
attend the Reformed Dutch church, although
Mr. Morrison was reared a Scotch Presby-
terian.
WILLIAM S. HASSAN.
William S. Hassan, who for fifteen years
has been a speculative builder, and who for
thirty-five years has been a real estate opera-
tor in the borough of Brooklyn, is a native son
of Ireland, born in 1853, and is an exceptional
illustration of the contribution of the Irish-
American citizen to our composite national"
character. He is one of those men who have
made their way in the world by force of char-
acter, industry and perseverance.
In 1869, when sixteen years of age, he came
to the United States, locating in Brooklyn,
New York, where he has since resided, his
home being at No. 468 Fifty-sixth street, this
being one of the twenty-four houses he erected
on that block. Shortly afterward he turned his
attention to the building business, perfecting
himself in all its branches, and during his ac-
tive career has gained a wide experience, build-
ing a large number of houses, all of which have
been erected under his personal supervision.
His first operations in this line was in 1883.
He built a number of three-story flats on
Twelfth • street, near Sixth avenue, two of
which were of brick and stone, the remainder
being frame. He then began to operate in
South Brooklyn, erecting six two-story and
basement frame houses on Fifty-second street,
between Second and Third avenues ; five two-
story and basement frame ■ houses on Fifty-
seventh street, near Third avenue; six two-
story and basement brick houses on Fifty-sev-
enth street, between Third and Fourth ave-
nues; five two-story and basement frame
houses on Fifty-fifth street, between Third
and Fourth avenues ; four two-story and base-
ment brownstone houses on Fifty-fourth
street, between Fourth and Fifth avenues ;
ten two-story and basement brownstone houses
on Fifty-fifth street, between Fourth and
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
421
Fifth avenues; three houses of brick and
stone on Fifty-seventh street ; two cottages on
Seventy-sixth street, between Third and
Fourth avenues. He erected on the northwest
corner of Fiftj'-first street and Third avenue
three double flats, the corner being four stories,
while the buildings on the side streets are
three stories with stores and flats. He built
two cottages at Eighty-fifth street and Third
avenue; three three-story flats on Fifty-sixth
street, between Third and Fourth avenues ;
two three-story flats on Fifty-ninth street, be-
tween Third and Fourth avenues ; twenty-four
houses on the block on Fifty-sixth street, be-
tween Fourth and Fifth avenues ; two-story
and basement brownstone, one and two family
houses ; seven two-story and basement brown-
stone houses on Fifty-seventh street, between
Fourth and Fifth avenues; two on Sixtieth
street, near Eleventh avenue ; eleven two-story
and basement brick houses on Fifty-seventh
street, between Third and Fourth avenues;
three two-story and basement houses, with
store on corner, on Fifty-first street and Sixth
avenue ; five two-story brick houses, with
stores, on Fifth avenue, between Fifty-seventh
and Fifty-eighth streets; a store and flats on
the southeast corner of Fifty-sixth street and
Fifth avenue, and at the present time (1905)
he is building on Fifth avenue^ between Fifty-
eighth and Fifty-ninth streets, ten three-story
flats and stores; one on Fifty-first street, and
one on Fifty-third street. He is also expect-
ing to erect about forty-five brick and stone
houses for two families on Sixty-third street,
between Fourth and Fifth avenues ; also twen-
ty-two houses on Sixty-fourth street, between
Fourth and Fifth avenues. Mr. Hassan is a
member of the Builders' Association of Brook-
21
lyn, and of Sanctorum Lodge No. 747, Free
and Accepted Masons. He is a Republican in
politics.
Mr. Hassan married Miss Nellie Murrey, a
native of Brooklyn, New York, and their chil-
dren are : William Smith, Jr. ; Ruth Harriet,
Mabel E., and Harry E., three of whom are
attending school.
SCHMIDT AND FINDEISEN.
This leading firm of speculative builders,
whose office is located at 1169 Myrtle avenue,
Brooklyn, is composed of Henry Schmidt and
Ernst Findeisen, both practical business men,
and their extensive operations have contrib-
uted largely to the growth, development and
improvement of the various sections of the
borough in which they have transacted busi-
ness. They are members of the Builders' As-
sociation of Brooklyn.
In 1895-96 the firm erected on Himrod
street, between Hamburg and Central avenues,
a row of sixteen three-story double houses,
twenty-five foot front, partly of brick and
brownstone. They built a block of three-story
brick and terra cotta houses on Hamburg ave-
nue, between Himrod and Harmon streets ;
a block on Myrtle avenue, between Himrod
and Harmon streets, of three-story flats with
stores, these being of brick and terra-cotta.
On Willoughby avenue, between Kent avenue
and Graham street, they built a full block of
four-story double flats, limestone, and at the
same time they erected four flats of a similar
style on Kent avenue, near Willoughby ave-
nue, and four on Graham street. This was a
very large operation, making fifteen four-story
double flats in one transaction and involving
422
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
a half million dollars. They then built on
Schenck avenue, near Glenmore avenue, five
two-story brick and frame houses ; five three-
story double flats, limestone and brick, on De-
catur streets, -near Sumner avenue, and at the
present time' (1905)' 'they have under course
of construction three' four-story apartment
houses of the better class on the east corner
of Kingston avenue and Dean street. In 1904
t;hey built three two-story flats in Richmond
Hill and eight two-story in Ridgewood
Heights, the latter being four-family houses.
Henry Schmidt is a native of Germany. He
was reared, educated and learned the trade of
architect and builder in his native land, be-
coming an , expert mechanic. He erected a
number of the public buildings in that country,
as well as churches and other large structures.
In 1884 he emigrated to the United States, lo-
cating in Brooklyn, New York, where he at
once engaged in speculative building and real
estate transactions. He is well known among
the members of his calling, and is popular with
a large circle of friends, who appreciate him
at his true worth. His political affiliations are
with the Republican party. Prior to his emi-
gration to this country Mr. Schmidt was mar-
ried to Elizabeth- Gruebel, and they are the
parents of -three children. The family resi-
dence is at No. 80 Himrod street.
Ernst Fin-deisen is also a native of Ger-
many. After completing his studies in the
schools of Saxony he entered the employ of
a merchant, thereby becoming thoroughly
proficient in the details of that business, which
he followed up to the year 1893, when he
turned his attention to the real estate business.
At the age of twenty-one he left his native
land for a home in the new world, settling
upon his arrival here in the city of Brooklyn,
New York. Subsequently he formed a part-
nership with Henry Schmidt, which connec-
tion still continues. In addition to this enter-
prise he is the incumbent of the office of com-
missioner of deeds, the duties of which are per-
formed in a conscientious and efficient man-
ner. He is a well known member of the Cor-
telyou Club of Flatbush, one of the leading
organizations of that section. He was united
in marriage to Miss Marie Seidel, and their
family consists of two children. They reside
at No. 138 Clarkson street, Flatbush.
A. MILTON NAPIER.
The history of A. Milton Napier, president
and manager of the Tidewater Building Com-
pany of New York, is another illustration of
the universally acknowledged fact that it is
the young men who are controlling the veins
and arteries of trade, managing the great in-
dustrial interests, guiding commercial con-
cerns, and even shaping the governmental pol-
icy of the country. He is, at the age of thirty-
four years, at the head of one of the leading
building corporations of the state of New
York, and its activities have also extended to
various other sections of the Union.
Mr. Napier is a native of New York city,
reared amid an atmosphere of marked enter-
prise and business progression. He was born
February 13, 1870, a son of Robert and Eliza
(Carlisle) Napier, the former a native of
Scotland. His early educational privileges
were supplemented by study in the College of
the City of New York, where he pursued a
course in mechanics, and during the ten years
following his graduation from that institution
/^??W^)(c
ciAi'<^(^^
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
425
he was employed by the celebrated firm of
architects, McKim, Meade & White, whose of-
fices were located at No. i6o Fifth avenue.
New York city. During that period he made
a special study of the constructive, practical
and artistic branches of the profession, and
possessed of a keen, receptive mind and a natu-
ral genius and ability for that class of work, he
soon mastered the details and became an ex-
pert mechanic, as was evidenced by the fact
that he was chosen by Colonel John Jacob As-
tor to superintend the erection of the Astoria
Hotel.
In 1897 the Tidewater Building Company
was organized by a coterie of practical build-
ers and contractors, all of whom were thorough
masters of their art, and Mr. Napier was elect-
ed president and manager. His associates are
H. Stevenson, vice-president and superintend-
ent; and Joseph P. Ranney, secretary and
treasurer. The offices of the company are lo'-
cated at No. 25 West Twenty-sixth street, and
their shops at Nos. 515 to 519 West Thirtieth
street. These include a mill, a carpenter and
a paint shop. The company, since its organi-
zation, has been entrusted with a large number
of important contracts both of a public and
private character, and in every instance has
carried out the same in a manner to justify
their high reputation and the confidence re-
posed in them. The secret of the great suc-
cess achieved by the company is centered in
the fact that it possesses every facility for the
proper transaction of the work in which it is
engaged, employs only skilled and experienced
workmen, the latest and most approved ma-
chinery, and gives the closest attention to the
carrying out to the minutest detail every con-
tract it assumes, a fact which has earned for
it the warm praise of architects. Added to
thoroughness, one of the notable characteris-
tics of the company is the dispatch with which
it executes its contracts.
Among the splendid strutures erected by
the Tidewater Building Company are the Vin-
cent office building, at the corner of Broadway
and Duane street. New York; the new build-
ing of the Collier Publishing Company; the
Pioneer office building, at Columbia, South
Carolina, erected by the Columbia Real Estate
and Trust Company; the Naugatuck High
School at Naugatuck, Connecticut; the twelve
story building of the Republican Club in West
Fortieth street; and the Harmonic Club, 4-6^8
East Sixtieth street. New York; a foundry
building at Union City, Connecticut, for the
Naugatuck Malleable Iron Works; the New
' Wilmington Malleable Iron plant, at Wilming-
ton, Delaware, covering nearly twelve and a
half acres ; the Italian Mission of the Protest-
ant Episcopal Church of New York ; the three
hundred thousand dollar mansion for George
Croker, at Darlington, New Jersey; and many
of the finest residences of New York city.
The character of the work indicates the posi-
tion of the company in building circles — a po-
sition that is indeed enviable, and which has
drawn to the company the attention of the
leading representatives of building interests
throughout the country.
Mr. Napier has confined his attention large-
ly to his building operations, but has also be-
come a factor in financial circles as director
of the Century Bank of Manhattan. He is a
member of the Building Trade Club, of the
Aldine Association, and of the Crescent Ath-
letic Club, and since 1890 has held membership
in the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church
of Brooklyn,
426
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
LOUIS ULRICH.
Louis Ulrich, an active and prominent fac-
tor in the business circles of the borough of
Brooklyn, whose career thus far has borne
evidence of business acumen, reliable methods
and earnest and conscientious effort, is a son
of Louis and Mary Ulrich, who at the time of
his birth, August ii, 1864, resided at the cor-
ner of Prince and Johnson streets, Brooklyn,
New York.
Louis Ulrich acquired a good English edu-
cation in the public schools of Brooklyn, and
subsequently engaged in the butcher business
on Hicks street, near Hamilton avenue. He
also conducted a similar establishment at No.
210 Bridge street, on the corner of Forty-
sixth street and Third avenue, on the corner
of Twentieth street and Third avenue, on Fifth
avenue, near Twentieth street, on the cor-
ner of Fifteenth street and Fifth avenue,
and at the corner of Baltic street and Third
avenue, the last four named places being
operated at the same time, the business be-
ing conducted under the style of Rinck & Ul-
rich. In 1895 Mr. Ulrich retired from this
business and became a speculative builder and
real estate dealer, conducting his operations
in the section known as South Brooklyn, and
during the intervening ten years has been
largely instrumental in the improving and
beautifying of that part of the borough.
The first houses he built were on Forty-
ninth street, between Second and Third ave-
nues, double frame flats, three-story and base-
ment, suitable for six families. In the same
year, 1895, he built a three-story and base-
ment flat house on Thirty-ninth street, between
Seventh and Eighth avenues. Later he built
o-n Thirty-sixth street, between Third and
Fourth avenues, four four-story and basement
double flats of brick, for eight families; four
double brick flats, four stories high, on Fifty-
sixth street; five three-story flats and stores -
beneath, on the northeast corner of Fifty-fifth
street and Fifth avenue; one two-story and
basement brick house, suitable for two fami-
lies, on Fifty-third street, between Seventh and
Eighth avenues ; six three-story brick flats, in-
cluding the corner store, on the southeast cor-
ner of Fifty- fourth street and Fifth avenue;
four three-story double flat houses of brick and
stone trim, suitable for six families, on the
southeast corner of Sixtieth street -and Fifth
avenue ; eight two-story and basement houses,
suitable for two families, on Sixtieth street,
near Fifth avenue; and in 1904 he also built,
on property adjoining this, seven two-family
houses. In addition to this in 1904 he built
three four-story double flats, suitable for six-
teen families, making in all the housing of
forty-eight families. He built, in 1905, on
Forty-ninth, between Second and Third ave-
nues, seven flats, three-story, for three families
each, of brick and stone. Mr. Ulrich is a
member of the Builders' Association of Brook-
lyn. He is an independent in politics. He is
a man of pleasing personality, enjoys the con-
fidence and esteem of a large circle of
friends, and is popular in the circle in which
he moves.
Mr. Ulrich was married to Rose Warnock,
and they are the parents of the following
named children : Katie, Mamie, Charlotte,
Louis, Josephine, Mabel and James. The fam-
ily residence is at No. 731 Fifty-thftd street
Brooklyn.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
42-7
ABRAMS & STOCKTON.
The firm of Abrams & Stockton, well known
speculative builders of the borough of Brook-
lyn, which was founded in 1898 by Oscar
Abrams and James K. Stockton, are now con-
ducting operations along the lines laid down
by James F. Abrams, deceased, who was the
pioneer real estate operator in the territory of
South Brooklyn, and who for rnany years was
actively connected with the growth and devel-
opment of that section.
James F. Abrams was born in Germantown,
Columbia county. New York, in 1821. He was
reared, educated, and spent the early years of
his manhood in his native town, becoming one
of the prominent and influential men of that
section, a man whose opinion and good judg-
ment were much sought by his neighbors, who
was active in the settlement of many estates,
and who for many years was the incumbent of
the office of justice of the peace. He came to
Brooklyn, New York, with first-class recom-
mendations to the president of the Brooklyn
City Railway Company, who at once appointed
him foreman, in which capacity he served the
company for eighteen years. At the expira-
tion of this period of time he opened up oper-
ations in the real estate line ori his own ac-
count at Twenty-fourth street and Third ave-
nue, where he conducted business for twelve
years. In the meantime the famous Hunt es-
tate, which consisted of a square mile of prop-
erty from Forty-fourth to Fifty-eighth streets
and from the water front to Eighth avenue,
came into the market, this having been held
out of the market until this time, thus retard-
ing the progress of that section of the city,
and he at once established an office at Forty-
ninth street and Third avenue, assuming con-
trol of the sale of the property of this vast es-
tate, and in the succeeding years sold and re-
sold portions of it many times. He also had
charge of other estates in this section — that of
Michael Bergen, Kent, Langley and others.
Mr. Abrams was considered by many to be the
best authority on real estate in his section,
and his opinion was frequently called into
requisition when large speculations were be-
ing made. He was a man of pleasing person-
ality, domestic tastes, and during his exten-
sive travels gained a large fund of valuable
knowledge and experience which made him a
most interesting companion and conversation-
alist. At Germantown, New York, he was
united in marriage to Catherine M. Rockefel-
ler, who is living at the present time (1905),
aged eighty-two years. Six children were
bom to them : Augusta, Adela, Anna, Fred-
erick, William and Oscar. Mr. Abrams died
in February, 1903, aged eighty-two years, and
his remains were interred in his native place,
Germantown, New York.
Oscar Abrams, son of James F. and Cathe-
rine M. Abrams, was born February 16, 1861.
In 1878 he was admitted into business with
his father, and this connection continued up
to 1893, in which year the latter-named retired
from active business pursuits and was suc-
ceeded by his son. The firm handled more
real estate in South Brooklyn than any other,
and they also conducted an extensive and lu-
crative insurance business. In 1898 the firm
of Abrams & Stockton was organized, and
since then they have engaged in speculative
building operations, erecting and selling at
least eighty-three houses. Mr.. Abrams was
one of the organizers of the West End Board
428
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
of Trade, and was chosen to serve in the ca-
pacity of first vice president. Tliis institution
has been instrumental in making many im-
provements in the South Brooklyn district,
such as the parking of Fourth avenue, which
has been such a benefit to that section ; creat-
ing the park on Fifth avenue, known as Sun-
set Park; building of the new market house
at Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh streets and
the bay front, which will prove of great bene-
fit to that part of the city. He is a Republican
in politics, and a member of the Brooklyn
Builders' Association, and the Royal Arca-
num. He was united in marriage to Sarah
Waters, of Ulster county. New York, and they
are the parents of four children : Marjorie,
Hazel, Herbert and Austin. Their city home
is at 462 Forty-seventh street, and their sum-
mer home is at Maiden on the Hudson.
James K. Stockton was born at Bath, Steu-
ben county. New York, April 24, 1844, a son
of the Rev. George Stockton, a minister of the
Baptist church, who went to Michigan as a
pioneer preacher when his son James K. was
ten years of age. James K. Stockton attended
the schools of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and
there resided until the breaking out of the
Civil war. He' then went south as a member
of the meclianical engineering department, and
was with the army at Nashville, Tennessee,
building a hospital. After a residence of one
year there he was taken sick, whereupon he
returned to his home, where he was confined
for a few weeks, and upon regaining his usual
health went to South Bend, Indiana, where
he remained two years. At the expiration of
this period of time his brother, a sea captain,
who resided in Brooklyn, New York, request-
ed him to come to that city, and upon his ar-
rival here they engaged in the cotton broker-
age business (disposing of a large amount of
contraband goods which had been previously
purchased by the brother) until the close of
hostilities between the north and south.
Mr. Stockton then located in Titusville,
Pennsylvania, where he. sunk an oil well, which
proved highly remunerative, and which he
later disposed of. He again went west, but
later returned to Brooklyn, New York, where
he engaged in the carpenter trade, becoming
an expert and efficient mechanic. He served
his apprenticeship under Mr. William Stone,
who was a well known builder on Brooklyn
Heights, and later worked as journeyman for
Mr. Hart, a builder, who at that time conduct-
ed a shop at No. 81 White street, New York,
also one in Brooklyn. After a few years Mr.
Hart placed the entire charge of the New
York shop in the hands of Mr. Stockton, who
operated it for a number of years, conducting
a general line of jobbing, refitting, and also
performed considerable work in bank and of-
fice hardwoods, interior finish. He then took
up a fine line of cabinet work, and for five
years was employed by Edward W. Baxter,
who was the largest cabinet manufacturer in
the United States, and during this time he in-
vented a sofa and lounge bed, which came into
general use and for which there has been a
large demand. He then opened a shop at No.
260 Moore street, Williamsburg, where he
manufactured his own patents, remaining
there for three years. He then established a
mantel works at No. 52 State street, near
Boreum Place, Brooldyn, which he operated
successfully until the slate mantels came in
vogue, after which he engaged in the real es-
tate business with his father-in-law, James F.
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
429
Abrams, above referred to. During his con-
nection with Mr. Abrams he superintended
the erection of most all the important buildings
in that section of South Brooklyn, namely:
On the corner of Fiftieth street and Third ave-
nue; the large four-story double flat near the
corner of Fortieth street and Third avenue,
and a large number of two-story and base-
ment dwellings on nearby side streets.
In 1897 Mr. Stockton started to speculate in
building as a member of the firmi of Martin
& Abrams — Stephen Martin and Oscar
Abrams — which connection continued for
three years, and during that time he built ten
brownstone houses on Forty-seventh street,
between Fourth and Fifth avenues, two-story
and basement; twenty-seven brownstone and
ten brick houses on Forty-fifth street, between
Fourth and Fifth avenues. He then retired
from the firm and erected two two-story and
basement brownstone houses on Forty-fifth
street, between Fourth and Fifth avenues, and
when these were completed joined with Oscar
Abrams under the firm name of Abrams &
Stockton. They built nineteen two-story and
basement brownstone houses on Forty-third
street, between Fourth and Fifth avenues, and
fifteen two-story brownstone and brick two-
family flats on Forty-second street. When
they began operations in this section it was an
almost complete wilderness, with only a few
buildings, but they have contrived to make it a
district of beautiful and modern homes, highly
artistic to the eye. Mr. Stockton has had more
experience in the building line in this section
than any other man, and is considered an au-
thority on real estate, being thoroughly famil-
iar with every piece of property located there.
Mr. Stockton is a member of the Builders' As-
sociation of Brooklyn, and of Day Star Lodge
No. 598, Free and Accepted Masons, having
been made a member of that fraternity at
South Bend, Indiana, and is a member of the
West End Board of Trade.
Mr. Stockton was united in marriage to
Anna Abrams, daughter of James F. and Cath-
erine M. Abrams, and they are the parents of
four children: Edgar, Oscar, Blanche and
Minnie. The family attend the Fourth Ave-
nue Methodist Episcopal church, of which
Mr. Stockton is a trustee, and for ten years
served as treasurer. The family residence is
at No. 462 Forty-fifth street, Brooklyn.
JOHN ERASER.
John Eraser is to be numbered among the
pioneer builders and contractors of the mod-
ern Brooklyn, as well as with the most enter-
prising of the early speculative builders whose
effort marks the new era of improved build-
ings and splendidly arranged and equipped
apartment and other houses which adorn the
residential districts of their creation.
Mr. Eraser is a native of Scotland, where
he learned carpentry after the thorough fash-
ion which is characteristic of the older coun-
tries, and when he came to the United States
was an accomplished workman. For several
years he did contract building, and about 1875
began to purchase building lots and erecting
thereon residence buildings for the general
market. These he disposed of at once, at
times even before their completion, and as each
sale was closed made new purchases and built
other structures. Among the hundreds of ed-
ifices of his workmanship may be noted a few
of the most conspicuous : A number, mostly
430
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
private residences, on Halsey street, near Nos-
trand avenue ; on Macon street, near Nostrand
avenue ; nearly two blocks of buildipgs on Mc-
Donough street, between Throop and Tomp-
kins avenues, on both sides of the street — on
the north side, four-story houses, and on the
south side, three-story and basement houses,
together with a large apartment house on the
corner of Throop and McDonough streets.
He also operated in various sections in the
twenty-fifth ward, beginning with the erection
of frame buildings before the days of brick
and stone houses in the city. He has built on
Dean street, near Kingston avenue, yvhere he
built several three-story private houses ; on
Brooklyn avenue and Bergen street, where he
erected a fine corner structure comprising four
private houses of brick and stone ; , on Park
Place and Nostrand avenue, an apartment
house, and also three-story with basement
houses ; three four-story apartment houses
west of Nostrand avenue, on Park Place; at
the southeast corner of Prospect Place and
Nostrand avenue,, six department houses of
four stories, corner building included; on
Prospect Place, west of Nostrand avenue ; five
four-story apartment houses on Eastern Park-
way and Brooklyn avenue, eight two-story and
basement private residences, and two corner
flat buildings, with inany others.
In recent years Mr. Fraser has given little at-
tention to active building work, busying him-
self with caring for his varied property inter-
ests. He has left many monuments to his skill
and integrity as a builder in the substantial and
attractive edifices whidi adorn the various lo-
calities to which reference has herein been
made. He has ever been known as a man of
sterling character, and is held in high esteem.
particularly by the old class of builders, now
greatly reduced in numbers, and who are rap-
idly passing away. He is one of the original
members of the Builders' Association of
Brooklyn.
THOMAS H. FRASER.
Thomas H. Fraser is well known as a fine
example of the younger class of builders who
have given the highest degree of enterprising
effort and professional skill to the upbuilding
of the residential districts of Brooklyn, and
whose restless energy has found further vent
in the creation and development of important
neighborhoods and properties.
He is a son of John Fraser, the veteran
builder of whom more extended mention is
made in preceding paragraphs. He was born
in Brooklyn, October 21, 1875. He began
his education in the public schools and then en-
tered the Adelphi Academy, subsequently be-
coming a tutor in Professor Collins' institu-
tion. He had well learned the practical work
of the builder, and he acquired an excellent
knowledge of architecture. Father and son
were fellow builders until 1902, when the lat-
ter engaged in business upon his own account.
The work with which he is principally identi-
fied is in the Bedford section. He built two
four-story double apartment houses west of
that avenue, on Bergen street; three private
residences on the south side of Bergen street,
east of Brooklyn avenue; seven large four-
story double apartment houses on the south
side of Bergen street, between Nostrand and
Rogers avenues. The latter were among the
first (if not, indeed, the very first) apartment
houses erected under the requirements of the
xJ^ffoJu^
^ygA/'
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
433
new tenement house law. He also built nine
houses on Eastern Parkway, between Brook-
lyn avenue and Kingston avenue — two-story
and basement, brownstone and brick, two-fam-
ily houses of handsome design and first-class in
all their appointments. He continues to carry
on his building operations, watching with a
discerning eye every opportunity for eligible
sites, but sagaciously declining to be drawn
into schemes which promise only an ephemeral
advantage, with prospect of ultimate reaction.
Mr. Fraser is favorably known to very
many of the best classes of summer-outers on
Long Island as the proprietor of the Massa-
pequa Hotel, on the south side of Long Island,
twenty-eight miles distant from Brooklyn.
This magnificent hostelry is one of the most
eligibly situated and most magnificently ap-
pointed of all the great establishments on the
coast. With accommodations for thlee hun->
dred guests, it has in connection a casino and
concert stage, where during the season music
is in attendance each evening for the amuse-
ment and enjoyment of guests, together with
billiard parlors, bowling alleys, cafe, etc., ten-
nis courts, croquet grounds, baseball grounds
and golf links. The golf links are a special
feature, and occupy a most prominent place
among the many amusements of the Massa-
pequa Hotel, being peculiarly attractive owing
to the beautiful landscape surroundings, the
natural as well as artificial hazards, and the
fact that the entire course is in view from the
hotel porches, making it not only particularly
interesting to the players, but aiifording pleas-
ure to the guests of the house.
Mr. Fraser is an original member of the
Builders' Association of Brooklyn, having been
among its organizers. He is a Republican,
and takes an active part in political affairs, oc-
cupying a place of influence in his district in
the twenty-fifth ward, of which he has been
president. He is a member of the fraternity
of Odd Fellows, affiliated with Magnolia
Lodge No. i66. He married Miss Grace
Fleming, and of this marriage were born two
children. The family home is at 727 Eastern
Parkway, Brooklyn.
OTTO SINGER.
Otto Singer, operating extensively in build-
ing operations in Brooklyn for eighteen years,
has erected a large number of houses and
apartments, until he is to-day classed among
the promoters of the city's growth and im-
provement.
He was born in this borough, February 27,
1866, his father being Charles Singer, who
for many years was a resident of Brooklyn,
where he conducted business as a florist.
Prospering in his undertal-.ings, he became
possessed of considerable property. He died
in the year 1884, and his wife passed away
about twelve years ago. They were natives of
Germany, and emigrated to America about
1859, the father finding in the business condi-
tion of the new world the opportunities which
he sought for advancement.
Otto Singer attended the public schools of
Brooklyn, and at an early age entered upon
his business career, while for the past eighteen
years he has given his attention to speculative
building. He has always been the manager
of his private business interests, and his ready
recognition of opportunity has been one of
the salient features in his success. He first
operated on Greene avenue, between Central
434
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
and Evergreen avenues, where he built seven-
teen two-story houses. Finding success in his
first operation, he has continued year by year
to increase his business, ever keeping abreast
with the times, always a deep and careful
thinker for the convenience and comfort of.
the homeseeker and real estate investor, ad-
vancing step by step with the growth of our
great city, and to-day we find him at the top
round of the ladder of success and justly en-
titled to be classed "one of Brooklyn's fore-
most builders," having to his credit the erec-
tion of over seven hundred buildings in the
borough of Brooklyn. He has always made a
close and thorough study of real estate condi- '
tions, has kept thoroughly informed concern-
ing the valuation of property, has watched the
tide of removal from the older districts to the
newer sections of the borough, and has antici-
pated such by the erection of good residences
and apartments so as to meet the demand for
property. The work of city improvement
through building operations was carried on
still further by him by the erection of an en-
tire block of stone buildings at Park Place and
Nostrand avenue, in the beautiful St. Marks
section, where he erected th9se handsome
apartments, valued at a quarter of a million
dollars, which stands as a monument to his
business capacity and energy and a credit to the
building industry of the city of New York.
He has always been the manager of the con-
struction of the buildings which he has erected,
and possessed sound judgment, keen discrim-
ination and marked enterprise. His labors
have been essential factors in improving and
beautifying some of the most desirable resi-
dential sections of Brooklyn, and as the pro-
motor of the substantial upbuilding of the bor-
ough Mr. Singer is well known, sustaining an
unassailable reputation in business circles.
Mr. Singer was married to Miss Marga-
retha G. Maske, and they now have a son,
Walter O., fourteen years of age. The family
home is at No. 671 Macon street. Mr. Singer
is a lover of good horses, and finds one of his
chief sources of pleasure and recreation in
driving. He has also traveled quite extensively,
gaining the knowledge and culture which only
travel can bring. Socially he is a member of
the Cortelyou Club, of Flatbush, and a charter
member of the Master Builders' Association-
In business he has achieved success through
honorable efiforts, untiring industry and capa-
ble management, and in private life he has
gained that warm personal regard which arises
from true nobility of character, deference for
the opinions of others, kindness and geniality.
M. J. BURWELL.
M. J. Burwell, who has aided materially in
the development of various sections of Brook-
lyn during his seventeen years' connection with
the contracting and building interests of that
important part of Greater New York, is a na-
tive of England, where he was educated,
reared to manhood and learned the trades of
carpenter, stair-builder and mason.. He pre-
pared himself for a practical builder in every
line of the work, having filled a full appren-
ticeship under an old ironclad English con-
tract. At the age of eighteen years he was
competent to assume the management of the
largest contract awarded to his employers, and
this fact alone testifies to the thoroughness of
his knowledge of the business in all its details.
Shortly after his arrival in the United
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
435
States he secured employment with John Lee,
a well known builder of Brooklyn, remaining
in his service until the death of the latter,
when he was 'employed by the sons of Mr. Lee
until their retirement from business. During
the greater portion of this time he served in
the capacity of superintendent. When he es-
tablished a business on his own account he
rented a shop on Bridge street, Brooklyn,
where he conducted general contracting oper-
ations, and from there he rhoved to his pres-
ent location, 126 Carlton avenue, near Myrtle
avenue, where he has a plant equipped for all
kinds of wood work. He built the plant for
the ■ Tobacco Trust ; the Tompkins Avenue
Congregational church, the Church of Our
Lady of Victory, Fort Hamilton Episcopal
church, Lafayette Avenue Congregational
church, Jefferson Hall, Fire Headquarters,
Ninth Regiment Armory, Brooklyn ; the Will-
iamsburg Bridge Terminal, at Brooklyn end ;
Thirty-sixth Street Depot for the Culver Car
Line; the Maltine Manufacturing plant of
Timothy Woodruff; the Shillingsberg store.
Myrtle avenue, near Bridge street; a veter-
inary hospital; Dr. Whalig's residence at Sea
Cliff; the residence of Mrs. Roselle, at Bar
Harbor; a fine residence on Pierrepont street
and the residence of Mr. Torgie on St. Marks
avenue. He is a member of the Shaw avenue
Methodist Episcopal church, a Republican in
politics, and has served as chairman of the
Theodore Roosevelt Club.
In Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Burwell was
married to Julia Chamberlain, a native of Eng-
land, and their children are: Edward Lesley
and Edith Maud Burwell.
NELS JOHNSON.
Nels Johnson, senior member of the firm of
N. Johnson & Son, for nine years engaged in
business in Brooklyn as builders, their specialty
being stair building, and who have also en-
gaged in the erection of houses on their own
account for speculative purposes, was born in
Sweden, July 30, 1843, and remained in his
native country until about 1880, when he came
to Brooklyn. Reared, educated and married
there, he learned the cabinetmaker's trade
there, and, desirous of benefiting by the better
business opportunities which according to pop-
ular report, were offered by the new world,
he crossed the Atlantic in 1880. Having spent
three or four months in Chicago, he then re-
turned to tne east, locating in Brooklyn, where
he worked at his trade of cabinetmaking and
also at stair-building, being thus employed for
ten years. Beginning business on his own ac-
count as a stair builder in 1893, he opened a
shop at No. 809 Pacific street, where he re-
.mained for three years, and then removed to
684 Bergen street. He has carried on busi-
ness to some extent as a contractor and build-
er, but has made a specialty of stair build-
ing, and in 1894 he was joined in the business
by his son Leonard, the late junior member of
the firm of N. Johnson & Son.
Leonard Johnson was born in Sweden Sep-
tember 28, 1875, and his education, begun in
his native land, was supplemented by study in
the Brooklyn schools, after which he began
learning the stair-builder's trade, and in 1894
joined his father in business in this line, the
senior partner remaining as the general man-
ager of the business. They secured a liberal
and profitable- patronage, and during the nine
436
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
years of the firm's existence enjoyed a con-
stantly increasing business which has enabled
them' in the past three years to enter the field
of speculative building. They first erected a
four-story double flat building at No. 807 Ber-
gen street, and at Nos. 556 to 560 Dean street
a fine four-story double flat building, while af
the northeast corner of Kingston avenue and
Park Place they built a four-story double
apartment house of the better class, said to be
as fine as any in the city. Their investments
in property have been judiciously made, so
that their sales have proved a gratifying source
of profit.
Leonard Johnson died the 26th of Decem-
ber, 1904, of appendicitis, being ill only a short
time, and died after an operation.
HARRY HANSEN.
Harry Hansen, builder of some of the finest
apartment buildings of the borough of Brook-
lyn, has made consecutive advancement in his
business career from the time that he entered
upon the apprenticeship to the carpenter's
trade through the successive stages of jour-
neyman work and contracting to speculative
building. His labors have been of material
benefit to the city in the improvement of some
of its fine residence districts, monuments to
his enterprise and thrift being seen in a large
number of the attractive homes of the city of
Brooklyn.
Harry Hansen was born December 18, 1861,
in Tonsbirg, Norway, where he learned the
carpenter's trade, partly under the direction
of his father, S. Hansen, of that place. When
a boy he spent four years on the sea, visiting
many ports of tne world and thus gaining
comprehensive and accurate knowledge of va-
rious countries, their peoples and their cus-
toms. In 1880 he arrived in Brooklyn and
secured employment in the carpenter's trade
with John Ryan Bishop. He was afterward in
the employ of John Frazer, and then entered
the services of Charles Roberts, with whom
he remained as foreman for fifteen years,
while with him he learned all of the details
of the builder's art, successfully controlled
building operations for his employers and con-
tinuously added to his knowledge of the busi-
ness and also learned much of realty values
and the location of desirable property in
Brooklyn.
He began operations as a builder for spec-
ulation in 1899, seeing an advantageous open-
ing for profitable investment. He first built
on Sterling Place, between New York and
Brooklyn avenues, erecting three private
houses, two stories and basement. These were
constructed of brick and stone with the most
modern and attractive improvements. In fact
all of the property which he has built has'been
of superior order, furnishing desirable homes
and adding much to the substantial impro\e-
m'ent of the sections of the city in which his
operations have been carried on. He also
built six houses of the same class on DeGraw
street, between Nostrand and New York ave-
nues, these, however, being constructed for two
families each. On St. Mark's avenue he built
two double apartment houses, three stories in
height, with stone fronts, while the partition
walls and rear were constructed of brick. In
1904 he erected the large building at the north-
west corner of New York avenue and Sterling
Place, this being one of the finest apartment
houses of that section of the city. He has now
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
437
in process of erection two double apartment
buildings for eight families each, and expects
soon to begin the building of two more ad-
joining on New York avenue. Each apart-
ment in these buildings is fitted with steam
heat and every modern convenience that adds
to the comfort of a home, and rents for from
fifty to seventy-five dollars per month, accord-
ing to the size and location. He is a member
of the Builders' Association and keeps in touch
with present day progress along architectural
lines.
Mr. Hansen was married in Brooklyn to
Miss Anna A. Johnson, and they have three
children : Samuel Julius, who at the age of
seventeen years is pursuing a business course
of study; Agnes Rebecca, and Harold Astor.
The family home is at no First Place, Brook-
lyn. Mr. and Mrs. Hansen hold membership
in the Methodist Episcopal church, and in
his political views he is a Republican, but the
honors and emoluments of office have had no
attraction for him as he has preferred to devote
his undivided time and attention to his business
interests, in which he has met with signal suc-
cess. He has been the architect of his own
fortimes and has builded wisely and well.
THOMAS FRANCIS MARTIN.
Thomas Francis Martin, one of the leading
and speculative builders of Brooklyn, whose
enterprise and business capacity have consti-
tuted a resultant factor in the improvement of
some of the finest residence districts of the
city, is a native of this borough, bom on the
1 2th of October, 1859. His literary educa-
tion having been acquired in the public schools,
he afterward began learning the carpenter's
trade under the direction of Mr. McLaughlin,
a builder on Fordham street. When his term
of apprenticeship was ended he secured a po-
sition to do carpenter work on a wholesale
house, but for eighteen years has conducted
an independent business enterprise as a spec-
ulative builder, his career being marked by
steady and consecutive progress.
About 1886 he began buying lots and erected
his first buildings at Fourth avenue and Union
street, in the tenth ward. This proved a
profitable investment and he continued his
building operations at Fourth avenue and
Third street. Later he erected a row at
Fourth avenue and Butler, numbering fifteen
houses. Transferring his business activity to
Union street, near Fifth avenue, he there
erected three houses, and four houses on But-
ler street near Fitth avenue are also monu-
ments to his constructive genius and business
enterprise. The improvement of the block on
Eleventh street, between Eighth and Ninth
avenues, next claimed his attention, and the
erection of fifteen houses resulted, while on
Grand and Lafayette avenues he built store
houses. Each investment that he has made has
been carefully considered, and his ready recog-
nition of opportunity, combined with his prac-
tical knowledge of the builder's art, has made
himi one of the most successful speculative
builders of Brooklyn. He has kept in touch
with modern ideas, and in fact has led the ad-
vance, his constructive genius and progres-
sive spirit being manifest in the improvement
of some of Brooklyn's finest residence dis-
tricts. At Lafayette avenue and Ryerson
street he built six apartments, which to-day
constitute the best building of this class in the
city. He next gave his attention to the im-
438
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
provement of property on DeGraw street, be-
tween New York avenue and Nostrand street,
where he built nine houses the first year and
three the succeeding year. The completion of
these was followed by the erection of five on
the boulevard, five on Eastern Park and five
on DeGraw street, near Franklin avenue,
where his attention is occupied at the present
writing, in the fall of 1904, by the building of
eight houses on the boulevard. These are at-
tractive two-story residences with basement',
constituting very suitable property for those
who wish homes or desire to use them for
tenant and dwelling purposes. These sold for
from nine to ten thousand dollars. Those fa-
miliar with Brooklyn's history and its achieve-
ments along architectural lines recognize that
Thomas F. Martin has been one of the prom-
inent factors in the improvement of the bor-
ough, his labors well proving of direct per-
sonal benefit along financial lines, also con-
stituting a strong element in the adorning and
beautifying of the city. He has for a number
of years been known as one of the best build-
ers of Brooklyn, and although he entered this
field of labor with small capital, his invest-
ments have been so judiciously placed and his
intense energy has been directed by such sound
judgment that his labors have been crowned
with very gratifying measure of success. He
still owns unimproved property, including a
plat on New York avenue, between East ave-
nue, Parkway and DeGraw street, one on Ry-
erson, near DeKalb, one on Fourth ave-
nue, and on Union boulevard, near Bedford.
Watchful of the signs of the times that indi-
cate possible growth and development, he has,
through his foresight and keen business dis-.
cernment, been able to meet the demands of
fine residence property which, selling to ad-
vantage, has brought him a most gratifying
annual income.
Mr. Martin belongs to the Master Builders'
Association, and his standing in business cir-
cles is indicated by the fact that he has been
honored with its treasuryship. His political
views accord with the principles of Democ-
racy. He was married in Brooklyn to Miss
Katie Finley, and they have three children,
Eugene Thomas, Francis J. and Gertrude,
who, with their parents, occupy an attractive
home at 303 Third street, Brooklyn.
ADOLPHUS GLOAD.
Adolphus Gload, one of the foremost specu-
lative builders of the borough of Brooklyn,
and a man well known in former years as a
manufacturer of mantels, also the founder of
the concern formerly known as the Hyde and
Gload Manvifacturmg Company, was born in
Champlain, New York, April 23, 1856, a son
of Alexander and Matilda (Dumas) Gload,
residents of Vermont, the former named hav-
ing been for many 3^ears a wood-chopper, ply-
ing his trade upon the shores of Lake Cham-
plain, and later as a carpenter.
The educational advantages enjoyed by
Adolphus Gload during his boyhood years
were but limited, but in the later years by at-
tending night school and through personal ef-
fort he became well informed on a number
of subjects. At the early age of eleven years
he engaged in the slate business, which he
followed for many years, thoroughly learn-
ing the trade of mantel malcer and slate mar-
bleizer, and after becoming proficient in his
calling he came to New York city as a prac-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
441
tical man for the firm of W. D. & A. S. Nich-
ols, of Harlem,^ who were at that time the
leading mantel manufacturers of the metropo-
lis. His connection continued with this firm
from 1876 to 1883, a period of seven years,
and in the latter year he was thrown in con-
tact with Frank Hyde, a salesman in his line,
with whom he formed what was then known
as the Excelsior Slate Mantel Works, Mr.
Gload investing one thousand dollars, his sav-
ings of many years, and they started in busi-
ness on Broadway, near Halsey street, Brook-
lyn, employing but a limited number of hands.
Mr. Gload gave his attention to the workshop
and Mr. Hyde attended to the outside busi-
ness, and during the first year their trade in-
creased so rapidly as to necessitate the em-
ployment of extra hands and the enlargement
of their plant. From time to time they took
in adjoining properties until finally their plant
covered territory from Broadway and Halsey
street to Elbert street, the majority of which
was taken on a ten years' lease, and here they
erected a new factory, their business becom-
ing the most important in that line in Brook-
lyn.
The following year the company was incor-
porated under the name of the Hyde and
Gload Manufacturing Company. As the busi-
ness continued to increase" they admitted Mr.
R. P. ForsheWj and soon were employing from
eighty to one hundred men, conducting their
business and furnishing their product to the
most important building operators in New
York city and Brooklyn. They continued in
this way for some eight years, during which
time they acquired properties in the shape of
lots in different sections of Brooklyn, among
others some property in what is now known
as Brownsville. Later it was considered ad-
visable to make division of this property, and
as there was some hesitancy as to whom
should assume ownership of the Brownsville
property, which was at that time undeveloped,
Mr. Gload finally accepted it as a part of his
dividend. On a portion of this property he
arranged for the erection of some buildings
through a speculative builder, who failed to
carry out his contract, and the enterprise re-
verted to Mr. Gload, who completed the build-
ings, and who found after they were sold that
he had made some little profit. This opened
up a new branch of industry for him, and he
very soon developed into a speculative build-
er. The first year he erected fifteen houses
in the Twenty-sixth Ward, two-story and
basement style, for two families, some of brick
and some of frame. From time tO' time Mr.
Gload purchased lots in different sections — •
first eleven lots on Madison street, near Ham-
burg avenue, whereon he built two-story and
basement houses, suitable for two families.
These sold rapidly, and he then bought twen-
ty lots on Jefferson avenue, between Ever-
green and Central, on which he erected houses,
all of which were disposed of in the year 1892.
Mr. Gload then severed his connection with
the Mantel Company and gave his entire at-
tention to speculative building and real estate
transactions. Two years later, in 1894, he
built twenty houses of the same class in the
same ward. In the spring of the following
year he purchased thirty-three lots on Cooper
street, near Evergreen avenue, on which he
erected houses which were completed and sold
within a few months' time. He then pur-
chased twenty-one lots on Cornelia street, and
m the time of the panic, which affected the
442
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
building line, he built and sold these houses
within a period of two years. He then pur-
chased forty-two lots on Jefferson avenue, be-
tv.'cen Central and Hamburg avenues, where-
on he built and sold houses during the time
of the Spanish-American war. He there
erected forty-two houses which were of a spe-
cial high class, completing and selling them
within one year and nine months. On Han-
cock street, near Patchen avenue, he built three
double flats, three stories, suitable for six fam-
ilies, of brick and lime stone. Later, in this
same neighborhood, he purchased twenty-one
lots and erected twenty-one two-family houses.
On Covert street he built twenty-six houses,
fourteen of which were sold within nine
mpnths' time. The opening of the new Will-
iamsburg bridge seemed to enliven the dis-
tricts in which Mr. Gload had been operating,
which for some time had been rather dull,
and he thereupon purchased eleven lots on
w-hich he built two-story houses within the
last eighteen months, and the majority of
these are disposed of. Mr. Gload is a man
of quiet and domestic tastes, a Republican
in politics, and a member of the Builders' As-
sociation of Brooklyn.
Mr. Gload married, in New York city, Miss
Lizzie Provost, and their children are : Mabel
E., Frank F., Raymond, Adolphus, Jr., Aus-
tin, Alice and Leroy. The family home is at
No. 558 McDonough street, Brooklyn.
LOUIS BONERT.
Mr. Louis Bonert stands prominent among
those who are deserving of particular credit
for activity and wise judgment displayed in
upbuilding and beautifying various sections of
the city of Brooklyn. His taste and discrim-
inating intelligence have been exemplified in
the designing and construction of a better and
sightlier class of buildings than those in the
neighborhoods before he set out in the work
of improvement, and mark him as deserving of
recognition as a public benefactor for the same
reason that praise is bestowed' upon him who
makes two blades of grass to grow where was
but one before.
Mr. Bonert is assuredly a self-made man and
the architect of his own fortune. Born in the
city of Koenigsberg, Prussia, he was a lad of
sixteen when he came to the United States in
1859. Reared after the substantial fatherland
fashion, while young in years he was mature in
what lies at the foundation of true character
— industry, perseverance and economy. Tak-
ing employment under a framer, he mastered
all the details of that department of the build-
ing trade, and in 1866 engaged in that business
upon his own account. He continued in this
undertaking for ten years, during this time
filling various large contracts, among them the
framing for the establishment in which were
galvanized the wires used in the making of the
great cables for the Brooklyn Bridge. In this
enterprise he was intimately associated with
Hague and Roebling, the building engineers
of the great viaduct uniting New York and
Brooklyn.
In 1876 Mr. Bonert made the beginning of
a successful career as a speculative builder and
general contractor. He erected several build-
ings on contract on Clinton street, at Third
Place, and on Fourth street and Third Place.
In 1878 he built eight houses on contract, but
unfortunately at a serious loss. This was in
no way due to fault of his own, but to the con-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
443
ditions then existing. The price of building
material had advanced considerably, and cer-
tain sub-contractors abandoned their erigage-
ments with him, throwing upon him the entire
burden of furnishing material and completing
the work, and working such embarrassment
that he was obliged to sell his own residence in
order to procure means for the completion oT
his engagements. He could have done as did
they, but his strict sense of honor would not
permit such a course. It is not too much to
say that in this he probably laid the founda-
tion for his after success, for he established
such a reputation for upright conduct that he
was never after embarrassed when in need of
aid in prosecuting large undertakings. After
the completion of the work which had so
seriously impaired his fortune, he built under
contract on Fourth avenue and Bergen street,
and on the completion of the work found that
he was yet one thousand dollars in debt. He
subsequently built five houses on Tenth street,
reaping a small profit, but in the next venture,
the building of twenty-four houses, he only
escaped actual loss, realizing no more than his
expenses. On four houses which he erected
on Twentieth avenue he made a reasonable
profit. Taking a partner, who brought five
thousand dollars into the business^ he bought
under tax sale the southwest corner of Seventh
avenue and Eleventh street, and after taking
title from the owner he purchased from Mr.
Clark the two lots adjoining. Mr. Bonert and
his partner built three houses upon this prop-
erty, but before the work was completed tlie
partner became dissatisfied, and was desirous
of withdrawing his money. On the comple-
tion of the work the corner hall property was
sold for thirteen thousand dollars, which
brought a reasonable profit. Out of this sale
Mr. Bonert paid to the partner the share be-
longing to him, dissolved the partnership and
set out to conduct business alone, as he has
continued to do to the present time, and this
marks the beginning of his real success.
Having purchased lots on Seventh street
and on President street, Mr. Bonert built five
houses upon his own account, following this
with the erection of others on the corner of
Seventh street and Fifth avenue, and then
fourteen houses on St. Johns and Sterling.
Somewhat later he bought lots two hundred
by one hundred and twenty-five feet on Ninth
avenue, near Garfield Place, which he sold
three days afterward at a profit of $10,000. He
made further lot purchases, and built ten
houses on Sixth avenue, between Fourth and
Fifth streets; five on the southeast corner of
Fifth street and Sixth avenue; five on the
northeast corner of Fifth street and Sixth ave-
nue ; five on the southeast corner of Sixth
avenue arid Fourth street ; five on the south-
west corner of Sixth avenue and Third street ;
and six on Union street ; and also built on Sec-
ond street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues,
and five on the east side of Second street, near
Sixth avenue. He also built the large stone
corner of Union street and Seventh avenue,
and the southeast corner of Sixth avenue and
Second street, and four houses on the north-
east corner of Sixth avenue and Fourth street,
the southeast corner of Third street and Sixth
avenue, the northeast corner of Third street
and sixth avenue, and on Park Place, Van-
derbilt and Carlton avenues. On President
street, between Sixth and Seventh avenues,
he built five large double flats, and on the
same street foiir doubly flats which he still
22
444
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
owns, and five flats near Ninth avenue. On
Eighth avenue, between Carroll and President
streets, he built two first-class flats, which are
still his property. He built on Eighth avenue,
between President and Carroll streets, houses
of very superior character. He is now build-
ing on both sides of Third street, between
Sixth and Seventh avenues, several four-
story flats of white stone, and of the best
class, in material and design. In 1904 he
commenced the erection of a large number of
buildings, some forty-five in number, on Fifth
avenue, between Thirty-ninth and Fiftieth
streets, these being two-family flats and stores,
and on the side streets two-family houses, the
same having been completed in the spring of
1905. Mr. Bonert is the owner of considera-
ble property in the city, the fruits of his suc-
cess as a speculative builder, and which stand
as enduring monuments to his enterprise: and
sagacity.
Mr. Bonert is held in well deserved recog-
nition for his labors, which have been of such
large and substantial advantage to the city.
He is a member of the Builders' Association
of Brooklyn, in which" body he enjoys to the
fullest the confidence and esteem to which he
is justly entitled by reason of his usefulness
and high character. He is also a member of
the Brooklyn Jockey Club. In politics he is
a Republican.
Mr. feonert was married to Miss Louise C.
Riehn, and to them was born a daughter, Lu-
cille C. Bonert. The family residence is at
487 Fourth street, Brooklyn.
GUSTAVE X. MATHEIS.
The great development and beautification
of the Ridgewood district of the borough of
Brooklyn, New York, on and ill the vicinity of
the eligibly situated Wyckofif Heights, has
been accomplished in a leading degree through
the intelligent and industrious eflfort of one
of the most accomplished and successful build-
ers in the entire city, in the person of Gustave
X. Matheis. He is a member of the firm of
Drehr & Matheis, and also the Mathews Realty
and Construction Company, the members of
which are three brothers-^Gustave, Ernest
and Dr. William F. Matheis — the latter-named
a leading physician of Brooklyn. At tfie pres-
ent time (1904) the company is engaged in
the construction of thirty houses on Linden
street, between Nicholas avenue and Covert
avenue, this property representing about two-
hundred thousand dollars. Upon the comple-
tion of these houses, which are of a high style
of architecture and modern in every detail, the
company contemplate beginning operations in
some locality which will grow to extensive
proportions, and their object is to erect at
least one hundred houses a year.
A native of Bavaria, Germany, Gustave X.
Matheis came to the United States at the
early age of twelve years, and his training
was essentially American. He attended the
city schools, where his principal thought was
to learn the language of his adopted country,
being already well grounded in the funda-
mental branches during his student days in his
native land. Hh entered upon his active ca-
reer as an office boy in the city of New York,
and subsequently became connected with a
glass manufactory in New York, which he
served as a salesman and in other capacities.
Since severing his connection with this house
he has engaged in building, and being thor-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
445
oughly familiar with every department of this
business has achieved a large degree of pros-
perity in all his transactions, his houses aver-
aging in value from six thousand to seven
thousand dollars. He is vice-president of the
Ridgewood Improvement League, and in va-
rious other ways contributes to the material
growth and development of that section of the
borough of Brooklyn. He is a stanch adher-
ent of the principles of the Democratic party,
Ernst Matheis was also a native of Ger-
many, from whence he came to the United
States, locating in Brooklyn, New York. He
gained his first practical experience as an office
boy in New York city and later was advanced
to the position of salesman, after which he
turned his attention to a manufacturing busi-
ness in the city of New York, with which he
was identified for several years. He was the
principal factor in the establishment of the
Mathews Realty and Construction Company,
above mentioned, one of the leading industrial
enterprises of Brooklyn. .Mr. Matheis is well
known throughout the Eastern District, and
popular among a wide circle of friends. He is
an active and prominent member of various
societies, and a firm supporter of the principles
of Democracy.
Mr. Matheis was united in marriage to Miss
E. Schrumpf, of New York.
JOHN R. CORBIN.
John R. Corbin, a builder of many fine resi-
dence properties in the borough of Brooklyn,
was the organizer of the John R. Corbin Com-
pany in 1901.
A native of this borough, he was born July
22,, 1870, and is yet a young man, but has al-
ready achieved success that many a • man of
twice his years might well envy. The com-
pany of which he is now at the head was the
outgrowth of a business started by Mr. Cor-
bin in 1895, when he began operations as a
speculative builder and general contractor.
The other members of the company are John
F. Dreyer, vice-president, and John W. Good-
ing, secretary and treasurer; while Mr. Cor-
bin has continuously served as president. The
company is now operating largely in the Flat-
bush section of this city, although previously
Mr. Corbin was engaged in building in Brook-
lyn, and important structures have had their
rise through the keen business discernment
and unfaltering energy of him whose name in-
troduces this record. During the past few
years he has been extensively engaged in build-
ing operations in South Midwood, where the
company controls a section containing, about
one thousand lots. They have erected over
two hundred private, houses there, it being
their object to make that one of the most at-
tractive suburban districts of the city. They
have a mill, and are conducting an extensive
wholesale business in the finishing of lumber,
taking their stock from the rough and putting
it into condition for building. They employ
all the labor on their buildings by the day, and
the framing is all done by the mill, that de-
partment of _ the plant being operated by elec-
tricity, so that they' are enabled in this man-
ner to do the framing in at least one-half of
the time which would otherwise be required.
The firm now has in process of construction
about sixty house'^. Mr. Corbin is building a
large apartment house on Rogers and Ave-
nue F for the Liebmann Brewing Company,
and three flats with stores on Flatbush ave-
446
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
nue. Altogether his building operations cover
the construction of between four and five hun-
dred houses in thai section of the city. South
Mid wood was opened up in 1900, and Mr.
Corbin has erected most of the buildings in
that district.' He was in a limited partnership
with Christian Baur from June, 1897 to 1900,
when the partnership was dissolved.
The John R. Corbin Company formerly
owned a plant at No. 1516 to 1522 Flatbush
avenue, where they had operated and which
they used until 1904, when they built a plant
covering five hundred feet along the line of
the Manhattan Beach Railroad. Th.eir build-
ing is two hundred by one hundred feet and
employi-nent is furnished to from one hundred
and fifty to two hundred men in the different
departments.
Mr. Corbin's early training well qualified
him for his activity in later life. He learned
the carpenter's trade with George H. Stone,
and also studied architecture, making a spe-
cialty of, cottage architecture, and following
the trade up to the time when he embarked in
business on his own account, His advance-
ment from ■ the beginning has been uniform
and rapid, and his course has been marked by
the strong purpose end unfaltering determina-
tion which carries forward to successful com-
pletion whatever he undertakes.
Mr. Corbin is a member of the Mechanics'
and Traders' Exchange, and is also identified
with the Cortelyou Club, the Royal Arcanum,
the Flatbush Tax-Payers Association, the
Thirty-second Ward Tax-Payers' Association,
and the Junior Order of American Mechanics.
He resides at No. 3320 Glenwood road. He
was married in Brooklyn to Miss Nellie I.
Gooding, and they have two sons, Harold Ed-
mond and Milton.
ANDREW T. MACK.
Andrew T. Mack, one of Brooklyn's well
known and enterprising general contractors
and builders, with an office at No. 406 Ninth
street, is a native of Scotland, having been
. born in the Lammermoor Hills, November 24,
1867.
To attend school he was compelled to walk
seven miles over the mountains. In early
youth he assisted in the labors of the farm,
and at the age of fourteen began his busi-
ness career by entering upon an apprentice-
ship to the carpenter's trade. Having served
his term he crossed the Atlantic to America
in 1888, believing that this country offered
better advantages and broader opportunities
for advancement. After working at his trade
for three years he started in business for him-
self in 1891, and soon became one of the best
known boss carpenters on the slope of Brook-
lyn, He secured and executed some large con-
tracts, and did an extensive amount of altera-
tion work. In 1901 he erected some flats on
L'ifth avenue and Twenty-first street, and
many houses and factories in Brooklyn! In
1904 he completed four cottages at Maple-
ton, Long Island. His diligence and enter-
prise, his fidelity to the terras of a contract,
his thorough understanding of the trade in
principle and detail, and his earnest desire to
please his patrons, have secured to him an
extensive business.
He is a charter member of the Builders' As-
sociation of Brooklyn. In his political views
he is a Republican, taking an active interest
in national politics and- in the borough, assist-
ing as far as possible in securing Republican
successes. He is also a member of the South
Brooklyn Board of Trade.
ANDREW T. MACK
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
44$
In 1900 Mr. Mack married Miss Minnie
Fairbairn. He has one child, a daughter,
Jean. His home is on Seventeenth avenue and
Sixty-first street.
FRED B. NORRIS.
To him there has come the attainment of a
distinguished position in connection with the
great material industries of Brooklyn, he hav-
ing so directed his efforts along well defined
lines that he seems to have realized at any one
point of progress the full measure of his pos-
sibilities for accomplishment at that point. A
man of distinct and forceful individuality, of
broad mentality and most mature judgment,
he has left and is leaving his impress upon the
industrial world. For twenty years he has
been engaged in speculation as a builder, and
the record of his operations constitutes a long
list of valuable city property.
His father, Daniel B. Norris, was born May
14, 1829, and his father was Charles Norris,
a carpenter of New York city. Daniel Norris
is one of the oldest builders of the city, and
for forty-five years was engaged in the erec-
tion of buildings here for the purpose of sale
in order that he might realize a desirable profit
upon his investments. He has made a spe-
cialty of the erection of houses, befnning his
operations in the old fifteenth wa) J of Will-
iamsburg. Buildings which have become mon-
uments of his business enterprise and execu-
tive force stand on Devoe street, Ainsley and
Powers streets, Graham avenue. Grand street.
North Second street and Humboldt. After
confining his attention to building operations
in that portion of the city for some time he
transferred his efforts to the twenty-third
ward and began the improvement through
building on the old Lefferts Park estate. He
built on Tompkins avenue, from' Quincy to
Putnam, from Monroe to Marcy. He has also
erected buildings on Putnam, Jefferson and
Hancock streets, and in the section of the city
known as the Bedford district. His work in
Williamsburg was largely the construction of
private frame houses two stories in height,
with basement. He has, however, extended
his operations to business property, and erect-
ed the Holmes & Company cracker factory.
He built the Bushwick church, and with his
own hands placed the spire in position. He is
a carpenter by trade, having served his ap-
prenticeship under Captain Waglum, of New
York city. He afterward worked as a jour-
neyman in New York, and forty-five years ago
came to Brooklyn. He had conducted a small
jobbing business in New York, and after his
removal to Brooklyn he opened a shop in Will-
iamsburg, and also a planing mill, in order to
manufacture his finishing materials, the plant
being located on Gates and Tompkins avenues. .
At that time he made all of his own sash and
doors, the motive power being furnished at an
early day by a horse-sweep. As opportunity
ofifered he extended his efforts into active
building operations, making careful invest-
ment and judicious sales, and in the years that
passed he was the owner from time to time of
valuable property. He retired from business
in 1889, and has since made his home with his
son at No. 188 Fennimore street, Brooklyn,
for in 1902 he was called upon to mourn the
loss of his wife, who died on the 4th of July
of that year. She bore the maiden name of
Emma Savage, and was born in Flushing, her
450
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
father, Edward Savage, having been one of
the early teachers oq Long Island. .
Fred B. Norris acquired his education in
the public schools, and became associated with
his father in business at the age of fifteen
years, learning the carpenter's trade under his
direction. Together they continued until 1887,
when Mr. Norris of this review started upon
an independent business career. Noting with
interest the growth of the city, he has pro-
vided for the extension of its residence dis-
tricts through the improvement of property in
various sections. He first operated on Macon
street and Lewis avenue, where he erected six
private houses, two stories with basement,
these having brick and brownstone fronts. On
Jefferson street he built five houses, three
stories, with basement of brick and stone. He
tlien changed the scene of his activity in Bain-
bridge and Stuyvesant streets, where he erect-
ed seven fine houses three stories in height. On
Monroe street and Lewis avenue he built ten
stone-front houses, two stories and basement,
and at the corner of Putnam and Patchen six
stone-front houses, two stories and basement.
His business gradually growing in extent
and im.portance and his successes enabling him
to make larger investment, he erected on Han-
cock street, between Patchen and Ralph ave-
nues, fourteen buildings, and on Jefferson and
Tompkins streets, also continued his construc-
tive work, erecting a four-story private resi-
dence. He next turned his attention to the im-
provement of vacant property on Lincoln road,
in Flatbush, where he erected twenty-five
buildings of brick and limestone, also putting
up a residence -for his father on Rutland road,
and twenty-six on Lincoln road. He. after-
ward built six houses on Midwood street, these
constituting fine residence properties of that
locality. He has also built from time to time
in other lines of construction.
In December, 1888, Mr. Norris was married
to Miss Susie Dorsch Sackett, of Brooklyn,
and they have three children : Raymond Allen,
Donald Brooks and Clifford Sackett. Their
family home is at No. 188 Fennimore street and
Mr. Norris has an office at Flatbush avenue
and Midwood street. He is a member of the
Grace Dutch Reformed church of Flatbush,
and is interested in all that promotes the com-
munity aflfairs along progressive lines.
In his business life he has long since left
the ranks of the many to stand among the suc-
cessful few, for though he entered a field of
labor where competition is rife so that oppor-
tunities are eagerly sought by many, he has
battled earnestly and energetically, and by 'in-
domitable courage and integrity has achieved
character.
CHARLLS ROSENTHAL.
Charles Rosenthal, whose active connection
with the building operations in the Flatbush
district of the borough of Brooklyn, New
York, extends over a period of five years, is
a native of New York city, born September
22, 1862. He is a lineal descendant of Loifis
and Helen Rosenthal, the former-named hav-
ing passed away in March, 1903, having
reached the age of threescore years and ten,
and the latter is living at the present time
(1905), aged seventy years.
Upon the completion of his studies in the
public schools of New York city, Charles Ro-
senthal pursued a course of study in law, and
after passing a successful examination prac-
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
451
ticed the same for a short period of time. In
1889 he entered the field of poHtics in Kings
county, and for several years thereafter held
the office of eciuity clerk, discharging the du-
ties thereof in a highly efficient manner. In
1900 he established a rear estate office at his
present location in Flatbush, and since then
has erected and sold a number of houses
which, by their beauty of architecture, have
added greatly to the attractiveness of that
section. He is an independent RepubHcan in
politics. He holds membership in the order
of Free and Accepted Masons, Royal Arca-
num, National Union, and the Junior Order
of United American Mechanics.
In New York city, 1890, Mr. Rosenthal
married Jennie Rosenthal, who was educated
in the public schools of that city, and they are
the parents of two children : Mary E.,' born in
New York city, November 20, i8go, and Ger-
trude Victoria, born in Brooklyn, May 24,
1895.
JOSEPH THOMPSON.
Joseph Thompson, doing business in the
name and as proprietor of the Flatbush Par-
quet Floor Company, a manufacturer of Par-
quet flooring and wooden carpets, whose place
of business is located at No. 377 Flatbush ave-
nue, Brooklyn, is a native of Norway, born
April 21, 1876. His parents are Knud and
Karen Christina (Jenson) Thompson, the for-
mer living at the present time (1905) and the
latter deceased. Joseph Thompson, after a
residence of three years in the United States,
sent for his parents and thereafter looked after
their comfort and ease in everything, making
the declining years of their life bright and
happy, and fulfilling the part of a dutiful son.
Joseph Thompson acquired a practical edu-
cation in the public schools of his native land.
At an early age, evincing a decided preference
for the sea, he engaged in a seafaring life,
serving four years, during a portion of which
time he served as ship carpenter. Later he
worked at the trade of carpenter in his native
country, and in 1895 came to the United States,
locating in Brooklyn, New York, where he fol-
lowed his trade, and also worked with several
firms who manufactured and laid wood car-
pet. In this manner he gained a thorough
knowledge of the details of the latter line of
work, and in 1899, four years subsequent to
his arrival in this country, he established a
business on his own account at his present ad-
dress, and from then tO' thte present time
(1905) has conducted an extensive and lucra-
tive business and has placed his work' in many
public buildings, fiats and private houses,
among them being the German Hospital on
Bleecker street and St. Nicholas avenue ; and a
large number of houses for J. C. Taukis,
Thomas H. Ratcliffe and George W. Egbert,
all located in Flatbush, well known builders;
twenty-six houses for W. H. Reynolds, a well
known builder ; and two apartment houses for
Kelty Brothers, located at Prospect Place and
Carlton avenue. Mr. Thompson is thorough
and conscientious in the performance of his
work, and this accounts for the large degree
of success which has attended his efforts. He
is a true and loyal citizen of his adopted coun-
try, and his vote and influence is used in behalf
of the interests of the Republican party.
Mr. Thompson was united in marriage to
Christina Taft, the ceremony being performed
in Brooklyn, New York. They have two chil-
452
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
dren : Esther and Christina. The family at-
tend the Norwegian Methodist Episcopal
church on Carroll street, Brooklyn. They re-
side in a comfortable home at No. no Second
Place.
CHARLES D. HOMMEL.
Charles D. Hommel, a prominent speculative
builder of the lx>rough of Brooklyn, New
York, is a native of Saugerties, Ulster county,
New York, born January i8, 1861, a son of
D. Tompkins and Caroline (Fiero) Hommel,
resident of Saugerties, the former-named hav-
ing been a prosperous farmer. They were the
parents of the followmg children: Jeremiah,
Jane, Nellie, David, Lavina, Lewis, Cornelius,
Caroline, Harriet, Ervin, Charles D.
After acquiring £. common school education,
Charles D. Hommel served an apprenticeship
at the trade of stone cutting, becoming an ex-
pert and skillful mechanic. He worked as
journeyman at the blue stone business, continu-
ing until 1880, when he engaged in the gro-
cery business in Brooklyn, continuing the same
for five years. At Ihe expiration of this period
of time he established a general store in his na-
tive town, Saugerties, which he successfully
conducted until 1892. He then accepted a po-
sition with Cozinc & Gascoine, builders, whose
extensive operations extended over a period of
fifteen years, during which time they erected
one thousand houses in Brooklyn, and after
two years' service with this firm, during which
time he mastered all the details of the business,
he engaged in building on his qv/n account.
His operations have been conducted principally
in Brooklyn, and have been most extensive and
profitable. Among the Jiouses he erected are
the following: Ten two-story and basement
frame houses filled in with brick, on Wier-
field street; twelve two-story and basement
houses, suitable for two families, on Halsey
street; six two-story and basement frame
houses on Hancock street; eight three-story
flat houses on Central avenue; three three-
story dwellings, \Ath stores underneath; five
two-story and basement, and twenty-five frame
houses on McDonough street, some of which
were two-story and basement, and some two-
story flat houses ; two two-story and basement
houses on Eldert street ; three two-story frame
houses, filled in with brick, on the corner of
Cobert street and Bushwich avenue ; and forty
small houses of seven rooms each, at Wood-
side, Long Island. The houses are equipped
with ' all modern improvements, the materials
used in their construction are of the best qual-
ity, and the work was performed under the
personal supervision of Mr. Hommel. He
casts his vote with the Republican party, the
principles of which he firmly advocates.
Mr. Hommel was united in marriage to
Anna E. Gascoine, who was born in Flatbush,
Brooklyn, November 16, 1861, a daughter of
James and Janie (Furman) Gascoine, who were
the parents of one other daughter, Josephine.
James Gascoine was born on the old homestead
on the corner of Broadway and Chauncey
street, Brooklyn, the property of his father.
He was a member of the firm of Cozine & Gas-
coine, aforementioned, and was one of the or-
ganizers of the Peoples' Bank of Brooklyn,
serving as president of same up to his decease,
November 27, 1893.
The following named children were born to
Mr. and Mrs. Hommel : James G., September
12, 1888, now a student in college; Frank W.,
HISTORY OF LONG ISLAND.
455
born April 13, 1892 ; and Florence, born April
12, i8g8. The two latter-named are attending
public school.
HENRY V. TREBOSS.
Henry V. Treboss was reared and educated
in Sullivan county. New York, returning to
his birthplace, Brooklyn, New York, at the
age of eighteen years, and at once entered the
employ of J. W. Deering, an old-time builder
of Brooklyn. After thoroughly mastering his
trade, in 1884 he entered upon a general line
of contracting on his own account, which he
has continued ever since, and a number of
buildings stand as proofs of his skill and abil-
ity. In 1902 he built on speculation an apart-
ment house at No. 15 Strong Place, this being
fifty feet front by a hundred and three feet in
depth, four stories high, suitable for sixteen
families, and being a substantial structure of
brick and limestone is one of the best in that
neighborhood. In 1894 he built three four-
story double' apartment houses on the corner
of Eighth avenue and Sixth street, all of which
were fitted up witli the latest improvements,
and were considered the best apartment houses
in the neighborhood, which is one of the best
residential sections of the borough. Mr. Tre-
bO'SS is well known among the members of his
craft, and as a citizen is honored and esteemed.
Mr. Treboss adheres to the principles of Re-
publicanism, supporting by his vote the candi-
dates of that organization.
JAMES J. CUMMINGS.
James J. Cummings, who has been identified
with the building and realty interests of the
borough of Brooklyn for many years, and who
has contributed very largely to the develop-
ment of the newer portions, including Flat-
bush, was born in the borough of Brooklyn,
thirty-two years ago.
During his active career Mr. Cummings has
accjuired a valuable knowledge of Brooklyn
property, and for several years has devoted
most of his attention to the real estate market,
where his operations have been attended almost
invariably with success, and from this source
he has derived a considerable income. He has
erected a number of houses, and has at present
over one hundred houses equipped throughout
with all modern appliances, which are for sale
on very easy terms, thus giving to people with
moderate means an opportunity to own their
homes. To him is due the credit of transform-
ing many sites which were formerly waste
tracts of land, or occupied with unsightly
structures, by the erection of new and archi-
tecturally beautiful buildings for business and
residential purposes. Owners wishing to dis-
pose of their holdings will find quick results
by listing same at his office, 1440 Flatbush ave-
nue, Brooklyn. He is also a broker for all the
fi-re insurance companies of Brooklyn and vi-
cinity.
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