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HISTORY 

■•"■V" 

OF 

MIDDLESEX COUNTY 

NEW JERSEY 
1664=1920 

UNDER THE ASSOCIATE EDITORSHIP 

OP 

JOHN P. WALL AND HAROLD E. PICKERSGILL 

ASSISTED BY AN 

Able Corps of Local Historians 

HISTORICAL=BIOGRAPHICAL 

****** 

Volume III 



1921 
LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. 

NEW YORK AND CHICAGO 

. CKMVf l,T.|i Y 

M.I;AkY 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



BIOGRAPHICAL 

PETER FRANCIS DALY, the County Judge of the county of Mid- 
dlesex, has been one of the foremost and most forceful leaders in the 
civic, professional and governmental life of this historic county since 
his very early manhood, and his prestige with its people generally and 
their esteem and affection for him have constantly grown stronger and 
deeper with the years. First elevated to this position of large respon- 
sibility as well as power by Governor Woodrow Wilson in April, 191 1, 
he was reappointed by Governor James F. Fielder in 1916, and again in 
1921 by Governor Edward I. Edwards — three terms in succession, a 
record in this respect unprecedented in the history of the office, in this 
county at least. 

He was born in New York City on May 19, 1867, son of Timothy 
Edward and Catharine (O'Grady) Daly, natives of the County Galway, 
Ireland. The family moved to New Brunswick when he was seven years 
of age, and there he has since resided. He attended St. Peter's Parochial 
School and later the Livingston Avenue High School. At the age of 
seventeen he entered the law office of Senator James H. Van Cleef, and in 
November, 1888, was admitted to the New Jersey bar, being then in 
his twenty-first year. Soon afterward he became a partner in the law 
firm of Van Cleef, Daly & Woodbridge, the other members being Senator 
Van Cleef, and the Hon. Freeman Woodbridge, now judge of the District 
Court of the city of New Brunswick. This partnership continued for 
three years, and since then he has continued the general practice of 
his profession alone. 

During the first ten years of Judge Daly in the general practice of 
the law, he was engaged in most of the important criminal cases tried 
in Middlesex county, but since has given his attention almost entirely 
to the practice of the other branches of the law. Because of his nineteen 
years experience in the surrogate's office and ten years as judge of the 
Orphans' Court, he is recognized by the profession as a specialist in 
matters of probate law and procedure. He has also had an unusually 
wide experience and practice in municipal law. He was county counsel 
for four years from May, 1899, and was the attorney who directed the 
incorporations of the boroughs of South River, Roosevelt and Spots- 
wood, and has been the counsel for those municipalities as well as for 
the townships of Piscataway, Raritan, Monroe, East Brunswick and 
Sayreville, and the borough of Helmetta. Since its organization in 1895, 
he has been counsel to the Workingmen's Building and Loan Association 
of New Brunswick, New Jersey, one of the most progressive and sub- 
stantial corporations of the kind in the State. 

Judge Daly's first elective public office was that of alderman of the 
Sixth Ward of New Brunswick. The vote for him in the ward where he 
had lived since childhood was three hundred above the next highest 
candidate on his ticket. During his term of two years on the board of 



212 MIDDLESEX 

aldermen, 1894 to 1896, he was its leader and the chairman of the finance 
committee. This period included what was called the "great refunding 
year," the most important epoch in the financial history of the city up 
to that time. He was also chairman of the sewerage committee, and in 
that position he established the beginning of a general sewerage system 
in his own ward — the Sixth, personally securing the right of way for 
the trunk line over private properties, more than a mile in length, and 
without a cent's cost to the city. Because of the increase of other public 
and professional duties he could not accept a reelection, though the same 
was assured to him without opposition. 

He was deputy-surrogate of the county of Middlesex during 
the two terms of the Honorable Leonard Furman as surrogate 
from 1892 to 1902, and succeeded him through election to the office of 
surrogate. He was elected twice, and at his election in 1902 he ran 
nine hundred votes ahead of his ticket, and at his reelection in 1907 he 
was eighteen hundred votes ahead of his ticket. There was over a year 
and a half of his second term left when he was made county judge by 
Governor Wilson. 

During the period of the World-wide War, Peter Francis Daly, 
through the profoundly efficient discharge of the broad and varied duties 
of his high official county position — made abnormally onerous and exact- 
ing by the extraordinary conditions of the times ; through his distinctive 
genius in the work of organizing popular movements, his tireless energy, 
his stirring eloquence and his strong hold upon the imagination and 
good will of the people and their admiration for the intensity and zeal 
of his Americanism, was indisputably the most outstanding leader and 
chief spokesman of America's cause in this county of one hundred and 
sixty-eight thousand people and which embraces within its confines so 
many different racial strains. 

Judge Daly was chairman of the county legal advisory board, with 
former Senator Theodore Strong and Judge Freeman Woodbridge as 
associate members. This board, under authority of the United States 
government, had the general supervision and direction of the Selective 
Service Law as well as many other serious duties confidentially as well 
as publicly assigned to them. He organized the Patriotic Force of 
the city of New Brunswick, composed of five representatives from each 
of one hundred and twenty-six distinct organizations of the county 
seat and its immediate vicinity, representative of all that went to make 
up the civic, religious; social, fraternal, industrial, professional, educa- 
tional, mercantile and financial life of the territory and making a power- 
ful unity and cohesion of every element of the community. He was 
active in the executive work and direction of all the Liberty Loan Drives 
and of the campaigns of the Red Cross, Y. M. C. A. and Salvation Army, 
and was chairman of the Knights of Columbus War Drive and treasurer 
of the Jewish Relief War Drive and a director of the United War Drive. 

Judge Daly is a Democrat, and for twenty years before he went 
on the bench was second to none in his constant, prominent and arduous 
activities and labors in the organization, councils and leadership of the 



BIOGRAPHICAL 213 

party, and throughout all that time was recognizedly its leading advocate 
on the public platform. For a number of years he was chairman of the 
Middlesex County Democratic Executive Committee. 

Upon the organization of the present Middlesex County Bar Asso- 
ciation, Judge Daly was unanimously elected its first president, and has 
since actively continued his membership therein; he is also a member 
of the American Bar Association. He was the founder and first grand 
knight of New Brunswick Council of the Knights of Columbus, and is 
a charter member and past exalted ruler of the New Brunswick Lodge 
of Elks and is a member of the Royal Arcanum. For a number of years 
he was an officer of the University Extension Society of Rutgers College, 
and is on the executive committee of the Dante Society of the city of 
New Brunswick. His clubs are the Union, New Brunswick Country 
Club; also the East Jersey Club of Perth Amboy and the old Colony 
of New York City, of which latter he is a director. He is a member of 
St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church. 

After ten years' service on the bench, the reappointment of Judge 
Daly was generally and earnestly urged from every section of the county 
and by people in every walk in life, and Governor Edwards made the 
reappointment and it was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. A 
splendid tribute to the judge was the petition of the lawyers advocating 
his reappointment, and a most remarkable tribute it was, as well, from 
the fact that it was signed by every practicing lawyer in the whole 
county, save two or three. This petition, the work of the lawyers 
themselves, and done entirely upon their own initiative and because 
of their admiration, esteem and affection for the man and their desire 
for an impartial, able and exalted administration of law and justice, not 
only faithfully expressed their own estimate but that of the people 
generally of Judge Daly as a man, a citizen and a jurist. It was as 
follows : 

The members of the Bar of Middlesex county are interested in seeing the judicial 
aflfairs of our county administered in a capable, dignified and honest manner, and 
because of this do most respectfully petition your Excellency to reappoint as County 
Judge of the County of Middlesex, the Honorable Peter Francis Daly, who has for 
ten years most signally honored that position. 

The reasons moving us to urge this appointment are: During the ten years 
that Judge Daly has acted as County Judge, he has shown an extraordinary keen 
grasp of the legal questions that were involved in the administration of the probate 
law, the criminal law, and the many and varied duties imposed upon him as such 
Judge; he has been fair and just in his determination of all matters brought before 
him and his decisions have been rendered conscientiously with regard_ only for right 
and justice. Never during that time has the least hint of bias or prejudice, affecting 
his public acts, been breathed. His industry is meeting the great volume of work 
that has come before him has been unflagging and the public's business has been 
handled by him with skill and dispatch. 

On many occasions he has been singularly distinguished by the Justices of the 
Supreme Court to preside over important cases in other counties and his work in 
such counties as well as in his own county whenever taken up for review by higher 
courts has been uniformly approved. 

Just, fearless and capable as Peter Francis Daly has been as the Judge, he 
has always been a man of large and generous heart desirous of blending mercy with 
justice in every justifiable case and ever ready to lend a sympathetic ear to worthy 
petitions for clemency addressed to him. He has treated the ba_r_ and litigants with 
consideration and courtesy; and both on the bench and as a citizen, he has taken 
an active, honorable and leading part in every movement, having for its end the 



214 ' MIDDLESEX 

relief of suffering, the inculcation of patriotism and the advancement of American- 
ization. His time and talents have been at the service of the people of the State, at 
all the charitable, educational and patriotic organizations, who, both before, durmg 
and after the War, have been of such great service to our country. 

We feel that the record of this faithful, conscientious and able Judge, who has 
so richly earned the esteem, confidence and afifection of the people of this county, 
entitles him to reappointment; and are glad of this opportunity to express to Your 
Excellency our approbation of him and of his work and our earnest hope that you 
will reappoint him to this high office in which he has so eminently distinguished 
himself and which he is so particularly fitted to fill by temperament, training, experi- 
ence, knowledge, heart and rare good judgment. 

Judge Daly married, September 25, 1893, at the Church of the Sacred 
Heart, New Brunswick, Mary Rose Mansfield, daughter of William and 
Margaret (Fitzgerald) Mansfield, her father a member of the firm of 
Harding & Mansfield, wholesale and retail shoe dealers. Mrs. Daly died 
January 13, 1917. Judge and Mrs. Daly had one daughter, Margaret 
Mansfield, who married William Thornton Campbell, of New Brunswick, 
June 5, 1920. 

GOVERNOR JOSEPH BLOOMFIELD, fourth governor of New 
Jersey under Revolutionary and State governments, traced his descent 
from Henry Bloomfield, of Woodbridge, Suffolkshire, England, who fled 
from England in Cromwell's time and came to Newburyport, Massachu- 
setts, in 1632. The line is traced frpm the founder through his son 
Thomas, of whom further. 

(II) Thomas Bloomfield, son of Henry Bloomfield, came from Eng- 
land with his father, and accompanied by his sons: John; Thomas (2), 
of whom further ; Nathaniel ; Ezekiel ; and a daughter, Mary. They 
also settled in Newburyport, Massachusetts. 

(III) Thomas (2) Bloomfield, son of Thomas (i) Bloomfield, mar- 
ried, about 1640, Mary , and their children, born in Ne^yburyport, 

Massachusetts, were: Mary, Sarah, John, Thomas (3), Nathaniel; 
Ezekiel, of whom further ; Rebecca, Ruth, and Timothy. 

Sir George Carteret was appointed governor of New Jersey, and he 
deputized his brother Philip acting governor to go to New Jersey and 
represent him. Philip Carteret settled at Perth Amboy, and made that 
the seat of his government. To induce settlers from New England, he 
sent agents to invite them, and in consequence several persons came 
from Newburyport and settled in the township, later called Woodbridge 
for that of the town in England. Among thoSe who came to Woodbridge 
township, now in Middlesex county. New Jersey, were Thomas Bloom- 
field, William Bloomfield, and five others, who came and patented many 
acres of farm land, in December, 1669. Thomas Bloomfield was a 
freeholder in 1670; represented Woodbridge in Colonial Assembly in 
1670; and Was a magistrate in 1675-80. 

(IV) Ezekiel Bloomfield, son of Thomas (2) and Mary Bloomfield, 
was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, in 1653, died in Woodbridge 
township, Middlesex county. New Jersey, in February, 1702. He was 
a deputy in 1686-87. He married Hope Randolph, and they were the 
parents of: Timothy, Ezekiel (2), Rebecca; Joseph, of further mention; 
Jferemiah, and Nathaniel. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 215 

(V) Joseph Bloomfield, son of Ezekiel and Hope (Randolph) Bloom- 
field, was born in Woodbridge township, Middlesex county, New Jersey ; 
he married Alice Dunham. Joseph Bloomfield held important town 
offices, and was a man of influence. 

(VI) Dr. Moses Bloomfield, son of Joseph and Alice (Dunham) 
Bloomfield, married Sarah Ogden, and they were the parents of four 
children : Governor Joseph, of whom further ; Dr. Samuel ; Nancy, who 
married Dr. Wall; and Hannah, who married General Giles. 

(VII) Governor Joseph Bloomfield, son of Dr. Moses and Sarah 
(Ogden) Bloomfield, was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, October 
18, 1750. He married (first) Mary Mcllvaine; (second) Isabell Ramsey. 
There were no children of these two marriages. Governor Bloomfield 
died at Burlington, New Jersey, October 3, 1823. The following head 
stone marks his grave in St. Mary's Churchyard, Burlington, New Jersey 
(2171 headstone) : 

In memory of Joseph Bloomfield, a soldier of the Revolution, 
late Governor of New Jersey and general in the Army of the United 
.States. He ceased a life of Probity, Benevolence and Public Useful- 
ness, October 3, 1823, in the 70th year of his age. 

In the register of St. Mary's Church is the entry, "October 5, buried 
General Joseph Bloomfield." 

In youth he attended Dr. Enoch Green's School in Deerfield, Cum- 
berland county, New Jersey, and after finishing his school years, began 
the study of law under Cortland Skinner, a former attorney-general 
of New Jersey. He was licensed to practice law in 1775, and in that 
year located at Bridgeton, New Jersey, and began practice. One of his 
first cases was as one of counsel retained by the defendants in a suit 
brought by the owners of a cargo of tea which was taken from a vessel 
at Greenwich, New Jersey, November 22, 1775, and stored there. On 
the night of the day named, forty men took possession of that tea and 
set fire to it. That "Tea Party" antedated the Boston "Tea Party" 
twenty-four days. 

Joseph Bloomfield was commissioned captain of militia by the Pro- 
vincial Congress of New Jersey in 1775, and in 1776 that commission 
was confirmed by the Continental Congress and made to apply to the 
New Jersey Line, Third Battalion, First Establishment. One hundred 
men were recruited in two weeks by Captain Bloomfield and Lieutenant 
Elmer, and in the spring. Captain Bloomfield was on duty in the Mohawk 
Valley, New York. They built Fort Peyton at Herkimer, New York, 
named after a colonel of their regiment. The following November he 
was with his troops at Ticonderoga, and there was named judge advo- 
cate of the army of the North. He was stricken with illness, and on 
Christmas Day, 1776, started for home. At the organization of General 
Maxwell's brigade, February i, 1777, Joseph Bloomfield was made 
captain of the Seventh Company, Third Battalion. On September 11, 
1777, the "Jersey Line" opened the battle of Brandy wine and there Cap- 
tain Bloomfield was wounded. Maxwell's brigade wintered at Valley 
Forge, and when Philadelphia was evacuated by the British, June 18, 



2i6 MIDDLESEX 

1778, he was detached from the main army and with the militia ordered 
to harass Clinton's forces. On June 28, 1778, the "Jersey Line" joined 
the left wing of the army and Maxwell's brigade fought at Monmouth. 
Captain Bloomfield remained in active field service until 1778, when 
he became clerk of the New Jersey Assembly. In 1783 he succeeded 
William Patterson as attorney-general, serving until 1788. 

Captain Bloomfield moved to Burlington after resigning from the 
army, and that town was henceforth his home. In 1791 his name heads 
the list of principal practitioners before the Supreme Court, asking the 
Court to vacate the order compelling the wearing of "bands and gowns ;" 
the Court complied. In 1792 he was presidential elector for George 
Washington and John Quincy Adams. In 1794, as brigadier-general 
of militia, he was sent to Pennsylvania to quell the "Whiskey Insurrec- 
tion." In 1802 he was made chancellor, and at his first Court of Chan- 
cery he asked that he be not addressed as "Excellency." In 1795-1800 
he was mayor of Burlington, and in 1801 was appointed governor of 
New Jersey. In the fall of 1801 the Legislature for the first time was 
Democratic, and at a joint meeting, held October 31st, Joseph Bloom- 
field was elected governor, receiving thirty votes against twenty cast 
for Richard Stockton. In 1802 there was no choice for governor, but 
in 1803 Joseph Bloomfield was elected, was again reelected and held the 
office until 1812, serving the State as governor eleven years. Governor 
Livingston's term only exceeding that of Governor Bloomfield. 

In 1812 Governor Bloomfield was appointed by President Madison 
a brigadier-general, with the rank of general in the army to invade 
Canada. He was at Sacket Harbor, New York, with his brigade in the 
spring of 1813, and later was assigned to the command of the Philadel- 
phia Military District, there remaining until honorably discharged, 
June 15, 1815. He served as Congressman from New Jersey, 1817-21, 
being chairman of the committee on Revolutionary Pensions, and intro- 
duced and forced to passage bills granting pensions to veteran soldiers 
of the Revolution and Revolutionary widows. 

The historian says of General Bloomfield: "He was undoubtedly a 
man of considerable ability, of unquestioned probity, and great benevo- 
lence, and took a very active interest in public affairs not only of those 
relating to the politics of the country, but in many benevolent associa- 
tions. He was always a prominent citizen in whatever community he 
lived, and his influence has ever been lifted for the right." 

Governor Bloomfield was president of the Society of the Cincinnati, 
and for many years president of the New Jersey Society for the Aboli- 
tion of Slavery, the object of the society being to protect slaves from 
abuse and to assist them to obtain their liberty by legal proceedings. 
Bloomfield, New Jersey, was named in his honor, and he was recognized 
as a man of ability and worth. He was elected a trustee of Princeton 
College in 1793. Governor Bloomfield's last public service was as Con- 
gressman. He was elected by the Democrats in 1816, and retired March 
4, 1821. He died about two years later. He was deputy grand master 
of the Masons of New Jersey in 1795-96-97-98, and grand master in 
1 799- 1 800. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 217 

WILLIAM BLOOMFIELD, father of Charles A. Bloomfield, of 
Metuchen, New Jersey, is a son of Smith Bloomfield, and a collateral 
relative of Governor Joseph Bloomfield. William Bloomfield was born 
in New York City, February 8, 1808, and there died at his residence, 
No. 28 Dominick street, January 23, 1879, in his seventy-first year. His 
father, Smith Bloomfield, was a builder of New York City, and gave 
his son the best school advantages. William Bloomfield graduated with 
distinction from Rutgers College, and soon after began the study of 
law with Judge John L. Mason, a former judge of the Superior Court. 
In 1832 he was admitted to the New York bar, and in 1838 entered into 
a partnership with Thomas McElrath and Charles P. Daly, he the 
youngest member of the firm of McElrath, Bloomfield & Daly. That 
firm engaged in lucrative practice until 1841, when Thomas McElrath 
withdrew, and with Horace Greeley he published the daily New York 
"Tribune," under the firm name of Greeley & McElrath. It was Mr. 
McElrath's judicious management, and his business sagacity, upholding_ 
Mr. Greeley's editorial genius, that placed that journal on its foundation 
of prosperity. Charles P. Daly was the junior member of the firm, 
although but twenty-eight years of age and in law practice but five years ; 
in 1844 he was appointed judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Judge 
Daly held that office by appointment, then by election, until compelled 
to retire under the age limit of the law. Such were the two law partners 
of William Bloomfield, and to neither was he inferior. After Judge 
Daly's retirement from the firm in 1844 to go on the bench, Mr. Bloom- 
field assumed the entire burden of practice, and for thirty-five years 
conducted a very large law business in the city of New York. His great 
reputation was made as chamber counsel, he rarely appearing in the 
public courts. He was learned in the law, skilled in its application, wise 
in counsel, but far too modest and unassuming for a public advocate. 
Yet he was a powerful pleader and debater, his arguments in chambers 
carrying great weight. His well-stored, logical mind went quickly to 
the kernel of a question, and his opinions on any question of law, par- 
ticularly the law of real estate, was confidently relied upon. His high 
reputation brought him many difficult and intricate cases, and his judg- 
ments were so clear and convincing, and so in accord with the highest 
law, that they were almost always confirmed by the courts when any 
litigant rashly appeared. 

Judge Bloomfield's clients relied upon him absolutely ; he was a most 
valuable citizen, and a lawyer who combined the highest integrity and 
the most delicate sense of honor with the greatest sagacity in all legal 
matters. 

William Bloomfield married. May 24, 1834, Catherine Van Mater 
Croes, daughter of the Rev. John Croes, of Christ Church, of New 
Brunswick, New Jersey, and granddaughter of the Rt. Rev. John Croes, 
first Protestant Episcopal Bishop of the State of New Jersey. To 
William and Catherine Van M. (Croes) Bloomfield seven children were 
born: i. Smith, deceased, a well known lawyer and a member of the 
Board of Education of New York City. 2. John Croes, who fought in 



2i8 MIDDLESEX 

the Civil War and became a lieutenant-colonel through promotion in the 
different grades from that of a private ; he died in Akron, Ohio, in his 
seventy-first year. 3. Eleanor Van Mater, died unmarried. 4. William 
(2), died young. 5. Thomas Blanch, an eminent physician at the time 
of his death, who lived at Saybrook, Connecticut. 6. Jessie, unmarried, 
died at the age of seventy years. 7. Charles A., of further mention in 
the following sketch. Judge' Bloomfield was buried from old St. John's 
Church in Varick street, of which he was an active member and long- 
time vestryman. 

CHARLES A. BLOOMFIELD, like his eminent father, William 
Bloomfield (q. v.), the well known New York attorney, was also destined 
for the law, and was in practice for a time, but he had little liking for 
his profession and he abandoned practice, organized The Bloomfield 
Clay Company, and has been a leading figure in the clay and ceramic 
business for fnany years. He is now a resident of the town of Metuchen, 
in Middlesex county, New Jersey, his home a historic homestead that 
has been in the family since his first ancestor came from Massachusetts 
in 1639 and bought it from the Indians. 

Charles A. Bloomfield is a collateral relative of General Joseph Bloom- 
field, who was governor of New Jersey for eleven years, and the grand 
master of New Jersey Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, in 1799 
and 1800. Another monument to the family name is found in Bloom- 
field, formerly a suburb of Newark, New Jersey, named after Governor 
Bloomfield, a deeply religious man, who assisted in the building of the 
old Bloomfield church. The home in which Mr. Bloomfield resides at 
Metuchen is a rare old building; his library is trimmed and decorated 
with the finest black walnut, hewn from a tree that grew on the old farm 
a hundred and eighty-seven years ago. During the World War, 1917-18, 
he kept "open house" for the officers on duty at the Raritan arsenal, 
only a short distance away, standing on land taken over by the govern- 
ment, a part of which was formerly owned by Mr. Bloomfield. 

Charles A. Bloomfield was born in New York City, February 25, 1849, 
the son of William and Catherine Van M. (Croes) Bloomfield (q. v.), 
grandson of Smith Bloomfield, a well known builder of New York City, 
and great-grandson of Dr. Samuel Bloomfield of the seventh American 
generation. He began his education under private teaching, and when 
about ten years of age became a pupil at Summit Academy, Summit, 
New Jersey, remaining there until 1863. He was next a pupil at Dr. 
Hunter's old No. 35 Public School, Thirteenth street and Sixth avenue, 
said to have been the best school in New York City in its time. From 
that school he passed to the Free Academy, afterward known as the 
College of the City of New York, there remaining until 1867. He began 
the study of law under his father, formerly a member of the firm of 
McElrath, Bloomfield & Daly, and one of the distinguished lawyers of 
New York City, but after five years, which to him were exceedingly 
distasteful, he left the law and entered business life, and so continues, 
although more than forty years have since elapsed. 




/sfumJU A- Q^JoiJxM) 



BIOGRAPHICAL 219 

Mr. Bloomfield entered the clay business, near the family home at 
Metuchen, and organized The Bloomfield Clay Company to work the 
clay beds or mines that the company owned on Raritan Ridge. He has 
been connected with clay manufacturing until the present time, and is 
one of the most prominent men in the State. He was president of the 
National Brick Manufacturers' Association in 1912 and 1913, and has 
held a similar position with the New Jersey Clay Workers' Association. 
He has taken a deep interest in ceramics, and was the founder of the 
Department of Ceramics in the State Agricultural College at New Bruns- 
wick, which is part of Rutgers College. He is a veteran of the old New 
York Seventh Regiment, National Guard, and was once president of 
the Masonic Veterans' Association of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. 

There is no better known man in the clay and ceramic industry, and 
the Bloomfield name is equally well known in the Masonic order. On 
May 12, 1921, Charles A. Bloomfield celebrated the fiftieth anniversary 
of his Masonic birthday, having been made a Mason on that date, in 
1871, in Belleville Lodge, No. 108, Free and Accepted Masons, Belle- 
ville, New Jersey, later taking a demit to help form Mount Zion Lodge, 
Free and Accepted Masons, when Metuchen became his home. The 
members of Mount Zion Lodge, together with a number of distinguished 
guests from the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, gave him a banquet in 
celebration of his fiftieth anniversary as a Mason on this occasion. At 
a previous session of the Grand Lodge of the State of New Jersey Free 
and Accepted Masons, Mr. Bloomfield presented to that lodge a com- 
mission borne by his distinguished relative. General Joseph Bloomfield, 
a former grand master of the State (1799-1800), and governor of the 
State of New Jersey for eleven years, his the longest term any governor 
of New Jersey ever served, excepting that of Governor Livingston's. 

Charles A. Bloomfield is a member of the Grand Lodge, being past 
master of Mount Zion Lodge, No. 135, Free and Accepted Masons, of 
Metuchen, New Jersey ; is a member of Jerusalem Chapter, No. 8, Royal 
Arch Masons, New York City ; Temple Commandery, No. 18, Knights 
Templar, of New Brunswick, New Jersey; is a thirty-second degree 
Mason, being a member of the Scottish Rite, Valley of New Jersey, 
Jersey City; and a member of Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Newark, New Jersey. He was one 
of the originators of the St. John Guild of New York, and for many years 
its financial secretary. 

Charles A. Bloomfield married, January 20, 1874, in old St. John's 
Episcopal Church, New York City, Mary Andrews, daughter of George 
F. and Mary (Holbert) Andrews, of Orange county. New York, where 
these two families were among the best known people. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Bloomfield two children were born: i. Eleanor Andrews, who resides 
unmarried at the homestead at Metuchen. 2, Howard Weston, a gradu- 
ate of the City College of New York, and a pcst-graduate of the Depart- 
ment of Ceramics of Rutgers College ; he married Anita I. Lundy, 
of Metuchen, and they have three children : Eleanor V. M., Howard L., 
and Harold R. 



220 



MIDDLESEX 



DANIEL COY CHASE.— Prior to 1785, Joseph Chase came from 
England to New England, locating at Fall River, Massachusetts, where 
his son, Stephen Chase, was born in 1785. Stephen Chase served in the 
American army during the War of 1812, and settled at Broadalbin, Ful- 
ton county. New York. There a son, Holden T. Chase, was born, in 1812, 
and he married Phoebe Coy, they the parents of Daniel Coy Chase, the 
principal character in this review. 

Daniel Coy Chase was born in Broadalbin, Fulton county. New 
York, May 4, 1850, and was educated in the public schools there. Later 
he came to New York City, where he was a student at Paine's Business 
College. He began his long successful career in marine affairs October 
16, 1864, as night watchman of steamboats at the Delaware & Raritan 
Canal terminal at the foot of Morton street, New York City. He quickly 
rose in rank with this company, which was then the Camden & Amboy 
railroad, but soon afterward became a part of the Pennsylvania railroad 
system. On October i, 1866, he was made assistant towing agent at 
New York City during the open months of navigation, and in the winter 
months served as freight clerk at New York City and assistant train 
despatcher at Jersey City. He was again promoted October i, 1874, to 
the post of towing agent at New York City, where he also acted as chief 
master and pilot of steamboats. In 1875 he was made general agent of 
the Pennsylvania railroad's New York-Albany and New Brunswick tow- 
ing lines. Again on September i, 1880, he was promoted to the posi- 
tion of superintendent of steam towing for the Pennsylvania railroad, 
a position he held for a number of years. From March i, 1902, to De- 
cember 1, 1905, he also held the position of terminal and shipping agent 
at South Amboy, and in 1906 he was made superintendent of the lighter- 
age department of the company's business. After the railroads passed 
under Federal control in 191 7, Mr. Chase was advanced to a higher 
position, his title being consulting superintendent, and he acted in an 
advisory capacity on many of the most important maritime and railroad 
affairs in this section of the country. 

On all matters pertaining to lighterage business of the harbor and 
its relation to admiralty law, he is an authority, his long connection with 
such work having compelled him to study the subject from every angle. 
Harbor, pilot and tow boat laws and duties are all familiar subjects. He 
has been called on many times by the National and State governments, 
as well as by other large bodies, to render decisions in such matters. It 
was partially through his efforts that Congress appropriated large sums 
of money for much needed improvement of the navigable channels in 
New Jersey and New York harbors. Mr. Chase has invented and 
patented many devices and attachments used in tugs and barges, and 
originated the duplex system used by the towing department. Besides 
these he was the first to designate the system of painting steamboat 
stacks with designs to describe their ownership. The keystone on the 
Pennsylvania Railroad boats is a design originated by Mr. Chase, and 
many other companies have followed this custom. 

In April, 1889, Captain Chase was appointed by Governor Robert S. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 221 

Green a member of the Board of Commissioners of Pilotage for the State 
of New Jersey, a post he ably filled until his retirement in 1906. In 
1894 he was chosen president of the board. For upwards of fifty years 
Captain Chase was an active pilot master and engineer on local and coast- 
wise waters, having a license for such duties should occasion arise. 

Other interests have claimed him outside his railroad duties; for 
years he was president of the South Amboy Lumber and Builders' Supply 
Company ; for a long time he was a director of the Maple Realty Com- 
pany; and vice-president of the First National Bank of South Amboy. 
He was one of the organizers and the first president of the Raritan River 
Railroad Company, and for years was a member of its board of directors. 
He organized the Perth Amboy Dry Dock of Perth Amboy, and was its 
first president. Later he organized the Raritan Dry Dock Company, and 
likewise was its first president, being president of both these companies 
at the same time. 

A Democrat in politics, Captain Chase has held many offices of public 
trust. He was at one time chosen freeholder of Middlesex county, and 
in 1884 he was elected State Senator from this county. While Senator 
he drafted, introduced and pressed to passage the bill creating the bor- 
ough of South Amboy in 1887; that borough, in appreciation of his 
work, elected him for five successive terms as mayor. In 1894 he was 
the choice of his party in the New Jersey Third Congressional District, 
but declined the nomination for Congressman. Mr. Chase is a member 
of the Railroad Club ; the Traffic Club ; the Maritime Exchange of New 
York; the National Board of Steam Navigation, and a member of the 
legislative and executive committees. He has been for years chairman 
of the legislative committee of the New Jersey-New York State Chamber 
of Commerce, and has performed notable service in securing legislation 
of benefit to those interested in anchorage and navigable waterways' 
questions. He is a long time president of the Board of Health of South 
Amboy in addition to his other local activities, also president of the local 
Chamber of Commerce. For several years he was president of the 
Maritime Reporter Publishing Company of New York City, publishers 
of the well known "Maritime Reporter." 

In the Masonic order. Captain Chase is a past master of St. Stephen's 
Lodge, No. 63, Free and Accepted Masons, of South Amboy; a com- 
panion of the Royal Arch Masons ; a Knight Templar ; and a noble of 
Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He 
is also a member of the Order of United American Mechanics; the Im- 
proved Order of Red Men; Pennsylvania Railroad Benevolent Society; 
Telegraphers' Benevolent Association ; Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation; various automobile clubs; trustee and deacon of the Baptist 
church of South Amboy, and a member of Chase Lodge, Independent 
Order of Foresters, which was named in his honor. 

Such in brief has been the career of a man now retired to the privacy 
of his beautiful home in South Amboy, and a man of extraordinary 
keenness of mind and good health for one of his years. He numbers 
among his friends everyone who knows him in the community in which 



222 MIDDLESEX 

he lives, and all over the State and country men of influence and wealth 
claim his friendship. A leader among men, he has not sought his own 
ends, but all organizations and enterprises with which he has been con- 
nected have been benefited, strengthened and advanced through his 
connection with them. Besides his leadership in many things, he has 
appeared upon many platforms, and has won more than local fame as 
a speaker. It can be truly said that Captain Chase is a citizen of the 
first rank, and his home town gladly claims him, Middlesex county is 
well represented by his presence, and New Jersey is benefited by such 
citizenship. 

M. IRVING DEMAREST.— The family of Demarest, so influential 
in New Jersey, descends from Jean Des Marets, a French Huguenot, who 
with his family fled from France and sought refuge in Holland, settling 
at Middelburg, on the Island of Walcheren, in Zealand. His son, David 
Demarest, as the name became in this country, came to New Amsterdam 
on the ship "Bontecou" (Spotted Cow), April i6, 1663, and finally settled 
on the tract which he bought in Bergen county, on the Hackensack river, 
known as the French patent, where he hoped to establish a colony of 
French refugees. That land was originally bought from the Indians in 
1677, but owing to the fact that it lay partly in New York and partly in 
New Jersey, David Demarest found difficulty in procuring a valid title, 
and it is said that before he did come into peaceful and undisputed pos- 
session he paid for his land four times the original purchase price. He 
moved with several other Huguenot families to the tract in 1686, and 
there died, in 1693. He married, at Middelburg, Island of Walcheren, 
Zealand, Marie Sohier, and they were the parents of two sons : David 
and Samuel, both of whom married. From David and Marie Demarest 
sprang the numerous ancient and honorable Demarest families. 

M. Irving Demarest, of Woodbridge, New Jersey, is a son of William 
H. and Agnes (Van Derveer) Demarest, his mother of equally ancient 
and honorable family. William H. Demarest was born in Woodbridge, 
and there died, in 1903, after a long and useful life. He was for many 
years and until his death engaged in the coal business which he founded 
and which after his passing was sold to Thomas F. Dunigan. Mr. Dema- 
rest was active in town affairs, and was one of the organizers of the 
First Congregational Church of Woodbridge, and from its organiza- 
tion, in 1876, until his passing, in 1903, was a member of its board of 
trustees. 

M. Irving Demarest was born in Woodbridge, Middlesex county. 
New Jersey, July 23, 1876, and there attended the public schools until 
he was sixteen years of age. He then became associated with his father 
in the coal business, continuing with him for two years, 1892-94, then 
formed a connection with E. J. Gillis & Company, dealers in teas and 
coffees, at No. 245 Washington street. New York City, as traveling 
salesman. He traveled for that company for two years, then in 1896 
entered the employ of Gorham L. Boynton, a contractor of Sewaren, New 
Jersey. Mr. Boynton was also the agent for the owners of the Sewaren 



BIOGRAPHICAL 223 

tract, and when in 1899 he retired from the business, Mr. Demarest suc- 
ceeded him and still fills the position. In 19Q7 he began taking contracts 
for road building and has since built roads all over the State of New 
Jersey. He is still active in the contracting field, and in that field has 
gained high reputation. He is vice-president of the First National Bank 
of Woodbridge, and a man universally respected and esteemed. 

In 1903 Mr. Demarest was elected clerk of Woodbridge township, 
serving three years. In 1906 he was appointed clerk of the Middlesex 
county Board of Chosen Freeholders, holding that position four years. 
He is a member of the Masonic order, holding the thirty-second degree 
of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite ; is a noble of the Mystic Shrine ; 
a mem^ber of the Perth Amboy Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order 
of Elks; the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and the Royal Ar- 
canum. He is a member of the First Congregational Church of Wood- 
bridge, a society his father aided in organizing in the year his son was 
born, 1876. 

Mr. Demarest married, in Sewaren, New Jersey, June 25, 1901, 
Elizabeth B. Voorhees, of ancient New Jersey family, daughter of J. Van 
Cleef and Isabel (Voorhees) Voorhees. Mr. and Mrs. Demarest are the 
parents of a son, Irving Voorhees Demarest, bom May i, 1904, now a 
student at Blair Academy, Blairstown, New Jersey. The family home 
is in Sewaren, New Jersey. 



MORGAN FOSTER LARSON, a well known civil engineer of 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in spite of his years, has already earned a 
distinction in his particular line of work which might be the envy of a 
much older man. His efforts have been so discerningly directed along 
well defined lines that his may already be called a successful life in the 
true sense of the word. 

Peter Larson, father of Morgan F. Larson, was born in Denmark, 
July 4, 1849, and came to this country at the age of twenty-two years, 
settling in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where he has ever since resided 
and where he is the owner of a blacksmith shop and wagon factory 
located on Prospect street. He is a staunch Republican in politics, 
and takes a keen and lively interest in the principles of his party. He 
married Regina Knudsen, a native of Denmark, having been born there, 
October 31, 1848; she came to Perth Amboy when a young woman and 
has since resided in this city. Mr. and Mrs. Larson are the parents of 
five children : George T., born August 6, 1878, a member of the city fire 
department of Perth Amboy, is married, and has four children; Louisa, 
bom April 11, 1880, wife of Thomas Jensen, and has one child; Morgan 
Foster, of further mention; Peter, born October 3, 1884, a blacksmith 
by trade, is married, and has one child ; Edward, died in infancy. 

Morgan Foster Larson was born in Perth Amboy, June 15, 1882, a 
son of Peter and Regina (Knudsen) Larson. He received his prelimi- 
nary education in the local public schools, later matriculating in Cooper 
Union University, from which he was graduated B. C. in 1907, and 
immediately established himself as an engineer in his native city, receiv- 



224 MIDDLESEX 

ing that same year the appointment of county engineer, which position 
he held for three years. In 191 1, he received his degree of Civil Engi- 
neer, and the year previous he formed a partnership with Alvin B. Fox 
and this still exists under the name of Larson & Fox. In 191 7, Mr. 
Larson was appointed city engineer of Perth Amboy, and township 
engineer of Woodbridge, which offices he still holds. 

A Republican in politics, he is peculiarly popular in the organization 
and has for the past four years been president of the Perth Amboy 
Republican Club. He has ever identified himself with the interests of 
the community in which he resides, and his executive ability is well 
recognized, in consequence of which he is a director of the Perth Amboy 
Trust Company and also director and one of the organizers of the Perth 
Amboy Building and Loan Association. In religion he is a Lutheran 
and a member of Grace Lutheran Church. He is prominent in many of 
the fraternal organizations, being a member of Lodge No. 61, Free and 
Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 784. 

Mr. Larson married, January 7, 1914, Jennie Brogger, a daughter 
of L. C. N. and Karen (Larson) Brogger. Mr. and Mrs. Larson have 
no children. 

No citizen of the community is more highly respected than he, his 
fellow-citizens recognizing his merit and rejoicing in his advancement 
and the honors which he has attained. Honorable in business, loyal in 
citizenship, charitable in thought, kindly in action, true to every trust 
confided to his care, his life is worthy of emulation, and gives promise of 
future success. 



CHARLES R. SIMMEN, son of Theodore and Marie (Lecker) Sim- 
men, was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, November 12, 1881, but two 
years later his parents moved to Perth Amboy, where Theodore Simmen 
engaged first in the pottery business, but later was engaged in the 
management of a bakery. 

Charles R. Simmen was educated in Perth Amboy public schools. 
Since leaving school he has been principally employed as a baker, having 
been taught that trade by his father. He continued with his father so 
long as the latter was in the business, then joined forces with his 
brother, and with him is now associated in the Simmen's Model Bakery, 
at Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Simmen is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men and 
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, being past sachem of the 
former, and at present (1921) exalted ruler of the latter. He is a Repub- 
lican in politics. 

Mr. Simmen married, at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in June, 1907, 
Ella Hughes, daughter of Henry and Mary (Ryan) Hughes, of Perth 
Amboy. Mr. and Mrs. Simmen are the parents of two daughters : Marie 
and Eugenia. The family home is at No. 122 Lewis street, Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey. 





^PH^'C-C^-O 




BIOGRAPHICAL 225 

LOUIS A. VOORHEES— The surname Voorhees is of early Dutch 
origin and traces to an ancestor known as Albert of Voorhees, who 
resided before (voor) the village of Hees, in the Province of Drenthe, 
Holland. 

(I) The American progenitor of this branch is Steven Coerte Van 
Voorhees, who emigrated from "before the village of Hees," Holland, 
in April, 1660, in the ship "Bontekoe" (spotted cow), whose captain was 
Pieter Lucassen. He purchased, November 29, 1660, from Cornelius 
Dircksen Hoogland, nine morgens of cornland, seven morgens of wood- 
land, ten morgens of plainland, and five morgens of salt meadow in 
Flatlands, Long Island, for three thousand guilders, also the house 
and houseplot lying in the village of "Amesfoort en Bergen" (Flatlands), 
with the brewery and all the brewery apparatus, kettle house and casks, 
with the appurtenances. He had seven children. 

(II) Lucus Stevense Van Voorhees, son of Steven Coerte Van 
Voorhees, was born at Flatlands, Long Island, and married Catherine 
Hansen Van Noortstrand. They had seven children. 

(III) Jan Lucasse Van Voorhees, son of Lucas Stevense and Cather- 
ine Hansen (Van Noortstrand) Van Voorhees, married Mayke R. 
Schenck, and removed in 1717 to Six Mile Run, Somerset county. New 
Jersey. 

(IV) Isaac Voorhees, son of Jan Lucasse and Mayke R. (Schenck) 
Van Voorhees, married Helena, daughter of Derrick Barkaloo, and 
resided in the vicinity of New Brunswick. 

(V) David Voorhees, son of Isaac and Helena (Barkaloo) Voor- 
hees, married Eve Oakey, and resided in New Brunswick. They had 
seven children. Mr. Voorhees partcipated in the Revolutionary War, 
and in 1781 was a lieutenant of the New Jersey Militia. 

(VI) Ira Condict Voorhees, son of David and Eve (Oakey) Voor- 
hees, married Ann Rolfe Holbert, and they had three children. 

(VII) Charles Holbert Voorhees, son of Ira Condict and Ann Rolfe 
(Holbert) Voorhees, and father of Louis A. Voorhees, was a physician 
for many years in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and also served as 
county physician. During the Civil War, he took an active part in the 
medical corps. He mairied Charlotte Bournonville, and to them were 
born four children: Ira Condict (2), a resident of New Brunswick; 
Vanderbilt Spader, a resident of New Brunswick; Anthony Bournon- 
ville, of Belmar, New Jersey ; and Louis A., of further mention. 

(VIII) Louis A. Voorhees, son of Charles Holbert and Charlotte 
(Bournonville) Voorhees, was born March. 6, 1865, in the old home- 
stead in which he now resides, at No. iii Carroll place. New Bruns- 
wick, New Jersey. His education was obtained at the private school of 
Miss Ten-Broeck, Rutgers College Grammar School, from which he 
was graduated in 1881, and Rutgers College, where he obtained the 
degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1885, and Master of Arts in 1888. In 1885, 
after completing his studies, he secured a position as assistant chemist 
with the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, subsequently 
being promoted to chief chemist in 1895, which office he held for ten 

Mid-19 



226 MIDDLESEX 

years. As such, he prepared many of the bulletins that went out from 
that office for the instruction and edification of the agricultural com- 
munities. At present (1920), he is chemist in the Department of Health 
of the city of New Brunswick. In 1899, he formed an association in 
company with E. N. Bedford and George Kuhn, which instigated the 
plan of purchasing what had been the Remsen Avenue Baptist Church 
and converting it into the Masonic Temple of New Brunswick, of which 
association he became its first secretary and is still holding that office. 

Mr. Voorhees has delved deep into the technicalities and intricacies 
of his profession, and, in consequence, is a member of many of its lead- 
ing societies, among them being: The American Chemical Society; 
the American Electro-Chemical Society; the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science ; the New Jersey Chemical Society ; and 
the Society of Chemical Industry, of London, England. He is also 
prominent in Masonic circles, being past master of Union Lodge, No. 
19, Free and Accepted Masons ; formerly high priest of Scott Chapter, 
No. 4, Royal Arch Masons ; past thrice illustrious master of Scott Coun- 
cil, No. I, Royal and Select Masters; a member of Temple Commandery, 
No. 18, Knights Templar; New Jersey Consistory, Ancient Accepted 
Scottish Rite, and Mecca Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the 
Mystic Shrine. He is also affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective 
Order of Elks, New Brunswick Lodge, No. 324, and is a member of the 
Sons of the American Revolution. His clubs are : The Chemist Club, 
of New York City; the Middlesex Automobile Club, of which he is 
secretary; the New Jersey Automobile and Motor Club of Newark; 
and he also holds the office of secretary of the State Automobile Associa- 
tion known as the Associated Automobile Clubs of New Jersey. He is a 
member of Phi Beta Kappa fraternity, and Delta Upsilon. 

On October 24, 1900, Mr. Voorhees was united in marriage with 
May Wilcox, daughter of Theodore and Annie (Stroud) Wilcox, of 
New Brunswick. Mr. and Mrs. Voorhees have no children. 



FRANK NEER. — For many years Frank Neer was a well known 
figure in the social, business and political circles of Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey. The Neers were an old and highly respected family in Hol- 
land, and came to this country in the very early history of the American 
colonies. 

Mr. Neer's father was Charles Neer. He was a farmer by occupa- 
tion, and owned a considerable acreage in Summit, Schoharie county. 
New York. He married Levantia Schermerhorn, who died in Summit. 
They were the parents of five children, of whom Harmon is now living 
at Binghamton, New York; and Emily, widow of David Houck, is also 
a resident of Binghamton. 

Frank Neer, son of Charles and Levantia (Schermerhorn) Neer, was 
born March 18, 1852, in Summit, Schoharie county. New York. It was 
there that he received his early education, which was completed with 
a course at the Charlotteville, New York, Academy. Upon leaving 
school, the young man assisted his father on the farm, but feeling that 



BIOGRAPHICAL 227 

he could win more from life by branching out upon some line of indi- 
vidual effort, he at length decided to leave home. He came to Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, in 1876, and from that time until his death, was 
actively identified with the life of that city. He began as yard master 
in the Lehigh Valley Railroad yards, in which position he remained for 
about ten years. His tastes, however, were along a different' line, and 
in 1887 he made the start that was to mean definite achievement. At 
this time he established, at No. 100 Smith street, a stationery store, 
which is still a feature of the business district of Perth Amboy, having 
been conducted for this very considerable period of time, at the same 
address. For a time Mr. Neer operated the store adjoining, at No. 98 
Smith street, as a confectionery store, but discontinued this, and devoted 
all his time to the stationery and book business. 

Mr. Neer not only dealt in books ; he loved them. His recreation was 
closely akin to his occupation. He spent the greater part of his leisure 
time at home with the choicest volumes of history and fiction, which 
his broad acquaintance with the world of books placed in his hands. 
He was a discriminating and careful reader, and a deep thinker. 

In political affiliation he was a Republican of the old school, and 
while never seeking political preferment, served for some years as a 
member of the Board of Assessors. His interests reached out in many 
directions. He was a member of the Royal Arcanum, and also of the 
East Jersey Club. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
and for many years served on the board of trustees. 

Mr. Neer married, in 1875, at Waverly, New York, Mary E., daughter 
of John and Eliza (Durland) Ball. They were descendants of early 
New England settlers, and both father and mother are now buried at 
Waverly. The father was a Baptist minister. Frank and Mary E. 
(Ball) Neer were the parents of two children: Carolyn, who died in 
Perth Amboy, December 24, 1915; and Anne English. 

Mr. Neer died October 27, 191 7, and since that time, the business, 
to which he had so long devoted his constant attention, has been con- 
ducted by his daughter, Anne E. Neer. 



AMOS WHEATLEY.— Since 1906 Mr. Wheatley has been a resi- 
dent of New Brunswick, New Jersey, a silversmith, conducting a pros- 
perous business. He is of English birth and parentage, and from early 
boyhood has made his own way in the world, beginning when a boy of 
eleven years. He has always been a worker and has always set high 
standards for himself in everything he has done. He bears honorable 
reputation among business men, and in his residence borough, Highland 
Park, has gained public support for borough office. 

Amos Wheatley, son of Isaac and Mary (Crowder) Wheatley, was 
born in Fulford, near York, Yorkshire, England, his father now deceased. 
His youth was spent in Lancashire, England, his education being ob- 
tained in Fallowfield British school, Fallowfield, near Manchester, and 
later for two years he attended night sessions of the Manchester Tech- 
nical School. At the age of eleven years he graduated from Fallowfield 



228 MIDDLESEX 

school and that year began working in an attorney's office on Cross 
street, Manchester, but a few months later became office boy for two 
Danish gentlemen. His next position was taken a few months later 
with the shipping and warehouse business of Eraser Brothers, Limited, 
of Prince street, Manchester. He spent two years with that firm, 
then began learning the trade of 'engraver, continuing until his full 
years of apprenticeship were accomplished. Coming out a finished 
workman, Mr. Wheatley at once established in business in Manchester, 
England, continuing until his departure for Canada to manage a fac- 
tory. Two years later he came to the United States and has been in 
business for himself until the present (1921), being now located at 
No. 83 Albany street. New Brunswick, New Jersey. He is connected 
with the National Bank of New Jersey and the Middlesex Title and 
Trust Company. In 1919 Mr. Wheatley was an independent candidate 
for councilman of Highland Park borough and was elected to serve 
three years. He is a member of Union Lodge, Free and Accepted 
Masons ; past president of the Sons of St. George ; member of Friendship 
Lodge, No. 30, Knights of Pythias; Craftsman's Club; Tall Cedars of 
Lebanon ; and of the First Baptist Church of New Brunswick. 

Mr. Wheatley married, in Memorial Congregational Church, Chorl- 
toncum-Hardy, near Manchester, England, June i, 1899, Mary A. 
Wright. Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley are the parents of seven children: 
I. Frank, born February 22, 1900. 2. Elizabeth Mary, born July 31, 190 1, 
died October 2, 1918. 3. James W., born July 16, 1903. 4. Nora, born 
November 23, 1905, died November 6, 191 3. 5. Amos, born October 5, 
1910. 6. Kathleen, born February 28, 1913. 7. Marguerite, born March 
6, 1916. 



ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON.— Among the younger generation 
of enterprising citizens of this community no name stands out more 
prominently than that of Robert Wood Johnson, mayor of Highland 
Park, New Jersey. Not only has he taken a public-spirited interest in 
municipal concerns, but also the industrial life of the place has claimed 
a large share of his time since 1910. 

Mr. Johnson was born April 4, 1892, the son of Robert W. and 
Evangeline (Armstrong) Johnson. He received his education in Rut- 
gers Preparatory School and Lawrenceville School. In 1910, when the 
business of life commenced for the young man he became an active 
member of the firms of Johnson & Johnson, the Brunswick Refrigerating 
Company, the Chicopee Manufacturing Corporation, and the Neverslip 
Manufacturing Company. He is general superintendent of all operations 
of the Johnson & Johnson concern, and second vice-president and director 
of the other concerns mentioned. 

Mr. Johnson entered political life in 191 7, when for three consecutive 
years he served his community as councilman, and in recognition of 
his capable and disinterested service he was elected mayor of Highland 
Park in 1919. He affiliates with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons 
and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He also holds mem- 



BIOGRAPHICAL 229 

bership in the New Brunswick Board of Trade, the New York Yacht 
Club, the New Brunswick Country Club, the Union Club, the East 
Jersey Club, and the Baltusrol Country Club. In religion he is an 
Episcopalian and attends the church of this denomination at New 
Brunswick. 

Robert Wood Johnson has made his own way and has attained to 
his present position both in the business and political life of the com- 
munity by force of the characteristics which have best fitted him to 
hold it. Such a man is destined, as a matter of course, to still further 
advancement, the past being ample promise for the future. He has 
become very much interested in the Middlesex General Hospital, and 
is vice-president and chairman of its executive committee, and is gen- 
erally interested in philanthropic organizations. 

On October 18, 1917, Mayor Johnson was united in marriage at New 
Brunswick with Elizabeth Dixon Ross, daughter of Millard F. and 
Mary (Dixon) Ross, and to them has been born one child, Robert Wood, 
Jr., October 9, 1920. 



JOHN PAULUS. — Providing for the daily needs of the people, and 
doing this ordinary work in an extraordinary way, is a career worthy 
of the highest endeavor, and deserving of the highest honor. John 
Paulus, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, conducts one of the cleanest 
and most sanitary milk depots in the State. 

Mr. Paulus was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, January 18, 
1883, a son of John and Christina (Kealman) Paulus, both parents having 
been born in Germany. John Paulus, Sr., came to America fifty-four 
years ago, a young man, alone and friendless. Locating immediately 
in New Brunswick, he established the business which the younger man 
is now carrying on, and conducted it until his death, July i, 1901. His 
wife, who is seventy-eight years of age, is now living with this son. 
They were the parents of six children : Adam, a well known cigar maker 
of New Brunswick ; William, deceased ; Joseph, deceased ; Minnie, also 
deceased; Margaret, the wife of Herman Hauer, of New Brunswick; 
and John. 

John Paulus received his education in the public schools of New 
Brunswick, and at the early age of eight years spent his time outside 
of school hours assisting his father in the milk business, which was 
then located on Comstock street. After leaving school the young man 
worked in various factories here in this city until he was eighteen years 
of age. Then his father died, and the son took over the business thus 
left without a head. He has developed it in a remarkable manner, 
broadening its scope and improving the conditions of handling the work. 
In 1909, he removed to the present commodious and up-to-date quar- 
ters, where every kind of modern equipment was installed to perfect 
the methods of caring for and delivering the product. This plant, 
located at Nos. 189 to 193 New street, is a model of cleanliness and 
sanitary perfection. It is the largest milk business in Middlesex county, 
employing twenty-two men, and keening ten wagons and three motor 



230 MIDDLESEX 

delivery machines constantly busy. All milk handled is a local product 
of Somerset and Middlesex counties. 

Mr. Paulus is widely connected, fraternally, and in many ways 
prominent in the life of the city. He is a member of Union Lodge, No. 
19, Free and Accepted Masons; Scott Chapter, No. 4, Royal Arch 
Masons ; Scott Council, No. i. Royal and Select Masters ; Temple Com- 
mandery, No. 18, Knights Templar; Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic 
Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; New Brunswick Forest, No. 12, 
Tall Cedars of Lebanon; New Brunswick Lodge, No. 6, and Middlesex 
Encampment, No. 43, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Friendship 
Lodge, No. 30, Knights of Pythias ; Ahander Tribe, No. 182, Improved 
Order of Red Men; New Brunswick Lodge, No. 324, Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks; Board of Trade, of New Brunswick; Turn 
Verein and Aurora Singing societies. In periods of relaxation, Mr. 
Paulus turns to those pursuits which carry him outside of the conven- 
tionalities of the city, particularly enjoying hunting and fishing. 

Mr. Paulus married (first) Minnie White, who died August 19, 
1918, and their children are as follows: John E., born November 28, 
1903; Chester W., born March 3, 1905; Helen M., born October 7, 1906; 
and Reinhold M., born May 19, 191 1. Mr. Paulus married (second) 
April 16, 1919, Anna Bindseil, daughter of Henry and Louise (Hanna- 
man) Bindseil. The family attend the Reformed church. 



JOHN DAWSON. — In Woodbury, Connecticut, and Metuchen, New 
Jersey, John Dawson engaged in mercantile life, and as a dry goods 
merchant was very successful, accumulating a fortune which enabled 
him to retire prior to his passing away, although he continued in busi- 
ness until a short time before his death. He was born in the eastern 
part of New York State, the son of Hugh and Nancy (Pearsall) Dawson, 
his father also a native of that State. He was a man of public spirit, inter- 
ested in town affairs, and a devout Christian. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh 
Dawson were the parents of ten children, this review following the 
career of their son, John Dawson, of Metuchen, New Jersey. 

John Dawson was born April i, 1833, ^"d died in Metuchen, New 
Jersey, December 7, 1907. He was educated in the public district 
schools, and grew to manhood at the home farm, but when seeking 
a life occupation, chose the career of a merchant, for which he prepared 
through a series of clerkships in dry goods and general stores in differ- 
ent localities about the east. Finally he opened a dry goods store in 
Woodbury, Connecticut, which he operated successfully until his removal 
to Metuchen, New Jersey, where he continued his successful career as a 
dry goods merchant for many years. He was a man of character, and 
his life abounded in good deeds. He was a member of the Dutch Re- 
formed Church, a Republican in politics, and was affiliated with 
Metuchen Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons. He was highly regarded 
by his brethren of the church and fraternity, while as business man and 
citizen his life was beyond reproach. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 231 

Mr. Dawson married, October 22, 1888, in Metuchen, New Jersey, Julia 
M. Thomas, born September 25, 1843, J" Metuchen, daughter of David 
Graham and Anna Elizabeth (Ross) Thomas. In 1880 Mr. Dawson 
erected a dwelling at No. 352 Le Grand avenue, Metuchen, and there 
Mrs. Julia M. Dawson yet resides. Her home is one of the largest 
residences of the town, but the memories of former years endears it to 
her and there she remains, surrounded by the many mementos of other 
days. 



PHILIP HERMAN BRUSKIN.— Since coming to New Brunswick, 
New Jersey, in 1910, Mr. Bruskin has been closely identified with the 
affairs of the community. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, April 
30, 1889, the son of Abraham and Fanny (Rosenbaum) Bruskin, both 
natives of Russia, and now residents of Nutley, New Jersey. Abraham 
Bruskin has conducted a large department store there for many years. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Bruskin were born the following children : Benjamin, 
who served in the United States army during the ,World War; Theo- 
dore, also enlisted in the United States army ; Julius, enlisted during the 
World War and was killed in action at Belleau Woods, June 5, 1917, at 
the age of seventeen; Philip Herman, of further mention; Oscar; 
Lawrence. 

The elementary education of Philip Herman Bruskin was obtained 
in the schools of West Orange, New Jersey, and after graduating from 
the high school there, in 1905, he entered Coleman's Business College, 
completing his studies there in one year, after which he began the study 
of law and continued this for three years or until 1910, when he came 
to New Brunswick and established himself in the shoe business, eight 
years later, having decided to enter the real estate and insurance busi- 
ness, he openpd his present ofifice, which is at No. 86 Church street. 
Possessing all the qualities of a wise and successful executant, he has 
been sought for and has accepted many offices of trust, among them 
being : Secretary of the Lucas Realty Company ; director of the A. S. 
Marcus Hebrew School ; organizer and now secretary of the Welfare 
Building and Loan Association. Mr. Bruskin has been president of the 
Young Men's Hebrew Association since 191 7, and it is through his 
efforts that the handsome new home of the organization was built. 
He is also district department president of the Middlesex, Hunterdon 
and Somerset counties' Federation of the Young Men's Hebrew Associ- 
ation and the Young Women's Hebrew Association of New Jersey, and 
is also a member of the Loyal Order of Moose. He is vice-president of 
the New Brunswick Real Estate Board, and chairman of the Fire Insur- 
ance division of the Real Estate Board, a member of the Board of 
Trade, and of Anshe Emeth Reformed Jewish Temple. Mr. Bruskin 
affiliates with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and with the 
Independent Order of Brith Abraham, of which he is the treasurer. 
Mr. Bruskin served in Company H, National Guard, Fifth Regiment of 
New Jersey, for three years, after which he was honorably discharged. 
During the World War he acted as secretary of the World War Wei- 



232 MIDDLESEX 

come Home Organization of New Brunswick. His hobby is baseball 
and football and while in high school he played on both teams. 

On September i, 1912, Philip Herman Bruskin was united in mar- 
riage with Rose I. Tapper, daughter of Samuel and Mary Tapper, the 
latter residing in Los Angeles, California. Mr. and Mrs. Bruskin are 
the parents of three children: Ruth D., born in August, 1913; Charlotte 
E., born in July, 1915 ; Harold M., born in February, 1917. 

A man gifted in manner, and enterprising in business, Mr. Bruskin 
is personally liked most by those who know him best. He is a man of 
quiet force, the force that accomplishes large results with but little 
friction, the force that counts in the upbuilding of any community. 



JAMES PALMER PRALL, since 1887 a resident of Woodbridge, 
New Jersey, has converted the rich clay lands he owns into a merchant- 
able product and has long been a miner and shipper of clay used in 
manufacturing fire brick, plain brick and other clay products, which 
demand the finer clays with which Middlesex county abounds. He is a 
son of Cornelius and Eliza (Howell) Prall, and a grandson of Isaac and 
Mary Prall, founders of the family in Middlesex county, New Jersey, 
who long owned and cultivated the homestead in Woodbridge town- 
ship, Middlesex county, they coming from Staten Island. Isaac Prall 
died December 29, 1849, and his wife April 15, 1844. 

Cornelius Prall, son of Isaac and Mary Prall, was born at the home- 
stead, February 19, 1809, was a farmer all his life, and died March 25, 
1887. He married, November 6, 1833, Eliza Howell, born December 15, 
1812, died March 14, 1876, daughter of Henry and Catherine Howell. 
Cornelius and Eliza (Howell) Prall were the parents of five children: 
Margaret S., born October 7, 1836, married, October 25, 1877, Rev. 
Joseph N. McNulty, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, of Wood- 
bridge; Isaac, born September 11, 1841, died January 4, 1896; James P., 
of further mention; Mary E. L., born September 17, 1847, died April 5, 
1878; Walter P., born February 22, 1850, married Anna L. Spaulding. 

James Palmer Prall was born at the homestead in Woodbridge town- 
ship, Middlesex county. New Jersey, September 3, 1843, and at the old 
farm spent the first forty-four years of his life. He was educated in 
Woodbridge schools, and Fort Edward Collegiate Institute, and until 
reaching legal age was his father's farm assistant. He then began farm- 
ing on his own account, but did not leave the homestead until 1887, 
when he located in the town of Woodbridge, where he still resides 
(1920). He has long been engaged in developing the clay beds which 
he owns, mining the clay and shipping same to manufacturers of clay 
products in many localities. 

Mr. Prall is a Republican and has served his township as freeholder 
and commissioner of appeals ; he is an elder of the First Presbyterian 
Church, having long served in that office as trustee and treasurer. His 
life has been one of success as a business man, and he is held in high 
regard by his fellowmen. 

Mr. Prall married. May 10, 1883, Emily Cutter, born May 31, 1852, 
daughter of Hampton and Mary Ross (Crane) Cutter, of Woodbridge 



BIOGRAPHICAL 233 

and Cranford, New Jersey. Hampton Cutter, a farmer engaged in clay- 
mining in 1850, was a pioneer in the business in which he engaged until 
his death, when he was succeeded by his son, William H. Cutter, and 
he by his son, Hampton (2) Cutter, the present head of the business. 
Mr. and Mrs. Prall are the parents of two children: William Henry, 
born August 14, 1887, now a member of the Woodbridge Ceramic Cor- 
poration ; he married Edith Grace Hasbrook, and they have a daughter, 
Dorothy C, and a son, Robert H. 2. Mary Ross, born May 5, 1893, 
married Arthur Randolph Lee, and they have four children : George A., 
James P., Margaret, and Emily H. Mr. and Mrs. Prall are members of 
the Presbyterian church ; the family home is at No. 164 Greene street, 
Woodbridge. 



EUGENE JOHN MULLEN.— The father of Eugene J. Mullen, 
Owen Mullen, was born in Ireland, came to the United States as a boy 
and located in Perth Amboy, where he conducted a successful shoe 
business for forty years. He married, in Perth Amboy, Catherine Foley, 
who long survived him, dying in Perth Amboy in 191 1, aged eighty-four 
years. They were the parents of three children : Mary, now the widow 
of Dennis Whalen, of Perth Amboy; Eugene John, of further mention; 
Catherine, widow of William Clapsadell, of Perth Amboy. 

Eugene John Mullen was born in Petth Amboy, New Jersey, October 

I, 1869, and there attended public schools until aged fifteen. He then 
entered the employ of the Perth Amboy Terra Cotta Company, continu- 
ing with that corporation for fifteen years. The following two years were 
spent with the C. Pardee Works, and in 1907 he established his present 
undertaking business at No. 190 New Brunswick avenue, Perth Amboy. 
Four years later, in 191 1, he moved to No. 251 Madison avenue, where 
he continues well established in public regard as a business man and 
citizen. Mr. Mullen is a Democrat in politics, and in 1914 was elected 
coroner of Middlesex county. For twenty-five years, he has been a 
member of Protection Hook and Ladder Company, and during 1907 and 
1908 he was chief of the Perth Amboy Volunteer Fire Department. He 
is a member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, and the Knights of 
Columbus. He is a motoring enthusiast, and a patron of out-of-doors 
sports, particularly baseball. 

Mr. Mullen married, in Perth Amboy, June 5, 1902, Helen Cecelia 
Gibbons, born in Jersey City, New Jersey, daughter of John Leo and 
Catherine (Burk) Gibbons, her father born in Liverpool, England, her 
mother in Jersey City, and both now reside in Perth Amboy. Mr. and 
Mrs. Mullen are the parents of two children : Eugene J., Jr., born July 

II, 1906; Eileen, born August 3, 1910. 



ALFRED WARFPUELL REEVE, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
is one of the leading pharmacists of this city; and has built his success 
on the sure foundation of expert efficiency in his line, which involves 
more closely than any other branch of mercantile enternrise the life and 
well-being of the public. 



234 MIDDLESEX 

The Reeve family was among the early settlers of New Jersey, Joseph 
Reeve, the founder of this family in America, coming from England, 
in 1664, and settling in Burlington county. Always active in construc- 
tive lines of endeavor, the family has been prominent to the present 
time. Mr. Reeve's grandfather was a contractor and builder. 

Elwood Joseph Reeve, father of Alfred W. Reeve, was born in 
Woodstown, New Jersey, February 11, 1852, and is now a resident of 
New Brunswick, and still actively engaged in contracting and building. 
He married Caroline Harris Warfiuell, who died on January 20, 1909, 
at the age of fifty-five years. They were the parents of four children : 
Leslie, who died in infancy; Alfred W., of whom further; Prentice C, 
now a resident of Trenton, New Jersey; superintendent of power for 
the Pennsylvania Railroad shops, and instructor in electricity at the 
Trenton School of Industrial Art; and Ethan C, a resident of Jersey 
City, and assistant manager of the Newark office of the Venestra Metal 
Sash Company. 

Alfred Warffuell Reeve was born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, on 
May 2, 1875. His parents removing to Port Norris, and some years later 
from there to Sea Isle City, the boy's education was gained in the public 
schools of these two towns. He continued his school attendance, until 
sixteen years old, but from the age of ten earned his own clothes and 
spending money doing the many little odd jobs which can be found 
by a boy of energy and spirit. Upon leaving school, he became a mail 
carrier in Sea Isle City. His ambitions, however, placed this work in 
the category of the stepping-stone. In 1896 he began the study of 
pharmacy, and received his degree of Doctor of Pharmacy in 1902. He 
then entered this field without delay. 

Mr. Reeve's first position was that of manager of the drug store in 
the Albion Hotel, at Oil City, Pennsylvania, but remained for only a 
short time, then came to Jersey City, also for a short time. On May 4, 
1903, he came to New Brunswick, where he has since been identified 
with the drug trade. On March 18, 1906, he bought the present business, 
located at No. 229 George .street, and has conducted it continuously 
since that date. His success has been such as was due a man of skill 
along technical lines and practical business ability. He stands high 
in the trade and is considered a leader in the business world of New 
Brunswick. He is president of the Sanitary Autokone Company, of 
New Brunswick, incorporated in 1919, and oi^e of the founders. 

Mr. Reeve is prominent in Masonic circles. He is past master of 
Palestine Lodge, No. iii. Free and Accepted Masons; is high priest of 
Scott Chapter, No. 4, Royal Arch Masons, and past commander of 
Temple Commandery, Knights Templar. He is also a member of Salaam 
Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Newark, 
and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge, No. 6, of New Bruns- 
wick. Mr. Reeve is a member of the Board of Trade of New Bruns- 
wick ; he is an active and influential member of the Young Men's 
Christian Association ; and he holds the honor of membership in the 
National Geographical Society. His personal tastes take him into the 



BIOGRAPHICAL 235 

great out-doors for relaxation, being fond of all sports. The family are 
members of the First Reformed Church of New Brunswick, and inter- 
ested in all its social and benevolent activities. 

On October 27, 1906, Mr. Reeve married, in New Brunswick, Eliza- 
beth H. Hubbard, daughter of John V. and Hattie S. (Oram) Hubbard, 
of this city, Mr. Hubbard now being a retired merchant. Mr. and Mrs. 
Reeve have three children, all living: Edith W., born on September 5, 
1907; Alfred W., Jr., born on June 19, 191 1; and Elizabeth, born on 
June 2, 1912. The family home is at No. 229 George street, which he 
purchased in 1908. 



CHARLES SCHONCEIT, one of the prominent and influential 
business men of Perth Amboy, has since 1910 been engaged in the real 
estate and insurance business, with offices in the Raritan building. 

Meyer Schonceit, father of Charles Schonceit, was born in New 
York City. He was a meat merchant for many years, and is now 
deceased. He married Rebecca Weinstein, who resides in New York 
City. To Mr. and Mrs. Schonceit were born six children : Isaac, 
deceased ; Charles, mentioned below ; Herbert, sales manager for the 
tobacco industry. New York City; Elsie, wife of Sydney Richmond, of 
Rochester, New York; Edward, salesman for a tobacco manufacturing 
business. New York City ; Lewis, engaged in a theatrical enterprise. 

Charles Schonceit was born in New York City, March 10, 1885, 
and received his elementary education in the public schools of his native 
place. After graduating from the Morris High School, he entered 
Wood's Business College, from which he was graduated in 1905, and 
then came immediately to Perth Amboy, where he secured the position 
of manager for the Pearlman Jewelry Store, acting in that capacity 
until Mr. Pearlman retired from business. In 1910 he established him- 
self in his present line of business, real estate and insurance, in the 
Raritan building. Mr. Schonceit is also president of the National Invest- 
ment Company of Perth Amboy. In politics Mr. Schonceit is an Inde- 
pendent, but has not identified himself with any political party, preferring 
to remain free from all partisan influences in the exercises of his judg- 
ment on political issues. He affiliates with Mystic Lodge, No. 21, Free 
and Accepted Masons, and is a member of the Jewish Synagogue Beth 
Mordacai. 

On June 26, 1910, Mr. Schonceit was united in marriage with Bessie 
Elizabeth Levy, a daughter of Harry and Dinah Levy, of New York 
City. Mr. and Mrs. Schonceit are the parents of one child, Inez Hope, 
born October 10, 1914. The family home is at No. loi Brighton avenue, 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 



FREDERICK JEROME POTTER, for the first nineteen years of 
his life, resided in his native' Connecticut, then came to New Jersey, 
locating in New Brunswick, which has since been his home. He is of 
English ancestry, and a son of Orrin Jerome Potter, born in Plymouth, 
Connecticut, who died in 1898 at the age of sixty-seven years, a con- 



236 - MIDDLESEX 

tractor. He married Mary Matilda Hudson, who died in Plymouth, 
Connecticut, aged forty-one years, and they were the parents of seven 
children: Edwin, Lillian, Wilbur, Estelle, Frederick J., Lucina, and 
Archibald. 

Frederick Jerome Potter was born in Plainville, Connecticut, March 
24, 1867, and there obtained his education. In 1886 he located in New 
Brunswick, New Jersey, and entered the employ of Loyal T. Ives, a 
manufacturer of needles, and for twenty-one years remained with him. 
He then established in business for himself as Fred J. Potter & Com- 
pany, manufacturers of spring beard needles, quills, sinkers, jacks, etc. 
The first plant, a small one, was occupied until 1915, when the present 
plant at Somerset and Bethany streets, New Brunswick, was occupied, 
one hundred and fifty men now being employed in the business which 
began with a force of five men. 

An energetic, efficient business man, Mr. Potter has fairly won the 
success he has attained, and in all things has proved himself a man of 
.strong character. His business is his chief concern, but he takes deep 
interest in outside affairs, catering to his love of the out-of-doors by 
frequent indulgence in hunting, fishing, and the game of golf. He is a 
member of the Congregational church, the New Brunswick Young Men's 
Christian Association, and the New Brunswick Country Club. 

Mr. Potter married, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1889, Mary 
Jane Matthews, daughter of James and Julia Matthews, of New Bruns- 
wick, her parents both now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Potter are the 
parents of seven children: i. Frederick Jerome (2), born November 7, 
1890, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, now associated in business with 
his father as office manager of the Fred J. Potter Company; he mar- 
ried, November 3, 1915, Nellie Gisburne Clark, of Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey; children: Marjorie Imogene and Frederick Jerome (3). 
2. James Harold, superintendent of the Fred J. Potter Company. 3. 
Lucina M., a teacher in the public schools. 4. Willard F., a foreman 
with the Fred J. Potter Company. 5. Anita M., deceased. 6. Raymond 
A., a student at Rutgers College, class of 1922. 7. Edgar, a student at 
Rutgers College, class of 1924. 

A business is indeed fortunate that can attract to itself such loyal 
family cooperation as has the Fred J. Potter Company, officered and 
conducted in its executive, recording and making departments by father 
and sons. The history of the company is one of progress and prosperity, 
a fact that may be justly attributed to its able management. 



WILLIAM HENRY GRISWOLD, who for the past eighteen years 
has been superintendent of the New Jersey Terra Cotta Company's 
Works at Perth Amboy, has been numbered among the prominent citi- 
zens of the community. He is active in the philanthropic and religious 
work of his adopted city, and all that makes for civic betterment finds in 
him a warm supporter. 

James P. Griswold, father of William Henry Griswold, was born in 
Enfield, Connecticut, and died in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, at the 



BIOGRAPHICAL 237 

age of geventy-two years. During the latter years of his life he had 
acquired fame as an agriculturist. He married Emiline C. Chilson, a 
native of Springfield, Massachusetts, and she died in Longmeadow at 
the age of eighty-one. Mr. and Mrs. Griswold were the parents of 
seven children: John M., an accountant at Matawan, New^ Jersey; 
Lucy J., widow? of the late D. T. Smith, of Springfield, Massachusetts ; 
James, deceased; Edward, deceased; Emerson, an inspector for Smith 
& Wesson at Springfield, Massachusetts ; William Henry, of further 
mention; Herbert T., who resides in California. 

William Henry Griswold was born July 26, 1865, in Longmeadow, 
Massachusetts, the son of James P. and Emiline C. (Chilson) Griswold. 
He received his preliminary education in the public schools of Springfield 
and later attended Eastman's Business College in Poughkeepsie, New 
York, from which he was graduated in 1883. His initiation into businc'.^s 
life took place in a general store at East Berlin, Connecticut, where he 
remained for four years. He was then successively employed by the 
P. & F. Coebin Company of New Britain, Connecticut, and the New 
York City Corset Company, remaining with the latter concern for a 
number of years, this concern finally being succeeded by the A. H. 
Senior Corset Company, of which Mr. Griswold was a member for sev- 
eral years. Finally withdrawing from this company, he associated 
himself with the New Jersey Terra Cotta Company and was employed in 
the New York office, which is located in the Singer building, until May i, 
1902, when he was made superintendent of the works of this organiza- 
tion in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, which position he holds at the present 
time. The success of this business is owing in a large measure to the 
tireless energy, practical mind and sound judgment of Mr. Griswold. 
The business capacity which he developed early in life proved to be of 
a superior order, and he displays a broad grasp of affairs combined with 
his exceptional knowledge of men. To his associates he shows a genial, 
kindly nature which has ever made their business relations most enjoy- 
able, while his uniform justice and consideration toward his subordi- 
nates is worthy of praise. 

All movements tending toward civic betterment and municipal reform 
have received from Mr. Griswold active interest and hearty cooperation. 
In politics he affiliates with the Republican party. A man of action 
rather than words, he demonstrates his public spirit by actual achieve- 
ments that advance the welfare of the community. A man of great 
aggressiveness, he is manager of the Perth Amboy Savings Institution, 
and for the past three years has been president of the Sinking Fund 
Commission. Mr. Griswold attends the Presbyterian church of Perth 
Amboy and has been on its board of trustees for several years. His 
hobby is automobiling and what little time he can spare from his ever 
increasing business activities he devotes to his particular enjoyment. 

On October 27, 1886, Mr. Griswold married Isabella L. Belden, 
daughter of the late Edwin Belden, of East Berlin, Connecticut, and 
they are the parents of four children : James Edwin, born September 
18, 1887, now in the insurance business in Claypool, Arizona ; William 



238 MIDDLESEX 

H., died in infancy; Ruth E., formerly a Red Cross nurse, now wife of 
Captain G. L. Harker, of the United States Medical Corps; Lloyd C, 
born January 5, 1896, is now in Perth Amboy, having recently received 
his honorable discharge from the United States navy. 

Mr. Griswold is a man whose business capacity is of the highest 
order, and being honorable in purpose and fearless in conduct has stood 
for many years as one of her most prominent citizens, using his talents 
and his opportunities to the utmost in every work which he undertakes 
and is an inspiration to all who know him. 



HARRY F. BELDON. — Since 1914 New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
has numbered among her representative business men no abler nor more 
progressive citizen than Harry F. Beldon, distributor for the Cadillac 
automobile, at No. 413-415 Raritan avenue. In every thing pertaining 
to the welfare of the community, he takes a keen interest and is ever 
ready to give substantial aid to the furtherance of all good measures. 

Harry F. Beldon was born November 15, 1881, at Flemington, New 
Jersey, the son of Heber C. and Margaret (Van Deveer) Beldon. Heber 
C. Beldon was sheriff of Hunterdon county. New Jersey, at the time of 
his death, which occurred in 1883. The education of Harry F. Beldon 
was obtained in the schools of Flemington until 1894, when he entered 
Reading Academy, where he remained for four years, when the business 
of life began for the boy. His first employment was in a chainless 
bicycle shop at Newark, New Jersey, but he resigned in 1901 to estab- 
lish himself in the automobile business, in which he continued for the 
next six years, selling out at the end of this time to become manager 
for the J. M. Quimby Company, automobile chassis department for the 
Simplex and Isotta Franchnio machines. In 1914 he came to New 
Brunswick and located at No. 146 Church street, having the local agency 
for Cadillac automobiles. On December i, 1920, he moved his business 
to his new plant at Nos. 413-415 Raritan avenue, where Cadillac owners 
will find a modern and fully equipped plant, able to care for their every 
want. 

Mr. Beldon is a member of the Board of Trade, the Union Club of 
New Brunswick, the Automobile Club of America, the Young Men's 
Christian Association, and is a director of the Rotary Club. In religion 
he is a Presbyterian. 

On June 24, 1920, Mr. Beldon was united in marriage with Viola 
Theodore. The success of Harry F. Beldon has been in every sense of 
the word self-made — the result of his own untiring effort and his own 
unfailing belief in his confidence to succeed, and within the short space 
of four years that he has been located in New Brunswick, he has risen 
to a place of prominence in business circles which might well be the 
envy of a much older man. 



OLE N. OLESEN, JR., who holds a prominent place among the 
citizens of Perth Amboy, is a funeral director with an undertaking 
establishment at No. 43 Smith street, that city. He is also engaged in 




Cha>^ ^, QOt^c^ . ^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 239 

the real estate and insurance business at this same location, and is recog- 
nized as a successful business man in his particular line of work. 

Ole N. Olesen, father of Ole N. Olesen, Jr., was born in Denmark, 
January 16, 1850, and emigrated to this country when a boy, coming 
direct to Perth Amboy, where he has ever since resided. He married 
Meta Nelson, who was born in Denmark, and died in Perth Amboy in 
1887. Mr. and Mrs. Olesen were the parents of three children : Ole N., 
mentioned below ; Meta, a school teacher in Jersey City ; Laura, wife of 
Viggo O. Peterson, of Perth Amboy. 

Ole N. Olesen, Jr., was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, December 
6, 1883. He received his education in the schools of his native city, and 
then worked for his father in the latter's livery stable for about ten 
years. In 1904, having decided to become an undertaker, he associated 
himself with Mr. Fox, a local funeral director, and while here gained a 
thorough knowledge of the profession. In 1913 he established himself 
in this business, and two years later, June i, 191 5, he formed a partner- 
ship with J. Alfred Compton under the firm name of Olesen & Compton, 
real estate and insurance, which existed for four years, when in 1919 
this business was taken over by Mr. Olesen and the name changed to 
Ole N. Olesen. Mr. Olesen is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, 
the Danish Brotherhood, and Improved Order of Red Men. His club is 
the Raritan Yacht. In religion he is a Presbyterian, and his means is 
generously contributed to the church and its benevolences. He is ever 
ready to lend his aid and influence to any good cause, and in a progres- 
sive, public-spirited way continues the friend of every movement looking 
toward uplift and improvement. 

On June 21, 1914, Mr. Olesen was united in marriage with Irene 
Marjorie Owens, a daughter of the late John Mitchell and Katherine 
(Gurry) Owens. Mr. and Mrs. Olesen have no children. 



CHARLES AUGUSTUS OLIVER, SR.— Holding positions of 
trust in his home town for thirty-four years, giving satisfaction to the 
public, Charles Augustus Oliver, Sr., has a fine record of service well 
rendered in New Brunswick. 

Born in that city, September 8, 1843, he is the son of Francis Manly 
Oliver, a native of New York City, where he learned the trade of 
cabinet making, following it until the outbreak of the War of the 
Rebellion, when he enlisted in the Twenty-eighth Regiment, New Jersey 
Volunteers. He was killed at the battle of Fredericksburg. His widow, 
Jennette (Wells) Oliver, survived him for a number of years, dying at 
the age of eighty years in New Brunswick. She was born in Patchogue, 
Long Island. Francis Manly and Jennette (Wells) Oliver had ten 
children, of whom three only are now living: i. Charles Augustus, of 
further mention. 2. Amanda, the widow of William Talmadge, of 
Brooklyn, New York. 3. Eveline, also a widow, residing in Brooklyn. 

Attending the public schools in New Brunswick in his boyhood, the 
boy, Charles Augustus, early in life entered into business. Obtaining 
employment in a butcher shop he learned the trade and continued it 



240 MIDDLESEX 

until 1861, when the Civil War started, and he enlisted as a private in 
Company I, Eleventh Regiment, New Jersey Infantry. He remained 
in the army until the close of the war in 1865, having been promoted 
five times during the four years. His record is a fine one of bravery 
in the twenty-seven battles in which he engaged. In the "Battle of 
the Wilderness" he was so severely wounded that he was confined in 
the hospital for many months, and at Fredericksburg, where his father 
lost his life, the son was badly wounded. Just before the surrender of 
General Lee, Mr. Oliver's commanding officer sent him an order to be 
careful of the ammunition, an order which he still has in his possession. 
When the war was- over it was as Captain Oliver that he returned to his 
home. 

In 1870, Captain Oliver was elected to his first political office, that 
of chief of police, and he held it for ten years. He was a member of 
the Board of Aldermen for twenty years from the Third Ward of New 
Brunswick, and was commissioner of public improvements for four 
years, his public service covering a period of thirty-four years. After 
giving up politics, Mr. Oliver became engaged in detective work and has 
followed it for several years. Mr. Oliver is a member of that honorable 
body of men, the Grand Army of the Republic, also of the Methodist 
church of New Brunswick. 

In New Brunswick, September 8, 1870, Charles Augustus Oliver 
and Sarah Aletta Boudinot were married. She was born in the West, 
the daughter of William B. and Mary (Taylor) Boudinot, both of whom 
died in New Brunswick. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver had three children: i. 
William T., who died in infancy. 2. Charles Augustus, Jr., born October 
27, 1877, residing in Milltown, New Jersey. 3. Harry Van Cleave, born 
June I, 1879, a contractor, living in New Brunswick. Mr. and Mrs. 
Oliver reside at No. 138 Livingston avenue. New Brunswick. 



HANS CHRISTIAN SMITH, JR., well known among the business 
men of Perth Amboy, is a general roofing contractor at Nos. 123-125 
Madison avenue. 

Hans Christian Smith, father of Hans C. Smith, Jr., was born in 
Denmark, May i, 1854, and came to the United States when a young 
man. Upon landing in this country he decided to locate in Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey, anil it was here that he worked at his trade of carpentering 
until he retired from active business life. He married Andrea Hanson, 
a native of Denmark, who died in Perth Amboy, March 29, 1897, at 
the age of forty-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were the parents of 
two children: Andrew M., a plumbing contractor, located on Hall 
avenue; Hans C, mentioned below. 

Hans Christian Smith, Jr., was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
September 10, 1881. He attended a private school of his native place 
until he was fourteen years of age, when he discontinued his studies, 
desiring to learn the butcher's trade, at which he worked for seven 
years, at the end of which time he drove a truck for the New Jersey 
Terra Cotta Company in New York City for two years, and then started 



BIOGRAPHICAL 241 

his present business, that of general roofing contractor, locating first on 
Hall avenue, and removing to his present location, Nos. 123-125 Madison 
avenue, July 29, 1919. Mr. Smith is affiliated with the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellovirs and the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks. He holds membership in the Raritan Yacht Club, and is an 
ardent lover of all outdoor sports. When he was twenty years of age 
he won as a bicycle racer the amateur championship of the South at 
Jacksonville, Florida. His hobby is bowling. 

On October 3, 1903, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Elisa 
Schroeder, a daughter of Peter and Christine (Tidea) Schroeder, of 
Perth Amboy. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of two children: 
Peter Andrew, born September 10, 1904; Andrea Catherine, born Febru- 
ary 21, 1907. The family attend the English Lutheran church of Perth 
Amboy. 

The success that Mr. Smith has attained is the result of his own 
unaided efforts, for throughout his career he has ever been animated 
by the spirit of progress, always seeking to make the most of every 
opportunity, and such a record is certainly worthy of recognition in 
a work of this sort. 



ELWOOD ECCLESTON WALLER.— A newly established busi- 
ness firm in New Brunswick is that of Elwood E. Waller & Son, dealers 
in automobiles, and agents for particular makes of high-grade motor 
vehicles. The senior member is Elwood Eccleston Waller, a resident 
of Dunellen, New Jersey, having his home at No. 331 Dunellen avenue. 

Mr. Waller's ancestors came from Ireland, the original emigrant 
being his grandfather, William Waller, who with his wife came from 
Ireland about the middle of the last century and locating in Brooklyn, 
brought up his children there. One of them, William Edgar Waller, 
born in Brooklyn, later became a resident of Rutherford, New Jersey, 
where he conducted a drygoods business for many years, so engaged 
at the time of his death. He married Emma Daisy Eccleston, born in 
Brooklyn, and since her husband died she has resided in Newark, New 
Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. William Edgar Waller became the parents of 
eight children : Daisy, William E., Elizabeth, deceased ; Lillian, Violet, 
deceased; Florence, Olive, and Elwood Eccleston, of whom further. 

The education of Elwood Eccleston Waller was acquired in the 
public schools of Arlington, New Jersey, and in Rutherford, continuing 
it until he had reached the age of seventeen, when he entered business 
life. His first position was in a real estate office, where he remained 
for a short time only, leaving it to enter a feed store. This, too, was 
given up and Mr. Waller became engaged in gas construction work 
in various cities of New York and New Jersey. This in turn he gave up, 
he and his brother, William E., starting an automobile business in 
Rutherford which they continued for three years. Following this he 
went to Plainfield and was there connected with Lang's garage for 
a period of about ten years. Then he opened a garage in Dunellen, 
remaining there for five years, relinquishing that business to enter into 

Hid-16 



242 MIDDLESEX 

a larger concern at No. 72 Albany street, New Brunswick, with his son, 
Elwood E., Jr. During the last two years Mr. Waller has been a coun- 
cilman of Dunellen, a position he now holds, 

Mr. Waller is fond of outdoor sports, living in the open as much 
as possible ; he finds his greatest pleasure in duck hunting and fishing, 
and is also a most enthusiastic baseball fan. He enters into the social 
life of the community, and is also a member of the lodge of Free Masons. 
Mr. Waller and his family attend the Episcopal church. 

In Brooklyn, New York, Elwood Eccleston Waller was united in 
marriage with Francina Claire Shaughnessy, born in New York City; 
she was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Shaughnessy, residents of 
New York, both now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Elwood Eccleston Waller 
have two children: Elwood Eccleston, Jr., whose sketch follows; and 
Eunice Claire, born November i, 1900, a graduate of the grammar school 
of Dunellen. Both children, being unmarried, reside at home with their 
parents, at No. 331 Dunellen avenue, Dunellen, New Jersey. 



ELWOOD ECCLESTON WALLER, JR., the junior partner in 
the automobile business at No. 72 Albany street. New Brunswick, New 
Jersey, is the son of the founder of the firm of Elwood E. Waller & Son. 
Much of the early life of the young man was spent in Rutherford, New 
Jersey, where he was born, March 8, 1896. He attended the public 
schools of that town, afterward going to Suffern, New York, where he 
again became a pupil in the public school. After a time, his family 
moving to Dunellen, New Jersey, to make their home, the young man 
entered the high school of Plainfield and had partially finished the 
course when he left to start upon a business career. His first venture 
was as runner for the Plainfield Trust Company. From time to time 
Mr. Waller was promoted during his three years' stay in the bank until, 
when he resigned from his position, he held the office of assistant 
receiving teller. He was next employed by Busk & Daniels, importers 
and exporters. No. 301 Produce Exchange, New York City, remaining 
with them for five months. At this time the United States became 
involved in the World War, and Mr. Waller immediately volunteered, 
his war record being one. which he and his family have every reason to 
be very proud of. 

On Friday, April 13, 1917, Elwood Eccleston Waller, Jr., enlisted 
with Troop D, New Jersey Cavalry, of Plainfield, later being transferred 
to the ii2th Heavy Field Artillery, and again transferred to the 104th 
Regiment of Military Police, 29th Division. After being sent to France, 
Mr. Waller was almost continuously on the fighting line ; he was engaged 
in the defense of the Alsace sector, and was in the reserve at Verdun. 
At the terrible Meuse-Argonne defensive he was engaged from October 
8 to October 29, 1918, serving actively in seven different battles of the 
long siege of Meuse-Argonne. Mr. Waller has been recommended for 
the Distinguished Service Cross, under date of October 23, 1918, and 
awarded a citation for braVery in the battle of Etraye Ridge. Though 
under fire for such long periods and in the worst engagements of the 



BIOGRAPHICAL 243 

war, Mr. Waller escaped without being wounded and was never taken 
prisoner. He received his discharge June 3, 1919. After his return 
from France and following his discharge, the new firm of Elwood E. 
Waller & Son was formed and the young soldier has again taken up 
business life. 

Mr. Waller is a member of Dunellen Post, No. 119, of the American 
Legion, and of the Patriotic Order Sons of America, of Dunellen. He 
also is connected with a Greek letter fraternity, Chi Upsilon, its head- 
quarters being in Plainfield. Though the family of Mr. Waller all 
attend the Episcopal church and he also is a member of it, he is at 
present greatly interested in the Presbyterian church of Dunellen. 



RICHARD CASPER STEPHENSON.— In business circles, civic 
work, or in club life, Richard Casper Stephenson is equally well known 
and popular. For most of his life he has been a resident of South 
Amboy, New Jersey, and his interests and pleasures are centered in that 
locality. 

Born in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 21, 1870, he came 
to South Amboy when a child with his parents, Abraham Wilson and 
Sarah Elizabeth Stephenson. The former was born in Pennsylvania, 
but in his later life lived in South Amboy, where he died at the age of 
sixty-seven years. His business was that of car inspector ; in his 
early life he served in the Civil War as a private. Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth 
Stephenson died in South Amboy when seventy-one years old. 

The education of Richard Casper Stephenson was acquired in the 
public schools of South Amboy, later taking private lessons from a 
tutor. After reaching young manhood he became interested in several 
forms of business life and is now actively engaged in banking affairs. 
In 1888 he entered the employ of the First National Bank of South 
Amboy, later becoming a director of same, and since Jahuary, 1902, has 
been cashier. Mr. Stephenson is also a director of and treasurer in 
the South Amboy Lumber and Supply Company. In addition to these 
daily occupations he is vice-president of the Star Building and Loan 
Association of South Amboy, and is one of the Sinking Fund commis- 
sioners of the city. 

Some years ago Mr. Stephenson was an enthusiastic yachtsman, but 
latterly, being greatly occupied in business, he has only indulged in his 
favorite diversion occasionally, whenever opportunity offers. He is, 
however, deeply interested in all fraternal matters, being a Free Mason 
in high standing ; a member of and past master in St. Stephen's Lodge, 
No. 63, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Amboy Chapter, No. 41, 
Royal Arch Masons; he is also a Knight Templar, connected with 
Temple Commandery, No. 18 ; and is a noble of Salaam Temple, Ancient 
Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Newark, New Jersey. 
Mr. Stephenson is a member of Good Samaritan Lodge, No. 52, Knights 
of Pythias, and of the Pennsylvania Railroad branch of the Young Men's 
Christian Association. He is one of the trustees of the South Amboy 
Hospital Association, and a worker in the Chamber of Commerce and 
one of the directors. 



244 



MIDDLESEX 



In club circles Mr. Stephenson is equally to the fore ; he is a member 
of the Ashler Club, of Washington, D. C, also of the Middlesex Auto- 
mobile Club of New Brunswick, and of the South Amboy Yacht Club. 
Mr. Stephenson and his family are prominently engaged in the work of 
the First Methodist Episcopal Church of South Amboy. 

On March 20, 1895, in South Amboy, Richard Casper Stephenson 
was united in marriage with Georgianna Emmons, daughter of George 
N. and Sarah Emmons, residents of South Amboy. Mr. and Mrs. 
Richard Casper Stephenson have two children: Harold Francis, born 
February 17, 1898, married Hazel M. Mason; and Mildred Emmons, 
born May 26, 1904. The family home is at No. 248 David street. 



JOHN JAMES MONIGAN, numbered among the influential citizens 
of New Brunswick, New Jersey, is the owner and manager of a drug 
store at No. 376 George street. Since coming to this community, in 
1898, Mr. Monigan has identified himself with the leading business 
interests of New Brunswick and is ever a zealous advocate and sup- 
porter of her most vital and essential interests. 

John J. Monigan, father of John James Monigan, was born in Balti- 
more, Maryland, and died there, in 1890, at the age of forty-eight years. 
He was a civil engineer for many years. He married Anne Otis, who 
still survives him. To Mr. and Mrs. Monighan was born one child, John 
James, of further mention. 

John James Monigan was born in Baltimore, Maryland, June 7, 1889, 
and was brought by his parents to Cortland, New York, when he was 
but five years of age. Here he attended the public schools, graduating 
from the Cortland High School, after which he attended the State 
Normal School. On May i, 1895, having decided to become a pharma-< 
cist, he commenced to study with this end in view, and four years later 
became a registered pharmacist in the State of New York, subsequently 
securing a position with Fitz Eoynton & Company, and later with 
William Rust & Sons, of New Brunswick, where he remained until 
1906, when he established himself in the drug business at his present 
location. 

Mr. Monigan affiliates with the Knights of Columbus, is a member 
of the New Brunswick Board of Trade, the Rotary Club, and the New 
Brunswick Country Club. He is also a member of the New Jersey 
Pharmaceutical Association and the National Druggists' Association. 

On June 27, 1906, Mr. Monigan was united in marriage with Agnes 
R. McCormick, a native of New Brunswick, and the daughter of Bar- 
tholomew and Catherine (Houghton) McCormick, both deceased. Mr. 
and Mrs. Monigan are the parents of two children : Louis C. and John J. 
Monigan. 



HAMPTON CUTTER.— Woodbridge, New Jersey, has long been 
the home of the Cutter family, Richard Cutter coming from New Eng- 
land to Woodbridge, Middlesex county, in 1709, in company with John 
Pike. He built what is believed to have been the first mill in the town- 



BIOGRAPHICAL 245 

ship, locating it on Woodbridge creek at what was later the Cutter 
and Prall dock. Richard Cutter was a son of William and Rebecca 
(Rolfe) Cutter, grandson of Richard and Elizabeth Cutter, he the brother 
of William Cutter, and son of Samuel and Elizabeth Cutter. Richard 
and William Cutter with their widowed mother came to New England 
about 1640. Richard Cutter, of the third generation, and the founder 
of the Woodbridge branch, married and had fourteen children, and was 
succeeded by his son, Richard Cutter, who married, August 20, 1706, 
Mary Pike, and they were the parents of Deacon WiUiam Cutter, who 
married Mary Kent. Kelsey Cutter, of the sixth generation, son of 
Deacon William and Mary (Kent)' Cutter, married Hannah Marsh, 
and they were the parents of a large family, including a son, William 
Cutter, born October 6, 1778, died February 8, 1838. He married Sarah, 
daughter of Ephraim Harriot, of Woodbridge ; she was born December 
7, 1783, and died March 14, 1840. They were the parents of a large 
family including a son Hampton, of further mention. 

Hampton Cutter was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, December 
25, 181 1, fifth child of William and Sarah (Harriot) Cutter. He died 
in Woodbridge, February 22, 1882. He grew up at the homestead, 
obtained a good public school education, and until 1836 remained at 
home and cultivated the farm. In the year named he married and began 
the cultivation of his own farm. In 1846, a large deposit of a high grade 
of fire clay, also pottery clay, was discovered on his farm, which is used 
in ore for pottery, ornamental tile, terra cotta, electric and sanitary 
ware, also fire brick, and is used in carborundum. Mr. Cutter supplied 
these clays to the fire brick manufacturers of his section and shipped 
heavily to points of fire brick manufacture as far away as Portland, 
Maine, and Cleveland, Ohio, especially to the potteries of East Liver- 
pool, Ohio ; Sebring, Ohio ; Trenton, New Jersey, and many other 
plants; also the terra cotta plants throughout the East. As his sons 
reached manhood they were admitted to the firm of Hampton Cutter 
& Sons, and that house became one of importance in the clay industry. 
The sons were Josiah C. and William Henry. 

A man of strong character and deep convictions, Hampton Cutter not 
only was a factor of strength in the business world, but in public life also 
left a lasting impression. He was a justice of the peace for fifteen 
years, and the record reads that in that then very important office his 
"even handed justice won golden opinions from all sorts of people." He 
served the county of Middlesex on the Board of Freeholders and his 
township as committeeman. He was well qualified for leadership, and 
his unswerving Democracy was a tower of strength to his party. In 
religious faith he was a Presbyterian, and for about a quarter of a 
century he was one of the trustees of the Presbyterian church in Wood- 
bridge, he during seven of those years being a member of the board. In 
addition to his private enterprise, farming, and Hampton Cutter & 
Sons, he was a director of the Rahway National Bank, and the owner 
of valuable real estate. He was a man whose daily life inspired con- 
fidence and respect, and he closed his long and useful life honored and 
trusted by all who knew him. 



246 MIDDLESEX 

Hampton Cutter married, January 26, 1836, Mary Ross Crane, born 
in Craneville (now Cranford), New Jersey, daughter of Josiah Crane. 
They were the parents of four children: Josiah Crane, who died aged 
forty-one; William Henry, of further mention; Sarah Anna, married 
Freeman Rowland ; Emily, married James P. Prall. 

William Henry Cutter was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, June 
22, 1840, and died September 24, 1918. He was educated in the public 
schools, and upon leaving school became associated with his father and 
elder brother in the firm, Hampton Cutter & Sons, dealers in fire and 
potteries clay, mined from the farm at Woodbridge owned by Hampton 
Cutter. This business, a most profitable one, was continued by the 
father and sons jointly, but death removed the founder and elder brother 
and William Henry Cutter was left with the entire management of 
the business which he still further developed. He worked over eighty 
acres of clay beds from which several different kinds of merchantable 
clay was mined, and from which fire brick, tile, terra cotta drain pipe 
and potters clay were manufactured, the clay shipped by Gutter & Sons 
going to all parts of the country to be converted into manufactured 
products. The clay beds were operated throughout the entire year and 
formed an important addition to the industrial injportance of the town. 
. Like his honored father, William H. Cutter was progressive and public- 
spirited and deeply interested in the welfare of the community. In 
politics he was independent, and in religious faith a Presbyterian, serv- 
ing the Woodbridge church as trustee. He was very charitable and 
proud of his clean record, honest in all his dealings to the extreme, and 
was one of the county's noblemen. 

He married Sarah R. Barron, daughter of Samuel and Eliza A. 
(Jacques) Barron, of Woodbridge. The old homestead, situated just 
south of Woodbridge, is a landmark, erected about 1840. This was their 
home for a time, but in 1870 Mr. Cutter erected a suitable hou=e on 
Green street, Woodbridge, which was ever afterward the family home. 
Mr. and Mrs. Cutter were the parents of two children, Hamp'.on (2), of 
further mention, and Laura L. 

Hampton Cutter (2) was educated in private schools, attending 
the Pingree Preparatory School of Elizabeth, graduating in the class 
of 1890, and the Packard Commercial School of New York City, gradu- 
ating in the year 1891. He immediately engaged in business with his 
father, this connection being uninterrupted until the death of his father, 
when he succeeded to the business, being now the sole owner, and he 
continues to operate the original clay mines on an extensive scale, using 
the latest improved methods. He is a director in the Alpine Cemetery 
Association, served on the Board of Education for over six years, is 
president of the board of the Barron Library Association, and is a mem- 
ber of the board of trustees of the Presbyterian church. 



LUKE D. LINDLEY. — Since the inception of his business career, 
Mr. Lindley was connected with but one particular line of industry, the 
meat packing business, and in this he met with phenomenal success. 





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BIOGRAPHICAL 247 

Luke D. Lindley was born February 10, 1871, at New Brunswick, 
New Jersey, and died October 18, 1920, the son of Samuel S. and Mary 
E. Lindley. Samuel S. Lindley was a jeweler by trade, but for the 
past twenty years has been retired from actjve business life. A young 
man at the outbreak of the Civil War, heartily in syrnpathy with the 
cause of the Union, and fired with the patriotism which swept the 
North at the news of the firing on Fort Sumter, he enlisted with the 
nth New Jersey Volunteers, subsequently being promoted to the rank 
of sergeant. With his regiment he participated in many of the most 
stirring engagements of the war, and during the battle of Chancellors- 
ville was severely wounded. 

The education of Luke D. Lindley was obtained in the public schools 
of his native place, and upon graduating from the New Brunswick 
High School, in 1892, he matriculated at Rutgers College, where he was 
a special student in the class of 1896. Immediately upon finishing his 
educational career, he entered into business life as bookkeeper for G. V. 
Bartlett & Company, a slaughtering and hog-shipping concern at Jersey 
City. Here he devoted all his available time to this work, and by this 
untiring devotion steadily gained in advancement until November, 1914, 
when he was able to purchase a half-interest in the concern. In October, 
1918, he bought out the remainder of the business, the firm then becom- 
ing known as the Luke D. Lindley Packing Company. The enterprise 
steadily and consistently grew to its present large proportions, turning 
over more than a half million dollars annually, due in a large measure 
to the capable management of its executive head. 

A man true to his friendships, honest and impeccable in all the rela- 
tions of life, Mr. Lindley was highly respected and honored in New 
Brunswick. He was a member of the New York Produce Exchange, the 
Alumni Association of Rutgers College, and the Young Men's Christian 
Association at New Brunswick. In religion he was a Presbyterian and 
attended the First Church of that denomination. 

On June 12, 1906, Luke D. Lindley was united in marriage with 
Mary Ethel Franken, daughter of John and Ida M. (Martin) Franken, 
of Prattsville, Greene county. New York. No children were born to 
Mr. and Mrs. Lindley. A man of dynamic and tireless energy, he gave 
the best that was in him to his business, and his success was essentially 
the result of hard toil, indomitable will power, and an unconquerable 
belief in his own ability. 



LEROY JEROME BERGEN.— Thirteen generations of Bergens 
have lived in Chautauqua county. New York, counting the first comers 
from Holland down to the youngest of the present generations. The 
original home was New Amsterdam (now New York), but the overflow 
into New Jersey was early and constant. The early settlers gave name 
to the localities, and Bergen county, Bergen Hill, Bergen village, and 
Bergenfield show how Hudson county. New Jersey, attracted the Ber- 
gens, and how well they were appreciated. 

Leroy Jerome Bergen is of the Middlesex county branch, his father, 



248 MIDDLESEX 

Addison Bergen, born on a farm on the outskirts of Cranbury, but now 
living in South Amboy, New Jersey, engaged in the real estate business. 
Addison Bergen married Cecilia Ada Roll, born in Perth Amboy in 
1856, died in South Amboy, January 12, 1915. They were the parents 
of four children : Leroy Jerome, of further mention ; Albert R., a lumber 
dealer of South Amboy ; Clymenda May, wife of Robert Greenleaf, of 
South Amboy; Ada Dorothy, a teacher in Trenton, New Jersey, public 
schools. 

Leroy Jerome Bergen was born in South Amboy, New Jersey, 
December 29, 1888, and there attended public schools until reaching the 
age of seventeen, graduating from the high school in 1905. He then spent 
a summer in the employ of Donnell & Miller, lumber dealers, but in 
the fall of 1905 he entered the Coleman Business College at Newark, 
where he finished the course and then returned to business life. On 
July I, 1919, he became a member of the corporation, Miller, Bergen 
& Welsh, dealers in lumber, millwork and masons' supplies, located 
at Broadway and First street. South Amboy, New Jersey. The officers 
of the company are as follows: A. J. Miller, president; O. W. Welsh, 
vice-president; L. J. Bergen, secretary and treasurer. 

During the World War period, 1917-18, Mr. Bergen was in the 
service, serving at Camp Dix, and on local draft board duty. He is a 
Presbyterian in religious preference ; a member of the Young Men's 
Christian Association ; and the American Legion. He is fond of out- 
of-door sports, particularly power boating. He has won honorable place 
in the business life of his community, and is one of the young business 
men of South Amboy whose career has been most creditable. 



HENRY CHRISTIAN AXEN.— From the time he left school in 
1907 until the present, Henry C. Axen has been connected with the 
printing business in Perth Amboy, and since 1912 has been proprietor 
of his own shop. The Axen Press, No. 145 Fayette street. He is a son 
of John Henry Axen, born in Flensborg, Denmark, who married Annie 
Christine Sorensen, born in Denmark, and he came to the United States 
with his wife and three children, settling in Perth Amboy, where he 
died March 13, 1913, aged sixty-one years. His wife died December 13, 
1912, aged fifty-six. They were the parents of the following children, 
the youngest born in the United States: i. John Peter, a painter of 
Perth Amboy. 2. Mary, married Alfred P. Thompson, a chemist of 
Perth Amboy; they are the parents of eight children. 3. Carolina 
Serena, married Jens Olson, an employee of the Lehigh Valley Railroad ; 
they are the parents of five children. 4. Henry C, of further mention. 

Henry C. Axen, youngest and only American born child of John 
Henry and Annie Christine (Sorensen) Axen, was born in Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey, September 27, 1883. He attended the public schools until 
he graduated from the grammar grades, then began learning the printer's 
trade in the office of the "Evening News." He served a full term of 
apprenticeship at his trade and continued with the "News" until 1912, 
when he established the Axen Press, a modern print shop at No. 174 



BIOGRAPHICAL 249 

New Brunswick avenue, moving later to No. 145 Fayette street. His 
job printing shop is well patronized and is a well known Perth Amboy 
institution. Mr. Axen is a Republican in politics, and for the past three 
years (1918-1920), has been president of the Fourth Ward Republican 
Club. As a boy he was fond of bicycle racing, and at the age of sixteen 
won his novice race. He attended meets at the nearby towns and met 
with a fair amount of success in carrying away winners' prizes. His fav- 
ored recreation now is automobiling. He is a member of the Free and 
Accepted Masons, Improved Order of Red Men, Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Owls, D. B. 
S., Haymakers, Perth Amboy Typographical Union, No. 658, and 
Western Improvement Association. 

Mr. Axen married (first) in New York City, February 22, 1906, Min- 
nie K. Swendsen, who died in 1914, leaving four children : Mary Eliza- 
beth, born September 15, 1907; Clara Henrietta, born April 11, 1909; 
Anita Christina, born March 15, 191 1; John Henry, born November 7, 
1914. He married (second) Meta Marie Sandholdt, born in Woodbridge, 
New Jersey, her parents Jens and Mary Sandholdt, now residing in Perth 
Amboy. One child was born of this marriage. Myrtle Meta, born Sep- 
tember 29, 1920. 



PETER HARRY STOVER HENDRICKS.— Well known in the 
administration circles of New Brunswick, Peter Harry Stover Hen- 
dricks, postmaster, has lived most of his life in this community which 
he is serving. He was born in Neshanic, New Jersey, November 30, 
1872. His parents were John and Cornelia (Bennett) Hendricks. John 
Hendricks was born in New Brunswick, and died here, March 30, 1918. 
He was a brick mason here for many years. He and his wife had eight 
children : John, deceased ; Louis, deceased ; Katherine, deceased ; Mary, 
deceased, formerly the wife of George McMullin ; Emma Loblein, de- 
ceased ; William H., brick mason of New Brunswick ; Peter Harry 
Stover, of further mention ; Cora May, wife of William H. Colburn. 

Peter Harry Stover Hendricks was brought by his parents to New 
Brunswick, New Jersey, when he was an infant, and here he attended 
school until he was fourteen years of age, when he entered upon his 
business career, securing a position as office boy with the Norfolk & 
New Brunswick Hosiery Company. Later he served an apprenticeship 
to the mason's trade and was associated with his father for twenty-five 
years in this particular occupation. A Democrat in politics, Mr. Hen- 
dricks has always taken an active part in the affairs of the organization. 
In 1910 he was elected a member of the Board of Freeholders and 
resigned in 1913, when he received his appointment as postmaster of 
New Brunswick, a post which he is still (1920) filling with untiring 
faithfulness and devotion to duty, which are characteristic of the man. 
He occupies a high place in the opinion of those who know him, a 
place which he has won by his own energy and upright character. He 
fraternizes with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and with 
the Senior Order of United American Mechanics. Mr. Hendricks also 
holds membership in the Union Club of New Brunswick. 



250 



MIDDLESEX 



On April ii, 1902, Mr. Hendricks was united in marriage with Fay 
Farmer, daughter of John V. and Mary Farmer. Her father owns a 
farm just outside of New Brunswick. To Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks have 
been born two children : Eldon L., born January 6, 1904 ; Robert Ross, 
born March 30, 191 1. 



LOUIS YALE SOSIN, independent candidate for the office of 
county clerk for Middlesex county, New Jersey, a member of the famous 
"Lightning," or 78th Division, with which he saw active service in 
France during the closing campaigns of the World War, and one of the 
prominent among the younger attorneys of Perth Amboy, is a native of 
New York City, born July 23, 1891. 

Mr. Sosin is a son of Jacob and Rachel (Sosin) Sosin, the former 
named having been born in Bohemia, where he spent the first years of 
his childhood. Bohemia, it will be remembered, is the home of the 
Czecho-Slovaks who did such heroic service for the allied cause, and 
which has now won its independence from Hapsburg rule and the Aus- 
trian Empire, so that it has something of poetic justice in that the 
descendant of one of its sons should have played his part, though 
in the armies of a new world, to secure its hard won freedom. The 
elder Mr. Sosin came to the United States with his parents while 
a young man and located in New York City, where he became engaged 
in a mercantile line of business and prospered. He later came to Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, and here established himself in the crockery and 
glass business in which he continues active at the present time. He 
married, in New York City, Rachel Sosin, a distant cousin, and they 
were the parents of four children, as follows : Louis Yale ; Jennie, now 
the wife of Herman Sloan, a druggist of Perth Amboy ; Maxwell, now 
a law student in Perth Amboy ; and Sadie, who attends the Perth Amboy 
High School. 

Until he had reached the age of ten years, Louis Yale Sosin lived in 
his native city of New York, but in 1901 came to Perth Amboy with his 
parents, and has ever since made this place his home. He attended the 
local public schools, and although the educational advantages to be had 
therein were somewhat meagre in comparison to what they are today, 
yet he was of an ambitious nature, and took advantage of every oppor- 
tunity to the full. He was a student in the local schools at the time 
of the opening of the Public Library, and was one of the first to avail 
himself of the extended field of study and reading that it ofifered to the 
community. After passing through the grammar grades, Mr. Sosin 
entered the High School, where he remained four years and was gradu- 
ated with the class of 1909. Ambitious of a professional career, the 
young man determined to take up the law and with this end in view 
matriculated in the New York University Law School. He also attended 
the Law School of Columbia University, and at these two institutions 
pursued his studies to such good purpose that in 191 5 he was admitted 
to the New Jersey bar. He had already, however, gained considerable 
experience in the practical side of legal work, having served while a 





/,'^'5^-'/-*t*e-»>_ 




BIOGRAPHICAL 25^ 

student for three years in the office of Joseph E. Strieker, public prose- 
cutor, so that he was far from unknown when he finally established him- 
self in Perth Amboy as an attorney. This he did in association with 
City Solicitor Francis P. Coan, of South Amboy, and it was not long 
before his really unusual abilities as a lawyer, coupled to an engaging 
personality and a character that imposed trust upon all who came in 
contact with him, brought him to a position among the leading members 
of the Middlesex county bar. He speedily made his personality felt in 
his home community, and gained for himself many warm friends, not 
only there but throughout the State, who are now enthusiastically sup- 
porting him in his candidacy. Mr. Sosin's war record is a fine one and 
has added greatly to his reputation and popularity in Middlesex county. 
In February, 1918, he enlisted in the 311th Regiment of Infantry, which 
became a part of the 78th Division, known as the "Lightning" Division, 
and after less than three months training in this country was sent to 
France. He saw much of the most bitter fighting in which the American 
troops took part and was present in the St. Mihiel and Argonne-Meuse 
battles, it being his fortune to "go over the top" no less than four times. 
It was also his most extraordinarily good fortune, considering the fact 
that his regiment lost about two-thirds of its effectives in the last of 
these actions, to. come through unhurt, although he had many hair- 
breadth escapes. Since the signing of the armistice, Mr. Sosin has given 
much of his time to educational work among the foreign elements in 
his regiment. He is a figure in fraternal circles in Perth Amboy, and is 
a member of the Masonic order, having attained the thirty-second degree. 
He is affiliated with Prudence Lodge, No. 204, Ancient Free and Ac- 
cepted Masons; Amboy Chapter, Royal Arch Masons ; Jersey City 

Council, Royal and Select Masters ; Temple, Ancient Arabic 

Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; and New Jersey Consistory, Sov- 
ereign Princes of the Royal Secret. He is also a member of the Order 
of the Sons of Zion, and Perth Amboy Lodge, No. 784, Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks. He was one of the principal organizers of 
Perth Amboy Post, No. 45, American Legion, and has since held the 
office of treasurer ; he is also vice-commander of the post, and vice-com- 
mander of the Middlesex County American Legion executive committee. 
He attends the Bnei Zion Temple in Perth Amboy. 



NORMAN HARRISON SMITH— Among those New Brunswick 
business men who are actively influential in the community is Norman 
Harrison Smith, who has for the past ten years since coming here been 
interested in everything that pertains to the welfare and development 
of New Brunswick. Mr. Smith is descended from ancestors in the 
Colonial and Revolutionary periods of our history and is conspicuously 
identified with the developments of the most vital interests of the State 
of New Jersey. 

Harvey Isaac Smith, father of Norman Harrison Smith, was born in 
Jersey City, and died there in March, 1889, at the age of twenty-nine 
years. He was a member of a branch of the Smith family who have 



252 



MIDDLESEX 



resided in New Jersey for many generations. He married Clara Tetlow, 
who now resides in Dunellen, New Jersey. Mrs. Smith's father and 
her uncle, Henry Tetlow, were prominent manufacturers of soaps and 

perfumes in Philadelphia, and descend from one, ^ — Tetlow, who 

came to this country from England in the middle of the seventeenth cen- 
tury. Mr. and Mrs. Smith were the parents of two children: Maude 
May, wife of John B. Buckalew, of Dunellen, New Jersey ; and Norman 
Harrison, of further mention. 

Norman Harrison Smith was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, June 
28, 1888, and came with his mother to New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
when he was but two years of age. Here he attended the local public 
schools and after his third year in the New Brunswick High School, 
he entered Coleman's Business College, at Newark, New Jersey, from 
which he was graduated in 1904. He then secured a position as book- 
keeper with the Beckwith-Chandler Company of Newark, but resigned 
after two years to accept a position with J. H. Dunham & Company, of 
New York City. Two years later, he left this concern to go with the 
Crandell & Godley Company as salesman, and remained with this firm 
until 1910, when he came to New Brunswick and established the Wil- 
liamson Garage Company with Walter Williamson as a partner. This 
association continued until September, 191 1, when Mr. Smith disposed 
of his interests and established a new business under the name of Garside 
& Smith, Walter L. Garside having become a partner in the enterprise. 
Five years later, Mr. Smith absorbed the whole business, and on January 
I, 1920, moved to his present location. No. 68 French street, New 
Brunswick, having erected suitable quarters, covering a space of 50x110 
feet, his enterprise being known as the American Auto Company. It 
has been due to his own efforts that his business has grown to its 
present extensive proportions, and he is looked upon by his associates 
and fellow-citizens as a most capable business man. He handles the 
Buick, Dodge, Studebaker and Jordan pleasure cars, and the Brock- 
way and Day-Elder trucks, as well as a full line of accessories, and also 
conducts a service station for the repairing of the cars handled by the 
concern. 

Mr. Smith has always taken an active interest in educational matters, 
and is chairman of the committee on instruction and discipline of the 
Highland Park Board of Education. He is a member of St. James' 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and also is prominent in the local fraternal 
organizations. He has taken his thirty-second degree in Freemasonry, 
affiliating with Union Lodge, No. 19, Free and Accepted Masons ; Scott 
Chapter, No. 4, Royal Arch Masons; Scott Council, No. i, Royal and 
Select Mastors ; Temple Commandery, No. 18, Knights Templar ; Salaam 
Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Newark, 
New Jersey. He is now (1920), junior warden of Union Lodge, and 
also junior warden of Temple Commandery. He is a member and past 
grand of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; a member of the Junior 
Order of United American Mechanics ; and the Benevolent and Protec- 
tive Order of Elks. He also holds membership in the Craftsmen's Club, 



BIOGRAPHICAL 253 

the Middlesex Automobile Club, and the New Brunswick Boat Club, 
a trustee of same, and is vice-president of the Knights of King Arthur 
Club. Mr. Smith is treasurer of the New Brunswick Motor Trade 
Association. In politics he is a Republican, being a member of the 
Highland Park Republican Club, and one of the active workers of his 
party. 

On June 2, 1909, Mr. Smith was united in marriage with Hazel A. 
Swenarton, a daughter of Thomas H. and Adele (Stivers) Swenarton. 
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of three children : Norman Russell, 
born March 12, 191 1 ; Spencer Hazelton, born December 3, 1913; Thomas 
Harvey, born February 28, 1915. Mr. Smith has a beautiful home in 
Highland Park, at No. 9 Grant avenue. 



JOHN BAYARD KIRKPATRICK.— The name of Kirkpatrick has 
been prominently identified with the insurance business in New Bruns- 
wick, New Jersey, for a great many years, but together in this business 
both Mr. Kirkpatrick and his father have been influential citizens, giving 
to the welfare of the community the interest demanded of every good 
citizen. 

John Bayard Kirkpatrick, fathei- of the subject of this review, was 
born in Washington, D. C, in 1857, and died September 6, 1912, at 
New Brunswick, in his sixty-seventh year. He founded the John 
Bayard Kirkpatrick Insurance Agency and conducted it for forty-nine 
years previous to his death. Being ever prominent in the city's affairs, 
he was city treasurer for many years. He married Mary Elizabeth 
Phillips, a native of Riverdale, New York ; she is still living and resides 
in New Brunswick, New Jersey. To Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick were 
born four children: Mary Jane Bayard, wife of Abram Van Ness Bald- 
win ; Laura Boardman ; John Bayard, mentioned below, and Andrew. 

John Bayard (2) Kirkpatrick, son of John Bayard (i) and Mary E. 
(Phillips) Kirkpatrick, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Feb- 
ruary 22, 1887. His elementary education was obtained by private 
tutor, after which he entered Rutgers Preparatory School, from which 
he was graduated in 1896, subsequently matriculating at Rutgers Col- 
lege, from which he graduated in 1900, having completed the prescribed 
four years' course. In 1912, when his father's death occurred, Mr. 
Kirkpatrick entered the insurance business which his father had estab- 
lished and has continued in it ever since at the present location. No. 
393 George street. On October i, 1912, the business was incorporated 
under the name of the J. Bayard Kirkpatrick Company, J. Bayard Kirk- 
patrick, president; Mary E. Kirkpatrick, vice-president; Andrew Kirk- 
patrick, secretary and treasurer, for the purpose of handling real estate 
and insurance. He is also treasurer and a director of the Second Mer- 
chants' Building and Loan Association. 

Mr. Kirkpatrick has taken considerable interest in military afifairs, 
and for fifteen years was a member of the National Guard, eight years 
a member of Essex Troop, of Newark, N. J., and for seven years was 
connected with Company H, 2nd New Jersey Infantry, National Guard, 



254 MIDDLESEX 

of New Brunswick, holding the commission of first lieutenant, from 
which he went into World War as first lieutenant and in May was pro- 
moted to captain; he served from March 31, 1917, until December 31, 
1918, when he was honorably discharged from the service. He is an 
attendant of the Second Reformed Church of New Brunswick, and a 
member of the Delta Phi fraternity. 

On June 15, 1912, Mr. Kirkpatrick was united in marriage with 
Bessie Madeline Fisher, daughter of Charles and Ella Fisher, of New 
Brunswick, New Jersey. They are the parents of one child, Mary 
Elizabeth Bayard Kirkpatrick, born October 27, 1918. The family home 
is at No. 15 Cleveland avenue. 



ARTHUR ERSKINE GRAHAM, who for some years has been 
prominently connected with the general life of Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, as a business man and man of affairs, is a member of an old 
and distinguished Scottish family, this branch of which was founded 
in the United States by his grandfather, James Graham, who came here 
from Scotland and located in Woodbridge, New Jersey. 

Mr. Graham's parents were John Henry and Anna Marion (Brown) 
Graham, old and highly respected residents of Perth Amboy, now both 
deceased. John Henry Graham was born in Woodbridge, in the year 
1847, '^^^ ^s a young man went to Tottenville, Staten Island, where he 
resided for a time. He later removed to Pleasant Plains, New York, 
and from there came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1896. He was the 
proprietor of two successful bakeries here and also taught vocal music 
in the local public schools, remaining active until his death, October 
29, 1914. His wife, who was a Miss Brown of Manasquan, New Jersey, 
died at Perth Amboy, July i, 1907, at the age of sixty-four. They were 
the parents of four children, as follows: George, who died at Pleasant 
Plains at the age of twenty-one years ; Lillian May, who now makes 
her home in Perth Amboy; James William, died February 11, 1919, at 
the age of thirty-eight, and left two children, Marian and Natalie; and 
Arthur Erskine. 

The birth of Arthur Erskine Graham occurred in Tottenville, Staten 
Island, June 5, 1882, but he was yet an infant when his parents removed 
to Pleasant Plains and it was with that place that his earliest associa- 
tions were formed. He attended school there until his fifteenth year, 
when he came to Perth Amboy, where he has made his home ever 
since. He continued to attend the grammar schools of this city until 
he was sixteen years of age, when he gave up his studies and secured 
a position as a stenographer in the office of the vice-president of the 
Lehigh Valley Railroad in New York City. There he remained for 
five years, learning much about business methods and gaining in experi- 
ence, and then gave up his position to take one with the National Fire 
Proofing Company of Perth Amboy, one of the largest industrial con- 
cerns in the region. Until quite recently Mr. Graham has continued a 
valuable employee of this company, his association with it continuing 
over a period of some seventeen years, but in the meantime he also took 



BIOGRAPHICAL 255 

an active part in local public affairs until at the present time he is devoting 
all his time and attention to the discharge of his oiificial duties. For eight 
months, in 1919, he served as secretary of the local draft board under 
Mayor Ten Brook. From January, 1919, for one year he was secretary 
to former Mayor Dorsey, who is mentioned at length in this work, 
and on January i, 1920, was appointed city clerk of Perth Amboy by 
the Board of Aldermen for a three-year term. He is now engaged in 
filling that responsible post, displaying an efficiency and disinterestedness 
that have already won the approval of all classes of his fellow-citizens. 
Mr. Graham is a member of the Raritan Yacht Club of Perth Amboy, 
serving for eleven years as its secretary, and is now on its board of 
governors. He is devotedly attached to all forms of out-door sports and 
takes particular pleasure in baseball and automobiling. In his religious 
belief Mr. Graham is a Presbyterian and attends the First Presbyterian 
Church of Perth Amboy, of which he is a trustee. 

Arthur Erskine Graham was united in marriage, October 5, 1903, 
in Perth Amboy, with Ada Tyrell, a native of this place, born July 5, 
1882, a daughter of James and Mary (Martin) Tyrell, both deceased. 
Mr. Tyrell was for many years the owner of a large livery stable in 
Perth Amboy, was a leading figure in banking and financial circles, and 
took a prominent part in the development of the volunteer fire depart- 
ment. 



ALEXANDER MERCHANT was born in Glasgow, Scotland, Janu- 
ary 7, 1872, the son of Alexander and Barbara (Findlay) Merchant. 
Alexander Merchant, St., was a purser on the National Line, sailing 
between Liverpool and New York City for many years. He died in 
Glasgow, in 1877, at the age of thirty-three years. 

Alexander Merchant was brought by his parents to this country 
when he was very young, and upon landing in New York went immedi- 
ately to Long Island City, where the lad received his education. In 
1888, at the age of sixteen years, he came to New Brunswick, New 
Jersey, and secured a position with D. D. Williamson, an architect, where 
he remained for five years, subsequently going to New York City, 
where he continued in this line for twelve years. In 1906 he returned 
to New Brunswick, and established himself at his present location. No. 
363 George street. He has been very successful from the very outset 
in this enterprise and is eminently respected for the unimpeachable 
integrity of all his dealings. He specializes in school buildings, but 
also handles all kinds of work in his line of business, the New Brunswick 
High School being one of his pieces of work. 

Alexander Merchant is one of the foremost citizens of New Bruns- 
wick, always a leader in movements which have for their end the 
advancement of civic conditions. A Republican in political affiliations, 
he is a keen student of all issues and has taken a keen and active interest 
in the affairs of the local organizations, having served on the Highland 
Park Council for many years, and also on its Board of Education. Mr. 
Merchant is a director of the Highland Park Building and Loan Associa- 



256 MIDDLESEX 

tion; also the Young Men's Building and Loan Association. He is 
affiliated with Palestine Lodge, No. in, Free and Accepted Masons, 
and New Brunswick Lodge, No. 324, Benevolent and Protective Order 
of Elks. He also holds membership in the New Brunswick Club and 
the New Brunswick Boat Club. His hobby is tennis. Mr. Merchant 
and his family are members of the Highland Park Reformed Church. 

On June 24, 1896, Mr. Merchant was united in marriage with Mair- 
garet Beaton Henderson, of New Brunswick, daughter of William and 
Agnes (Thomson) Henderson, both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Merchant 
are the parents of one child, William Alexander Merchant, born August 
17, 1898; he enlisted in the United States army during the World War 
and was assigned to the 504th Motor Truck Company, stationed at 
Charleston, South Carolina, and received his honorable discharge in 
June, 1919; he is a student at Syracuse University, a member of the 
class of 1923. 



WILLIAM SCHLESINGER, numbered among the prominent 
business men of New Brunswick, New Jersey, is the owner and man- 
ager of the Schlesinger coal and grain business. Since 1890 Mr. Schles- 
inger has been a resident of this community and none of her vital inter- 
ests lack his influential and public-spirited support. 

Henry Schlesinger, father of the subject of this review, was born in 
Austria, in 1826, and died in Brooklyn, New York. For many years 
he was a shoe dealer in New York City. He married Sophia Frend, also 
a native of Austria, and to them were born eight children, of whom 
three are still living : William, of further mention ; Frank, in the cigar 
business at No. 90 Church street. New Brunswick; Frederick H., in the 
employ of the Texas Company, at Hamburg, Germany. 

William Schlesinger was born in Detroit, Michigan, August 14, i860, 
and was brought to New York City by his parents when very young, 
and here, in the public schools of the city, obtained his education, after 
which he attended New York University. Until 1890 Mr. Schlesinger 
was in the cigar manufacturing business in New York City, then came 
to this community and was employed by the Charles C. Davis Cigar 
Company until 1908, when he engaged in the cigar manufacturing 
business on his own account until 1910, at which time he purchased 
the Henry H. Banker coal and grain business which he is conducting at 
the present time, his success being due to his untiring energy and firm 
belief in his own ability. 

In politics he is a Republican, and takes an active part in the affairs 
of the local organizations, having been a member of the Water Com- 
mission and of the County Board of Taxation, serving as president of 
both, and a member of the Board of Trade. He affiliates with National 
Lodge, No. 209, Free and Accepted Masons of New York City, a past 
master of same ; and with New Brunswick Lodge, No. 324, Benevolent 
and Protective Order of Elks, a past exalted ruler. He is a prominent 
mernber of the congregation, Anshe Emeth Synagogue, of New Bruns- 
wick, also former president of that organization. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 257 

On February 22, 1900, Mr. Schlesinger was united in marriage with 
Rae Wolfson, a native of New Brunswick, and the daughter of Aaron 
and Augusta Wolfson, both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Schlesinger are 
the parents of two children : Gertrude, born in October, 1903 ; and Wil- 
liam Henry, born May 10, 1905. 



ARTHUR STERN, the active head of one of Perth Amboy's most 
important business establishments, is in the prime of life and full of the 
vital energy which is so large a factor in business confidence, and he is a 
part of the city's prosperity. 

Simon Stern, his father, coming to this country as a boy from his 
native city of Berlin, Germany, went direct to St. Joseph, Missouri. 
There he grew up, putting his natural business ability to excellent 
account in the clothing business, which he followed for thirty-five years. 
He was very successful and retired from active business twelve 
years before his death, devoting his time after his retirement, to charity. 
He married Henrietta Hart, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. She died 
in St. Joseph, in 1910, at the age of sixty-four years. They were the par- 
ents of six children, all of whom are now living: Bertha, wife of Julius 
Rosenblatt ; Arthur, of whom extended mention follows ; Stella, now a 
widow, residing in Kansas City; Florence, who also lives in Kansas 
City ; Sidney, a resident of Los Angeles, California ; and Maurice, of St. 
Joseph. 

Arthur Stern was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, March i, 1873. He 
received his early education at the excellent public schools of that city, 
supplementing this preparatory study with a course at the Wentworth 
Military Academy, at Lexington, Missouri. After this three years' 
course he returned to St. Joseph, and opened a furniture store under 
the name of the People's Furniture Company. He was successful from 
the start; but after four years there, he decided to remove to a larger 
city. He went to St. Louis and opened a store in the same line of 
business, remaining there twelve years, with most satisfactory results. 
At the end of that period, various considerations induced him to come 
East, and he bought out the business which he now conducts in Perth 
Amboy. Under his management the business has fully doubled its 
capacity, and the store has become one of the show places of the town. 

While his mercantile interests almost completely absorb his time, 
Mr. Stern is not wholly a man of business. His chief delight is getting 
into the great out-door world, motoring, hunting, or fishing; and he is 
a member of the Raritan Yacht Club. He is also a member of th© 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 

Mr, Stern married, in El Paso, Texas, on June 19, 1903, Belle, daugh- 
ter of Thomas and Margaret Ogden. She was born in Salt Lake City, 
Utah. Her father is now a resident of Traverse City, Michigan ; her 
mother died in 1913. Mr. and Mrs. Stern are the parents of two chil- 
dren, both living: Irma Ogden, born June 6, 1904; and Arthur H., 
born October 16, 1906. 

Hid— 17 



2S8 MIDDLESEX 

WILLIAM GORDON HOWELL, who occupies the highest posi- 
tion of trust in the gift of the city of New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
descended from an old New Jersey family, of English origin, and himself 
long active in the manufacturing interests of the State, Mr. Howell 
represents the soHd citizenship which is the basis of all progress. 

Mr. Howell's father, George Wilson Howell, was a native of New 
Brunswick, New Jersey, and died here at the age of seventy-eight years, 
in 1913. He was superintendent of the Janeway & Carpender Wall 
Paper plant for many years, having become associated with this firm 
at its organization, and remaining with them until his death. He was 
widely celebrated in fraternal circles as one of the most loyal Masons 
in the State of New Jersey, and one of the best posted men in the 
Masonic fraternity on the subject of Masonry, having advanced to the 
thirty-third degree. He was a member of Union Lodge ; Scott Chapter, 
No. 4; Temple Commandery; Mecca Temple, Ancient Arabic Order 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. His advice was frequently sought in this 
connection, and his decisions were considered final. George Wilson 
Howell married Priscilla Van Deventer, who was born in South River, 
a locality known in recent years as Van Deventer Station, from the 
prominence of this family. They were the parents of eight children, 
the three now living being : Charles, Alice and William Gordon, all living 
in the family homestead on the corner of George street and Remsen 
avenue. 

William Gordon Howell was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. 
He received his education in the public schools of the city. At the 
age of nineteen years he entered the .business in which his father was 
engaged, filling the position of wall paper designer for a period of 
twenty-five years, the greater part of that time with the Janeway-Car- 
pender Company, but for a time connected with New York City con- 
cerns. In 1908, Mr. Howell was elected assessor of the city of New 
Brunswick, in which office he served the people with the same capability 
which he had always put into his business interests, holding this office 
for six years. At the end of that period he succeeded to his present 
office, that of city treasurer. He entered upon the duties of this office, 
July 15, 1919, and is serving the interests of the public with rare judg- 
ment. In addition to his duties in this connection, Mr. Howell holds 
the office of custodian of school funds, to which he. was elected for a 
term of four years. He is secretary of the Building and Loan Associa- 
tion which has offices in the National Bank Building, and during the 
World War was fuel administrator for this district. Mr. Howell spends 
little time in recreation, being devoted to his many interests of a business 
nature, but finds his favorite relaxation in fishing and home gardening. 
He is single. He is a member of Christ Episcopal Church. 



ALVIN BARTHOLDI FOX, one of the busiest men in Perth Amboy, 
a member of the firm of Larson & Fox, civil engineers, and also secretary 
and treasurer of the Union Garage Company of Perth Amboy, has from 
the inception of his business career, been identified with local industrial 



BIOGRAPHICAL 259 

interests, making his way to the position of prominence which he holds 
today. Mr. Fox, in addition to his prominent connection with the busi- 
ness life of the city, is ofificially and influentially associated with the 
various other elements of her life as a municipality. 

Frederick F. Fox, father of Alvin Bartholdi Fox, was born in New 
York City, June 2, 1842. During the Civil War from 1861-1865, he was 
a member of Hawkin's Zouaves, Company C, Ninth New York Regi- 
ment, and, consequently, saw much active service. At the age of thirty- 
seven he came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and here was engaged in 
the undertaking, real estate and insurance business up to the time of 
his death, which occurred May 15, 1914. Mr. Fox married Maria L. Bohr, 
a native of Clarkstown, Rockland county, New York, where she was 
born September 11, 185 1 ; at the present time she resides at Perth Amboy. 
Mr. and Mrs. Fox were the parents of two children: Caroline M., wife 
of Matthew D. Sherrill, of Irvington ; and Alvin B., subject of this 
review. 

Alvin Bartholdi Fox was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, October 
29, 1886, the son of Frederick F. and Maria L. (Bohr) Fox. He was 
educated in the public schools of his native city, and Rutgers College, 
from which institution he was graduated in 1908, and received his degree 
of Civil Engineer in 1912. Immediately after leaving college he entered 
the employ of Mogan Larson, civil engineer, and at the same time took 
a night course at the Brooklyn Polytechnic School. It was with Mr. 
Larson that he received his business initiation and it was here that 
he exhibited his ability and developed those executive talents which 
enabled him to gain the success which he has since attained. Perhaps 
the truth of this statement is best attested by the fact that in 1910 
he was received into partnership, forming the firm of Larson & Fox. 
The success which uniformly attends the company is due in large meas- 
ure to the mingled aggressiveness and conservatism always exercised 
by Mr. Fox. In 1912, the same year that he received his degree of 
Civil Engineer, he was appointed county engineer of Middlesex county, 
and also resident engineer of the New Jersey State Highway Department, 
which latter office he held for a period of one year. On January i, of 
the year 1920, he was made borough engineer of Spotswood, Middlesex 
county. New Jersey. 

In 191 8 he assisted in the organization of the Union Garage Company 
of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and since May, 1918, he has been secre- 
tary, treasurer and general manager of the organization. The same 
year that he became associated with this company, he served on the 
commission to suggest a revision of the motor vehicle laws which 
pertained to automobile trucks. That the Union Garage Company has 
prospered during the past two years is largely due to Mr. Fox, who 
has displayed a keen interest in its welfare from the beginning, and has 
viewed its increasing success with no little satisfaction. 

In politics Mr. Fox is a Democrat, and is a member of the Perth 
Amboy Democratic Club. He is also a member of the United Business 
Men's Association, the Chamber of Commerce and the Perth Ambov 



26o MIDDLESEX 

Automobile Dealers' Association; associate member of the American 
Society of Civil Engineers; and is treasurer of the County Engineers' 
Association of the State of New Jersey. His clubs are the East Jersey, 
and the Raritan Yacht. In religion, Mr. Fox is a Baptist. 

Mr. Fox married, in Matawan, New Jersey, July 15, 1912, Marjorie 
M. Brown, daughter of Harry A. Brown, a shoe manufacturer of New 
Oxford, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Fox are the parents of three 
children: Frederick F., born July 3, 1916; Jean M., born March i, 1918; 
Ruth E., born November 5, 1919. 

Alvin Bartholdi Fox is one of those substantial and aggressive busi- 
ness men who constitute the bulwark of a city's development, and he 
stands as an able exponent of the spirit of the age in his efforts to advance 
progress and improvement. His business transactions are conducted 
in accordance with the highest principles, and he fulfills to the letter 
every trust committed to him. 



ARTHUR HOWARD DUNHAM is among the successful men of 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where he conducts a large business in real 
estate, and occupies a prominent place. Mr. Dunham is a native of 
Woodbridge township, and a member of an ancient New Jersey family 
which was founded here in early Colonial days and has ever since 
maintained a high place in the esteem of their fellow-citizens. 

Hezekiah Dunham, father of Arthur Howard Dunham, was born 
in Woodbridge, New Jersey, April 10, 1843, ^^'^ died there October 8, 
1908. He followed the trade of mason for a number of years. He 
married Louisa Murdock, who was born in New York City, and died 
in Perth Amboy, October 11, 1910, at the age of seventy-seven years. 
Mr. and Mrs. Dunham were the parents of seven children : Charles ; 
Mulford, deceased ; William ; Harriett, wife of Bruce L. Drummond ; 
Delia, wife of Theodore Aschenberg; George; and Arthur Howard, of 
further mention. 

Arthur Howard Dunham was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, 
March 28, 1879, and attended the grammar schools of his native place, 
after which he took a course with the Scranton Correspondence School. 
He then served an apprenticeship to the mason's trade, and subsequently 
became foreman for the National Fireproofing Company at Woodbridge, 
with whom he remained five years. In 1905 he established himself in 
the contracting business in Woodbridge, and four years later moved 
to Perth Amboy, where he has since been engaged in the real estate 
business. He has been highly successful in this venture, and within 
a short period of eleven years has risen to a place of prominence in 
business circles. In 1920-21, he erected seventy-five houses in Wood- 
bridge, New Jersey, representing a sum of over $395,000. Unswerving 
honesty and fairness has won for him his success, which is in every sense 
of the word self-made — the result of his own indefatigable effort and 
his own unfailing belief in his ability to succeed. In politics, Mr. Duut 
ham is a Republican and takes a keen interest in the activities of the 



BIOGRAPHICAL 261 

organization. He is a member of the Bricklayers' and Plasterers' Union. 
No. 27. In religion he is a Methodist. 

On March 5, 1902, Mr. Dunham was united in marriage with Mar- 
garet Sofield, of Perth Amboy. Her father was a native of Perth Ambov, 
and died there, February 11, 1916, at the age of sixty-eight. He was 
a ticket agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad for many years previous 
to his death. Mr. and Mrs. Dunham are the parents of three children : 
Byron, born June 10, 1904; A. Gordon, born March 6, 1906; Malcomb. 
born June 27, 1909. 



PERCY LYLE VAN NUIS was born in New Brunswick, Nev/ 
Jersey, March 17, 1882, the son of Lyle and Emma (Snedeker) Van 
Nuis. Lyle Van Nuis was at the time of his death in 1914, cashier of the 
National Bank of New Jersey, at New Brunswick. Percy Lyle Van 
Nuis, since reaching young manhood, has identified himself with every 
movement pertaining to the welfare and advancement of the com- 
munity. 

Percy L. Van Nuis obtained his preliminary education in private and 
public schools of his native place, and upon graduating from the New 
Brunswick High School in 1899, matriculated at Rutgers College, from 
which he was graduated in 1903, after having completed a four years' 
course of thorough training. That same year he entered the employ of 
the Western Electric Company and remained for five years, and in 1908 he 
entered the Neverslip Manufacturing Company. Ten years later he 
resigned and became identified with the Cronk Manufacturing Company, 
the Highland Park Building Company, and the Highland Park Lumber 
Company, in whose employ he has since continued, proving himself to 
be most efficient, and holding the office of treasurer and director in 
same. 

In politics, Mr. Van Nuis is a Republican, and although he has not 
sought public office he nevertheless always interests himself in public 
affairs, and holds decided views upon all questions which come before 
the public for discussion. He is affiliated with the Delta Upsilon fra- 
ternity of Rutgers College, and was treasurer of the Rutgers Chapter 
from 191 1 until 1918. While in college, he was active in all athletics 
and for four years was a member of the track and relay teams, captain 
of both teams in the senior year. He attends the First Dutch Reformed 
Church of New Brunswick, and also holds membership in the Rutgers 
and Country clubs of New Brunswick, and is a member and director of 
the Young Men's Christian Association. Mr. Van Nuis is unmarried. 



JOHN BANKER. — As a business man, owner of a line of busses 
operating in New Brunswick and vicinity, John Banker and his son, 
William J. Banker, Jr., are well known in this section of the State of 
New Jersey. In social life and fraternity affairs Mr. Banker takes an 
active part and lends his influence to all movements that tend to uplift 
and advance the standard of right living. 

John Banker was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, May 2, 1869, 



262 MIDDLESEX 

a son of Frederick William and Elizabeth Clara (Lewis) Banker, natives 
of Germany. Frederick W. Banker was reared and educated in his native 
land, coming to the United States at the age of twenty. He located in 
New Brunswick, New Jersey, and later engaged in the grocery business, 
success attending his efforts. He died in New Brunswick, in 1892, 
aged fifty-four years, survived by his wife, whose death occurred in 
New Brunswick, August 5, 1916, aged seventy-six years. They were 
the parents of seven children, John Banker, of this review, being the 
only one now living. 

John Banker attended the school in the vicinity of his home in New 
Brunswick, completing his studies at the age of fifteen years. He then 
entered his father's grocery store, located at No. 143 Throop avenue, 
known as F. W. Banker, grocer, and remained as his assistant for several 
years. His father's health then began to fail, and for a period of six 
years the son conducted the grocery business at the same address on 
his own account. He then entered the employ of Mr. Fleischmann, of 
compressed yeast fame, with whom he remained three. years, and for 
the following eight years served in the capacity of assistant superin- 
tendent of the New Jersey State Reformatory. This brought him up 
to March, 1919, when he established the business he is now engaged in, 
transportation, the running of busses being a large feature of the work, 
the plant located at Nos. 3-5 Schuyler street. New Brunswick, his son, 
William James Banker, known as William J. Banker, Jr., who is asso- 
ciated with him, serving as president of the Gray Bus Line, Inc. During 
the years 1895-96-97-98, Mr. Banker represented the Second Ward of New 
Brunswick as alderman, and in 1898 was chief of the Volunteer Fire 
Department, reelected in 1899. He is a member of the German Lutheran 
church ; the Free and Accepted Masons, in which he attained the thirty- 
second degree ; the Improved Order of Red Men ; the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks ; the Junior Order of United American Mechan- 
ics ; the Senior Order of United American Mechanics ; and the Red 
Cross. 

Mr. Banker married, in New Brunswick, March 9, 1888, Lizzie C. 
Colton, born in New Brunswick, daughter of Thomas and Mary (Van 
de Water) Colton, the former named deceased, the latter named a 
resident of New Brunswick. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Banker, namely: i. William James, above referred to, born December 
4, 1888; married Laura Hunter, a native of Canada; no children.' 2. 
Sophia Florence, who became the wife of Fred Hamer, of New Bruns- 
wick. 



DAVID J. WILLIAMS, owner and manager of the monumental 
works at No. 311 New Brunswick avenue, Perth Amboy, has been iden- 
tified with the business life of this community since coming here in 
1900, and in all that makes for the betterment of the city he is an earnest 
worker. 

John R. Williams, father of David J. Williams, is a native of Lemont, 
Pennsylvania, and now lives there retired, having been a shoe manu- 




UjLurOAJ, Q/Y^ J^*^^^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 263 

facturer for many years. He married Sarah Z. Young, now deceased, 
and to them have been born ten children : George, a teacher of Lemont, 
Pennsylvania ; Edward, a farmer of Lemont ; David J., mentioned below ; 
Frank S., a stone cutter in Perth Amboy; Nelson W., a resident of 
Lemont; Zepora M., deceased; Martin W., a resident of Lemont; Moses, 
deceased; Isadora, wife of George Fike, of Lemont, Pennsylvania; 
Sarah E., deceased. 

David J. Williams was born in Lemont, Pennsylvania, December 25, 
1872, the son of John R. and Sarah Z. (Young) Williams. He obtained 
his education in the public schools of his native place, and then learned 
the trade of marble cutting. In 1900 he came to Perth Amboy and 
established monumental works on South Second street, where he 
remained for eight years, at the end of which time he moved to his 
present location. No. 311 New Brunswick avenue. The enterprise 
which he started in a small way has consistently grown and developed 
until it is now one of the largest and most successful of its kind in the 
county, and is the result of determination, perseverance and strict atten- 
tion to business duties. Mr. Williams is prominent in the fraternal 
liffe of the city and affiliates with Huguenot Lodge, No. 381, Free and 
Accepted Masons, the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, 
the Woodmen of the World, Camp 31, and the American Order of United 
Workmen, Great Kills. His hobby is hunting and he devotes a portion 
of what little time he can take from his ever increasing business duties 
to this particular pastime. 

On June 28, 1896, Mr. Williams married (first) Alene M. Petersen, 
daughter of Frederick and Emma Petersen, of Tottenville, Staten Island, 
New York. To Mr. and Mrs. Williams were born three children : Helen 
E., June 4, 1899 ; Kenneth D., April 24, 1905 ; D. Leonard, July 23, 1906. 
Mrs. Williams passed away in 1909. Mr. Williams married (second) 
June 2, 1912, Marie A. Neilsen ; they have no issue. 



EDWARD WELLS SPACE.— In the early part of the nineteenth 
century, about 1816, the Space family emigrated from Germany to the 
United States and located upon a farm in Tompkins county. New York. 
One of the descendants of this original settler, George A. Space, came 
to New Jersey in 1850 and located in New Brunswick, where one of 
his children, George Noble Space, was born, July 17, 1852, and lived 
there all his life. He learned the machinist trade, which he followed for 
many years. He married Elizabeth Bell, also a native of New Bruns- 
wick, where she still lives. They had six children: i. George A., a 
machinist, who died in New Brunswick, June 14, i894- 2. Edward 
Wells, of whom further. 3. William Arthur, deceased. 4. Charles A., 
garage keeper. 5. Jennie May, wife of Albert Sevenair, a resident of 
Teaneck, New Jersey. 6. Ruth Evelyn, who married Walter E. Pierson, 
and resides in New Brunswick. 

The second son of this family, Edward Wells Space, was born in New 
Brunswick, October 11, 1877. His birthplace has always been his home, 
and here he attended the public schools until, at the age of thirteen, 



264 MIDDLESEX 

he left to become an apprentice in the machinist's trade. For the next 
eighteen years, Mr. Space was in the employ of the John Waldron 
Company, machinists, and following this he worked for one year with 
the Simplex Auto Company. On April i, 1913, Mr. Space bought out 
the business and so successful has this investment proved to be that 
on September i, 1920, he purchased the property upon which his garage 
is located, at No. 256 George street. 

While Mr. Space has been employed almost all his life, he has 
devoted some of his time to travel, this being his special form of relax- 
ation. His wanderings have taken him over the entire United States, 
and in the spring of 1920 he had just finished a tour through a large 
portion of South America. 

That Mr. Space is interested in fraternal matters is evidenced by 
his membership in the Junior Order of United American Mechanics; 
in the Young Men's Christian Association; and in the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks, he being a past exalted ruler of New Bruns- 
wick Lodge, No. 324. Mr. Space and his family all attend the Methodist 
church there. 

On February 16, 1920, in New Brunswick, Edward Wells Space 
married Jane M. Edmonds, born in that city, the daughter of William 
E. and Elizabeth L. (Smith) Edmonds. Mr. Edmonds died in New 
Brunswick, May 5, 1920. Mrs. Edmonds is still living in New Brunswick. 



JAMES ALFRED COMPTON.— Upon leaving educational halls in 
1910, Mr. Compton entered the insurance business, being employed first 
by the firm of Erasers Brothers, then entered the insurance business 
for himself, representing the Travelers' Insurance Company of 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and has since continued in that line most 
successfully, his line of life and accident insurance being supplemented 
by all kinds of casualty and surety insurance written by responsible 
companies. He is a son of James Lewis Compton, also born in Perth 
Amboy, former mayor of the city, and a lifelong resident, his death 
occurring in 1903, his business, real estate dealing. James L. Compton 
married Emma De Bow, born in South River, Middlesex county. New 
Jersey, who survives, a resident of Perth Amboy. They were the parents 
of five children : Sophia Brown, married, September 12, 1900, Francis 
Luis Mora, now a well known artist of New York City, former resident 
of Perth Amboy ; Lola, residing in Perth Amboy, New Jersey ; James 
A., of further mention ; Lewis ; and William Arnold ; the two last named 
are naval veterans of the great World War and now proprietors of the 
Ford Agency at Summit, New Jersey. 

James A. Compton was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, February 
3, 1889, ^^^ there attended the public schools. He completed his studies 
in Phillips Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire, and immediately after 
graduation, class of 1910, he returned to Perth Amboy and has for the 
past decade been interested in the insurance business. He represents 
the Travelers' Life Insurance Company of Hartford as his principal 
company, specializing in life insurance, but also writing accident, fire 



BIOGRAPHICAL 265 

casualty and surety insurance. Mr. Compton is a Democrat in politics, 
a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Raritan Yacht 
Club, and of the Presbyterian church. In recreation his hobby is yacht- 
ing and his craft, the "Natirar," is well known on Raritan bay. He is a 
successful young business man, managing a constantly growing business. 



THOMAS FRANCIS DUNIGAN.— In the business and banking 
circles of Woodbridge, New Jersey, the name of Dunigan is a prominent 
one. 

Thomas Francis Dunigan was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, May 
I, 1847, and is a son of Bernard and Julia (Ryan) Dunigan, both parents 
having been born in Ireland. They became acquainted in Woodbridge, 
and were married there. 

As a boy, Thomas F. Dunigan attended the public and parochial 
schools of this town, then completed his education at St. John's Academy, 
at Fordham, New York. He started in business with his father, who 
was a prosperous contractor, having interests also in clay. Later the 
young man became associated with the Ostrander Fire Brick Company, 
at Fords, New Jersey, where he remained for some years. Thereafter, 
Mr. Dunigan was with Henry A. Maurer, at Maurer, New Jersey, 
interested along similar lines. He is now in business for himself in 
Woodbridge, retailing coal and wood, and doing an extensive business 
throughout this section in builders' supplies. He has become a power 
in the construction world of Middlesex county. 

Mr. Dunigan is also influential in other interests. He is a director 
and vice-president of the First National Bank of Woodbridge, and was 
at one time town committeeman and freeholder. In political affiliation 
he is a Democrat. Mr. Dunigan is a member of the New Brunswick 
Lodge, No. 324, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 

Mr. Dunigan married, in Woodbridge, Jane M. Finn, of that place, 
and they have four children : Florence, now the wife of James J. Dunn, 
of Brooklyn, New York ; George F. ; Jane M., now the wife of Edmund 
A. Hays, a prominent attorney of Highland Park, New Jersey ; and Anna 
B., who resides at home. 



WALTER B. FLAVELL.— The Flavell family is an English one, 
the father and grandfather of Walter B. Flavell having come to this 
country a short time before his birth. The grandfather, Thomas Flavell, 
left England in 1870, and located in New Brunswick, where he became 
a farmer, continuing as such until his death in 191 1, at the age of eighty- 
eight years. His son, Walter Flavell, was born in London, England, 
in 1853. After arriving in the United States, he entered the employ of 
Janeway & Carpender, manufacturers of wall paper, as clerk in their 
shipping department. He died in New Brunswick, June 10, 1907. His 
wife, Mary Jane (Bloomer) Flavell, was a native of Scotland, born in 
Glasgow, in 1858. Her death occurred in New Brunswick in 1884. They 
had six children: Walter B., of whom further; Lucy E., Harry N., 
Charles W., Mary J., and Thomas P. 



266 MIDDLESEX 

Walter B. Flavell, eldest child of Walter and Mary J. (Bloomer) 
Flavell, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, September 5, 1877. 
He acquired an education in the public schools of that city and later 
attended Wilson's Business College, following this by a course of train- 
ing in accounting at the New York School of Accounting. Some years 
ago, Mr. Flavell became connected with the Janeway & Carpender Wall 
Paper Manufacturing Company, first as a traveling salesman and later 
was added the duties of manager of their advertising department, which 
is his business at the present time (1921). 

Mr. Flavell is exceedingly fond of outdoor exercise, particularly 
motoring and boating, the latter being a favorite pastime of the residents 
of the city on the banks of the Raritan. He is also devoted to music, 
it being a hobby with him. During his service in the Spanish-American 
War, Mr. Flavell was in the department of field music. He served 
with the Third Regiment, New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, during the 
period of that conflict. In Freemasonry, Mr. Flavell is very active; he 
is a member of Palestine Lodge, No. 1 1 1 ; Scott Chapter, No. 4, Royal 
Arch Masons ; is a Knight Templar, connected with Commandery No. 
1 1 ; and also is a member of Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Newark, New Jersey. Mr. Flavell is 
greatly interested in the work of the Young Men's Christian Association, 
of which he is a member; and also of the Craftsmen's Club, of New 
Brunswick, and the New Brunswick Rotary Club. 

On July 16, 1902, Walter B. Flavell was united in marriage with 
Grace M. Van Liew, born in New Brunswick, the daughter of Henry 
and Ellen Van Liew, residents of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Flavell reside 
at No. 207 Lawrence avenue, in the Highland Park section of New 
Brunswick. They are members of Christ Protestant Episcopal Church. 



CHRISTIAN JOHNSON is among the younger men who have 
established themselves as significant factors in the business life of Perth 
Amboy. 

His father, Benjamin Johnson, was born in Sweden, and came to 
this country, bringing all the sturdy traditions of his race and a great 
ambition for the future. He began his life in the new country at Oxford 
Furnace, New Jersey, securing employment in the mills there. He 
was a faithful worker, honest and industrious, but his high hopes of the 
life that was to be so bright were brought to naught by his untimely 
death when his youngest child was a year and a half old. His wife, 
Annie Mary. (Madson) Johnson, was born in Denmark. They were the 
parents of six children, four of whom are living: James, Charles F., 
Alfred B., and Christian, whose name heads this review. 

Christian Johnson, familiarly known by his business associates as 
"Chris," was born in Oxford Furnace, Warren county. New Jersey. 
Here he lived until he was ten years of age, receiving his early education 
in the public schools. He then removed with his mother to Perth 
Amboy, where he continued his school attendance up to the seventh 
grade. At the age of fourteen years he left school and went out into 



BIOGRAPHICAL 267 

the world to take care of himself. He became connected with a sewing 
machine store, and began life as salesman and collector. This was a 
position of considerable responsibility for his years, but he proved him- 
self worthy of his trust, and made the experience his preparation for the 
time when he should strike out in business for himself. He remained in 
this store for six or seven years, and by thrift and economy managed to 
lay up a little capital. In February, 1912, he 'started in business for 
himself, choosing the line of taxi service. Time proved the young man 
well justified in his choice. The rapid development of the automobile 
from a plaything to an eminently practical servant had opened an avenue 
of business which demanded men of sound common sense and solid busi- 
ness ability. Mr. Johnson was not slow in perceiving the possibilities 
in connection with his start. From time to time, as he saw opportunity, 
he branched out into various lines of automobile accessories and supplies 
and now conducts one of the most complete establishments of its kind, 
where the motorist can have practically every need supplied. 

Mr. Johnson spent nine months in the service of the government 
during the late World War, acting in the capacity of foreman in the 
repair shops on the proving grounds at Aberdeen, Maryland. Later, 
and also at Aberdeen, he was inspector of cars, and in full charge of 
motorcycles there. He has made a place for himself in the city of Perth 
Amboy that many young men might envy. He is a member of the 
Junior Order of United American Mechanics, and of the American 
Legion. He is an attendant of the Presbyterian church. 

Mr. Johnson married, September 14, 1920, Anna A. Bachman, of 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, daughter of Daniel and Anna A. Bachman, 
of Perth Amboy. 

ALFRED THOMPSON KERR.— For more than a decade Alfred 
Thompson Kerr has been prominently before the public in various ways, 
holding several different offices in South Amboy. In 1908 he was elected 
tax collector, and in 1909 to the Board of Freeholders of the county, 
serving in this capacity for eight years. In 1916 Mr. Kerr was chosen 
to fill the chair of chief executive of the city at a time when the office 
of mayor was an unusually trying one, it being during the period of the 
World War and also when the terrible explosion at the Morgan Works 
occurred, at which so many families were made homeless. The present 
water works system and the new high school were both started during 
Mr. Kerr's administration. 

Though of Scotch ancestry, Alfred Thompson Kerr was born in the 
United States, at Bordentown, New Jersey, June 24, 1864, the son of 
Thomas Kerr, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. Thomas Kerr came to 
this country when fourteen years old and landed at Newburyport, Mas- 
sachusetts, then came to New York City, later removing to Bordentown. 
In 1873 he came to South Amboy and lived there for more than forty 
years, his death occurring in that city, in September, 1906, at the age of 
eighty-nine years. His occupation was that of master mechanic for the 
Pennsylvania Railroad, he being the oldest on the system at the time 



268 MIDDLESEX 

when he was retired from active service on a pension. He married Mary 
McLeay, also a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. She died in South Am- 
boy, August i6, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kerr had a family of 
thirteen children, but of this number only four are now living, as follows : 
I. Mary J., living in Trenton, New Jersey. 2. Emma, wife of Peter A. 
Stults, of No. 212 Second street. South Amboy. 3. Robert, residing in 
South Amboy. 4. Alfred Thompson, of whom further. 

During his early childhood, Alfred Thompson Kerr lived in the city 
of his birth, attending the public school in Bordentown, but when eight 
years old his parents came to South Amboy and he entered the public 
school here, continuing until eighteen years old, then, going to Trenton, 
he attended "The Model School" for three years, graduating from it in 

1887. 

The first position young Mr. Kerr held was in the freight office of 
the Pennsylvania Railroad in South Amboy and in a short time he was 
promoted to the position of assistant shop clerk on the Amboy division. 
His next position was as assistant coal premium clerk of the United 
Railroads of New Jersey. His health failing, Mr. Kerr was compelled 
to give up his occupation to seek one in the open air and he became a 
fireman on a locomotive on the Pennsylvania Railroad, continuing it for 
nine years. In 1899 Mr. Kerr went into his present business, a dealer 
in paints, oils, glass, etc., his store located at the corner of First and 
Stockton streets. South Amboy. It is a well-established business, and 
for the past twenty-two years Mr. Kerr has been located at the original 
stand. In addition to this he is secretary and treasurer of the R. U. Rue 
Company, Inc., dealers in clay and sand, their headquarters being on 
Main street, South Amboy. 

Alfred Thompson Kerr is a most enthusiastic musician, that being 
his particular form of recreation, he having been president of the Musi- 
cians' Union of Perth Amboy at three different times. He is also a 
prominent figure in fraternal circles, being a member of the local lodge 
of Free and Accepted Masons ; the Tall Cedars of Lebanon ; the Knights 
of Pythias ; the Loyal Order of Moose ; and the Benevolent and Protec- 
tive Order of Elks. Mr. Kerr is also affiliated with the Brotherhood of 
Locomotive Firemen and Engineers, and was the first master of Lodge 
No. 484 of that association. Mr. Kerr is active in the work of the South 
Amboy Memorial Hospital, being president of the board of managers 
of that institution. He is a member of the Protestant Episcopal church. 

On July 21, 1890, in South Amboy, Alfred Thompson Kerr was united 
in marriage with Carrie Straub, born in South Amboy, the daughter of 
Gottlieb Straub, the dean of the butcher's business in South Amboy, 
where he is still actively engaged at the age of seventy-seven years. Mr. 
and Mrs. Alfred Thompson Kerr have one child, Antoinette S., now the 
wife of James Gordon, of South Amboy. 



ASHER K. FLEMING.— The Fleming family has figured promi- 
nently in the life and affairs of Middlesex county for two centuries. The 
family traces its origin to several immigrant ancestors who originally 



BIOGRAPHICAL 269 

settled in Delaware, later pushing West into Ohio, where all were killed 
by the Indians with the exception of Jordan Fleming, then an infant. He 
was later found and raised by a family in Delaware, but at the age of 
fifteen ran away from his benefactors, boarded a canal boat and landed 
at New Brunswick, thus establishing the Fleming family in this county. 

Asher K. Fleming was born at New Brunswick, New Jersey, July 
9, 1890, the son of John Kesby Fleming, an electrician of New Bruns- 
wick, and his wife, Mary Emma (De Hart) Fleming. He received his 
education in the public schools of his native place and at the American 
Technical Society schools, where he took a course in electrical engineer- 
ing. After graduating, his first position was with the Bosch-Rushmore 
Company as experimental engineer, later becoming chief automotive 
electrical engineer for the Simplex Automobile Company, and the 
Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation. In 1914 he established himself in 
business as an automotive electrical engineer, with offices on Jersey 
avenue, which he conducted in connection with his other duties, and in 
1918 he established laboratories at No. 41 Albany street, New Bruns- 
wick. He has been highly successful in this venture and within a 
short period has risen to a place of prominence in business circles. His 
success is in every sense of the word selfmade, the result of his own 
indefatigable effort. He was one of the pioneers in the perfecting of 
electric lighting of automobiles. 

Mr. Fleming is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order 
of Elks, New Brunswick Lodge, No. 354; the Junior Order of United 
American Mechanics; and also holds membership in the Society of 
Automotive Engineers, and the American Institute of Electrical Engi- 
neers. During the World War, Mr. Fleming perfected and installed the 
high tension electrical ignition system as used on the famous Hispano- 
Suiza airplane motors, which motors propelled the fastest planes on the 
battle fields of France. 

Mr. Fleming is a lover of all outdoor sports, especially fishing and 
hunting, and is a member of the New Brunswick Sportsmen's Associa- 
tion. In religion he is a Methodist and attends the First Church of that 
denomination. 

On February 4, 1914, Asher K. Fleming was united in marriage with 
Nellie L. Creager. Mr. Fleming has made his own way and has attained 
to his present position in the business world by force of his ability, which 
has fitted him to hold it. Such a man is destined as a matter of course 
to still further advancement. His residence is at No. 291 Powers street.. 



HENRY SYLVESTER HULSE, JR.— The excellent school system 
of Perth Amboy is the pride of the city. In this organized preparation of 
the children and youth of the city for their future usefulness, Henry 
Sylvester Hulse, Jr., bears a significant part. 

The founder of the Hulse family in America was one of the early 
settlers of Long Island, and came from Holland, where the name is a 
well known and honored one. Mr. Hulse's grandfather, Sylvester Hulse, 
is still living, at the age of ninety years, in Port Jefferson, Long Island. 



270 MIDDLESEX 

Henry Sylvester Hulse, Sr., is a dairy farmer in that vicinity. He married 
Melissa Barton. 

Henry Sylvester Hulse, Jr., was born in Astoria, New York, May 28, 
1880. He received his early education in the Port Jefferson Union 
School, where he completed the course in 1897. He then attended the 
Jamaica State Normal School, from which he was graduated in 1904. 
He then entered New York University and was graduated in 1909. Mr. 
Hulse came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1906, as principal of School 
No. 2. Since 1909 he has filled a more important position, that of 
principal of the Grammar and Manual Training schools of the city. He 
is very enthusiastic about his work, and believes deeply in the importance 
of manual training to the thousands of children who can never expect 
to receive higher education. 

Outside his strictly professional work, Mr. Hulse is interested in 
other activities for the young people of the city. He is director of the 
Junior Red Cross, chairman of the Troop Organization Committee of 
the Boy Scouts of America, and chairman of the Fourth Red Cross 
Roll Call. He is a private in the State Militia Reserve, and did active 
service at the time of the Morgan explosion and also during the influenza 
epidemic. He is a member of Suffolk Lodge, No. 60, Ancient Free and 
Accepted Masons, of Port Jefferson, New York; and of Lodge No. 785, 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Phillipstown, New York. Mr. Hulse 
finds his tastes leading him into the great out-of-door world whenever 
opportunity offers. He is very fond of all out-door sports, and takes 
particular delight in gardening. 

Mr. Hulse married, December 24, 1908, in the Church of St. Mary's 
in the Highlands, Cold Spring, New York, Marie Edna Haight, daughter 
of Cyrus J. and Elizabeth (Traver) Haight. She was born in Phillips- 
town, Putnam county. New York. Her parents are now deceased. Mr. 
and Mrs. Hulse have two children : Barton Traver, born August 21, 
1910; and Irene Elizabeth, born September 8, 191 1. The family are 
attendants upon the services of the Episcopal church, and active in all 
its work. 



INGVARD GREISEN.— Behind the work of the laborer's hand is 
the creation of the designer's mind. Thus the completed structure which 
stands the pride of any city means far more than the laying of one 
stone upon another. In Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Ingvard Greisen 
is one of the men whose work lives in the form which he designs. 

Mr. Greisen's father, Hans Greisen, has for many years been engaged 
in construction work in Perth Amboy. He came from Denmark about 
thirty-six years ago, located in Perth Amboy and has been a building 
contractor ever since. His wife Marie was also born in Denmark, and 
they are the parents of two sons, Ingvard and Sophus. 

Ingvard Greisen was born in Perth Amboy, February 15, 1889. He 
received his early education in the public schools of this city, being grad- 
uated from the high school in 1907. The same year he entered the 
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York, from which he was graduated in 



BIOGRAPHICAL 271 

1910. He is rapidly winning his way to success as an architect. He has 
worked at the building game since childhood, having always followed his 
father's work with the keenest interest. Spending the greater part of his 
leisure time throughout his boyhood about whatever piece of construction 
his father had in hand, the older man taught his son all the ins and outs of 
the contracting business. This was a wonderfully practical foundation 
for his training along the special line chosen. Now for the past eight 
years Mr. Greisen has been actively practicing his profession, first under 
the firm name of Goldberger & Greisen, and now under his own name. 
His present office is conveniently located at No. 320 Raritan building. 
Mr. Greisen is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, 
Benevolent and Prot.ective Order of Elks, and the Dana Relief Associa- 
tion. He is greatly interested in water sports, and a member of the 
Raritan Yacht Club. He finds his most enjoyable recreation in volley 
ball at the Young Men's Christian Association. 

Mr. Greisen married April 13, 1914, Signa Nelson, and they have two 
children : Agneta, born May 13, 1916, and Kenneth, born January 20, 1918. 
The family are members of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church. 



WILLIAM EDMUND WOODRUFF.— Born in New Brunswick, 
February 8, 1884, William Edmund Woodruff is the son of Hiram Wilson 
Woodruff, of Stelton, New Jersey, and his wife, Mary E. (Gilliand) 
WoodruflF, now deceased. William Edmund Woodruff has two sisters 
and one brother: Addie, the wife of Weldon Weidner, of Boston, Mas- 
sachusetts; Hiram Wilson, Jr., who resides at East Millstone, New 
Jersey; and Margaret A., the wife of William MacMillan, of Easton, 
Pennsylvania. 

William Edmund Woodruff attended the village school at Middle- 
bush for some time, and later at Three Mile Run. This was followed 
by a course in business training at Wilson's Commercial School, at No. 
380 George street. New Brunswick. 

On February 15, 1905, Mr. Woodruff entered the employ of the 
National Bank of New Jersey, his first position being that of check 
clerk. After two and a half years at this work, he was promoted to the 
desk of passbook clerk, later was advanced to bookkeeper, and then to 
teller of the bank. In 1918 he became chief clerk, a position he holds at 
the present time. 

To be in the open and to be engaged in out-of-doors sports is Mr. 
Woodruff's favorite pastime. He is a member of the Sportsmen's Asso- 
ciation of New Brunswick, the New Brunswick Country Club, the Young 
Men's Christian Association, and the Junior Order of United American 
Mechanics. Automobiling is his hobby and almost daily he may be seen 
enjoying this form of exercise. He attends the Livingston Avenue Bap- 
tist Church. 

William Edmund WoodruflF was married to Helen M. Whitfield,* 
November 3, 1909, her death occurring November 8, 1918. She was the 
daughter of Jacob H. and Julia A. Whitfield, both now living in New 
Brunswick. Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff had no children. 



2y2. MIDDLESEX 

CHARLES WESTON BARNEKOW.— When a young man of 
twenty-one, Baron Kiell Volmer Barnekow left his native Sweden and 
found a new home in Boston, Massachusetts. He was an educated 
young man of artistic talent, and later became professor of music and 
painting in the famous Emma Willard School in Troy, New York. Dur- 
ing his stay in that city, his home was at Watervliet, nearby, he later 
residing in Albany, then in Newburgh, New York. He died in New- 
burgh, at the age of seventy-nine years, and is buried in Albany. Pro- 
fessor Barnekow married Sarah Jane Bunker, who died in Albany at 
the early age of twenty-seven, leaving two children : Charles Westcn, 
of further mention; and a daughter, who died in childhood. Professor 
Barnekow was a man of culture, ranking high as an artist, and was 
widely known when in his prime. 

Charles Weston Barnekow was born in Watervliet, New York, 
November 2, 1855, but soon afterward the family moved to Albany, going 
thence to Newburgh, New York, in 1861, where the lad was educated 
and grew to manhood. He was employed in a drug store during his 
youth, but at the age of twenty-two he started in business for himself 
as a retail hatter and shoe dealer. Later he returned to the drug busi- 
ness, entering the employ of Dr. Wiggins, in Newburgh, there remaining 
until 1892, when he located in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. There he 
engaged in the drug business, first as Keasbey & Company, later as 
Keasbey & Barnekow, so continuing until September, 1904, when the 
present firm, Barnekow & Petz, was formed. Their store is located at 
No. 335 State street, a location that has long been occupied by a drug 
store, in fact the pioneer drug store of the city was located there. Mr. 
Barnekow is a Republican in politics, and has represented his ward as 
alderman. He is a member of the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, 
the Young Men's Christian Association, Chamber of Commerce, Raritan 
Yacht Club, and is devoted to all out-of-door athletic sports. In religious 
faith he is a Presbyterian, belonging to the First Church of Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Barnekow married, at Cobleskill, New York, April 30, 1878, 
Emma Vansteenburgh, born in Hudson, New York, daughter of Matthew 
and Harriet (Smith) Vansteenburgh. Mr. and Mrs. Barnekow are the 
parents of a son, Charles Weston, Jr., born September 20, 1885, now in 
charge of the polychrome department of the Atlantic Terra Cotta Com- 
pany. 



HOWARD WARREN KINSEY.— One of the oldest established 
business houses of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, dealing in coal, and knov/n 
under the title of Kinsey Brothers, was founded in the early nineties by 
Henry Warren Kinsey, father of Howard Warren Kinsey. The latter 
succeeded his father in the management of this business and continued 
to conduct it until it was sold to the Lake Coal Company. 

Henry Warren Kinsey, the founder of this business, was born in 
Woodbridge, New Jersey. He retired from active business, and now 
lives at No. 367 New Brunswick avenue, Perth Amboy. He married 
Ettie Hope, who was born in this county, and died in Perth Amboy, 




^^^4&^^^Wt 




BIOGRAPHICAL 273 

New Jersey, in 1905. They were the parents of six children, of whom 
three are still living: Howard Warren, whose name heads this review; 
Edward H., who is engaged as clerk in the postal service; and Fanni", 
wife of George Therkelson, a piano dealer. All are residents of Perth 
Amboy. 

Howard Warren Kinsey was born in Woodbridge, October i, 1889. 
He received his education in the public schools of Perth Amboy; leav- 
ing school at the age of fourteen, he took charge of a team and dro\'e 
one of his father's coal wagons. This he continued to do for eight years, 
then entered the office as bookkeeper. The firm was then known as 
Kinsey Brothers, and was located at No. 367 New Brunswick avenue. 
The business constantly grew and developed, and on September 17, 
1917, was sold to the Lake Coal Company. He then became manager 
for the Convery Coal Company, which position he has continued to 
fill ever since, and is demonstrating his executive ability in this business, 
which at the present time is a difficult one to handle. The firm does 
considerable wholesale business, and handles wood in large quantities 
as well as coal. Mr. Kinsey is a Republican by political affiliation, and 
his tastes are those of the out-door man — hunting, fishing, gardenincf, 
automobiling — all these, in turn, claim him when the arduous duties of 
the office leave him free. 

Mr. Kinsey married, June 18, 1902, in Perth Amboy, Bertha May 
Wolney, who was born in Woodbridge. Both her parents died when 
she was a child. Mr. and Mrs. Kinsey have two children : Evelyn May, 
born November 2, 1905 ; and Arthur Warren, born June 18, 1906. 
These are the only grandchildren in the Kinsey family. 

Mr. Kinsey and his wife are both members of the Baptist church. 



RAYMOND PERCY WILSON.— Among the men rapidly coming 
to the front as civil engineers is the one whose name stands at the head 
of this article. Mr. Wilson, who is a resident of New Brunswick, is 
not only an active business man, but an energetic citizen, keenly inter- 
ested in everything pertaining to the welfare and prpgress of his home 
community. 

Charles Edgar Wilson, father of Raymond Percy Wilson, was born 
April 29, 1854, in East Millstone, New Jersey, where he has for many 
years conducted a general grocery business. He married Sarah Eliza- 
beth Palmer, daughter of B. D. and Margaret (White) Palmer, the 
former a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

Raymond Percy Wilson, son of Charles Edgar and Sarah Elizabeth 
(Palmer) Wilson, was born September 29, 1886, in East Millstone, 
New Jersey, where he received his early education in local schools. 
Later he entered the New Brunswick High School, graduating in 1903, 
and then matriculated in Rutgers College, where he graduated in 1907 
with the degree of Civil Engineer. In association with the late Josiah 
Tice, Mr. Wilson entered upon the practice of his profession in New 
Brunswick, meeting almost from the outset with merited recognition. 
In 1917 he went into business for himself, and is now in possession of a 

Mid-18 



274 MIDDLESEX 

lucrative practice, his office being situated at No. 46 Paterson street. 
The professional standing already attained by Mr. Wilson gives abun- 
dant assurance that he has a future before him. PoHtically Mr. Wilson 
is a Republican, but his devotion to his profession precludes active par- 
ticipation in public affairs. In his few hours of leisure he engages in 
various forms of outside work, which with characteristic energy he 
regards as recreation. During the World War he served in the militia 
reserve and played an active part in a number of war activities. The 
fraternal associations of Mr. Wilson include membership iu the Junior 
Order of United American Mechanics, the Improved Order of Red Men, 
and the Chi Phi college fraternity. He and his family are members of 
the First Presbyterian Church. 

Mr. Wilson married, October 9, 1912, in New Brunswick, Lillian M. 
Morrison, born in that city, daughter of James A. and Rebecca (Mac- 
Cowan) Morrison, who still reside there. The following children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson: Jean M., born May 25, 1914, died 
March 3, 1915; Janice Elizabeth, born January 6, 1916; and Raymond 
Merrill, born December 23, 1919. 



MAXWELL LOGAN.— As owner of the Middlesex Press and the 
"Woodbridge Independent," a newspaper of the towpship of Wood- 
bridge, Maxwell Logan has during his long residence in this community 
been closely identified with her leading interests and is always numbered 
among her foremost citizens. 

Maxwell Logan was born in Brooklyn, New York, June 13, 1894, the 
son of Percival Willoughby and Matilda Catherine (Piatt) Logan. 
When but a small boy he was brought by his parents to Woodbridge, 
New Jersey, and there attended the grammar and high schools from 
which latter institution he was graduated, in June, 1913. In 1912, one 
year before finishing his high school course, he became interested in 
printing and, in consequence, set up a small printing press, doing church 
printing and also printing the high school publication, "The Dial." 
Immediately following his school career, he went to Brackenridge, 
Pennsylvania, to work for the Allegheny Steel Company, but returned 
to Woodbridge after a few months and resumed printing, removing 
to No. 7 Green street, which is a Revolutionary landmark of the town. 
January i, 1918, Mr. Logan bought out the equipment of the Wood- 
bridge Printery and together with his own business moved to his present 
location, No. 23 Green street, and until April, 1919, printed the "Wood- 
bridge Leader." In March, 1919, he began the publication of the 
"Woodbridge Independent." Three months later he purchased "The 
Mosquito," a weekly newspaper, which was published by H. E. Pickers- 
gill, in Perth Amboy, and on August i he moved the paper to Wood- 
bridge and it became incorporated with the "Woodbridge Independent" 
into the "Woodbridge Independent and the Mosquito." Now he ably 
conducts this business, maintaining it on a firm basis, enlarging its 
facilities and extending its scope, and has conclusively proven his pos- 
session of a marked executive ability. 




c^o<^<^i^<-^__^^ .Z^C£:^i^^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 275 

In all matters relative to the welfare of the community, Mr. Logan 
ever manifests a deep and sincere interest, aiding to the utmost of his 
power any movements which tend to further public progress and good 
government. He adheres to the Republican party, but office seeking is 
foreign to his nature and he prefers, moreover, to concentrate his energies 
on the faithful discharge of his various trusts and responsibilities. In 
religion he is a Presbyterian, and attends the Presbyterian church at 
Woodbridge. Mr. Logan is unmarried. 



EDWARD E. CLARK.— The name of Mr. Clark can properly be 
mentioned among those whose energy, business tact and public enter- 
prise have made them important factors in the development and im- 
provement of Sayreville, New Jersey, located on the Raritan river, noted 
for its manufactures of brick, soda water and cigars. His effort has 
not been in the field of finance, nor in the promotion of great schemes 
employing vast capital, but it has been in the walks of ordinary business, 
and by faithfully performing the duties of every-day life he has won 
for himself the respect and esteem of those with whom he is brought 
in contact. 

Edward E. Clark was born in Englishtown, New Jersey, December 
16, 1882, son of Owen and Catherine (Kelly) Clark. He acquired a 
practical education by attendance at St. Mary's School, Sayreville, and 
he began his active career in the grocery business, continuing along that 
line until January i, 1917, meeting with the success which attends well 
directed effort. He erected the Union Hotel at Sayreville, in the year 
191 7, of which he is still the proprietor, being well qualified for that 
line of work, possessing the power to correctly judge human nature, a 
social, genial disposition, and a sincere desire to please. Everything 
possible is done for the comfort and convenience as well as the pleasure 
of his guests, and in consequence the house is receiving a very liberal 
patronage. In 1913 Mr. Clark added to his business 'pursuits that of 
real estate, in which he is engaged at the present time (1920) and from 
the conduct of which he derives a profitable income, real estate during 
the past few years changing hands constantly owing to the scarcity 
of houses for the accommodation of the people in the great cities and 
their environs. Mr. Clark gives his political allegiance to the Democratic 
party, and was elected on that ticket to serve in public office, having 
been township committeeman from 1913 to 1920, treasurer of the township 
and school funds from 1913 to 191 5, and was chairman of the township 
committee for three years. On May 21, 1918, he was compelled to 
close his business on account of the Raritan Arsenal being within the 
three-mile limit. He then went to work for the Morgan plant, remain- 
ing six months. He then returned to the real estate business, in which 
he still continues. He was one of the committee who erected the monu- 
ment in memory of the boys who went over seas. This was done 
without any cost to the borough, through the kindness of the Sayre 
& Fisher Company, who donated the land and the material, and the 
mechanics gave their services free of charge. In 1919 he was the one 



276 MIDDLESEX 

who was instrumental in having a bill passed through the Legislature 
making Sayreville a borough. He is a member of New Brunswick 
Lodge, No. 324, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Foresters 
of America ; Improved Order of Red Men, and the Arion Singing Club. 
Mr. Clark married, September 26, 191 7, the ceremony taking place 
in the Church of Our Lady of Victories at Sayreville, New Jersey, 
Florence Meyer, born in Sayreville, May 14, 1890, daughter of Ignatz 
and Augusta (Gunkel) Meyer. One child has been born to Mr. and 
Mrs. Clark, namely. La Vern Marie, born July 12, 1918. Mr. and Mrs, 
Clark are attendants of the Church of Our Lady of Victories. 



RAYMOND PIUS WHITE.— Though not a native of New Bruns- 
wick, Raymond Pius White has been a resident of that city all his life, 
having been brought there by his parents while still a very young child, 
and has always been closely identified with many of the activities of 
the city. At the present time (1921), he is in the employ of W. E. 
Mount as an automobile salesman. 

John J. White, father of Raymond Pius White, is a railroad detec- 
tive, residing in New Brunswick, where he was born and where he has 
lived for the greater part of his life. He married Mary Magdalena 
Phillips, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, but died in New Bruns- 
wick. John J. White and his wife were the parents of two children: 
Raymond Pius, of whom further; and John Edward, also living in the 
city on the Raritan. 

Raymond Pius White was born in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, August 
21, 1894. During his infancy his father and mother removed to Newark, 
but their stay there was of short duration as they soon went to New 
Brunswick, where they made their permanent home. Here the boy 
was educated, attending St. Peter's Parochial School and later taking a 
course at the New Brunswick Business College. Afterward, in 1910, 
he entered the employ of Johnson & Johnson, the well known manufac- 
turers of medical and hospital supplies, remaining with them until 
August 13, 1920. 

During this time Mr. White entered the army, serving in the World 
War for more than two years. On September 21, 1917, he was sent 
to Camp Dix, remaining there until June, 1918, when he was transferred 
to Camp Lee. His stay at this point was very short, as he left in a few 
months to go to Camp McClellan, Alabama, in September, 19 18, where 
he became sergeant of infantry, First Provisional Company, 98th Divi- 
sion, and from which post he was discharged, December 9, 1919. Ser- 
geant White is now county commander of the American Legion of 
Middlesex county, and a member of the executive committee of the 
Department of New Jersey, American Legion. He is also a representa- 
tive of the State Bonus Commission, for the distribution of the State 
bonus given to the ex-service men of the World War, in the Third Con- 
gressional District of New Jersey. 

In all afifairs pertaining to the Roman Catholic church, of which Mr. 
White is a devoted adherent, he is among the foremost workers. He is 



BIOGRAPHICAL 277 

an attendant of St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church of Highland Park. 
He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and of the National 
Executive Committee of the Catholic Young Men's Union. He repre- 
sents Middlesex county on the State Executive Board of the Federation 
of Catholic Societies. 

Mr. White is very popular among the lovers of athletic sports and 
is connected with several societies organized for the promotion and 
welfare of athletics. He is one of the board of managers of the Amateur 
Athletic Union of the United States of America Metropolitan Associa- 
tion; in 1916 and 1917 Mr. White was president of the Knights of St. 
Peter, a young men's athletic organization of New Brunswick. Mr. 
White is also a member of the Order of Red Men, a benevolent and 
fraternal organization. 



GEORGE ERNEST GILLIS, prominent in the direction of the 
great Roessler & Hasslacher Chemical Company of Perth Amboy, in 
which he holds the position of supply and traffic manager, and a well 
known figure in the business circles of the city, is a member of an old 
British family, the founder of which, in America, came from England to 
Prince Edward Island, Canada, at an early date. He is a son of 
Alexander and Anna (Ellis) Gillis, both natives of Canada, who came 
when young to the United States, making their home in various places, 
including Perth Amboy, and finally at Providence, Rhode Island, where 
their deaths occurred respectively, July 30, 1919, at the age of sixty-eight, 
and February, 1918, at the age of sixty-six. The elder Mr. Gillis was 
a shipbuilder by occupation most of his life, and for a number of years 
followed that profession at Perth Amboy. They were the parents of 
ten children as follows : Two children, who died in infancy ; Clifford, 
now engaged in business as an industrial chemist at Fords, New Jersey ; 
Laura, who became the wife of William Lydard of Hartford, Connecti- 
cut; Victor Herbert, now residing at Tottenville, New York, where he 
represents the Roessler & Hasslacher Chemical Company ; Chester 
Arthur, who is engaged in business as a traveling agent, and makes his 
home in Philadelphia; George Ernest, whose career forms the subject 
matter of this sketch ; Helen, who became the wife of Samuel Simpson 
of Providence, Rhode Island; William Ellis, an educator, who makes his 
home in Stonington, Connecticut, and is vice-principal of the Stonington 
High School; Louis, deceased. 

George Ernest Gillis was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, April 
18, 1889, during his parents residence there, and passed his childhood in 
that city. He attended the local public schools until he had reached the 
age of fifteen years when, being anxious to begin his business career, he 
left school and secured employment in the Art Glass Works of his 
native city. He remained with that concern only one year, however, and 
then, on April 11, 1908, entered the employ of the Roessler & Hasslacher 
Chemical Company, thus commencing an association which has con- 
tinued uninterruptedly ever since. He was first given work to do in 
the laboratory, where he did so well as to attract the attention of his 



278 MIDDLESEX 

superiors, and put himself in line for promotion. Three years after 
coming with this concern he was made assistant purchasing agent, a 
position that he held for five years, when he was advanced to that of 
traffic manager. Shortly afterwards, another department was placed in 
his charge and he was given his present title of supply and traffic man- 
ager. The duties of this responsible office he discharges with skill and 
efficiency, and has made himself one of the most valued members of the 
staff of this large concern, one of the largest, if not the largest of its 
kind in the United States. Mr. GiUis has also interested himself in the 
general life of the city, and is a member of a number of clubs there, 
including the Chemical Club and the Raritan Yacht Club, both of Perth 
Amboy. He is keenly interested in all manner of out-door pastimes and 
sports, especially boating and automobiling, and up to about six years 
ago took part frequently in motor boat races, notably those covering 
great distances, such as five hundred miles or more. He is a Presby- 
terian in his religious belief and attends church of that denomination at 
Perth Amboy. 

George Ernest Gillis was united in marriage, March 2, 1910, in 
New York City, with May Carney, a native of Monmouth county, New 
Jersey, and a daughter of Richard and Sarah Carney of that city, the 
former now deceased. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Gillis as follows: George, born December 20, 1912; Richard Ernest, born 
September 15, 1914; and Francis, born May 15, 1916. 



HENRY RUTGERS BALDWIN MEYERS.— The advance in sani- 
tary precaution, safety appliance and working condition is nowhere more 
marked than in the corporate industries that were formerly most indif- 
ferent. The establishing of welfare departments in mills and factories 
has called into being a new profession, and as welfare manager Mr. 
Meyers, of Milltown, New Jersey, is now devoting his talents that had 
formerly been devoted to pedagogy with marked success. His present 
engagement is with the Michelin Tire Company and his work has borne 
abundant fruit. He is a son of Marion H. and Elizabeth (Bessonnett) 
Meyers, his father a journalist. 

Henry R. B. Meyers was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
October 29, 1886, and there completed public school courses of study 
of grade and high. He was also a student in Rutgers College Summer 
Schools, and pursued special courses in oratory and public speaking 
under private instructors. For fifteen years Mr. Meyers was supervising 
principal of schools, and in 1919 became employment and welfare man- 
ager for the Michelin Tire Company, of Milltown, New Jersey. He is a 
director of Milltown Building and Loan Association, and interested in 
other community activities. In fraternal relation, Mr. Meyers is affiliated 
with Palestine Lodge, No. iii, Free and Accepted Masons; Improved 
Order of Red Men (past great guard of forest, and past sachem) ; Patri- 
otic Order Sons of America (past president) ; Daughters of Pocahontas; 
the Order of United American Mechanics, and the Junior Order of 




i^. '^^ viyi^-t.^^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 279 

United American Mechanics. In religious faith he is connected with 
Milltown Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Mr. Meyers married, November 25, 1908, Gulielma Clark, daughter 
of Francis Asbury and Sarah Clark. Mr. and Mrs. Meyers are the par- 
ents of a daughter, Marguerite Elizabeth, born November 9, 1912, and 
a son, Henry R. B., Jr., born April 25, 1918, deceased. 

WILLIAM EDWARD GOWEN.— Although having been estab- 
lished in the undertaking business on his own account but a short time, 
William Edward Gowen has already proven that his venture is a success, 
due in a large part to the thorough knowledge that he obtained along this 
particular line before starting out for himself. 

Henry Harper Gowen, father of William Edward Gowen, was born 
in New Brunswick, New Jersey, February 9, 1851, and for many years 
previous to his retirement from business life was engaged in the rubber 
trade. He now resides in Arlington, New Jersey. He married Elizabeth 
Steinart, of New Brunswick, and to them have been born five children, 
as follows : Freeman, deceased ; Isaac, deceased ; Antoinette, who married 
Allan Peluso, of New Brunswick ; William Edward, of further mention ; 
Samuel Long, a mechanical electrician of New Brunswick. 

William Edward Gowen was born February 8, 1888, in New Bruns- 
wick. He obtained his education in the public schools of his native 
place, but at the age of fourteen years left school and served an appren- 
ticeship at the blacksmith's trade, later enlisting in the United States 
army, first in the infantry, but later transferring to the cavalry. After 
serving one term in this capacity, he returned to New Brunswick and for 
a short time resumed his former trade. In the meantime, however, he 
had become interested in the undertaking business, and with a keen 
desire to ultimately establish himself as a funeral director he secured a 
position with William J. McDede and later with A. J. Martin, both under- 
takers in New Brunswick. He remained with Mr. Martin for ten years, 
during which time he gained a thorough practical knowledge of the 
undertaking business, and on October 15, 1920, opened parlors on his 
own account at No. 99 French street. New Brunswick, which have since 
continued to be his headquarters. 

On May 26, 1908, William Edward Gowen was united in marriage 
with Helen Stangler, a native of Germany, and the daughter of Charles 
and Theresa Stangler, who for several years have resided in Philadelphia. 
Mr. and Mrs. Gowen are the parents of two children: Helen Anna, born 
March 3, 1909; Gizzella, born October 30, 191 1. The family attend the 
Fourth Reformed Church of New Brunswick. 



GEORGE F. REYNOLDS, one of the most prominent business men 
and merchants of Perth Amboy, Middlesex county, New Jersey, and the 
proprietor of the large mercantile establishment at No. 136 Smith street, 
in that city, is a native of New Brunswick, New Jersey, a son of Charles 
and Mary (Nevius) Reynolds, old and highly respected residents of 
that place. Charles Rey^iolds was born in County Leitrim, Ireland, 



28o MIDDLESEX 

in the year 1814, and came to the United States when but seven years 
of age in company with three brothers and one sister. The family located 
in New York City for a time, but not long afterward removed to New 
Brunswick, New Jersey, and Charles was bound out to a farmer at 
Millstone, where he worked for a time. His extraordinary ambition 
caused him to walk daily the twenty-four miles to and from Millstone 
and New Brunswick so that he might learn the trade of tailor's cutter, a 
craft which he followed for some years. Finally, by dint of industry 
and economy, he saved up enough capital to engage in business on his 
own account and he set up an establishment as a clothing merchant at 
New Brunswick, conducting the same successfully for about thirty-five 
years. His death occurred at New Brunswick, January 28, 1901, at the 
venerable age of eighty-seven years. His wife still survives him. They 
were the parents of five children, as follows : Walter C, who now resides 
at New Brunswick, and is occupied as a machinist ; John F., of Trenton, 
New Jersey, where he works as a tailor's cutter ; George F., with whom 
we are here especially concerned; Howard A., who studied law and is 
now a practicing attorney at New Brunswick; a daughter who died 
in early infancy. 

George F. Reynolds, third son of Charles and Mary (Nevius) Rey- 
nolds, was born April 11, 1865, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He 
attended for a time the public schools of that town, later studied at the 
Rutgers Preparatory School, and upon completing the course there 
secured a clerical position with the local establishment of John Lambert. 
He there remained for two years or until Mr. Lambert sold out his 
business, and then found employment with the firm of Myer Brothers 
in the same city, where he continued for the following seven years. 
During that time the superintendent of the firm was Charles Hess, with 
whom he developed a warm friendship, so that when that gentleman 
severed his connection with Meyer Brothers and removed to Perth 
Amboy to open a dry goods store, Mr. Reynolds came with him, and 
for the following seven years was employed by Mr. Hess. When the 
latter disposed of his business to Crosby & Hill, of Wilmington, Dela- 
ware, Mr. Reynolds, having laid aside a small sum of money, found 
himself in a position to engage in business for himself. Accordingly 
he established himself in the dry goods business on State street in a 
store 18x65 feet, this enterprise meeting with success from the outset 
and it soon became a flourishing concern. He continued on State street 
until about 1903, and then removed to his present store at No. 136 
Smith street, where he has remained continuously up to the present 
time. Mr. Reynolds' business ability, combined with his well known 
and unimpeachable integrity, has given him a most enviable reputation in 
the region, and he is now at the head of one of the largest and best 
known enterprises of its kind hereabouts. He has not, however, confined 
himself entirely to the development of his private concern, but has 
become prominent in the general business and financial life of the com- 
munity, and is now associated with a number of important banking in- 
stitutions in the locality. He is a director of both the Perth Amboy 
Trust Company and the City National Bank, and is also affiliated with a 




It 



C^n^i^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 281 

number of fraternal orders and clubs here, among which should be 
mentioned the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of 
Columbus, the Woodmen of the World, the East Jersey Club, the Rari- 
tan Yacht Club, and the Hydewood Golf Club of North Plainfield, New 
Jersey. He has been active in local politics in Perth Amboy as an 
Independent, and for two years has held the office of president of the 
local Board of Health. As will be seen from the clubs of which Mr. 
Reynolds is a member, he is extremely fond of all sorts of out-door sports 
and pastimes, and he takes an especial interest in automobiling. In his 
religious belief, Mr. Reynolds is a Roman Catholic and attends the 
Church of St. Joseph's, North Plainfield, where he now resides. 

George F. Reynolds was united in marriage, July 5, 1891, with Cora 
M. Williamson, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, a daughter of William 
and Adeline (Allen) Williamson, of that city, now both deceased. Mr. 
and Mrs. Reynolds are the parents of one child, Charles Hess, born 
September 22, 1903, now a student at Carlton Academy, Summit, New 
Jersey. 



RAMON MONTALVO, JR. — On the site where once stood the 
famous old Mansion House in New Brunswick, New Jersey, there now 
stands a new building devoted to music in its various forms, the name 
of this attractive structure being "The Temple of Music." It is located 
at Nos. 101-105 Albany street. 

The proprietor of this new enterprise is Ramon Montalvo, Jr., a 
native of New Brunswick, where he was born August 22, 1881. His 
parents are Ramon and Mary Montalvo, the former a retired business 
man of New Brunswick. Ramon, Jr., has always resided in the city of 
his birth and there he received his education, attending the public 
schools, his graduation from the high school taking place with the class 
of 1899. 

A year later, 1900, Mr. Montalvo opened an agency for talking 
machines, at No. 341 George street, gradually introducing other musical 
features, and eventually developing a large trade. He started with a 
very small capital, but in the years that followed he made good and, 
purchasing the property at Nos. 101-105 Albany street, he erected his 
own building, which he now occupies, and named it the "Temple of 
Music." It is 90x150 feet, including salesrooms, and is devoted to the 
interests of music. It has been carefully planned, combining harmony 
and attractiveness with its main idea. Just inside the entrance, at the 
right, are hundreds of sheet music files, and beyond these are to be found 
enclosed offices, modernly equipped, for the convenience of the officials 
and clerks ; at the left, a staircase leads to Mr. Montalvo's private office. 
The architectural work was designed by Alexander Merchant, and well 
illustrates his fine ability and excellent taste. There are salesrooms 
especially fitted up for the displaying of pianos and piano players, talk- 
ing machines and their accessories, and the children's room, which is 
furnished in kindergarten style, with its miniature talking machine, and 
records especially suitable for the kiddies, is an attractive feature. 



282 MIDDLESEX 

Another attractive feature of this establishment is the five period rooms, 
each fitted up in the style of a dififerent period — Adam, Colonial, Gothic, 
Pompeian, .and Modern — and each having a talking machine installed 
whose lines follow those of the particular period represented. In addi- 
tion to all this, there is the auditorium, 40x30 feet, which is reached by 
a wide, winding stairway leading from the front or main salesroom. 
This is a well-planned theatre with 550 comfortable seats, a curtained 
stage at the end, and every detail as may be found in the highest class 
theatres, and is so planned, that when occasion demands, it can be trans- 
formed into a ballroom. A model repair room is also to be found in 
one part of the building, which enables Mr. Montalvo to do extensive 
repair work on the premises. This new establishment represents an 
achievement that places Mr. Montalvo in the foremost ranks of Nev/ 
Brunswick business men. 

In all progressive societies. having the advancement of New Bruns- 
wick as their object, Mr. Montalvo takes an active interest, one of them 
being the Rotary Club, of which he is the president at the present time ; 
he is also president of the Retail Merchants Division of the New Bruns- 
wick Board of Trade ; he is a director of the Middlesex County Building 
and Loan Association, and a member of the Scientific Society of Rutgers 
College. One of Mr. Montalvo's especial interests is the Young Men's 
Christian Association, having given evidence of this in many ways. His 
chief recreation is any form of out-of-doors sport and in pursuance of 
it, is an active member of the Manasquan River Yacht Club. 

In fraternal circles Mr. Montalvo is equally active, being connected 
with the local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, 
No. 324; in the Masonic world he is very greatly interested, being a 
member of Palestine Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, No. iii, and 
of Scott Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, No. 4; also of Temple Command- 
ery. No. 18, Knights Templar. Mr. Montalvo is a Shriner, attached to 
Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; 
and in addition to these, he is a past grand Tall Cedar of New Bruns- 
wick Forest, No. 12, Tall Cedars of Lebanon. 

Ramon Montalvo was joined in matrimony with Gertrude Lieberum, 
daughter of Charles and Gertrude Lieberum, January i, 1905, in New 
Brunswick. They have one child, Helen Marguerite, born December 
25, 1905. Mr. and Mrs. Montalvo reside at No. 203 Lawrence avenue, 
Highland Park, New Brunswick. They are members of Christ Protes- 
tant Episcopal Church of that city. 



GEORGE RAYMOND CARMICHAEL.— All honorable success is 
based upon a definite aim in life and the persistency of purpose which 
enables one to persevere in a given course regardless of difficulties, 
obstacles and discouragements. There are many self-made men whose 
life record proves this fact and among this number is George Raymond 
Carmichael. 

Mr. Carmichael was born in Wellsburg, West Virginia, March 27, 
1887, the son of Thomas Ward and Gertrude Elizabeth (Henke) Car- 



BIOGRAPHICAL 283 

michael. Thomas W. Carmichael is a prominent citizen in Wellsburg, 
where he resides, being cashier of the P'irst National Bank there and 
president of the Board of Trade. 

George Raymond Carmichael received his education in the public 
schools of his native place, and after graduating from the Wellsburg 
High School he entered upon his business career with a borrowed capital 
of $500. The steam vulcanizing business in which he has been engaged 
since the inception of his business career has steadily and consistently 
grown until today it represents a twenty thousand dollar a year enter- 
prise, and Mr. Carmichael has invested ten thousand dollars alone in 
fixtures and machinery. Although Mr. Carmichael has always main- 
tained a deep interest in public issues, he is independent of party restric- 
tion when casting his vote. During the years 1904 to 1908 he belonged 
to the National Guard of West Virginia, being a member of Company 
C, First Regiment, but never saw any active service except camp life 
and the rifle range. 

On February 3, 1916, George Raymond Carmichael was united in 
marriage with Edna Christie, daughter of Jacob and Mary Eliza (Roark) 
Christie, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael are 
the parents of two children: George Nichols, born May 28, 1917; Wilbur 
Leroy, born April 3, 1919. 

Mr. Carmichael's life has been one of service, and he has prospered 
in business. He has always been found among the loyal supporters of 
all progressive movements for his community's welfare, and when oppor- 
tunity has offered has beea ready to aid those less favored than he. 
From unfavorable circumstances he has won success and standing, and 
is one of the respected business men of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, a 
product of democratic institutions. 



RAYMOND ROBBINS ANDERSON, purchasing agent of the 
Roessler & Hasslacher Chemical Company of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
and a well known figure in the business world of this region, is a member 
of an old New Jersey family which has resided in the State from pre- 
Revolutionary times. His great-great-grandfather, George Anderson, 
was one of the earliest settlers of Hamilton Square, New Jersey, and 
was engaged in business there when New Jersey was yet a colony. He 
took part in the Revolution, and through him the present Mr. Anderson 
is eligible for membership in the Society of the Sons of the Revolution. 

A great-grandson of this George Anderson was Henry Franklin 
Anderson, father of Raymond R. Anderson, who was born in Fleming- 
ton, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, in the year 1852, and died in 191 1, 
at the age of fifty-nine years. In early life he followed the trades of 
carpenter and mechanic, but later became the possessor of a fine farm, 
where he carried on general agricultural operations and made some- 
thing of a specialty of dairying. He married Frances H. Mershon, of 
Trenton, who survives him and continues to make her home in Hamilton 
Square, the old family residence of the Andersons. Mr. and Mrs. Ander- 
son were the parents of three children, as follows : Florence, who became 



284 MIDDLESEX 

the wife of Thomas Watson, of Hamilton Square; Raymond Robbins, 
whose career is the subject of this sketch ; and Chester Franklin, a farmer 
by occupation, who resides in Hamilton Square. 

Raymond Robbins Anderson was born in Hamilton Square, Mercer 
county, New Jersey, August 29, 1887, and passed his childhood there. 
He attended the local public schools for his general education, and 
later entered the Rider Moore & Stewart Business College in Trenton, 
New Jersey, where he took a commercial course. He was graduated 
from the latter institution with the class of 1905, and immediately after- 
wards secured a clerical position with the firm of Thomas Maddock's 
Sons, dealers in pottery, in Trenton. He remained with that concern 
for some twelve years and there became familiar with business methods, 
making himself valuable to his employers, but at the close of that 
period left them in order to accept a position with the great Roessler 
& Hasslacher Chemical Company of Perth Amboy. He entered the 
employ of the latter concern as assistant purchasing agent, and displayed 
such efficiency in the post that one year later he was advanced to the 
office of purchasing agent, which he continues to hold at the present 
time. In politics Mr. Anderson is an independent Republican and has 
always shown a keen and intelligent interest in local affairs and a public- 
spirited willingness to take part in all movements undertaken for the 
advancement of the public interest. He served for three years in Com- 
pany D, Second Regiment, New Jersey National Guard, and is a member 
of various fraternities and clubs, among which should be mentioned the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Junior Order of United Amer- 
ican Mechanics, the Chemical Club of Perth Amboy, and is a charter 
member of the board of governors of the last named organization. In 
his religious belief he is a Presbyterian and attends the First Presby- 
terian Church in Perth Amboy. 

Raymond Robbins Anderson was united in marriage, October 12, 
191 5, at Ewing, New Jersey, a small town in the vicinity of Trenton, 
with Edith Eloise Vernam, a daughter of Sanford J. and Ada (Maguire) 
Vernam, old and highly respected residents of that place. 



LOUIS POSNER, numbered among the successful merchants of 
New Brunswick, New Jersey, is the proprietor of a store at No. 55 
Church street. Since 1877 he has been engaged entirely in mercantile 
business, his life having been an active, busy one, although ample in its 
rewards, all richly deserved. 

Isaac Posner, father of Louis Posner, was born in Germany, and 
died in New Brunswick, New Jersey, November 10, 1900, at the age of 
sixty-nine years. He came to this country in 1848 with his parents 
and located in New York City, where he remained until 1872, when he 
came to New Brunswick and established himself in business as a dry 
goods merchant at No. 55 Church street, where he continued for the 
remainder of his lifetime, and at the time of his demise the enterprise 
which he had started on a small scale had proven highly successful. He 
married Bertha Vogel, a native of Germany; she died April, 1918, at 



BIOGRAPHICAL 285 

the age of seventy-seven years. They were the parents of eleven chil- 
dren, of whom there are but five living ; Martha, a resident of New Haven, 
Connecticut; Stella, who resides at New Rochelle; David, who is asso- 
ciated with Louis in business; Camilla, a resident of New Brunswick; 
Louis, of further mention. 

Louis Posner was born May 30, i860, in New York City, where he 
attended the local public schools until he had reached the age of fourteen 
years, when he left school and became assistant bookkeeper for his 
father. Here he remained until 1877, when he went to Cohoes, New York, 
and established himself in the dry goods business, which he continued 
for four years, selling out at the end of that time in order to return to 
New Brunswick and associate himself with his father in the latter's 
business. In 1882, the business had increased to such an extent that it 
was necessary to enlarge their building and they purchased the store 
next door, making over the two stores into one large one. Here they 
continued successfully until the elder man's death in 1900, when Louis 
and his brother David took over the management of the enterprise. As 
an able organizer and executive, Louis Posner, keenly alert to every 
changing phase in the business, has ever been an active factor in its 
development and growth. The welfare and advancement of New Bruns- 
wick are always in his heart, and although he has never consented to 
hold office he has always identified himself with notable movements 
which have for their aim the betterment of civic conditions. He is affili- 
ated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Young 
Men's Hebrew Association. He attends the Jewish Synagogue of New 
Brunswick. Mr. Posner is unmarried. 



CONRAD SEBOLT, in 1896, at the age of seventeen years, entered 
his father's business and assumed the entire control of it, owing to the 
elder man's sudden death at that time. This contracting trucking busi- 
ness which was founded by Mr. Sebolt, Sr., had grown extensively by 
this time, and it was quite a responsibility for Conrad Sebolt, who at 
that time was little more than a boy, but being a tireless worker and 
determined to do his part he has now attained the position of a successful 
business man. 

John Sebolt, father of Conrad Sebolt, was born at Milltown, New 
Jersey, and was killed there in 1896, at the age of forty-eight years, his 
death occurring while he was riding on a flat car loaded with wire. He 
married Catherine Wallace, a native of New Brunswick, who still sur- 
vives him. To Mr. and Mrs. Sebolt were born fourteen children, of 
which number five are now living: Adeline, widow of Garrett Selover; 
William, a farmer in New Brunswick; Conra^, of further mention; 
Katherine, wife of Edwin Hornbey ; Ruth, wife of Harry D. Shea. 

Conrad Sebolt was born October 24, 1879, in New Brunswick, New 
Jersey. He obtained his education in the public schools of his native 
place, graduating from the New Brunswick High School in 1896, subse- 
quently assuming the responsibility of his father's established business, 
which was first located on George road. In 1910 Mr. Sebolt removed 



286 MIDDLESEX 

to Nos. 16-18 Richmond street and here he has since continued in the 
general contracting and trucking business. He also deals in sand, gravel, 
stone and cinder, and his storehouses are located at Nos. 235-239 Burnett 
street. He is a member of the Board of Trade. 

On April 9, 1902, Conrad Sebolt was united in marriage with Nellie 
Rolfe, daughter of Edgar C. Rolfe, a lumberman of New Brunswick, 
and his wife, Mary (Ferguson) Rolfe. Mr. and Mrs. Sebolt are the par- 
ents of one child, Conrad, Jr., born April 9, 1903. The family attend the 
Fourth Reformed Church in New Brunswick. 



JOHN WILLIAM KELLY is known and respected as one of the 
public-spirited and representative men of Perth Amboy and has been a 
resident of this city all his life. He takes an abiding and practical inter- 
est in all that concerns the welfare of the community, and as president 
of the firm of Kelly & McAlinden, holds a prominent place in the 
business circles of the city. 

Edward Michael Kelly, father of John William Kelly, was born in 
Perth Amboy, in 1848, and died here. May 9, 1919. His entire business 
life was spent in his native city, he being the founder of the E. M. Kelly 
Realty Company, and also president of the Kelly & McAlinden Company. 
In addition to exceptional business talents, Mr. Kelly possessed resolute 
industry, purity of purpose, and integrity of conduct, and on these 
foundation stones the fair structure of his success was reared. Never 
did he allow questionable methods to enter into any transactions to 
which he was a party, and as a citizen with exalted ideas of good gov- 
ernment he stood in the front rank. A vigilant and attentive observer 
of men and measures, his opinions were recognized as sound and his 
views as broad, and his ideas therefore carried weight among those with 
whom he discussed public problems. In politics he was a Democrat. 
He served as president of the School Board for a number of years. Mr. 
Kelly married Ellen A. Doyle, a native of Perth Amboy, now living near 
Bound Brook, Middlesex county. New Jersey, at the age of seventy- 
three years. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly were the parents of nine children: 
Edward Michael, deceased ; Mary E., deceased ; Michael A., deceased ; 
Julia. L., a resident of Bound Brook, New Jersey; Helen A.; John Wil- 
liam, of further mention ; James E., resides at Bound Brook, New Jer- 
sey ; Loretta C, wife of William J. Martin, of Bound Brook ; Joseph A., 
of Perth Amboy. Mr. Kelly used his talents and his opportunities to 
the utmost in every work which he undertook, fulfilling to the letter 
every trust committed to him, and was generous in his feelings and 
conduct toward all. He made for himself a record of noteworthy 
achievement and public-spirited service, and his name is inscribed in the 
annals of his city. 

John William Kelly, son of Edward Michael and Ellen A. (Doyle) 
Kelly, was born May 19, 1882, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. After 
graduating from St. Mary's Parochial School, he spent three years in 
the local high school, supplementing this with a course in Wood's Busi- 
ness College, Newark, from which he was graduated in 1901. He then 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



287 



accepted a position as clerk with the Kelly & McAlinden Company of 
which his father was the president, and in June, 1919, upon the death of 
the latter, John William Kelly succeeded his father and became the 
president, which position he still holds at the present time, and which 
office he fills in the same able manner as did his father. The thorough 
business qualifications of Mr. Kelly are in great demand, and his public- 
spirit has led him to accept of such trusts. He is a director of the 
Middlesex County Bank, and also director of the Smith Street Improve- 
ment Company. Mr. Kelly, like his father, is a strong Democrat in 
political faith, and has played a decidedly prominent part in the public 
life of the city of Perth Amboy, having served two terms or four years 
as alderman on the Democratic ticket. He affiliates with the Knights 
of Columbus and is past grand knight of the organization. In religion he 
is a Roman Catholic and is a member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic 
Church. He has always been a lover of out-door sports and when a boy 
was captain of the Crescent baseball team, and a great lover of bicycling, 
and took part in many bicycle races. 

Mr. Kelly was united in marriage, November 9, 1909, with Margaret 
J. Noone, a native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the daughter of the 
late Timothy and Katherine Noone. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly have one child, 
Katherine, born December 12, 1910. 



CHESTER WALKER WOOD.— Of Massachusetts Colonial family, 
Mr. Wood spent his youth in his native Massachusetts, the town of 
Mendon his birthplace, and also that of his father, William Perry Wood, 
a farmer and lumberman. The family moved to Upton, Massachusetts, 
in 1874, and there William P. Wood died, aged over seventy. His wife, 
Adeline Stoddard (Walker) Wood, died in Upton at about the same 
age. They were the parents of four children: Perry, Chester Walker, 
Benjamin Claflin, and Mary Josephine, the latter deceased. This review 
follows the fortunes of the second son, Chester W. Wood, who for 
thirty-one years, 1890-1921, has been connected with the great Chicago 
dressed meat house. Swift & Company, and for twenty-four years has 
been manager of the New Brunswick branch of Swift & Company. 

Chester Walker Wood was born August 16, 1869, and in 1874 bis 
parents moved from Mendon to Upton, where the lad was educated in 
the public schools. After graduation from high school in 1886 he 
became his father's assistant on the farm and in his lumbering business, 
remaining as such until he began his long connection with the dressed 
meat industry. His first position was at Jamaica Plains, and in iPqo 
he entered the employ of Swift & Company in New York City. He was 
with that company in New York City ; Trenton, New Jersey ; and Bridge- 
ton, New Jersey, from 1894 until 1896, coming in that year to New Bruns- 
wick as manager, a position he has most ably filled during the entire 
twenty-four years which have since intervened. Mr. Wood has entered 
heartily into the life of his adopted city ; he is interested in its real estate 
activities, is a charter member of the Board of Trade, and has served on 
its official board. He is a member of Palestine Lodge, No. iii. Free and 



288 MIDDLESEX 

Accepted Masons; Scott Chapter, No. 4, Royal Arch Masons; Temple 
Commander)', No. 19, Knights Templar; and Mecca Temple, Ancient 
Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is a member of the Odd 
Fellow lodge, also encampment, Young Men's Christian Association, and 
is a popular member of the Union Club. He is an attendant of the Bap- 
tist church, and holds all out-of-door sports in high regard, but is par- 
ticularly fond of swimming. 

Mr. Wood married, in Trenton, New Jersey, June i, 1891, Emma 
Frances Klemmer, born in Trenton, New Jersey, where both her parents 
died. Mr. and Mrs. Wood are the parents of two children: Lillian 
Frances, born December 8, 1893 ; and Walker K., born May 10, 1897, mar- 
ried May Elizabeth Van de Watering. 



JACOB HALL WHITFIELD, present comptroller of the city of 
New Brunswick, was brought to that city in 1866 by his parents, Samuel 
and Mary (Hall) Whitfield, both of English birth. Samuel Whitfield 
was a tanner of leather, a trade he followed in New Brunswick until his 
death. They had but the one child, Jacob H., born in New London, 
Connecticut, December 31, 1865, he a babe in arms when the famil}'- 
first came to New Brunswick. 

Jacob Hall Whitfield completed grammar school courses of study in 
1880, then entered the employ of the Consolidated Fruit Jar Company in 
the machine shop, continuing with that corporation for fifteen years. 
He then, with two partners, organized the Phoenix Metal Company, a 
concern which one year later was sold to the American Can Company. 
Mr. Whitfield, after the sale of his company, entered the employ of the 
purchasing company, remaining with that company for five years. He 
was superintendent of the New Brunswick Water Department during the 
next four years, then and for five years was superintendent of the Brass 
Goods Manufacturing Company, Brooklyn, New York, but retained his 
New Brunswick residence. 

During one year of the World War period he was associated with 
the American Can Company, manufacturing war goods for the gov- 
ernment, then, until the close of the war, was with the Wright Martin 
Aircraft Corporation. On July 15, 1919, he entered upon the duties 
of his present position, comptroller of the city. That is not, however, his 
first public position, Mr. Whitfield having served as alderman in 1892-96, 
and represented New Brunswick in the New Jersey House of Assemlily 
in 1896. He is a strong and capable man, held in the highest esteem 
wherever well known. He is a member of Union Lodge, No. 19, Free 
and Accepted Masons; Scott Council, Royal and Select Masters; and 
Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine ; the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Baptist church. 

Mr. Whitfield married, in New Brunswick, April 2, 1885, Julia A. 
Kemp, born in New Brunswick, daughter of Thomas Kemp, deceased. 
Mr. and Mrs. Whitfield are the parents of three children: William H., 
born April 2, 1886, now a clerk in the New Brunswick Water Depart- 



BIOGRAPHICAL 289 

ment; Mary C, born September 29, 1887, wife of Harvey L HuUfish 
of New Brunswick ; Helen W., born September 29, 1889, died November 
II, 1918. 



GEORGE HILTON COATES, master mechanic for the American 
Smeltmg and Refining Company, is a man still in the prime of life, 
whose history thus far has been full of interesting activities. 

His father, George Coates, was born in Brompton, Yorkshire, Eng- 
land, and was also a master mechanic in his day. He died in Kansas 
City, Missouri, in 1906. He married Mary Hodgson, born in Willington, 
England, who now lives in Los Angeles, California, spending the winters 
in Phoenix, Arizona. They were the parents of eleven children, of 
whom two died in infancy. Those now living are : George Hilton, whose 
name heads this review ; Thomas, David, Sarah, Lilly, William, Charles, 
Bertha, and Henry, all living in America. 

George Hilton Coates was born in Willington, England, July 26, 
1865. There he attended school until eighteen years of age, being a 
graduate of the High School in the class of 1879. Being interested in 
the line of work which his father had always followed, and naturally 
of a mechanical bent, he learned the machinist's trade. He worked at 
the machinist's trade both in England and America. In 1881 the young 
man came to America, going to Pueblo, Colorado, where he entered 
the employ of the Colorado Coal and Iron Company. He remained with 
these people for six years on the same basis as at the start, then became 
foreman of one of their shops. Later he went to work for the Denver 
& Rio Grande Railroad, at Pueblo, as assistant foreman of water service. 
Still later he became associated with the Guggenheim Smelting Com- 
pany, of Pueblo. In 1896 he came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, as 
foreman in the mechanical department, which became the American 
Smelting and Refining Company. With this firm Mr. Coates has 
remained since, and has been master mechanic for the past twenty years. 
In the social and fraternal life of the city, Mr. Coates has wide and varied 
connections. He was master of Raritan Lodge, No. 61, Free and Ac- 
cepted Masons, 1907 and 1908; was high priest of the Royal Arch 
Masons in 1912. He is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, of 
which he was worthy patron from 1912 to 1920. He is a thirty-second 
degree Mason, holding membership in the Valley of Jersey City, also a 
noble of Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic 
Shrine. He is also a member of the Raritan and Craftsmen's clubs. 

Mr. Coates married, December 24, 1900, in Pueblo, Colorado, Henri- 
etta Wilson, daughter of Henry R. and Mary (Coates) Wilson. Mrs. 
Coates was born in West Hartlepool, England, but was reared in Scot- 
land. Her father died in Scotland, but her mother died in Pueblo, 
Colorado. Mrs. Coates is very prominent in the social and welfare work 
of Perth Amboy. She organized Raritan Chapter, No. 58, Order of the 
Eastern Star; and was its first worthy matron from 1912 to 1914, and 
worthy district deputy of the Eighth District of New Jersey, 1921. She 
was a charter member of the Red Cross and was on the executive staff 



Mid-19 



290 MIDDLESEX 

during the war. Mr. and Mrs. Coates are the parents of two children, 
both living : George Bradfield, born April 3, 1902 ; and Lawrence Hilton, 
born May 11, 1906. The elder son, George B., enlisted in the regular 
army, 64th Infantry, and was later commissioned lieutenant and saw 
active service in France. He married Eva Hoyt Reynolds, of New 
Brunswick. The family are members of St. Peter's Episcopal Church. 



ASHER FITZ RANDOLPH.— The Fitz Randolphs were concerned 
in the early settlement of Woodbridge, New Jersey, and there Asher 
Fitz Randolph was born, as was his father. Everts Fitz Randolph, who 
at the time of his passing, October 10, 1901, was connected with a New 
York City drug house. 

Asher Fitz Randolph was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, Novem- 
ber II, 1888. He was educated in Woodbridge, finishing as president 
of the high school graduating class of 1906. He began his business 
career with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, as a clerk 
in the auditor's department, but the following year, 1907, he entered 
the employ of J. G. Hilliard, insurance broker. No. 45 Pine street. New 
York City, remaining with them nearly two years. His next position 
was with Starkweather & Shepley, New York City, his next with 
Arbuckle Brothers, No. 71 Water street. New York City, in their 
insurance department. He is yet with the last-named company, holding 
a responsible position. 

During the World War, 1917-18, he was a member of Company A, 
Woodbridge Battalion, of the New Jersey Militia Reserves. He was on 
duty at the time of the great explosion at Morgan, New Jersey, being 
then sergeant of the company. Later he was promoted to the rank 
of first lieutenant, and was holding that rank when mustered out of 
the service. He is a member of Anchor Council, No. 40, Junior Order of 
United American Mechanics, and an elder of the First Presbyterian 
Church of Woodbridge. 

Asher Fitz Randolph married, in Woodbridge, September 10, 191 5, 
Anna M. Pfeiffer, daughter of John PfeifFer, who was born in Wood- 
bridge township. The family home is at No. 198 Rahway avenue, 
Woodbridge, New Jersey. 



JAMES HENRY MAKER.— Successful in the business he chose 
when a young man, and master of its every detail, Mr. Maher may be 
properly classed among the leading funeral directors of New Brunswick. 
A graduate in embalming, he is familiar with all processes, ancient and 
modern, used in the undertaking business and may be classed as an 
expert. He is a son of Edward Maher, born in Ireland, who came to 
the United States with his mother when a lad of sixteen, and finally 
became a farmer of East Millstone, New Jersey, where he died, Novem- 
ber 10, 1890, at the age of fifty-two. Edward Maher married Honora 
Dwyer, born in Ireland, who was brought to East Millstone, New Jersey, 
when a girl; she died in Brooklyn, New York, April 13, 1914, aged 
sixty-two years. They were the parents of eleven children : Mary, wife 




s 

ff 



es 




^ 



1 



BIOGRAPHICAL 291 

of T. J. Ahem, of Bath Beach, New York ; Katherine, wife of J. O'Rourke, 
of Brooklyn, New York ; Richard, of Baltimore, Maryland ; Thomas F., 
of Brooklyn, New York ; James Henry, of further mention ; Edward, of 
Brooklyn, New York; John, of Chicago, Illinois; William, of New 
Brunswick; Joseph, of Brooklyn, New York; George, died in infancy; 
Philip, of New York City. 

James Henry Maher, fifth child of Edward and Honora (Dwyer) 
Maher, was born at the home farm in Somerset county. New Jersey, and 
attended the East Millstone schools. He spent the first nineteen years 
of his life at the farm, then began contracting on his own account, 
succeeding very well. He continued in the contracting business five 
years, then sold his team and outfit and entered the employ of W. J. 
McDede, an undertaker at No. 23 Easton avenue. In 1903 he left New 
Brunswick and went to New York City, there pursuing a course at 
Raynard College of Embalming, finishing with graduation in 1904. The 
next ten years he spent with the Merritt & Campbell Undertaking Com- 
pany, of New York City, but in 1914 he resigned, came to New Bruns- 
wick and bought the undertaking business of his old employer, W. J. 
McDede, and still continues the establishment at No. 23 Easton avenue. 
As a funeral director Mr. Maher has with dignity and consideration so 
conducted himself as to be considered more in the light of a friend, 
and has won public confidence in a degree most unusual. He is a mem- 
ber of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, 
and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is fond of out- 
of-door sports, particularly automobiling, and spends many vacation 
hours in that way. 

Mr. Maher married, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, April 25, 1906, Kath- 
erine G. Ahern, born in Elizabeth, October 15, 1892, died October 21, 
1919, daughter of James and Maria Ahern, both deceased, James Ahern 
dying in Elizabeth, in 191 1, his wife in New Brunswick, in 1916. Mr. 
and Mrs. Maher are the parents of two children : Anna, born November 
20, 1908; and James, born August 5, 1913. 



KLEIN BROTHERS. — The capable, successful and even the most 
prominent men are not always those who start out with the ambition to 
achieve something especially great and famous, but often they are the 
men who at the very outset of life place just valuation upon integrity, 
honor, industry and determination. With these qualities only as a 
capital, the Klein brothers entered into the hotel business, and together 
they have made the name of Klein prominent in business circles in New 
Brunswick, New Jersey. 

Henry George Klein, son of Martin and Anna Maria (Krollman) 
Klein, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, September 12, 1866. 
Martin Klein settled in New Brunswick in 1842, next door to the present 
Hotel Klein, and engaged in the hotel business, which he followed 
through life. His place was a recruiting station during the Civil War, 
and was headquarters for the New Brunswick Artillery Company, he 
holding the commission of second lieutenant. He established the first 



292 MIDDLESEX 

brewery in this section in 1861 and sold the first glass of beer in New- 
Brunswick. His family was the sixth German family to locate in New 
Brunswick. Besides the brewery business, he was also engaged in the 
wholesale grocery business. Martin Klein married (first) Elizabeth 
Krollman, who bore him four sons: Alois, Martin, George and John. 
Martin and John served in the Civil War. He married (second) Anna 
Maria Krollman, by whom he had four children : Henry George, of 
further mention ; Kate, deceased ; Joseph, deceased ; and Peter Frank, of 
further mention. 

Henry George Klein obtained his education in Sts. John's and Peter's 
Parochial schools and in the public schools of New Brunswick, after 
which he entered upon his business career. In 1912, together with his 
brother, Peter Frank Klein, they established themselves in the hotel 
business, and this partnership has continued to the present time, they 
having conducted successfully for many years the Hotel Klein, which 
was the outgrowth of the Raritan House, established by Martin Klein 
in 1872. Henry G. Klein holds a prominent place in the local fraternal 
organizations of the community, being affiliated with the Benevolent 
and Protective Order of Elks and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. In 
religion he is a Roman Catholic and attends the Church of St. John the 
Baptist. 

On January 11, 1891, Mr. Klein married Kate W. Mauer, daughter 
of Anton and Wilhelmina Mauer, and they are the parents of one child, 
Anna M., born October 18, 1891. 

Peter Frank" Klein, third son of Martin and Anna Maria (Krollman) 
Klein, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, May 13, 1875. He 
secured his education in the parochial and public schools of his native 
place, and upon completing his education entered upon his business ca- 
reer, and since boyhood, as has been previously mentioned, he has been 
engaged in the hotel business, meeting with the success which is the 
ultimate result of good executive ability. He is affiliated with New 
Brunswick Lodge, No. 324, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 
In religion he is a Roman Catholic and attends the Church of St. John 
the Baptist. Mr. Klein is unmarried. 



JACOB SYLVESTER KARKUS, although not a native of Perth 
Amboy, has resided here most of his life and is today recognized as one 
of the promising young representatives of the legal fraternity, due to 
his ability, both natural and acquired. 

Meyer Karkus, father of Jacob Sylvester Karkus, was born in Rus- 
sia and came to the United States when a young man. It is interesting 
to note here that while on the boat he met and later married in New 
York Golda Miller, who too, had left Russia for the purpose of making 
her home in this Country. Mr. Karkus with his wife made his home 
in Brooklyn for a while, later moving to a farm in Franklin Park, Mid- 
dlesex county) New Jersey, and still later removing to Perth Amboy, 
where he and his family now reside and where Mr. Karkus is a suc- 
cessful real estate broker. Mr. and Mrs. Karkus are the parents of nine 



BIOGRAPHICAL 293 

children, all of whom are still living : Bessie, wife of Alexander Kosene, 
of Perth Amboy ; Dora, wife of Benjamin Goldberger ; Kate, a teacher 
in the public schools of Perth Amboy ; Jacob Sylvester, of further men- 
tion ; Louis, assists his brother Jacob S. as secretary ; Bernard, associ- 
ated with Mack International Truck Company, of Newark, New Jersey ; 
Ezra, a student of the New Jersey Law School ; Monroe, attends City 
College of the City of New York ; Irwin, a grammar school student. 

Jacob Sylvester Karkus was born in Brooklyn, New York, April 27, 
1893, and when he was eight years old moved with his parents to Frank- 
lin Park, Middlesex county. New Jersey, where he attended the public 
schools for two years, at the end of which time he continued to pursue 
his studies in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where the family then removed, 
graduating from the local grammar school in 1908. After spending one 
year at the high school, he accepted a position as stenographer in New 
York City, and here the ambition of the young man is clearly shown 
in the fact that during these three years that he was thus employed he 
was pursuing a course of study evenings to meet the requirements of 
the New Jersey State Board of Education and reading on his own 
account for the purpose of fitting himself for his entrance into law school. 
It is needless to say that the goal for ambition such as he portrayed is 
always sure to gain its just reward ; entering New Jersey Law School 
in 1912, he graduated from this institution three years later as the vice- 
president of his class. The following two years he gained much valuable 
and practical knowledge in the law offices of Isaac Sprangenthal, of 
Newark, and with the leading specialist, Murray Apfelbaum,' also of 
Newark, and in June, 191 7, he passed the New Jersey State bar exami- 
nations. But three months later, in September, 1917, he was called into 
the service of his country and was sent to Camp Dix, later transferred 
to Camp Gordon, Georgia, becoming a member of Company H, 325th 
Infantry. In a short time he was made sergeant major, and in March, 
1918, was sent overseas, saw active service, being in many of the import- 
ant encounters, was a victim of shell shock, and returned to the United 
States, September, 1918, receiving his honorable discharge, November, 
1918, since which time he has been actively engaged in the practice of 
his profession in the Ranton building. 

Mr. Karkus is a member of the Hebrew synagogue. He is unmar- 
ried and makes his home with his parents. His hobby is baseball and 
when in school was very clever "at the bat." He is public-spirited and 
progressive, ever ready to cooperate in any movement that is for the 
common welfare, or that tends to promote the material advancement 
of the community, and his success, which he so thoroughly deserves, is 
assured. 



RALPH VAN MATER GORSLINE, of New Brunswick, New 
Jersey, is filling a position of grave responsibility. With long experience 
in the mercantile world, he has reached his present high position by his 
own efforts. 

Mr. Gorsline was born in Flushing, New York, June 9, 1879, a son of 
Peter Gorsline, who was an expert accountant, following this line of 



294 MIDDLESEX 

endeavor through all his business career. Peter Gorsline was born in 
Elmhurst, Long Island, and died in Flushing, at the age of sixty-five 
years. He married Elizabeth Van Mater, who was born in Tennent, 
New Jersey, and died in Laurel Hill, New York, at the age of thirty- 
eight years. They had two children : Eva, who died at the age of twenty- 
eight, November 19, 1909; and Ralph Van Mater, whose career is of 
interest to the people of New Brunswick. 

Beginning his education in the public schools of Spotswood, New 
Jersey, and continuing at the schools of Asbury Park, New Jersey, Mr. 
Gorsline was graduated from the Asbury Park High School in the class 
of 1897. Immediately thereafter the young man entered upon his 
business career in the employ of J. J. Parker, a grocer then doing busi- 
ness in Asbury Park. This was in the capacity of counter man, and he 
remained in this connection until the Spanish-American War, when he 
enlisted in the service. He came to New Brunswick, April 9, 1902, and 
accepted a position with the Nelson T. Parker Company, then one of 
the leading insurance firms of this city. Latfer he went on the road as 
special agent for the London-Lancashire Indemnity Company, thereafter 
holding its agency, under the firm name of the Cramer-Gorsline Com- 
pany, Incorporated. Mr. Gorsline was president of this company, which 
office he held until April 9, 191 7. On that date he entered upon the 
duties of his present position, cashier and accountant for the Reckitts 
Company, U. S. A., Limited, manufacturers of laundry bluing. 

During the Spanish-American War, Mr. Gorsline served in Company 
A, 3rd Regiment, United States Army. For two years and a half, and 
until mustered out, he was captain of the local militia. Company E, 3rd 
Battalion, New Jersey State Militia. Mr. Gorsline is prominent in 
various circles in New Brunswick. He is an influential member of the 
Board of Trade, is a member of the Young Men's Christian Association, 
and is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, and of Good 
Intent Council, Junior Order of United American Mechanics. 

On June 29, 1910, Mr. Gorsline married Helen Brower, who was 
born in New Brunswick, October i, 1884. She is a daughter of Joseph 
Farmer and Lydia (Graham) Brower, of this city, Mr. Brower being 
a well known contractor. Mr. and Mrs. Gorsline have one daughter, 
Jean Graham, born November 24, 1912. The family are members of St. 
John's Episcopal Church, of which Mr. Gorsline has been vestryman 
for the past ten years. 



WILLIAM WEDEEN, D. D. S.— At about the time Dr. Wedeen 
arrived at legal age, he received from the University of Pennsylvania, 
at the close of a three years' course in the Dental School of that institu- 
tion, the degree of D. D. S. With this equipment for manhood's respon- 
sibilities, the young man began his professional career in his native 
city, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and is building up a good practice. He 
is a son of Louis Oscar Wedeen, born in Russia, where his wife, Ida 
Bernice (Bodine) Wedeen, and two children, were also born. After 
coming to the United States, they first lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey, 



BIOGRAPHICAL 295 

but in a short time moved to Perth Amboy, which has since been the 
family home, the father now retired from active business. Four chil- 
dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wedeen since coming to the 
United States, the two eldest born in Russia: Esther, wife of Louis E. 
Kemler ; Samuel, died in Hartford, Connecticut, aged twenty -one years ; 
William, of further mention; Arthur, died aged seven years; Matilda, 
resides with her parents ; and Belle, also residing with her parents. 

William Wedeen was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, June 26, 
189S, and there completed grade and high school courses with gradua- 
tion from grammar school in 1908, high school in 1912. He then spent 
a year in Pennsylvania State College, entering the dental department 
of the University of Pennsylvania in 1909, and finishing with the class 
of 1916, D. D. S. He at once began practice in Perth Amboy, a year, 
however, being spent in the United States army during the war with 
Germany. Dr. Wedeen entered the army in March, 1918, and was sta- 
tioned at Camp Wadsworth, South Carolina, until January 15, 1919, 
when he was honorably discharged and mustered out. He was enlisted 
as a member of the Medical Enlisted Reserve Corps. He is a member 
of Prudence Lodge, No. 204, Free and Accepted Masons, Perth Amboy ; 
Amboy Chapter, No. 41, Royal Arch Masons; Forest No. 68, Tall Cedars 
of Lebanon; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; the Young 
Men's Christian Association; the Young Men's Hebrew Association, 
and the Orthodox Jewish Church. 



WILLIAM PETER CLEMENSEN, prominent among the younger 
business men of Perth Amboy, where he is the owner of the large and 
flourishing flour, grain and hay business at the corner of Market and 
South Second streets and the Central Railroad of New Jersey, is of Dan- 
ish descent and parentage, and a son of Soren and Christine (Christensen) 
Clemensen, both natives of Denmark, who came to the United States 
in early youth. The elder Mr. Clemensen received his education in his 
native land, and served an apprenticeship there in the baking trade. 
Upon reaching his majority he left Denmark, came to this country and 
located in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and there secured employment 
in a local bakery. He later founded a similar establishment, Clemensen 
& Nelson, on Smith street and remained at the head of that concern 
for four years. The success of the enterprise was considerable, but 
in 1913 Mr. Clemensen sold his interest and established himself in the 
flour, grain and hay business of which his son is now the head. His 
death occurred in 1916, when he was but forty-seven years of age, in 
Perth Amboy. He and his wife, who survives him, were the parents of 
two children, as follows: William Peter, with whom we are here con- 
cerned ; and a daughter Mamie, who became the wife of Herbert Jensen, 
of Perth Amboy. 

William Peter Clemensen was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
July 20, 1895. He attended the public schools of his native place until 
he was 'fifteen years old. At that age his parents removed to the town 
of Metuchen, New Jersey, and the lad attended the high school there 



296 MIDDLESEX 

for three years longer. The family then returned to Perth Amboy, where 
his father engaged in the present line of business and took his son into 
partnership. In 1916, on the death of the elder man, Mr. Clemensen 
became the sole owner of the prosperous concern and has continued to 
conduct it with a notable degree of success up to the present time. Be- 
sides its main ofifices in Perth Amboy, there is also a branch of the house 
in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York, where a thriving business is also 
done. Mr. Clemensen is exceedingly fond of out-door life of all kinds 
and especially of hunting, spending much of his leisure time in the 
latter pursuit. He is also an accomplished musician and has studied 
that art for two and a half years at the National Conservatory of Music 
in New York City. He is prominent in social and fraternal life in Perth 
Amboy, and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the 
Danish Brotherhood, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 
During the great war in Europe, Mr. Clemensen entered the service 
of his country and spent sixteen months at Forts Dix and Stewart, at the 
former as a member of Company D, 311th Infantry Regiment, and at 
the latter with the nth Regiment, United States Cavalry, to which he 
had been transferred. 

William Peter Clemensen was united in marriage, November 4, 1917, 
in Matawan, with Helen Isadore Kelly, a native of Matawan, New 
Jersey, and a daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Kelly, old and much 
esteemed residents of that place, where the former is engaged in busi- 
ness as a stone mason. Mr. and Mrs. Clemensen are the parents of 
one child, William Melville, born June 20, 1919. 



WILLIAM HENRY RUCKLE.— After coming to the United 
States a young man, William Henry Ruckle established a bakery in the 
city of New York at Third avenue and Eighty-sixth street, continuing 
until 1895, when he located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He' 
resumed the baking business in his new home, establishing his plant and 
store at Nos. 101-103 Neilson street, there continuing in successful 
operation until his death, March 19, 1918, aged sixty-four. He had 
trained his son, also William Henry Ruckle, to follow the same trade, 
and when the elder Ruckle passed away the young man succeeded him 
and the business established by the father a quarter of a century ago, 
is successfully conducted by the son who has greatly widened its scope 
and increased the output. 

William Henry Ruckle, Sr., married Catherine Ingner, born in Alsace- 
Lorraine, France, died in New Brunswick, New Jersey, December 10, 
1917. They were the parents of five children: Elsie, married Simon 
Boyce, and resides in Weatherly, Pennsylvania; William Henry (2), of 
further mention ; Anna Mary, a resident of New Brunswick ; Everett G., 
a radio operator of New Brunswick; Catherine B., residing at home. 

William Henry Ruckle, Jr., was born in New York City, New York, 
November 21, 1887, and there spent the first eight years of his life. In 
1895, his parents moved to New Brunswick, and the lad attended school 
until eighteen years of age, then became a baker's apprentice, learning 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



297 



the business under the instruction of his father. He continued his 
father's assistant until the latter's death in 1918, then became head of the 
business which he yet continues. Mr. Ruckle is a young man of good 
business ability, and during the less than two years since coming into 
full management has greatly increased the business. He is well liked 
and popular, a member of several fraternities and clubs, his favorite 
recreations yachting and hunting. His fraternal orders are the Elks, 
Red Men, Foresters and Eagles, his club the New Brunswick Yacht. 
He is a communicant of St. John's Roman Catholic Church. 



LEWIS HOLLANDER, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is actively 
engaged in a line of business which has largely to do with the public 
health and well-being — the milk business. 

Andrew Hollander, father of Lewis Hollander, was born in Wood- 
bridge, New Jersey, but for a large part of his life was a resident of 
Atlantic City. There he followed the carpenter's trade for many years, 
and for twenty-five years was a member of the police force. He died 
in Atlantic City, New Jersey, June 11, 1916, at the age of sixty years. 
He married Mary M. Dow, who died in Brooklyn, New York, at the 
age of fifty-seven years. She was a woman of fine characteristics, and 
devoted to her family. Her mother was an Indian squaw. Andrew 
and Mary M. (Dow) Hollander were the parents of two children: Lil- 
lian, now deceased, and Lewis, the Perth Amboy milk dealer. The 
grandfather, Andrew Hollander, was born in Germany. 

Lewis Hollander was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 
2, 1876. The family remained in that city until he was twelve years of 
age, when they removed to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Soon after that 
the boy went to work with his father in the carpenter business, con- 
tinuing thus for two years. The boy then came to Perth Amboy and 
went to work on the Lehigh Valley Railroad. This was in 1890. He 
continued railroad work for three years, then entered the employ of the 
C. Pardee Works, where he remained for five years. His next con- 
nection was with the American Smelting and Refining Company, with 
whom he remained for fourteen years at their plant in Perth Amboy. 

Knowing the city thoroughly, after his long residence here, Mr. 
Hollander decided upon a business venture of his own. He started in 
the milk business, which he still carries on at No. 343 Barclay street, 
Perth Amboy. From the beginning he was successful, and with the 
growth of the city and his own constant attention to business, he has 
placed himself at the lead in his line. He has now followed this business 
for twelve years, and handles a very large trade. Mr. Hollander is a 
progressive citizen, interested in everything that affects the welfare of 
the community. He is affiliated with the Republican party, but has 
never sought nor accepted public office. When his exacting business 
interests give him opportunity he spends his leisure motoring. He is 
a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Foresters of America. 

Mr. Hollander married, September 27, 1893, Martha G. Yates, daugh- 
ter of James W. and Alfretta (Gardener) Yates. Mrs. Hollander was 



298 MIDDLESEX 

born in Perth Amboy, October 25, 1874. Her father was an engineer 
for many years, and died at the age of sixty-three years. Her mother 
died at the age of forty-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Hollander have two 
children: Edna M., born November 17, 1896, now the wife of Michael 
C. Burns, of Perth Amboy; and Andrew C, born August 14, 1901, who 
is now a clerk in the employ of the American Smelting and Refining 
Company. The family are members of the Methodist church, and active 
in all its work. 



CHARLES HENRY BRUNS.— Nearly everyone in the State of 
New Jersey is familiar with the widely known catering establishment of 
"Bruns of New Brunswick." The business was started many years ago 
by Frederick Bruns, as an ice cream and confectionery store and con- 
ducted by him personally, assisted by his sons. After his death the 
family continued to run the business, it being made an incorporated 
company under the name of "Bruns of New Brunswick," Inc., high grade 
caterers and confectioners. 

Frederick Bruns was born in Hanover, Germany. When the lad 
was twelve years old he came to this country alone, landing in New 
York City, and started a single handed fight for a living. He eventually 
achieved success, conducting a catering concern at No. 71 Church street 
for a number of years, and latterly being assisted by his son Charles, 
Frederick Bruns married Mary Meyer, a native of Germany ; they came 
to New Brunswick in 1888, where she died June 21, 1907, and one year 
later, January 19, 1908, her husband died. They had four boys, all living 
at the present time (1921), three of them now being connected with the 
catering business. They are : Charles Henry, in New Brunswick ; Fred- 
erick W., in a branch store in Plainfield; Harry Edward, a resident of 
Albany, New York ; Otto, in charge of another branch store at No. 220 
Raritan avenue. Highland Park. 

Charles Henry Bruns was born February 7, 1884, in Somerville, 
New Jersey, but when he was four years old his parents moved to 
New Brunswick. Here the boy attended school, graduating from the 
grammar and high schools, and followed this by a course at the Wilson 
Business College of New Brunswick. After finishing there, Charles 
Henry Bruns went into his father's store, assisting him until his death, 
when the son carried on the business, moving in 1910 to the present 
establishment at No. 361 George street. There may be found the most 
complete concern of its kind in the State, their catering work extending 
over a large territory and their daily deliveries being of a considerable 
number. Mr. Bruns has a hobby — it is music, of which he is devotedly 
fond, especially symphony concerts, chamber music, etc. He is also 
much interested in the Young Men's Christian Association, of which he 
is a member, and is active in the Rotary Club. He is a member of the 
First Reformed Church of New Brunswick. 

On January 17, 1910, in New Brunswick, Charles Henry Bruns mar- 
ried Mabel C. Harvey, born in this city, March 11, 1886, the daughter 
of Charles W. and Mary C. (Cole) Harvey; they reside in New Bruns- 
wick where Mr. Harvey was formerly engaged as a pattern maker, but 



BIOGRAPHICAL 299 

is now leading a retired life. Mr. and Mrs. Bruns have one child, Doro- 
thy Virginia, born May 12, 1912. Their home is at No. 14 Remson 
avenue, New Brunswick, New Jersey. 



JOSEPH JOHN FEASTER, numbered among the successful mer- 
chants of New Brunswick, New Jersey, is the proprietor of a grocery 
and provision store at No. 165 Throop avenue. Not only is Mr. Feaster 
prominent in business circles, but he also takes an active part in the 
political life of the community, and is known throughout the city for 
his public spirit and interest in the welfare of the place. 

John Feaster, father of Joseph John Feaster, was born in Germany, 
but was brought by his parents to this country when a baby, the family 
locating at once in New Brunswick. Upon reaching manhood he served 
an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade, and followed this particular 
line throughout his entire lifetime. He died January 29, 1920. He 
married Caroline Feaster, whose surname was the same as his although 
they claimed no relationship, and to them were born six children : Mary, 
who married William F. McGrath, of New Brunswick, New Jersey; 
Edward, deceased; Frank; John; Joseph John, of further mention; 
Nicholas, a resident of New York City. 

Joseph John Feaster, son of John and Caroline (Feaster) Feaster, 
was born June 24, 1880, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the old 
homestead. He obtained his education in the public schools of his native 
place and St. John's Academy, and after finishing his studies at the age 
of nineteen established himself in his present business in which he has 
met with great success. 

The same qualities that Mr. Feaster has exhibited in the conduct of 
his own business he has also shown in that of the city administration, 
which he has served so efficiently, having served as alderman from 
1907 until 1915, as recorder from 1915 until 1917, and elected commis- 
sioner, March 1917, serving to 1919, when he was reelected for another 
term of four years. He has indeed always been very active in politics, 
and enjoys a wide and well-deserved popularity, and the entire com- 
munity, without regard to party differences, has expressed itself emi- 
nently satisfied with his work. Mr. Feaster is affiliated with many 
important organizations here, among them being the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus, the Improved Order 
of Red Men, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. In his religious belief 
he is a Roman Catholic and attends St. John's Church of New Bruns- 
wick. 

Joseph John Feaster was united in marriage, November 15, 1906, 
at New Brunswick, with Anna E. Crennar, of East Brunswick township, 
a daughter of Joseph and Mary Crennar, both deceased. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Feaster two children have been born, as follows: Anna M., born 
August 16, 1907; Frank J., born May 16, 1910. The family reside at 
No. 127 Throop avenue. New Brunswick, New Jersey. Mr. Feaster is 
ardently devoted to hunting and fishing, and during the seasons for such 
sport, he devotes whatever time he can spare from his ever increasing 
business affairs to this particular line of outdoor recreation. 



300 MIDDLESEX 

PATRICK JOSEPH LYONS, rising by the force of his own char- 
acter from the position of laborer, now owns an independent manufacture 
ing business in Perth Amboy, building many kinds of water craft. 

Thomas Lyons, father of Patrick J. Lyons, was born in Ireland, and 
came to this country alone when a very young man. He came first to 
Jersey City, New Jersey, where he obtained employment as a sticker in 
a slaughter house. He removed to England when the boy, Patrick J., was 
three years old. Some years later his wife died there, and he brought his 
children back to America. He came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
in 1889, and there was employed on the coal docks. He was killed there 
by a train, in 1901, at the age of fifty-four years. He married, in Jersey 
City, Elizabeth Bath, who was born in Jersey City, and died in England. 
They were the parents of three children : Thomas, of Perth Amboy, who 
is a mason's tender, unmarried; Patrick Joseph, of whom further men- 
tion follows ; and Mary, who died in Perth Amboy, at the age of thirty- 
four years; she was the wife of Peter Martin and the mother of nine 
children, all of whom now live in Perth Amboy. 

Patrick Joseph Lyons was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, October 
IS> 1875. Going with his parents to England, he remained there for 
five years. Then at eight years of age he returned to America, mother- 
less. For a time he was in Woodbridge, New Jersey, and there attended 
the public schools, completing the course at the age of fourteen years. 
He then came to Perth Amboy, and began life driving a dump cart. This 
work he followed for two years, then worked in a brick factory. By 
industry and thrift he accumulated enough money to start in business, 
and for eleven years he was proprietor of a hotel located on the corner 
of Smith and Maple streets. He was always in touch with the shipping 
interests in the city of Perth Amboy, and when he was able to follow 
his tastes more closely in business he disposed of his hotel and began 
the manufacture of boats. He has done very attractive work along this 
line, and is making a success of the venture. Mr. Lyons is unmarried. 
He is connected with several fraternal organizations. He is a member 
of the Improved Order of Red Men, the Foresters of America, and the 
Fraternal Order of Eagles. He is foreman of the Perth Amboy Engine 
Company. In the Spanish-American War, Mr. Lyons served in Com- 
pany D, 3rd New Jersey Infantry, of New Brunswick, New Jersey. He 
was first sent to Sea Girt, then to Sandy Hook, then to Pompton Plains, 
and last to Athens, Georgia, where this company was discharged from 
the service. 



GEORGE ROBERT BUNTEN, JR.— For the past ten years the 
growth and development of the city of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, have 
been so rapid that the mere providing of the materials of construction 
has become an industry in itself. In this line of business activity George 
Robert Bunten, Jr., stands among the leaders. 

Mr. Bunten is a son of George Robert Bunten, Sr., formerly of Alpine, 
New Jersey, and for many years in the ship chandlery business, but now 
retired. The elder Mr. Bunten served in the Civil War. 




-^^e^ ^^^2.^,.^^.^^^^^^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 301 

George Robert Bunten, Jr., was born in Alpine, New Jersey, May 
9, 1876. He received his education in the public schools of Richmond 
Valley, Staten Island, New York. There he laid the practical founda- 
tion for a business career. As he grew info manhood he became inter- 
ested in his father's business, learning all the details. This business he 
followed for twelve years; then seeing the opportunities for success in 
the handling of all kinds of construction materials, he entered this field, 
along the line of mason's materials and supplies. This line of business 
activity he has followed for the last ten years, and has made himself 
felt in the construction world. He is a member of the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 784, of Perth Amboy ; also a mem- 
ber of the Elks Club, of that city. 

Mr. Bunten married, October 16, 1900, in Perth Amboy, Margaret 
Connell, daughter of Patrick and Margaret Connell. 



WILLIAM RUSSELL BUNTEN.— In the business world of Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, one of the noteworthy men in the construction 
line is William Russell Bunten. He was born in Alpine, New Jersey, 
December 3, 1878, a son of George Robert and Mary Bunten. 

William Russell Bunten received his education in the excellent public 
schools of Richmond Valley, Staten Island, New York. When a young 
man he was attracted to a business career, and conducted a coal business 
for ten years. For the past twelve years, however, he has been actively 
interested in the handling of mason's materials, and his present business 
at No. 283 Water street, Perth Amboy, has grown and developed from 
its early beginnings until it is one of the important factors in the con- 
struction work of this section. Mr. Bunten is first a business man, but 
he holds affiliation with the foremost social and fraternal organizations 
in which he takes an active interest. He is a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, in which order he is past 
chancellor ; the Improved Order of Red Men ; past president of the Order 
of Owls; and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is an 
honorary member of the Washington Hose Chemical Company, of 
Perth Amboy ; a:nd of the Haymakers' Association. He is a member of 
the Elks and Odd Fellows clubs. 

Mr. Bunten married, June 12, 1898, in Tottenville, New York, Annie 
Morehouse, daughter of David and Eliza Morehouse. They are the 
parents of eight children: William Russell, Jr., born November 2, 1899; 
Anna, born March 30, 1902; Helen, born April i, 1906; Grace, born July 
II, 1907; Henry, born March 18, 1910; Bessie, born June 27, 1913; Mary, 
born March 21, 1916; and Robert, born June 2, 1918. The family are 
Members of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Perth Amboy. 



BENJAMIN T. McNALLY.— From the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific 
coast and from the most northern part of the United States to South 
America, Benjamin T. McNally has visited nearly every city of im- 
portance on this continent and in addition has traveled all over Europe 



302 MIDDLESEX 

and Australia. A vaudeville performer, he enjoyed, by reason of his 
profession, unusual opportunities of seeing the world. 

Benjamin T. McNally was born in Cleveland, Ohio, his father being 
Benjamin McNally, also born in Cleveland. He had always been a rail- 
road engineer until the last few years, when he retired from so strenuous 
a life and is now living in New Brunswick. On August ii, 1920, the 
elder Mr. McNally celebrated his seventy-seventh birthday anniversary. 
His wife was Annie (Hynes) McNally, born in Lynn, Massachusetts. 
She died January 19, 1912, in San Francisco, California, at the age of 
sixty-two years. Mr. and Mrs. McNally were the parents of nine chil- 
dren, five of whom are now living, namely: John, a resident of San 
Francisco ; Benjamin T. ; Hattie, wife of John Rogers ; Louis, living in 
San Francisco ; Stephen, a vaudeville actor. 

Though claiming Cleveland, Ohio, as his birthplace, Benjamin T. 
McNally spent his childhood and youth in California and there he 
acquired an education in the public schools of San Francisco. After 
leaving school Mr. McNally joined Sells Brothers Circus, traveling with 
them for one season, doing a high wire and flying trapeze act in their 
shows. Coming East he entered into vaudeville work and began his 
journeying all over the world. In 1912, Mr. McNally came to New 
Brunswick, New Jersey, and entered into" business life here. In 
1917 he took over the Easton Avenue Garage and now has a flourishing 
plant at Nos. 39-41 Easton avenue. He is a member of the actors' club, 
the White Rats. 

During the time that Mr. McNally was performing in vaudeville in 
Buda Pesth, Hungary, he met Theresia Hess, a native of Paris, France. 
She was also engaged in vaudeville shows. On April 23,. 1905, in New 
York City, Benjamin T. McNally married Theresia Hess. They have no 
children. 



NICHOLAS AUGUSTA MORRISSY is a thorough musician, and 
as an arranger of high class musical programs has no superiors. He is 
the founder of Morrissy's BaAd, which has a wide reputation, for no 
numbers except high class selections are ever played by the organization 
save by request. This evidences the wide range of music with which 
Mr. Morrissy is familiar, and the superior musicians comprising his 
organization. 

Nicholas Morrissy, father of Nicholas Augusta Morrissy, was born 
in Waterford, Ireland, and came to this country when a young man, 
locating in Brooklyn, New York, where he worked as a blacksmith for 
many years. He died in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, about 1895. He 
married Katherine Power and to them were born ten children, seven of 
whom are living, among them being Katherine, wife of Patrick Tierney, 
a resident of Perth Amboy; Mary Dugan, a resident of Brooklyn, New 
York ; Nicholas Augusta, mentioned below. 

Nicholas Augusta Morrissy was born in Brooklyn, New York, May 
24, 1872, and was brought by his parents to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
when he was six years of age. Here he attended the public schools until 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



303 



he was sixteen years old, when upon the death of both his parents, which 
occurred at this time, he was obliged to leave school. He then served 
an apprenticeship to the machinist's trade, since which time he has 
followed this particular trade with the exception of the ten years that he 
devoted exclusively to music. At the present time he is a machinist in 
the Schantz & Eckert Company. He is a fine cornetist, and has devoted 
much of his time to perfecting himself in the playing of this instrument. 
His hobby, which can be readily seen, is music. He affiliates with the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and in religion is a Roman 
Catholic, being a prominent member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic 
Church. 

Mr. Morrissy married, in 1904, Anna Toft, daughter of John H. and 
Mathilda (Brown) Toft. Mr. and Mrs. Morrissy are the parents of 
two children : Anna Katherine, and Harry Austin. 



CHARLES AUGUSTUS SCHENCK, a man who has since 1890 
been a resident of New Brunswick, New Jersey, and later held for many 
years a prominent place among the active business men of this com- 
munity, is secretary of the Brunswick Refrigerating Company, which 
is located on Jersey avenue. 

Henry Vander Veer Schenck, father of Charles Augustus Schenck, 
was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1833, and died here Sep- 
tember 10, 1918, having spent his entire life in this State, largely in 
Newark, and for years connected with the Singer Sewing Machine 
Company. He married Mary A. Marshall, of New York City, who is still 
living and resides at the present time, 1921, in Newark, New Jersey. 
Mr. and Mrs. Schenck were the parents of three children: Charles 
Augustus, with whom we are here concerned, being the only surviving 
member. 

Charles Augustus Schenck was born March 16, 1861, at New Bruns- 
wick, but at the age of six years removed with his parents to Newark, 
where he attended the public schools, graduating from the Newark High 
School in 1878. That same year he secured a position with the Singer 
Manufacturing Company and remained with them until 1885, when he 
resigned and went to Boston, Massachusetts, where for the next two 
years he furnished various office buildings throughout that city with 
towel supplies. In 1890 he returned to New Brunswick, and became 
private secretary to the president of the National Water Tube Boiler 
Company, later being promoted to the treasurership of the organization. 
In 1906, when this company was merged with the Brunswick Refrigerat- 
ing Company, Mr. Schenck continued with the latter, and in 1912 was 
elected to the position of secretary of the organization in which he has 
since continued. He has been for the past twenty years secretary of the 
second Merchants' Building and Loan Company of New Brunswick. 

Mr. Schenck is a member of the Royal Arcanum, life member of the 
Young Men's Christian Association, and also holds membership in the 
City Bowling Club, of which he is secretary. His hobby is bowling and 
in recognition of his clever playing of the game he has won many tro- 



304 MIDDLESEX 

phies. He attends the First Reformed Church of New Brunswick, and 
has served on its official board. An able business man, public-spirited, 
loyal, patriotic and progressive, he is a man whom no obstacle can daunt 
nor no misfortune discourage. 

On December 23, 1899, Charles Augustus Schenck was united in 
marriage with Nellie L. Cook, a native of Newark, New Jersey. 



FRANK BURRELL OVERTON.— A love of engineering in all its 
branches prompted Mr. Overton, while in the employ of a corporation 
as stationary engineer, to begin the study of welding and he became 
so interested in the subject that he fitted up a shop in the rear of his 
home in Keyport, New Jersey, finally making electrical and acetylene 
welding of metals his sole business. He is master of his art, and in his 
shop at No. 261 King street, Perth Amboy, he follows his business suc- 
cessfully. He is the son of William Willard and Julia Ann (Hutz) Over- 
ton, his father a mariner all his life. 

Frank Burrell Overton was born in Port Monmouth, Monmouth 
county, New Jersey, on Sandy Hook bay, February 27, 1884. He 
attended the village public school, and when school years were over was 
variously employed until finally becoming a stationary engineer with 
the Jersey Central Traction Company of Keyport, New Jersey. He was 
in that employ in 191 1, when he took up the study of welding metals 
and finally built a shop in the rear of his home and made welding his 
specialty. He began in a small way, but met with such encouraging 
success that in 1918 he moved to Perth Amboy, where he opened a snop 
at No. 261 King street. He specializes in both .electric and acetylene 
welding, and is well established in business. Mr. Overton is a member 
of Corliss Lodge, No. 13, National Association of Stationary Engineers; 
Raritan Lodge, No. 61, Free and Accepted Masons; Perth Amboy Lodgf-., 
No. 784, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Lawrence Ledge, 
No. 62, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and Middlesex Lodge, 
Junior Order of United American Mechanics. He is also a member of 
Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics is a Republican. 

Mr. Overton married, in New York City, February 27, 191 1, Henrietta 
Mears Tooker, daughter of Frank Elias and Mary Elizabeth (Farrell) 
Tooker. Mr. and Mrs. Overton are the parents of two daughters : Har- 
rietta Elizabeth, born October 3, 1914; Kathryn Willard, born August 
20, 1918. 



IRA RUTLEDGE GROUSE — A good example of the successful 
business man and man-of-affairs, who has risen through his own efforts 
to a position of prominence in the community, is Ira Rutledge Crouse, 
a citizen of whom Perth Amboy, New Jersey, may well be proud. Mr. 
Crouse's descent from one of the fine old families which came to this 
country many years ago is warranty of his sterling and vigorous traits 
of character. The stock from which he sprang is typical of the best 
traditions of American life. 

William Henry Crouse, father of the subject of this review, was 




cy^ 





A^O-^yiyiy^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



30s 



born on the old homestead in Hunterdon county, in 1841, and died in 
1912, at the age of seventy-one. Like many of the young men of his 
time he served during the Civil War; he was a volunteer attached to 
the Pennsylvania regiment, and was wounded at the battle of Bull Run. 
He married Catherine Loudenbery, born in Warren county, New Jersey, 
May 6, 1842, and who died in Perth Amboy, in February, 1918. Eight 
children were born of this union : Annie, now the wife of Harvey Trau- 
ger; Harry, a gold miner of Idiarod, Alaska; John, a farmer in Hunter- 
don county ; Edith, deceased ; Walter, a farmer in Warren county ; Ira 
Rutledge, mentioned below; Katherine, died in infancy; Frank, died in 
infancy. 

Ira Rutledge Crouse, son of William Henry and Catherine (Louden- 
bery) Crouse, was born on the old homestead in Hunterdon county, 
January 6, 1873. He attended the district school here until he was nine 
years old, when he was brought by his parents to Mount Joy, New 
Jersey, pursuing his studies there for two years and finishing at Millers- 
ville, when he had reached the age of sixteen. In 1893 he came to Perth 
Amboy and began an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade, and at 
the end of four years, after having finished his training, he established 
himself in the contracting and building business together with a lumber 
yard which he owns. He has built many of the schools of Perth Amboy 
and also the Polish church here, which is considered the finest structure 
of its kind in the State. The success which has attended his efiforts 
is due to no happy succession of advantageous circumstances, but to his 
own sturdy will, steady application, and tireless energy. 

Mr. Crouse's thorough business qualifications and his well-known 
executive ability have always been in demand on director's boards, and in 
consequence, he is president of the Union Garage Company, and was 
formerly vice-president of the Stouck-Reaser Lumber Company of Har- 
risburg, Pennsylvania. He is also a director of the Perth Amboy Trust 
Company and of the Citizens Building and Loan Association. In politics 
he is a Republican and takes a lively interest in that phase of public 
administration which makes for the highest good of the community. 
For two years he was a member of the Common Council, and later 
became the president, which ofifice he held for four years; he has also 
served a five-year term on the Water Board. 

Mr. Crouse affiliates with the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks, the Woodmen of the World, and with the Free and Accepted 
Masons Realizing that a busy man must of necessity have recreation, 
he holds membership in the Raritan Yacht Club, and the East Jersey 
Club ; his hobby is hunting. 

In 1894 Mr. Crouse married Laura L. Leonard, a daughter of the 
late John and Jennie (Sinclair) Leonard, of Hunterdon county, New 
Jersey. To Mr. and Mrs. Crouse have been born three children: Law- 
rence, born November 18, 1895, now associated with his father in busi- 
ness; he is married and has one child, Grace; Ira, born March 28, 1901, 
a student in the Perth Amboy High School ; Katherine, born in Novem- 
ber, 191 1. 

Mid- 20 



3o6 MIDDLESEX 

Ira Rutledge Crouse is a man of quiet force, the force that accom- 
plishes large results with little friction, the force that counts in the 
upbuilding, maintenance and prosperity of cities. Throughout his 
career he has been animated by the spirit of progress, ever pressing for- 
ward to make the good better and the better best, and his career may 
be summed up in one word — success — the result of his own unaided 
efforts furnishing a true picture of the upright business man. 



EMIL EWALD BRASS, numbered among the younger generation 
of business men in New Brunswick, is the proprietor of the Brass Auto 
Supply Company, which is located at Nos. 53-55 Albany street. New 
Brunswick, New Jersey. He was born April 16, 1898, in Brooklyn, 
New York, the son of Ewald and Margaret (Hoff) Brass. Ewald Brass 
was born in Germany and came to this country at the age of twenty 
years, locating in Brooklyn, New York, where he became an importer 
in crockery. He now resides with his wife in Metuchen, New Jersey, 
but spends part of his time at his son's business in New Brunswick. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Brass were born two children: Ewald, deceased; Emil 
Ewald, of further mention. 

The elementary education of Emil Ewald Brass was obtained in 
the public schools of Brooklyn, after which he entered the Dwight 
School of New York City, from which he was graduated in 1916. The 
following year he came to New Brunswick and established himself in 
the auto supply business, first at No. 33 Albany street, where he remained 
until December, 1919, when he removed to his present location and 
organized the concern known as the Brass Auto Supply Company. 
Bringing into his business up-to-date methods, his success, already 
assured, has been founded upon untiring industry and conspicuous 
ability in his line together with a farseeing business judgment and an 
unchanging uprightness. 

During the World War, Mr. Brass was a member of the Officers' 
Training Corps in New York City from September, 1918, until he 
received his honorable discharge, December 24, 1918. He is ardently 
devoted to all out-door sports, but takes a particularly keen interest 
in hunting and baseball. He affiliates with Mt. Zion Lodge, No. 135, 
Free and Accepted Masons ; the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks ; and the Improved Order of Red Men. He also holds membership 
in the Young Men's Christian Association, in the New Brunswick Boat 
Club, and is secretary of the New Brunswick Motor Trade Association. 
In religion he is a Presbyterian and attends the Second Church of that 
denomination at New Brunswick. Mr. Brass is unmarried. 



MATTHEW FRANCIS URBANSKI, M. D.— The history of a 
State as well as that of a Nation consists chiefly of the chronicles of the 
lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon it, 
whether in the broad sphere of professional work, or of public labors, or 
in the narrower, but not less worthy, one of individual activity. If the 
general good has been promoted, the man who has brought about this 



BIOGRAPHICAL 307 

state of affairs is most decidedly worthy of mention. Dr. Matthew F. 
Urbanski, while he has not yet been identified with the medical pro- 
fession a great number of years, has already accomplished results which 
rebound greatly to his credit. 

Francis Xavier Urbanski, father of Dr. Matthew F. Urbanski, was 
born in Poland, in 1865, and came to this country when he was but 
twenty-one years of age. He has made his home in Perth Amboy ever 
since coming to the United States, and for a number of years carried on 
a successful painting and decorating business here, but is now retired 
from active pursuits and reviews a life well spent in the interests of the 
community which has been his home for so many years. He married 
Agnes Duschock, a native of Poland, and they are the parents of three 
children: Matthew Francis; Adrian X., a student in the medical de- 
partment of the University of Pennsylvania ; Xavier, deceased. 

Matthew Francis Urbanski, son of Francis Xavier and Agnes (Dus- 
chock) Urbanski, was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, August 8, 
1892. He attended the public schools of his native city, and after gradu- 
ating from the local high school he commenced the study of medicine 
in the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, from which he was graduated 
with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1914. During the following 
three years he served an interneship of a year and a half in the Newark 
City Hospital and Essex County Isolation Hospital, and then for the 
remainder of the time was assistant medical director for the Stonywold 
Sanitarium. In 1917 he established himself in the active practice of 
his chosen profession in Perth Amboy, where he is at present located 
and where he devotes himself almost exclusively to one particular dis- 
ease, tuberculosis. He is president of the Board of Health, and vice- 
president of the Perth Amboy Medical Society. Professionally he also 
holds membership in the National Tuberculosis Association, the Amer- 
ican Medical Association, and the Middlesex County Medical Society. 

Dr. Urbanski is a member of St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church, 
and affiliates with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Perth 
Amboy Lodge, No. 784. He is a member of the Phi Alpha Sigma, 
medical fraternity, and supreme physician of the Greek Catholic Benevo- 
lent Society. 

The few years that Dr. Urbanski has spent in Perth Amboy have 
been years of arduous devotion to the advancement of the medical 
profession and tireless endeavor for the relief of suffering, and have 
placed him in the front rank of the city's physicians. It is sometimes 
said of a man the early part of whose career is indicative of more than 
usual promise "he will be heard from later." Dr. Urbanski has already 
been heard from and Perth Amboy thinks that he will be heard from 
again and again and for many more years to come. 



GEORGE ANTON, JR., local manager of Armour & Company, was 
born June 28, 1880, the son of George and Rose (Smith) Anton. George 
Anton, Sr., is a native of Germany, but came to this country at the 
age of fourteen vear<;. locating in Somerville, New Jersey, where he 



3o8 MIDDLESEX 

has since continued to reside. To Mr. and Mrs. Anton have been born 
four children: George, mentioned below; William, deceased; Charles 
L., a resident of Cambridge, New York; J. Edward, who resides in 
Somerville, New Jersey. 

The education of George Anton, Jr., was secured in the public 
schools of his native place, and during his spare hours he assisted his 
father in the latter's market in Somerville. At the age of twenty-two 
years he went to Jersey City and there secured employment in the 
same line of business, remaining for two years or until he resigned to 
identify himself with the Childs' Restaurant Company of New York 
City. In August, 1919, Mr. Anton came to New Brunswick from Yon- 
kers to accept the managership of the local branch of Armour & Com- 
pany, in which he has since continued most successfully, his ability as 
a business man having been fully tested and proven, for under his man- 
agement the business of the concern has been greatly increased. 

During the Spanish-American War, George Anton, Jr., enlisted in 
the 3rd Regiment of New Jersey, Company H. He is well known in 
social and fraternal life in New York and New Jersey, and is a member 
of T. D. Landon Post, Spanish War Veterans, at Somerville, New 
Jersey, and the Masonic order, belonging to Poughkeepsie Lodge, No. 
266, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Poughkeepsie; Royal Arch 
Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, Mount Vernon ; Bethlehem Commandery, 
Knights Templar, of Mount Vernon, New York; and Mecca Temple, 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of New York City. He is also affiliated 
with the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, New Brunswick. In his religious 
views Mr. Anton is a Presbyterian and attends the First Presbyterian 
Church in New Brunswick. 

On November 8, 1906, George Anton, Jr., was united in marriage 
with Florence Wright, daughter of the late John W. and Henrietta 
(Barton) Wright, the latter a resident of Poughkeepsie. Mr. and Mrs. 
Anton are the parents of two children : George W., born August 2, 1907 ; 
Beatrice, born November 13, 1910. George Anton, Jr., is a young man, 
but his career has been one of good work and satisfactory results. There 
can be no reasonable doubt that the years which lie before him will be 
filled with greater effort and more signal achievement. 



PATRICK NAGLE KENNEDY, one of the substantial citizens of 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and known throughout the community for 
his public spirit and interest in the welfare of the place, traces his 
parental ancestry from the Dalcassian race, being descended in a direct 
line from the second son of King Brean Born, the name Kennidi being 
its anglicized form, and the cradle of the race being in that part of the 
present county of Tipperary, Ireland, which is washed by the Shannon 
river. 

His maternal ancestors were French. Two brothers, Gilbert and 
Jocelyn de Angula, went to Ireland as knights in the army of Strong- 
bow, and they, like other Norman knights, married into the families of the 
native nobles and chieftains. In time the name "de Angula" became 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



309 



transformed into Nagle and Nangle, and both forms of the name as 
well as the original are extant in Ireland and other countries today. Sir 
Richard Nagle, the founder of the southern Nagles, was a brilliant 
lawyer and statesman, being speaker of the House of Commons and 
attorney-general for Ireland in the government of James II. Edmund 
Burke, the great statesman, orator and political philosopher, was a 
member of this branch of the family, his mother, Ellen Nagle, being a 
niece of Sir Richard's mother, and also the mother of the great Irish 
apostle of temperance. A son of the poet, Spencer, was married to one 
of the Nagle family, and still another member of this illustrious family 
was Sir Edmund Nagle, an English admiral, who later became governor 
of Newfoundland. 

Patrick Nagle Kennedy was born July 18, 1852, in Kilmalloch county. 
Limerick, Ireland, the son of John and Ellen (Nagle) Kennedy. His 
education was received in the national and private schools which were 
located in and near his native town. At the age of fifteen he took part in 
a revolutionary insurrection in Ireland, and after hiding for nine months 
he was obliged to seek refuge under the Stars and Stripes, and although 
this uprising failed, its moral effect had great influence in stimulating the 
future ambition of the people. Upon landing in the United States in 
the latter part of this same year, 1867, he became employed in railroad 
construction work, and continued in this particular line of business 
until about ten years ago when he became engaged in highway con- 
struction, which is still occupying his attention at the present time. 
In politics Mr. Kennedy is a Jeffersonian Democrat, and has always taken 
a keen interest in local public affairs, but the only office which he has 
been persuaded to accept was that of member of the Board of Health, 
which he held for a period of four years. In religion Mr. Kennedy is a 
Catholic, a member of St. Mary's Church, and his clubs are the Geraldine 
and the Washington. He is a member of an Irish political revolutionary 
society in which he has held the offices of secretary, vice-president and 
president, the object of the society being to make Ireland an independent 
republic. 

Mr. Kennedy married (first) in New York City, 1871, Alice O'Cal- 
laghan, and they were the parents of three children: John J., Edward 
C, James N. Mr. Kennedy married (second) Margaret A. White, a 
native of Syracuse, New York, and the daughter of Thomas and Cath- 
arine (Buckley) White. They have no issue. 



ALBERT LEON. — This name needs no introduction to a work of 
this sort, for as owner and proprietor of the largest store in Perth 
Amboy he is recognized as one of the leading citizens of the community, 
and takes an active interest in everything pertaining to municipal 
progress. 

Albert Leon was born in Germany, November 6, 1870, the son of 
Marcus and Minnie Leon, both natives of Germany. Marcus Leon came 
to this country many years ago with his family, residing in Newark, New 
Jersey, in which place his death occurred in 1887. Mrs. Leon is still 
living and resides in Newark. 



3IO MIDDLESEX 

Albert Leon attended the schools of his native place until he was 
fifteen years of age, when he became eager to seek his fortune in this 
country and consequently sailed for America in 1885. Upon landing 
in New York City he secured employment in a chair factory, where he 
remained for a period of two years. He then worked his way up from 
porter to domestic and foreign buyer for a large Philadelphia concern, 
in the meantime attending a night school. In 1905 he came to Perth 
Amboy and established himself in the furniture business, locating in a 
small store at No. 134 Smith street, remaining there for eight years, at 
the end of which time he removed to his present location at the corner 
of State and Smith streets, where today he has the largest store in 
Perth Amboy. 

In addition to the above business, Mr. Leon is officially connected 
with various other large enterprises, being president of the Standard 
Foundry Company, Bound Brook, New Jersey; vice-president of the 
Fords National Bank, Perth Amboy; treasurer of the Green Furniture 
Company, Elizabeth, New Jersey; director of the People's National 
Bank of Elizabeth, New Jersey; director in the New York Furniture 
Realty Company, New York City ; president of the Perth Amboy Build- 
ing and Loan Association ; director of the Perth Amboy Chamber of 
Commerce ; director in the Amalgamated Building and Loan Association 
of Newark, New Jersey; and president of the National Association of 
Retail Furniture Dealers. In fraternal circles he also takes a prominent 
part, being a thirty-second degree Mason, grand high priest of Royal 
Arch Masons of the State of New Jersey, and a member of Salaam Tem- 
ple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Mystic Shrine ; a member of the Benevo- 
lent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows. His clubs are the Progress and the Newark Athletic. He 
was one of the presidential electors from New Jersey on the Republican 
ticket. 

On September 25, 1895, Mr. Leon was united in marriage with 
Regina Meyer, a native of Newark, New Jersey, and they are the parents 
of two children : Sylvia Estelle, wife of Dr. Harry S. Jacoby, of Newark ; 
Marcus L., now a student at Columbia College. 

Mr. Leon has brought to the shaping of his career a very happy and 
unusual combination of characteristics which have won for him his 
success as a business man. His philanthropy is great and springs from 
the sincere kindness of his heart, which embraces all men in its regard. 
He has many friends and among them, as in the community-at-large, 
he exerts a powerful influence which is always wielded on the side of 
justice. It would be difficult to overestimate the value of such a man 
to a community or the presence in it of a man like Albert Leon. There 
is scarcely a department in its affairs, an aspect of its life, in which 
his influence is not most potently felt, and felt invariably on the side 
of the public good. He is a practical man of affairs, a man of the world, 
yet never in seeking his own business advantage does he lose sight of 
that of the community of which he is a member. Such a man is cer- 
tainly worthy of emulation. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 311 

LAWRENCE E. RICE, a prominent figure in the business life of 
New Brunswick, New Jersey, since 1916, is a man of a naturally retiring 
disposition, publicity of any sort being very distasteful to him, but he 
has, nevertheless, had the welfare and advancement of the community 
always uppermost in his mind, and since coming here has espoused and 
given his earnest support to all movements calculated to advance 
business development. 

Lawrence E. Rice was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. On January i, 1916, 
he came to New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he established himself 
in the business of household furnishings at his present location, Nos. 
201-205 Neilson street. Coming here with a vast experience which he 
had already gained in this particular line both in Grand Rapids, Michi- 
gan, and in Cincinnati, Ohio, his enterprise rapidly and consistently 
developed until it is now one of the largest of its kind in this vicinity. 
Although Mr. Rice has been located here but a comparatively short 
time, by his unswerving honesty and fair dealing he has won for him- 
self not only the respect but also the admiration of his competitors. 



JOSEPH BURGER.— There is very properly full praise in this 
country for the man who has started at the bottom of the ladder and 
by means of his own effort is steadily making his way towards the top. 
Among this number is Joseph Burger, owner and manager of a garage 
at No. 6 Liberty street, New Brunswick, New Jersey. 

Joseph Burger was born August 22, 1887, in Germany, the son of 
Gustave and Mary (Rhode) Burger. Gustave Burger was a native of 
Germany, and died there at the age of sixty-seven, having followed the 
trade of carpenter throughout his entire lifetime. Mr. and Mrs. Burger 
were the parents of ten children : Julius, Ida, Anna, Rose, Adolph, 
Elizabeth, Minnie, Mary ; Joseph, of further mention ; and Frank, all of 
whom reside in this country with the exception of Mary, who has 
recently returned to her native Germany. 

Joseph Burger attended the public schools of his native place until 
he was fifteen years of age, when he apprenticed himself to the machin- 
ist's trade, in which he continued until 1907, when he joined the navy. 
Three years later he set sail for this country, and upon landing in New 
York City remained there, engaging in the machinist's trade until 1912, 
at which time he came to New Brunswick, securing employment with 
the Simplex Company, with whom he remained until 1919, when he 
resigned to establish himself in his present business, erecting his 
garage in 1919. The close attention he has given to the development of 
his enterprise, together with his mechanical knowledge and reliability, 
have given him the opportunity which would bring him in contact with 
the worth while things of life, and in consequence he is found among 
the loyal supporters of all progressive movements for the community's 
welfare. From unfavorable circumstances he has won success and 
standing, and is one of the most respected business men of New Bruns- 
wick, a product of democratic institutions. Mr. Burger is affiliated with 
the Knights of Pythias and the Improved Order of Red Men. 



312 MIDDLESEX 

On October 24, 1912, Joseph Burger was united in marriage with 
Stephana Rohrich, a native of Austria, and the daughter of Matthew 
and Elizabeth Rohrich, the latter natives of Austria, but now residents 
of New Brunswick. Mr. and IVIrs. Burger are the parents of two 
children: Matthew Joseph, born October 19, 1913, and Mary, died at 
the age of three years. 



ARTHUR LEVY.— "Young's Jewelry Store," New Brunswick, is 
a corporation founded in October, 1920, by Arthur Levy, and Jack 
Steinfeld, both young men of Newark, New Jersey, but both experienced 
jewelers. Jack Steinfeld was born in Newark, September 11, 1896, son 
of Benjamin and Lottie (Hamburger) Steinfeld, he the eldest of their 
six children, Jack, Esther, Rosella, Irving, Sydney and Mamie, all un- 
married and living in Newark. Arthur Levy was born in Newark, New 
Jersey, November 4, 1896, son of Max and Fannie (Berger) Levy, his 
parents residing in Newark. Mr. and Mrs. Levy are the parents of six 
children, all living in Newark : Jack, a jeweler ; Elizabeth, wife of Mur- 
ray Swartz ; Ike K. ; Arthur, of further mention ; Anna, and Louise. 

Arthur Levy attended Newark public schools until fourteen years 
of age, and then became a clerk in a jewelry store, so continuing until 
arriving at legal age in 1917. He then formed a partnership with his 
brother, I. K. Levy, and opened a jewelry store in Newark, conducting 
it under the firm name, I. K. Levy, Incorporated. In October, 1920, 
Arthur Levy opened Young's Jewelry Store in New Brunswick, and 
there is becoming well established, the store and stock being beautiful 
and well displayed in a good location. No. 135 Albany street. Both 
partners are young men of experience in their business and are rapidly 
winning friends and patronage. They are both members of the Ortho- 
dox Jewish faith and both unmarried. They carry the best wishes of a 
wide circle of friends for the success of their business venture. 



THEODORE HERMAN MERCKENS.— Everyone in and about 
New Brunswick has been for many years familiar with Schussler's con- 
fectionery and bakery, located at No. 378 George street. On September 
4, 1920, Mr. F. M. Schussler sold out his entire establishment to 
Merckens, Incorporated, and these new owners are now conducting the 
old, well established business under a different management. The store 
has been remodelled and is now one of the most attractive of its kind in 
the country. The president of the company is August Merckens, who 
for most of the years of his business life was associated with Stollwerck 
Brothers, manufacturers of high grade cocoa and chocolate. He is also 
interested in the Norma Chocolate Company of Brooklyn, -New York. 
The experience gained by long connection with this line fits Mr. 
Merckens for the work in which he has become engaged. The vice- 
president of the company is William Merckens, a son of the foregoing; 
another son, Theodore H. Merckens, is also a member of the company, 
and is in actual charge of the business conducted at the George street 



BIOGRAPHICAL 313 

store. Mr. and Mrs. Merckens reside on their estate at Rivervale, Bergen 
county, New Jersey. 

Theodore H. Merckens was born August 4, 1894, in New York City. 
In his boyhood and youth he attended the public schools of Brooklyn 
and East Orange, and for several years after leaving school was engaged 
in the service of the United States Army. In 1914 he joined the National 
Guard, and in 1916, during the trouble on the Mexican border, he was 
sent with the 23rd New York Infantry to the scene of disturbance, re- 
maining on duty there for seven months. In our war with Germany, 
Theodore H. Merckens was stationed at Camp Grant in Illinois with the 
Black Hawk Division for six months, and was sent with the 344th 
Infantry to France, sailing on September 8, 1918. He was in the service 
there for ten months and was mustered out July 15, 1919, at Camp 
Grant, He is a member of Charles Henry Post of the American Legion. 

MAX GIBIAN. — In 1905 the business which was incorporated in 
1909 as the Perth Amboy Garage Company, was started by Max Gihian, 
who has been its guiding head from its inception until the present (1920). 
His was the first garage in Perth Amboy to open its doors to the public, 
and the present business of the company, at No. 283 Madison avenue, 
is the result of his long experience as a caterer to the needs of the auto- 
mobile public. Max Gibian is a son of Solomon Gibian, who was born 
in Bohemia, and with his mother came to the United States and located 
in Newark, New Jersey. He became head of a meat and grocery business 
in Newark, which he conducted many years. He died in Newark, Janu- 
ary 2, 1910, aged sixty-three years. He married Carrie Schwartz, also 
born in Bohemia, who died in Newark, February 8, 1912, aged sixty- 
seven years. They were the parents of nine children, five of whom are 
living: Rose, married Abraham Alter, of Newark; Minnie, a resident 
of Pittsburgh ; Dora, married Gustav Wallach, of Newark ; Joseph, a 
confectioner; and Max, of further mention. 

Max Gibian was born in Newark, New Jersey, April 28, 1881, and 
was there educated, completing high school study with graduation, 
class of 1898. He then spent three years in a Newark grocery store, 
going thence to Potts & Kaufmann of Perth Amboy, that city having 
ever since been his home and place of business. He entered, che auto- 
mobile business in 1905, establishing the first public garage in Perth 
Amboy ; and so satisfactory were the results of his venture that in 1909 
he incorported as the Perth Amboy Garage Company, with Max 
Gibian president, and H. Brower, secretary. The garage, located at No. 
283 Madison avenue, possesses excellent facilities for the storage and 
care of automobiles, while in addition to a full line of tires and acces- 
sories, automobiles are bought, sold and exchanged. The company is 
a well-managed, prosperous one, reflecting credit upon its management. 
Mr. Gibian is president of New Brunswick Motor Car Company, sub- 
sidiary of Perth Amboy Garage Company; also vice-president of the 
Maple Realty Company, and of the Gibian Realty Company, his real 
estate interests being large and important. 



314 MIDDLESEX 

A Democrat in politics, Mr. Gibian has served his city as assessor of 
taxes, and when the office of State license agent for motor vehicles was 
created, he was the first appointee, and is still serving. He is a member 
of the Masonic order, affiliated with lodge, chapter, commandery, shrine 
and consistory, also a member of the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, the 
Woodmen of the World, Young Men's Christian Association, and Young 
Men's Hebrew Association. In religion he is of Beth Mordecai congre- 
gation. 

Mr. Gibian married, in 1906, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Anna 
Wolff, who was born in that city, a daughter of William and Fannie 
Wolff, her father a retired cattle dealer of Perth Amboy, her mother 
deceased. 



WALTER BARGER.— The grandparents of Walter Barger, of New 
Brunswick, and New York, were residents of Vermilion, Illinois, his 
grandmother born in Switzerland, Europe. They were the parents of 
Martin J. Barger, born in Vermilion county, Illinois, died July 17, 1917, 
at Danville, Illinois, being at the time governor of the Soldiers' Home, 
and prominent in local politics. He was himself a veteran of the Civil 
War, serving with Company B, 125th Regiment, Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry. He suffered three wounds at Shiloh and Chickamauga, but not 
so serious as to shorten his life. He married Mary A. Steward, who died 
soon after their only child, Walter, was born. 

Walter Barger was born in Danville, Illinois, February 25, 1870, there 
was educated and spent thirty years of his life, ten years of which he 
was employed in the County Court House. He established a produce 
jobbing business in Danville, and later was in the same business on 
South Water street, Chicago. Later he established in business in New 
York City, as a bond and investment broker, with offices at Columbus 
Circle. In 1920 he came to New Brunswick to develop the hot house 
project, which has been set in motion and for which a company has been 
incorporated, Mr. Barger being secretary. Mr. Barger is a member of 
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias, 
and of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

Mr. Barger married, in Washington, D. C, June 21, 1905, Florence 
Lee Osborne, born in Bluemont, Virginia, daughter of Walter Clark 
and Martha Carter (Taghliaferro) Osborne, her father, deceased, her 
mother yet living in Bluemont, Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Barger are the 
parents of a daughter, Jane Reynolds, born June 12, 1917. The family 
home is "Ross Hall," River road. New Brunswick, a delightful old 
Colonial residence of the pre-Revolutionary period, which is noted as 
the scene of much of the action in the historical romance, "Janice 
Meredith." 



HARRY TONER BICKFORD.— About the year 1830, Samuel Mor- 
rill Bickford came from Portland, Maine, to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, 
via canal boat, and there established in the lumber business. He was the 
grandfather of Harry Toner Bickford, and father of William Morrill 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



315 



Bickford, who was born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, where he spent 
his short life of twenty-eight years, engaged as a lumber merchant. 
He married Alma S. Toner, of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, who survives 
him and resides in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Bickford had 
three children: Mabel, wife of Walter Laubach, of Altoona, Pennsyl- 
vania; Harry Toner, of further mention; William Morrill, of Lock 
Haven, now engaged in the lumber business. 

Harry T. Bickford was born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Novem- 
ber 25, 1884, and there attended public schools until seventeen years of 
age. He then was employed by Kistler, Lesh & Company, tanners, of 
Mount Jewett, Pennsylvania, remaining with that corripany four years, 
then going with the Beechnut Packing Company, of Canajoharie, New 
York, a company with which he remained three years. For the next 
five and one-half years, Mr. Bickford was engaged in business for him- 
self in New York City, gaining considerable reputation as a production 
engineer. In 1914, he located in New Brunswick, New Jersey, going 
with the Nixon Nitration Works and remaining eighteen months. He 
then spent three years with the Home Realty Company, establishing 
his present business, real estate and insurance, in May, 1920. His great- 
est present interest is in the new hot houses to be erected on River road, 
on the site of the old golf links, the plans calling for the largest hot house 
plant in the United States. The company, which has been formed and 
incorporated, propose to utilize the great plant they will erect, in the 
growing of early small vegetables for the New York market. The 
president of the company is Jeremiah H. Nixon ; secretary, Walter 
Barger; treasurer, Harry D. MacMillian. Mr. Bickford is an enthusiast 
over baseball, football, basketball, in fact all healthful sports appeal 
to him. He is a member of the Masonic order, the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks, and of the Lutheran church. 

Mr. Bickford married, in New Brunswick, December 18, 1915, Caro- 
line Heinz, born December 15, 1890, daughter of Valentine and Louisa 
Heinz, her father, deceased, long with the United States Rubber Com- 
pany, her mother living in New Brunswick. Mr. Bickford is a young 
man of energy and ability, progressive, and has a host of friends. 



ALBERT HARVEY TERHUNE.— With the extensive mercantile 
interests centered in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the men in whose hands 
they lie form a significant factor in the prosperity of the city. Albert 
Harvey Terhune, prosperous and progressive himself, and the son of a 
merchant also invariably in step with the times, is such a man as well 
represents the general body of business men of Perth Amboy. Mr. 
Terhune is a son of Albert Terhune, who was born in New York City, 
and died there, at the age of seventy-two years. 

Albert Harvey Terhune was born in New York City, June 18, 1862. 
He was educated in the public schools of that city. At the age of thirteen 
years he went to work in his father's store on the corner of Eighth 
avenue and Fifty-second street. He remained with his father until he 
came to the age of maturity, then for some years was his father's partner. 



3i6 MIDDLESEX 

Later on he established a store of his own at the corner of Eighth 
avenue and One Hundred and Twenty-sixth street; also another on the 
corner of Amsterdam avenue and One Hundred and Forty-eighth street. 
In 191 5 Mr. Terhune came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and on April 
10, of that year, established the store in this city which has proved so 
marked a success. Both Mr. Terhune and his father have always been 
in the same line of business. 

Mr. Terhune is a man of varied activities outside his business. He 
is a member of the Masonic order and a member of the Veteran Asso- 
ciation of the Seventy-first Regiment, National Guard, of New York. 
He finds his favorite relaxation in boating and fishing, and owned a 
forty-two-foot yawl which he sailed on Long Island Sound when a 
resident of New York City. He is a member of the Simpson Methodist 
Episcopal Church, of Perth Amboy, and for several years has served 
on the official board of the church. He is very active in all the work of 
the church organization. 



FRANK ALOYSIUS CONNOLLY.— Many years have passed since 
the founder of this family of Connolly came to the United States. He 
was Andrew Connolly, the grandfather of Frank Aloysius Connolly, 
and he emigrated from Ireland when quite young, coming directly to 
New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he made his home. 

His son, Michael Henry Connolly, was born in New Brunswick and 
has lived here all his life ; he was formerly engaged in business, but now 
has retired from active work at the age of seventy-two years. He is a 
member of the Grand Army of the Republic, having enlisted in the Civil 
War when only fourteen years old. The wife of Michael Henry Con- 
nolly was before her marriage Mary Veronica McDonald, a native of 
New Brunswick, where she died, aged forty-four years. She was the 
mother of eight children, four of whom are now living: i. Katherine 
Calista, wife of William A. McConlogue. 2. Clara Veronica, who married 
James H. Meagher. 3. Mae V., unmarried and living at home; she is 
engaged in the millinery business on George street. 4. Frank Aloysius. 

Frank Aloysius Connolly was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
April 21, 1883. He attended the high school, then the parochial school, 
from which he graduated in 1900, and then entered upon a business 
career by becoming a clerk in the dry goods store of Henry Landsberg, 
where he remained for a few years, then accepted a position in the dry 
goods estabHshment of the P. J. Young Company on George street, 
where he is still engaged. Having been an active worker in the Demo- 
cratic party, Mr. Connolly was appointed in 1918 to fill the unexpired 
term of Mayor Farrington, of New Brunswick, as city commissioner, and 
in May, 1919, was elected to the same position, his term of office to con- 
tinue for four years, he being the present incumbent. In addition to 
his business aflFairs and political and public work, Mr. Connolly is quite 
active in club life; he is a member of the Knights of Columbus and of 
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, also of the Young Men's 
Christian Association. His membership in these organizations gives 



BIOGRAPHICAL 317 

him plenty of opportunity to indulge in his favorite amusement, a good 
game of billiards, and sometimes, in the season, he enjoys seeing a 
baseball game. 

In New Brunswick, April 27, 1907, Frank Aloysius Connolly mar- 
ried Anna Wilhelmina Farrington, a native of New Brunswick, the 
daughter of Patrick and Mary Farrington, the former being deceased, 
the latter living in New Brunswick. Mr. and Mrs. Connolly have two 
children: i. Francis Aloysius, Jr., born October 29, 1908. 2. Edward 
Farrington, born May 11, 1916. The family home is at No. 55 Remsen 
avenue. They are all members of the Roman Catholic Church of the 
Sacred Heart. 



WILLIAM DAVID HOY.— There are very few figures among the 
younger business men of Middlesex county. New Jersey, who have 
risen more rapidly to a position of influence in the community than that 
of William David Hoy, of Fords, who for several years has been in 
the front rank of those who have developed the material interests of the 
town and whose work for the general welfare thereof has been of extreme 
value. He is a native of Fords, where his birth occurred July 14, 1883, 
and a son of William and Elizabeth (Smith) Hoy, old and highly es- 
teemed residents of the town, to which place they had come just prior 
to their son's birth, from Ireland, and where their deaths occurred, 
October 12, 1919, and April 16, 1917, respectively. 

William David Hoy, only son of William and Elizabeth (Smith) 
Hoy, passed his childhood at Fords, and attended the local public schools 
for a number of years. He then went to the Perth Amboy High School 
for two years, but left there to enter Woods Business College at Newark 
to prepare himself for his active career. He had even at that time had 
some practical experience, as he had been employed as a boy by the 
Valentine Fire Brick Company and the National Fireproofing Company, 
serving two years with each company. Upon completing the course at 
Woods Business College, Mr. Hoy secured a clerical position with James 
H. Maddy^ of New York City, and later with the Erie Railroad Com- 
pany in the central offices of that corporation. At the latter place he 
remained for twelve years, and was rapidly promoted until he became 
secretary to the vice-president. He was very ambitious, however, to 
become independent in business, and at the end of that period severed 
his connection with the Erie, much to the regret of his employers, and, 
returning to Fords, established himself in his present enterprise. Since 
that time he has been closely identified with the growth of the com- 
munity, concerning himself with building development and the working 
up of an insurance business. He has met with marked success in his 
line and is today regarded as one of the most energetic and capable men 
of the town. He is also actively interested in public aflfairs, and has 
held a number of offices in the gift of the community, serving at present 
(1921) his third term as a member of the Woodbridge Township Com- 
mittee and as a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners of Fords. 
He is one of the leading men of the Republican party in this section 



3i8 MIDDLESEX 

of the State, and is a member of the Republican County Committee, and 
represented the district at the last Republican State Convention. For 
three years he was president of the Fords Fire Company, and is promi- 
nent in the fraternal circles of the place, being affiliated with Americus 
Lodge, No. 83, Free and Accepted Masons; Amboy Chapter, No. 41, 
Royal Arch Masons; Temple Commandery, No. 61, Knights Templar; 
Salaam Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Newark; Jersey City 
Consistory, Supreme Princes of the Royal Secret; and Tall Cedars of 
Lebanon, Forest No. 68, of Perth Amboy. He is also a member of the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Junior Order of United 
American Mechanics of Perth Amboy, the Raritan Yacht Club, and the 
Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Republican clubs. In his religious 
belief Mr. Hoy is an Episcopalian and attends St. Luke's Church of that 
denomination at Metuchen, of which he is a vestryman. 

William David Hoy married, April 22, 1919, at Metuchen, New 
Jersey, Margaret May Fullerton, like himself a native of Fords, and a 
daughter of William H. and Margaret (Bebernes) Fullerton. Mr. 
Fullerton was for a number of years one of the most prominent men of 
Perth Amboy, president of the New Jersey Produce Company, and 
served as street commissioner. His death occurred October 11, 1918, 
at the age of fifty-two years, and he is survived by his wife, who now 
makes her home at Woodbridge. 



JAMES MARTIN HOUGHTON.— The profession of chiropractic 
is still of so recent a beginning that it is yet in its early stage, though 
each year brings fresh adherents to the doors of those who practice it. 
One of the chiropractors of New Brunswick is Jam«s Martin Houghton, 
whose office at No. 343 George street is the "Mecca" for many troubled 
human beings. Not only does he relieve suffering, but in many cases 
gives treatment free of charge to those who are too poor to pay for it. 
To do this he conducts a clinic at his office between the hours of ten 
and twelve A. M. for their benefit. So great is his interest in it that 
it has become his pet pastime. 

The Houghton family came from Ireland originally, settling almost 
at once in New Brunswick. On the maternal side, the Gildeas were also 
of Irish parentage. Dr. Houghton's maternal grandfather, Patrick Gil- 
dea, was a graduate of Edinburgh University in Scotland. 

Dr. Houghton's father, James Martin Houghton, was born in New 
Brunswick, but removed some time later to Jersey City, where he con- 
ducts a large undertaking establishment. He is greatly interested in 
politics, being a well known worker in the Democratic party. He is 
also a very prominent Elk of Jersey City. Dr. Houghton's mother, 
Martha (Gildea) Houghton, was born in Jersey City, March 8, 1876. 
In this family there are five children: i. Frank A., a practicing dentist 
in Jersey City. 2. Claire M., the wife of William J. Flaherty, both Mr. 
and Mrs. Flaherty being successful chiropractors of Jersey City. 3. 
James Martin, of further mention. 4. Robert A., a student at St. 
Joseph's College, Baltimore, Maryland, of the class of 1921. 5. Rose M., 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



319 



unmarried, living at home, a student in the Jersey City High School in 
the class of 1922. 

James Martin Houghton was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, May 
22, 1898, and for nearly all his life it has been his home. He attended 
the grammar school there, graduating from it at the age of twelve years, 
following this by a four years' course in the high school. He was only 
sixteen years old when he graduated and he very soon entered the 
Newark (New Jersey) School of Chiropractic, the course of study there 
being three years. After graduating, Dr. Houghton began practicing in 
Jersey City, continuing to do so for over a year, going to New Brunswick 
later, where he opened an office at his present location. Dr. Houghton 
is a member of the New Jersey State Chiropractic Association and since 
June, 1920, has been vice-president of that body. Dr. Houghton is 
unmarried. 

THOMAS F. DOLAN, postmaster of Sayreville, New Jersey, is 
connected with the business life of the community, having been for many 
years a successful contractor and builder here. Being a good citizen as 
well as an able business man and executant, Mr. Dolan is ever ready 
to cooperate in the charitable and philanthropic enterprises of Sayreville, 
his native town. 

Mr. Dolan was born in Sayreville, Middlesex county, New Jersey, 
December 11, 1887, the son of James and Bridget (Burke) Dolan. His 
father, James Dolan, has been foreman in the brick yard here for many 
years. The boy, Thomas F., was educated in the schools of his native 
place, after which he established himself in the contracting and building 
business. He received his appointment of postmaster in 1914, and was 
reappointed in 1918. It is hardly necessary to mention that he is an 
able man of affairs, for his present office, demanding the services of one 
whose ability is of a high order and whose well-balanced forces are 
manifest in sound judgment and a ready understanding of any problem 
that may be presented for solution, speaks for itself in a manner not to 
be misunderstood. Force and resolution, combined with a genial dispo- 
sition, attract all who are brought in contact with him. He is one of the 
men who number friends in all grades of society. The thorough busi- 
ness qualifications of Thomas F. Dolan have always been in great 
demand on boards of directors, and his public spirit has led him to 
accept of many such trusts. In politics he is a staunch Democrat. He 
affiliates with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights 
of Columbus, the Foresters of America, the Improved Order of Red Men, 
the local uniqn, No. 1392, Carpenters and Joiners of America, and the 
Musicians' Protective Union of New Brunswick. In religion he is a 
Roman Catholic. 

On September 27, 1909, Mr. Dolan was united in marriage with Rose 
Gorman, a native of Sayreville, born February 19, 1888. Mrs. Dolan 
is the daughter of Patrick and Margaret (Hughes) Gorman, both natives 
of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Dolan are the parents of five children : Mar- 
guerite, born October 31, 1910; Bermardina, born July 10, 1913 ; Mary, 
born October 10, 1915 ; Rosemary, born March i, 1918, deceased ; Thomas, 
born March 4, 1920. 



320 MIDDLESEX 

KLEMMER KALTEISSEN, numbered among the younger gener- 
ation of lawyers in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and a man who already 
is making a name for himself in the public life of this region, is a native 
of this city, born August 5, 1894. He is the son of Peter and Sophia 
(Weigel) Kalteissen. Peter Kalteissen was born in Worms, Germany, 
and was brought by his mother to the United States when he was but 
fourteen years of age. Later he became a box manufacturer, engaged in 
this business for many years, but is now living retired in New Brunswick. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Kalteissen have been born two children : Klemmer, of 
further mention; George A., born November 2, 1888, with the New 
Brunswick Paper Box Company, which was founded by his father, is 
married and has two children, William K. and George A., Jr. 

The elementary portion of Klemmer Kalteissen's education was 
obtained in the public schools of his native place, after which he entered 
Rutgers College, subsequently matriculating in the New Jersey Law 
School, from which he was graduated in 1917 with the degree of 
Bachelor of Laws. Immediately after graduation he enlisted in the 
United States Army in Newark, New Jersey, and was sent to the officers' 
training camp at Camp Devens, where he was commissioned first lieu- 
tenant and was ordered to Camp Gordon, Georgia, later being sent to 
Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio. From here he was ordered to Wash- 
ington, D. C, where he supervised the discharge of the enlisted men 
of the chemical warfare service, and was mustered out January 22, 
1919. He then returned immediately to his native place and formed a 
partnership with William D. Danberry, with offices at No. 40 Paterson 
street. He fraternizes with the Delta Theta Phi law fraternity, and with 
the Young Men's Christian Association. His hobby is basket ball. 

Mr. Kalteissen is superintendent of the Livingston Avenue Reformed 
Sunday school, which position he has filled since he was nineteen years 
of age. He delights in this work and is doing something worth while 
for the betterment of the community. He is a member of the Reformed 
church. Mr. Kalteissen served as deputy surrogate of Middlesex county 
before forming the law partnership with Mr. Danberry. Politically he 
is a Democrat. He is a member of Middlesex County and State Bar 
associations. He is also member of Goodwill Council, No. 32, Junior 
Order of United American Mechanics, and of Union Lodge, No. 19, 
Free and Accepted Masons. 

On April 26, 1918, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Mr. Kalteissen 
was united in marriage with Flora Jacobsen, a native of Elizabeth, New 
Jersey, and the daughter of the late Carl and Wilhelmina (Larsen) 
Tacobsen. Mr. and Mrs. Kalteissen have no children. 



FERD GARRETSON. — If those who claim that fortune has favored 
certain individuals above others will but investigate the cause of suc- 
cess and failure, it will be found that the former is largely due to the 
improvement of opportunity, the latter to the neglect of it. Fortunate 
environments encompass nearly every man at some stage of his career, 
but the strong man and the successful man is he who realizes that the 




J^S^aJ Z^Oy^y^^^i^r^^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 321 

proper moment has come, that the present and not the future holds his 
opportunity. The man who makes use of the Now and not the To Be 
is the one who passes on the highway of life others who started out 
ahead of him, and reaches the goal of prosperity in advance of them. It 
is this quality in Ferd Garretson, ex-mayor, and city treasurer of Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey. 

Samuel Garretson, father of Ferd Garretson, was born June, 1841. 
Retired from active business affairs, Mr. Garretson reviews a life well 
spent for the interests of the community in which he lives, and for the 
service of his country as well. He holds the office of past commander 
of the New Jersey Volunteers, Grand Army of the Republic, having 
served in the Civil War with Company I, 28th Regiment. For a number 
of years he conducted a successful real estate business, and at one time 
he was recorder for the" city of Perth Amboy, where he resides at the 
present time, and where he is held in the highest esteem. 

Ferd Garretson, son of Samuel and Jennie A. Garretson, was born 
at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, October 7, 1867. He attended the public 
schools of his native city and after graduating from the local high school, 
entered the Centenary Collegiate Institute, from which he was gradu- 
ated. For the following twenty-five years he was employed by the 
Lehigh Valley Railroad as telegraph operator, train despatcher and 
train conductor. In 1905, upon the death of his father-in-law, J. Ford, 
Mr. Garretson assumed the undertaking business, formerly conducted by 
Mr. Ford. He still carries on that business together with an automobile 
livery and garage which he has added. 

Mr. Garretson is a Republican in politics and has always been most 
conspicuously associated with the organization. From 1908 until 191 1 
he served as coroner for Middlesex county, and was alderman-at-large 
and acting mayor for the year 1912. That he fulfilled this tenure most 
creditably, is proven by the fact that the city elected him mayor for 
the next four years. In 191 7 he was made city treasurer and custodian 
of the school moneys, which office he holds at the present time. 

Mr. Garretson is prominent in fraternal organizations of his native 
city, being a member of Lawrence Lodge, No. 61, Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows ; a member and past master of Raritan Lodge, No. 62, Free 
and Accepted Masons, and past exalted ruler of the Benevolent and Pro- 
tective Order of Elks, Perth Amboy Lodge, No. 784. His club is the 
Perth Amboy Caledonian. 

Mr. Garretson married, March 19, 1890, Elizabeth M. Ford, daughter 
of Joshua and Amanda Ford, and they are the parents of four children : 
Thomas A., born October 10, 1892; Donald C, born February 24, 1894; 
William V., bom April 9, 1895 ; Jeannette A., born December 15, 1900. 

Alert, alive, and progressive, Mr. Garretson justly merits the suc- 
cess he has achieved. Happily gifted in disposition, manner and taste, 
enterprising and original in business methods, personally liked most 
by those who know him best, and as frank in declaring his principles 
as he is sincere in maintaining them, his career has been rounded with 
great success and marked by the appreciation of men whose opinion 
is well worth having. 
Hid-21 



322 MIDDLESEX 

WILLIAM A. CROWELL.— The flour, feed and grain elevator in 
Metuchen, New Jersey, owned and operated by William A. Crowell, is 
the headquarters of a prosperous business which Mr. Crowell has con- 
ducted in Metuchen since 1908. This elevator is modernly planned and 
equipped for the particular business therein conducted, and is most 
capably managed by Mr. Crowell and his son, Reginald B. 

William A. Crowell is a son of William E. and Phoebe M. (Dunn) 
Crowell, his father, born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, at one time a 
merchant, and later a farmer. Phoebe M. (Dunn) Crowell was born 
at Linden Heights Farm, on the Raritan river, now part of Highland 
Park, New Jersey. 

William A. Crowell was born at Linden Heights Farm, August 15, 
1859, and there educated in the public schools. He was variously occu- 
pied until 1893, when he entered the grain business, which he has since 
continued with marked success. His residence on Spring street, 
Metuchen, was built in 1899. He is a member of the Baptist church of 
Metuchen, of which he was the first Sunday school superintendent, in 
1902. In politics he is a Republican. Mr. Crowell is a man widely known 
and thoroughly respected for his sterling character and upright life. He 
is one of the founders and a charter member of the local council of the 
Royal Arcanum. He has been active in many of the civic, charitable and 
other affairs of the town. 

Mr. Crowell married, in Brooklyn, New York, October 2, 1884, Jennie 
W. Buckley, born in Jersey City, New Jersey, February 4, 1862, daugh- 
ter of Frederick and Fanny M. (Wilcox) Buckley, her father born in 
Charleston, South Carolina, her mother born in Saugerties, New York. 
Mr. and Mrs. Crowell are the parents of three children: i. Helen, born 
January 8, 1886, died April 27, 1891. 2. Reginald B., born December 13, 
1890; he enlisted in the United States Army in May, 191 7, was trans- 
ferred to the aviation service, and was on duty at Fort Worth, Texas; 
he went overseas in September, 1918, and was at the front when the 
armistice was signed. He married, in February, 1921, Louise Crowell, 
of Perth Amboy. 3. Mildred, born March 10, 1892; she married in 
September, 1916, W. H. W. Comp, a graduate of Rutgers College, who 
is now engaged as a sanitary engineer. They are the parents of one 
child, Anita. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SLOBODIEN, M. D., numbered among 
the young physicians of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, was born in South 
Amboy, New Jersey, September 16, 1891, a son of Morris and Sophia 
(Triffon) Slobodien, both natives of Russia, who came from that country 
to the United States thirty-four and thirty-two years ago respectively. 
The elder Mr. Slobodien, upon reaching this country, settled at once 
in Perth Amboy where he engaged in the blacksmith and horseshoeing 
business and met with considerable success. He met and married his 
countrywoman, Miss Triffon, and they were the parents of four children, 
as follows: Sarah, who became the wife of Charles Bardin, of Perth 
Amboy; Michael, who is now employed in a clerical position in an 



BIOGRAPHICAL 323 

establishment in Perth Amboy ; Benjamin Franklin, with whom we are 
here especially concerned ; and Bessie, who is now employed as a teacher 
in the public schools of the city. 

The early life of Dr. Slobodien was passed at Perth Amboy and it 
was there that he gained his elementary education, graduating eventu- 
ally from the Perth Amboy High School with the class of 1909, where 
he had been prepared for college. The young man had already deter- 
mined definitely upon a medical career, and accordingly matriculated in 
the University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York 
City. From this institution he graduated with the class of 1913, taking 
his medical degree, and for the year following served as interne in the 
Elizabeth General Hospital, Elizabeth, New Jersey. He then returned 
to Perth Amboy, and in 1914 began the practice of his profession in that 
city. Here he has continued ever since and has already won for himself 
a reputation as a diagnostician. Dr. Slobodien was quick to respond to 
his country's need for surgical and medical service during the late war, 
and enlisted in the army, April 18, 1918. He was given the rank of first 
lieutenant in the Medical Corps and was assigned to duty, first at 
Embarkation Hospital, No. 2, at Secaucus, New Jersey, and later at 
Debarkation Hospital, No. 3, in New York City. He received his hon- 
orable discharge from the service in August, 1919, and at once returned 
to his practice in Perth Amboy. Dr. Slobodien is an Independent in 
politics, and takes a keen and intelligent interest in all the great ques- 
tions and issues of the day. He is active in social and fraternal life in 
Perth Amboy, especially as a member of the Masonic order and is affili- 
ated with Prudence Lodge, No. 204, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ; 
Amboy Chapter, No. 41, Royal Arch Masons; Ancient and Accepted 
Scottish Rite, Caldwell Consistory; Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of 
the Mystic Shrine ; and Lodge No. 784, Benevolent and Protective 
Order of Elks. He is a member of Phi Delta Epsilon fraternity, and the 
Young Men's Hebrew Association. His medical societies are the Perth 
Amboy Medical Society, the Middlesex County Medical Society, the 
New Jersey State Medical Society, and the Clinical Society of the Eliza- 
beth General Hospital. He is a member of the Jewish Synagogue of 
Shaary Tfilloh in Perth Amboy. Dr. Slobodien is unmarried. 



NATHAN ROBINS.— At the age of thirteen years, in i860, Nathan 
Robins, the present sealer of weights and measures for Middlesex county. 
New Jersey, first came to Metuchen, which has now been his home for 
sixty years. A quarter of a century ago he built his present residence, 
and on Thanksgiving Day, 1896, observed the feast by partaking of the 
first meal in the new home. He is a son of Nathan and Hannah Maria 
(Ayres) Robins, who at the time of their son's birth were living in 
Oswego, New York, the father a ship chandler and later collector of 
customs at that port. Later the family moved to Brooklyn, New York, 
thence to Springfield, New Jersey, and then to Metuchen in the same 
State. 

Nathan (2) Robins was born in Oswego, New York, December 26, 



324 MIDDLESEX 

1847. He attended the public schools in Metuchen, and a private school 
in Flushing, Long Island, there completing his school years. He has 
been a resident of Metuchen since i860, and is one of the best known 
men of his community. He has held many public and private positions 
of trust, and has been engaged in different lines of business activity. 
Since 19 12 he has held his present position, sealer of weights and 
measures for Middlesex county, and was at one time postmaster of 
Metuchen. He is a Democrat in politics, and in religious belief an 
Episcopalian. He is president of Eagle Hook and Ladder Company, and 
affiliates with Mt. Zion Lodge, No. 35, Free and Accepted Masons, of 
which he is a past master. 

Mr. Robins married, in New York City, May 25, 1875, Mary Oakley, 
born January 17, 1856, daughter of Walter and Mary (Downs) Oakley. 
Mr. and Mrs. Robins are the parents of six children : Marie Louise, born 
June 6, 1876, married Frank R. Savidge, and has a son, Frank R. (2); 
Abbey Denman, born July 21, 1878; Nathan, born February 16, 1881, 
married Cora M. Purdy; Elsa Rogers, born May 26, 1887; Caroline 
Nichols, born January 27, 1890, married Henry B. Cook, and has a 
daughter, Mary Oakley Cook; Dorothy Oakley Foster, born July 30, 
1894. 



WILLIAM D. DANBERRY.— One of the younger generation of 
attorneys in New Brunswick, and a man who is already making a name 
for himself in the affairs of the community, is a native of this town, where 
he was born October 29, 1897, the son of William F. and Julia Danberry. 
William F. Danberry was born in New Brunswick, the son of William 
F. Danberry, and member of a family whose progenitors came to this 
country in the Colonial days. To Mr. and Mrs. Danberry have been 
born two children : William D., of further mention ; and Edmund L., 
deceased. 

William D. Danberry received the elementary portion of his edu- 
cation in the schools of his native city, graduating from St. Peter's High 
School, after which he attended Rutgers College. He had in the mean- 
time determined to adopt the law as a profession, and accordingly matric- 
ulated at the New Jersey Law School. After completing the usual 
course, he graduated with the class of 1919 and won the degree of 
Bachelor of Laws. Throughout his school and college years he had 
proved himself an able, intelligent student, and came to tlae opening of 
his career unusually well equipped to take up the duties of his profes- 
sion. Immediately after graduating, he returned to New Brunswick, 
passed his bar examination and entered the law office of Russell E. 
Watson, where he remained until April i, 1920, when he formed a law 
partnership with Klemmer Kalteissen, with offices at No. 40 Paterson 
street. While at Rutgers College Mr. Danberry was a member of the 
Students' Training Corps. He affiliates with Delta Theta Phi frater- 
nity. In religion he is a Roman Catholic and attends St. Peter's Church 
of that denomination in New Brunswick. He is unmarried. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 325 

JOHN N. WESTER belongs to that class of men who started at 
the bottom of the ladder and has made his way to the top through his 
own efforts. Starting in this country poor in finances, but quick in 
shrewdness and foresight, he adapted himself readily to circumstances 
and took advantage of every opportunity which would bring him in 
contact with the worth-while things of life. 

Neils Wester, father of John N. Wester, was born in Denmark, April 
22, 1837, and died there in 1902. For many years he was a fisherman 
and later became a farmer, at which occupation he was engaged when 
his death occurred. In the war with Germany in 1864, he served in the 
Danish army and for his services received a medal of honor which was 
awarded him at that time. He married Johanna Jepsen, and they were 
the parents of five children : Bodil, wife of Neils Madsen of Los Angeles, 
California ; Christian N., a prominent hotel man of Los Angeles ; Marie 
N., wife of Christian Anderson, a resident of Denmark; Thomas N., a 
builder and contractor, and a member of the firm of Johnson & Wester, 
of Hartford, Connecticut ; John N., mentioned below. 

John N. Wester was born on the island of Fur in the northern part 
of Jutland, Denmark, and there obtained his education, which consisted 
of public and high school instruction. At the age of twenty he set sail 
for America, and upon landing in New York City, went immediately to 
Hartford, Connecticut, where he served an apprenticeship to the brick- 
layer's and plasterer's trade, subsequently coming to Perth Amboy, 
where he worked at his trade for two years, or until 1904, when he 
established himself in this business. He has built some of the largest 
residences of Perth Amboy, several churches, the grammar school, 
manual training school and the central heating plant. 

He affiliates with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge 
No. 784. He is also a member of the Building Trades Association, 
which grew to be one of the foremost of its kind in the State of New 
Jersey, and held the office of president of the organization from 191 5 
to 1920. In religion he is a Presbyterian. In 1920 Mr. Wester became 
affiliated with the Boy Scouts of Perth Amboy, as financial director and 
member of its executive committee, taking the place of the late John 
Penbroke, former mayor of Perth Amboy, Up to 1920 he took no 
active part in local politics, but in that year was prevailed to run for 
alderman-at-large, which he did more as a civic duty than a desire to 
hold office. He ran against former acting Mayor William Voorhees, 
and was elected, taking office January i, 1920, as president of the Board 
of Aldermen. 

On November 16, 1900, Mr. Wester was united m marriage (first) 
with Magdalena Neilsen, who passed away in 1902. To them were 
born one child, Ethel, March 6, 1902. Mr. Wester married (second) 
August I, 1909, Mathilda Neilsen, a native of Perth Amboy. They are 
the parents of two children: Clifford Christian, born August i, 1912; 
James Neilsen, born May 8, 1914- The family resides at No. 221 Brighton 
avenue, Perth Amboy. 



326 MIDDLESEX 

WILLIAM A. ALLGAIR, of South River, New Jersey, holds execu- 
tive positions of large responsibility. He was born in New Briinswick, 
New Jersey, April 17, 1887, and is a son of George and Mary Allgair. 
The elder Mr. Allgair is in the hotel business, and has been borough 
collector for South River for a period of fifteen years. 

Educated in the local schools, and being graduated from the South 
River High School in the class of 1903, Mr. Allgair took a course at the 
Rutgers Preparatory School, and was graduated in 1905. Since that 
time he has been connected with the business life of South River, begin- 
ning in the ofifice of the South River Brick Company, where he remained 
until the year igo8. He then entered the office of the clerk of Middlesex 
county, where he was employed until 191 5. With this experience behind 
him, and his natural adaptability for an executive position, Mr. Allgair 
was offered a more responsible office, entering upon his new duties in 
1915. This was the treasurer-secretaryship of the South River Trus.: 
Company, of which company he is also a director. 

Mr. Allgair is widely connected fraternally, being a member of 
Palestine Lodge, No. iii. Free and Accepted Masons; the Knights of 
Pythias; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; and the Junior 
Order of United American Mechanics. 

On June 24, 1914, in Holy Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church, Mr. 
Allgair married Ethel Durham, daughter of Charles and Mary Durham, 
of South River. Mr. and Mrs. Allgair have one daughter, born March 
6, 1916. The family are members of Holy Trinity Church. 



FRANCIS HENRY GORDON.— The firm of Howell & Gordon, of 
South Amboy, was composed of Benjamin F. Howell, later Congress- 
man, and James Henry Gordon, who entered the business a boy of fifteen 
and later became a partner. Howell & Gordon dealt in groceries and 
drygoods and had practically a department store; in connection with 
this they conducted a coal yard. In 1912 the business became a Gordon 
property, under the name of James Henry Gordon, but upon the death 
of James H., his son, Francis Henry Gordon, came into control, and 
for eight years has successfully carried it on. 

James Henry Gordon was born in South Amboy, August 12, 1855, 
died December 26, 1912, his years, fifty-seven, having all been spent in 
South Amboy. He entered the employ of Benjamin F. Howell, a 
merchant of South Amboy, and so won his employer's confidence that 
in time he was admitted to a partnership, under the firm name, Howell 
& Gordon. When Mr. Howell was elected surrogate of Middlesex 
county, he moved his residence to New Brunswick, the burden of 
management of Howell & Gordon falling upon the junior partner. He 
became sole owner of the business in 1912, and reorganized it under his 
own name. He died the same year, leaving behind him an honored 
name and the record of a life worthily spent. He served South Amboy 
as township collector and as councilman after South Amboy became an 
incorporated borough. The business of James H. Gordon passed to 
his eldest son, Francis H. Gordon, then a young man of twenty-five, 



BIOGRAPHICAL 327 

but familiar with the business. Mr. Gordon was a member of St. Mary's 
Roman Catholic Church, and a fourth degree member of the Knights of 
Columbus. He married Catherine Bowe, who died in March, 1908. 
They were the parents of seven children, as follows: Francis Henry, 
of further mention; James E. ; Julia, who married Thomas Pettit; 
Teresa ; Zita ; Angela, and Catherine. 

Francis Henry Gordon was born in South Amboy, New Jersey, May 
6, 1888, and obtained his early education in St. Mary's Parochial School, 
attending that school until thirteen years of age, when he entered the 
preparatory department of Fordham University, finishing in 1908. He 
then entered the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, 
but his health failed and he returned to South Amboy. He was taken 
into the Howell & Gordon business, and under the direction of his excel- 
lent father, became familiar with the different departments and their 
management. Four years later, James H. Gordon succeeded Howell 
& Gordon, and the young man was given further responsible duties. In 
the closing days of the year 191 2, he was suddenly called upon to assume 
full control, his father passing away with little warning. 

Mr. Gordon is a young man of ability and energy, his standing in 
his community being very high. He is a member of the Knights of 
Columbus; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; St. Mary's 
Roman Catholic Church ; and is an ex-chief of the Volunteer Fire 
Department of his city. In politics he is a Democrat, and served his city 
as councilman-at-large in 1917-18, and in 1918 was elected mayor, an 
office he held until January, 1921. 

Mr. Gordon married, April 25, 1916, at Caldwell, New Jersey, Caroline 
Hazel Smith, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, daughter of William 
B. and Margaret (Dolan) Smith, her father a real estate dealer of Cald- 
well. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon are the parents of three children, their 
eldest dying in infancy; the second, Margaret, was born July 21, 1918; 
and their son, James Henry (2), was born December 2, 1920. 

Mr. Gordon is a popular executive and holds to the best traditions 
of government. He is a hard worker, but knows how to play, and spends 
many a day in the woods with his gun or rifle. His years, thirty-two, 
have been full of honorable effort, and his success has been fairly won. 



CLARK ANDERSON BUTTERWORTH, the New Brunswick 
distributor of the Chandler car, was born in New Brunswick, New 
Jersey, September 14, 1890, son of Thomas and Mary (Anderson) Butter- 
worth, his father a grocer of New Brunswick until his death in 1892. 

Clark A. Butterworth was educated in the public schools, finishing 
high school in the year 1907. The same year he entered the employ of 
the New Brunswick Fire Insurance Company as junior clerk, and in 
1913 became office manager for the New Jersey Fire Insurance Company 
of Newark, New Jersey. He remained in that position until 1916, then 
for about three years was connected with the county clerk's office of 
Middlesex county. On April i, 1919, he entered the automobile business, 
in which he yet continues, handling the Chandler automobile and the 
Mack truck. 



328 MIDDLESEX 

Mr. Butterworth was one of the gallant lads who sailed away to 
maintain American honor on foreign fields during those dark days of 
1917-18, and was wounded in battle. He enlisted, April 6, 1917, in 
Company F, 7th Regiment, New Jersey National Guard, a company 
and regiment which became Company F, 107th Regiment, United States 
Army. He was sent overseas, saw service in the front line trenches, 
and at the crossing of La Selle river, east of St. Souplet, in the advance 
on Canal de la Sombre, France, he was wounded, October 12, 1918, and 
sent to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, England. After 
recovering sufficiently from his wounds, he was returned to the United 
States and in due time honorably discharged. Mr. Butterworth is a 
member of New Brunswick Lodge, No. 324, Benevolent and Protective 
Order of Elks; Goodwill Lodge, Junior Order of United American 
Mechanics ; and the Improved Order of Red Men. 



EUGENE SCHENCK GRIGGS, D. D. S., a man who is closely 
identified with every field of activity in New Brunswick, whether it is in 
the line of business or social life, has a large patronage, with offices in 
the National Bank building, suite 311, at No. 390 George street. 

The parents of Eugene Schenck Griggs were Benjamin Schenck 
and Sarah A. (Suydam) Griggs. Benjamin S. Griggs was born in 
Dayton, New Jersey, in 1854, and was a man of many business interests, 
being a farmer, a miller and a large produce dealer, with headquarters at 
Deans, New Jersey, and at Franklin Park. He died in New Brunswick, 
in November, 1908, at the age of fifty-four. Mrs. Sarah A. (Suydam) 
Griggs still survives him, having her home at Franklin Park. She and 
her husband were the parents of six children: i. Bessie R., the widow 
of John A. Bodine; she resides at Franklin Park. 2. Sarah Jeanette, 
wife of Isaac V. Williamson, their home being at Livingston Park, New 
Brunswick. 3. Eugene Schenck, of further mention. 4. John E., living 
in New Brunswick, an adjuster with the Michelin Tire Company. 5. 
Benjamin, died in infancy. 6. Agnes Suydam, unmarried, living in New 
Brunswick. 

Dr. Griggs was born in Franklin Park, Somerset county. New Jersey, 
September 2, 1883, spending his early life there and receiving his pre- 
liminary education at the public schools of that town ; following which 
he attended the New Brunswick Business College, graduating in 1900. 
He then took a four years' course at the Brown Preparatory School of 
Philadelphia, graduating in 1904. At this time he determined to make 
dentistry his life work and, after a three years' course, graduated from 
the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1907. Deciding that 
there was a large field for his work in New Brunswick, Dr. Griggs began 
practicing there, locating at once in his present offices. 

During the late World War, Dr. Griggs was a member of the local 
board of examiners, giving a year and a half to this work, being appointed 
April 16, 1918, by the adjutant-general of New Jersey. He is very fond 
of natural history and spends much time in the study of this subject. 
He is also interested in the breeding and raising of thoroughbred dogs. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



329 



Among his many other interests may be mentioned his enjoyment of 
out-of-door sports, being especially fond of fishing and hunting, and he 
is a member of several organizations having sporting life as their object. 
Some of them are : The Interwoven Rifle Club of New Brunswick ; the. 
New Brunswick Sportsmen's Association ; and the Stillwater Hunt Club, 
of Canton, New York. Dr. Griggs is also a member of various associa- 
tions connected with his profession, among them being: The Middlesex 
County Dental Society, of which he is an ex-president; the State 
Dental Society; the National Dental Association; and he is also a 
member of the medical staff of the Middlesex General Hospital. He is 
also connected with the Dutch Reformed Church of Frankliii Park. 

Mr. Griggs married, June 3, 1916, Gertrude V. Kee. She was born in 
New York City, the daughter of Frank T. and Sarah (Rowan) Kee. 
Mr. Kee is a retired contractor and builder, making his home on Hamil- 
ton road, New Brunswick. Dr. and Mrs. Griggs have no children. 

The first known ancestor of the Griggs family came from Holland 
many years ago and located near what is now Flatbush, Long Island. 
One branch of the family, who were millwrights, settled in the Somerset 
county district and became the founders of Griggstown, New Jersey. 
The Suydam family is also of Holland Dutch ancestry and were among 
those who settled Flatbush. The grandfathers on both paternal and 
maternal sides of Dr. Griggs were fighting patriots in the Revolutionary 
War. 



JOE AKEN SEXTON.— As manager of the South Amboy Lumber 
and Supply Company, and owner of a garage and automobile accessories' 
business, Joe A. Sexton does not find time hanging heavily on his hands, 
neither is he a slave to his business, but by an energetic, systematic 
arrangement finds time to meet every business engagement and to give 
the duties of friendship and citizenship their proper place in life. Although 
born in New York City, his parents moved to South Amboy when he 
was but two years of age, and with the exception of a few years spent 
in St. Louis, Missouri, he has known no other home. He was one of 
the -old Camden & Amboy men of that period which antedated the 
Pennsylvania Railroad in New Jersey, that company only being able 
to enter the State by buying a controling interest in Camden & Amboy 
stock and then leasing the road. 

Joe A. Sexton is a son of William Sexton, the latter born in Mon- 
mouth county. New Jersey, in 1818, died in South Amboy in 1895, a 
contractor and builder for many years, but at the time of his death 
engaged in the furniture business. WilHam Sextoji married Elizabeth 
Aken, born in New York City, died in South Amboy, aged seventy- 
seven. They were the parents of three children. Joe Aken Sexton of 
this review the only one to reach mature years, the others dying young. 
He is a descendant of the Freehold, New Jersey, branch of the Sexton 
family founded by John and William Sexton, who came to what is now 
Freehold in 1646. 

Joe Aken Sexton was born in New York City, May 9, 1852, but in 



330 MIDDLESEX 

1854 his parents moved to South Amboy, New Jersey, which has since 
been his home, excepting the comparatively short time his parents 
resided in St. Louis, Missouri. There the lad began his education, 
finishing his studies in the public schools of South Amboy. He left 
school when fourteen years of age and secured a place with the Camden 
& Amboy Railroad Company. Later he learned the carpenter's trade 
with his father, and, in course of time, from a capable journeyman car- 
penter he advanced to a building contractor, and when but eighteen 
years of age had executed four contracts for buildings. He advanced 
rapidly in favor as a contractor and builder, and among the many con- 
tracts which he fulfilled was one for the erection of the South Amboy 
City Hall, and another for the building of an addition to Christ Episcopal 
Church in South Amboy. With the years he took on new responsibili- 
ties; in 1891 he became associated with Miller & Donnell, and the 
firm was known as Sexton, Miller & Donnell, dealers in building ma- 
terials of all kinds. Mr. Miller retired about two years later and the 
firm name was changed to Sexton & Donnell. While this firm was doing 
business, they established a branch in Perth Amboy under the personal 
supervision of Mr. Sexton; this business is now the Donnell Lumber 
Company, and the leading lumber yard of Perth Amboy. About two 
years after the establishment of the Perth Amboy plant they dissolved 
partnership, Mr. Sexton taking the South Amboy yards, and Mr. Don- 
nell the Perth Amboy yards. About 1905 Mr. Sexton sold out his 
business to A. J. Miller, Mr. Sexton deciding to retire. In 1907 he was 
the prime mover in the establishing of the South Amboy Lumber and 
Supply Company, in which he has since continued as manager, making 
a wonderful success of the enterprise, and in 1910 the garage and auto- 
mobile supply business. The South Amboy Lumber and Supply Com- 
pany is a corporation, with D. C. Chase, president; Henry WolflF, vice- 
president; R. C. Stephenson, secretary-treasurer, and Joe A. Sexton, 
manager. It is a solid, substantial, prosperous concern, well-managed, 
and has been an important factor in the development of South Amboy. 
The J. A. Sexton Garage is located at Broadway and Main street. South 
Amboy, and there motorists can have their troubles ironed out and be 
sent on .their way rejoicing. 

In his younger years Mr. Sexton was an enthusiastic yachtsman, 
both owning and sailing yachts, and never declining to race them. The 
bay and river yet have charms for him, fishing a sport he frequently 
indulges in. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
of which he is past grand master ; a member of the Knights of Pythias ; 
Knights of the Golden Eagle ; Independent Order of Red Men ; a 
charter member of the South Amboy Yacht Club and for two years its 
commodore ; a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal church ; and 
for four years served his city as a member of the Board of Health. He 
was president for two years of the Star Building and Loan Association. 

Mr. Sexton married, at South Amboy, December 22, 1872, Lucretia 
Herring, born in New York City, February 2, 1855, died in South 
Amboy, June 30, 1920, after a happy married life covering a period of 
forty-eight years. She was brought to South Amboy by her parents, 



BIOGRAPHICAL 331 

James and Kate Ellen (Schenck) Herring, when a girl of twelve years, 
and there lived until her passing away, at the age of sixty-five. The 
children of Joe A. and Lucretia (Herring) Sexton, four in number, are 
all living; Mary Elizabeth, wife of Walter Compton, of South Amboy; 
Josephine, widow of Willis Fisher; James Andrew, of South Amboy; 
and William, a resident of Keyport, New Jersey. 



WILLIAM ORR WHITNEY was born in North Adams, Massachu- 
setts, July I, 1889. He is the son of Charles Edward and Mary (Orr) 
Whitney. Charles Edward Whitney is an overseer in the Windsor Print 
Works in North Adams, and has always been active in the political life 
of that community, having formerly been a member and also president 
of the City Council. Mr. and Mrs. Whitney are the parents of three 
children: Arthur C; Anna E.; William Orr, of further mention. 

The preliminary portion of William Orr Whitney's education was 
obtained in the public schools of his native place, and after graduating 
from the Drury High School, North Adams, in 1907, he matriculated in 
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts, 
where he remained for two years, coming to New Brunswick, New 
Jersey, in the fall of that same year and entering the employ of the 
Brunswick Refrigerating Company. Here he started in to gain a. 
thorough knowledge of the different branches of the business, and being 
an apt student he quickly rose to positions of responsibility, his early 
training standing him in good stead in his business career. In 1917 he 
was promoted to his present position of manager of the marine depart- 
ment, and continues in the management of this department, exercising 
the same tireless industry which has characterized his career from its 
beginning. Mr. Whitney is affiliated with Union Lodge, No. 19, Ancient 
Free and Accepted Masons ; Scott Chapter, No. 4, Royal Arch Masons ; 
and Temple Commandery, No. 18, Knights Templar. He is also a mem- 
ber of the local Young Men's Christian Association, the American Society 
of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Refrigerating Engi- 
neers, the American Society of Naval Draftsmen, and the American 
Society of Naval Engineers. 

On October 21, 1914, William Orr Whitney was united in marriage 
with Ruth Jenkinson Lessig, daughter of Hilary and Tamar Lessig, 
of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Whitney are the parents 
of one child, Ruth Easton, born January 30, 1918. 



WILLIAM H. BROOKS.— The family of which William H. Brooks 
is a descendant is of good old Jersey stock, every generation in turn 
showing the same substantial characteristics which are the foundation 
of every community worth while. 

This present representative of the name, William H. Brooks, is the 
son of Henry and Emma B. (Courter) Brooks, the former for many 
years employed in the ticket department of the old Camden & Amboy 
Railroad. Their son, William H., was born in Camden, New Jersey, 
December 25, 1869. After exhausting the educational opportunities of 



332 MIDDLESEX 

his home town, he entered Rider College of Trenton, New Jersey, of 
which he is now an alumnus. After his graduation, Mr. Brooks was for 
a time connected with Downs & Finch, shirt manufacturers, leaving it 
to accept a position in the George W. Helme Company. Remaining 
there for sixteen years he relinquished that to become, in 1905, the 
assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Jamesburg, New Jersey, 
on Buckelew avenue, where he is engaged at the present time. In the 
political affairs of Jamesburg, Mr. Brooks has not confined himself to 
either of the leading parties, being what is regarded as a "liberal" in his 
views. He is popular among his townspeople, which is attested by the 
fact that he has been retained as the town clerk for the past twenty 
years, holding that office at the present time. Among the many fraternal 
orders existing in Jamesburg, Mr. Brooks is connected with but three: 
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows; AppoUo Lodge, No. 156, Free 
and Accepted Masons, Cranbury, New Jersey, and Junior Order of 
United American Mechanics. He is also interested in the Presbyterian 
church, where he and his wife attend service. 

In Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, William H. Brooks and Lulu Pauline 
Marquis were united in marriage, September 21, 1904. Mrs. Brooks is 
the daughter of James T. and Mary C. (Bucher) Marquis. The maternal 
grandfather of Mr. Brooks, William H. Courter, built in 1853 a very 
beautiful house which has always been in the possession of some member 
of the family. It is at the present time occupied by this grandson, 
William H. Brooks, and' his wife. They have given it the name of 
"Brooks Crest" and are exceedingly proud of their ancestral acres, the 
homestead being well worthy of their natural appreciation of it. It is 
situated on Railroad avenue, Jamesburg, Monroe township. 



SPENCER PERRY.— The Perrys are an old Middlesex county 
family long located in the South River district of the county. Spencer 
Perry, of Milltown, engineer at the plant of the Russell Playing Card 
Company, is a son of John and Patience (Bloodgood) Perry, of South 
River, his father a carpenter by trade. 

Spencer Perry was born in South River, New Jersey, September 11, 
1871, and there was educated in the public schools. He was variously 
employed until finally deciding to fit himself for an engineer's position, 
and steadily pursued his ambition until in possession of an engineer's 
license or certificate. For twenty-one years he has been engineer with 
the Russell Playing Card Company of Milltown ; organizer and director 
of the Milltown Coal and Lumber Company, a $50,000 corporation ; one 
of the original organizers of the First National Bank of Milltown, of 
which he is a director ; served twenty-one years on the Board of Educa- 
tion of the town of Milltown ; one term of three years as councilman of 
Milltown; and an unexpired term of two years as mayor. Mr. Perry 
is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Order of United American 
Mechanics (both senior and . junior), of the National Association of 
Stationary Engineers, and the Travel Club of America. 

Mr. Perry married, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, August 14, 1893, 





'^^^^^-^^^ 




BIOGRAPHICAL 333 

Minnie Knox, born November 25, 1869, in Trenton, New Jersey, daughter 
of Peter B. and Henrietta (Moore) Knox, her father born in Scotland 
but brought to the United States at the age of eight years. Mr. and 
Mrs. Perry are the parents of eight children : i. Spencer B., born Febru- 
ary 27, 1894; was sergeant in Company G, 311th Infantry, 78th Division, 
serving from October 17, 1916, until he was killed, November i, 191 7, in 
the Argonne Forest. 2. Jesse L., born July 20, 1895 ; served one year 
with the 203rd Regiment Ambulance Company, 78th Division, mustered 
out in June, 1918. 3. Malita, born January 20, 1897. 4. Richard J., born 
February 5, 1900. 5. Arminta K., born February 9, 1902. 6. Leslie E., 
born March 19, 1904. 7. Patience E., born November 20, 1905. 8. 
Arthur K., born July 30, 1907. The family home is at No. 18 Riva 
street, Milltown, New Jersey. 



THOMAS SWALES.— In 1912 the city of New Brunswick, New 
Jersey, held what was called a "Boost Week," one of the principal fea- 
tures being extensive advertising of the merits and advantages of the 
city. One of these advertisements, catching the eye of Thomas Swales 
in Toronto, Canada, he determined to make that city his home and is 
now a loyal citizen of the United States. 

Thomas Swales was born in Stockport, England, November 18, 
1884, the son of James and Elizabeth (Crowder) Swales. James Swales 
was a native of England, a printer's engineer by trade; he died in Eng- 
land. Elizabeth (Crowder) Swales was also bom in England and died 
there. They had a large family of children, eight of whom are now liv- 
ing: Mary Ellen, residing in England; Polly, also in England; Ernest, 
living in Canada ; Daniel, also in England ; James, in Toronto, Canada ; 
Cissie and Lillie, both of these living in England ; Thomas, now residing 
in America. The eldest son, Charles, was killed during the World War, 
two of his sons meeting death in the same struggle ; one of these, Arthur 
Swales, was the champion welter-weight of the British Army during his 
service in it. 

During his infancy, the parents of Thomas Swales moved from Stocks 
port to Manchester, England, where he attended school in his boyhood, 
leaving it at the age of fourteen to learn the carpenter's trade. When 
nineteen years old the young man came to America, and upon reaching 
Canada located in Toronto, where he worked as a carpenter during his 
residence there. After coming to New Brunswick in 1912 he for a time 
continued in that line of work, then went into the building business in 
his own name. His offices are at No. 507 National Bank building, at No. 
390 George street. Mr. Swales' ambition is to build houses in the way 
Henry Ford builds automobiles. Having taken an active interest in 
the politics of his adopted home, Mr. Swales was nominated for the 
office of township committeeman in 1920. He is also affiliated with 
several of the fraternal orders of the city; is a member of Mt. Zion 
Lodge, No. 135, Free and Accepted Masons; New Brunswick Forest, 
Tall Cedars of Lebanon, and of the volunteer fire department. 

At Tarrytown, New York, March 10, 1905, Thomas Swales married 



334 MIDDLESEX 

Ruth Perry, a native of North Carolina. She was the daughter of Isaac 
and Mary Ann (Missimore) Perry, farmers of Yadkin county, North 
Carolina. The former is now deceased, but the latter is still living in 
her Southern home. Mr. and Mrs. Swales have five children, all living: 
Helen, Cora, Thomas, Jr., James, Ruth. Their home is in the Lindeneau 
section of New Brunswick. They are members of the Protestant Epis- 
copal church. 

HOWARD DAYTON LITTELL.— After an experience as a sales- 
man of coal, which gave him the information he needed to successfully 
conduct a business of his own, Howard D. Littell established a coal 
business in South Amboy which he very successfully managed for twelve 
years, beginning a young man of twenty-three. A little arithmetic proves 
him yet to be a young man, although a veteran in business and one of 
the progesssive, substantial business men of his city. He is a son of 
Frederick Meeker Littell, born in Newark, but now with the General 
Motors Company, and long a resident of South Amboy. Frederick M. 
Littell married Mary Dayton, born in South Amboy, of Revolutionary 
family, one of her ancestors a signer of the Declaration of Independence. 
The Littells originally came to New Jersey from France several genera- 
tions ago. 

Howard Dayton Littell, only child of Frederick M. and Mary (Day- 
ton) Littell, was born in South Amboy, October 31, 1885, and there 
attended public schools until thirteen years of age. He completed his 
studies in State educational institutions, and was quite a noted school- 
boy athlete, captain of his school football team. He left school in 1904 
and entered the employ of the Mohawk Coal Company of New York 
City, continuing with them as traveling salesman in New York State 
and Pennsylvania territory. In 1908 he established the coal business 
which he has since conducted in South Amboy, dealing in both anthra- 
cite and bituminous coal under the firm name, Howard D. Littell. He 
is also a director of the Owners' and Investors' Building and Loan 
Association, and a member of the South Amboy Chamber of Commerce. 
Mr. Littell is a member of the Masonic order and affiliates with St. Ste- 
phen's Lodge, No. 63, Free and Accepted Masons, and Amboy Chapter, 
No. 41, Royal Arch Masons. His club is the South Amboy Yacht. 
He attends the Protestant Episcopal church. 

Mr. Littell married, in Keyport, New Jersey, November 2, 1914, 
Florence M. Armstrong, born there, daughter of Frederick and Mary 
(Sillik) Armstrong, her father deceased, her mother yet (1920) a resi- 
dent of Keyport. Mr. and Mrs. Littell are the parents of two children : 
Howard Dayton (2), born June 24, 1917; Helen Armstrong, born June 
26, 1920. The family home is in South Amboy, the city in which Mr. 
Littell was born and which has always been his home. 



EDWARD JOSEPH HOUGHTON.— Three generations of Hough- 
tons in this branch have resided in New Brunswick, New Jersey ; Dennis 
Houghton, who came from Ireland where he grew to manhood upon his 
father's farm ; his son, James Houghton, born in New Brunswick, where 



BIOGRAPHICAL 335 

he yet resides, aged seventy-seven ; Edward J. Houghton, now a mer- 
chant of the city, senior member of the haberdashery firm, Houghton 
& Strauss. The first of the family to come to the United States was the 
great-grandfather of Edward J. Houghton, but the records do not show 
that he lived in New Brunswick, neither is his name known to the 
writer. 

Dennis Houghton was a brakeman in the employ of the Central 
Railroad of New Jersey until about i860, when he went to New Orleans, 
where he died leaving sons, James and Michael, and a daughter Catherine. 

James Houghton, son of Dennis and Margaret Houghton, was born 
in New Brunswick, in 1843, ^"d there has spent his years, seventy- 
seven. He attended the public schools until thirteen years of age, then 
spent four years as a grocery clerk, followed by four years as a tinsmith. 
In 1872 he opened a grocery store on Neilson street, which he conducted 
for many years, finally retired to a well earned competence. He was an 
ardent Democrat and served his ward as alderman in 1884-1888 and 
faithfully represented his district. He was long a member of the volun- 
teer fire department, and as foreman was very efficient in fighting fires 
or any turbulent spirit who might run counter to the desires of the 
company. He married, in 1871, Mary A. Whealon, who died in Febru- 
ary, 1902. Twelve children were born to James and Mary A. Houghton, 
three of whom are living: Margaret E., wife of William T. McLaughlin ; 
Edward Joseph, of further mention ; and Sarah A. (Sadie), a resident 
of New Brunswick. 

Edward Joseph Houghton was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
January 21, 1876, and there has passed his years, forty-five. He attended 
both parochial and public schools, finishing his education with a com- 
mercial course in the New Jersey Business College in Newark, graduat- 
ing with the class of 1893. He then entered his father's employ and for 
ten years was associated with him in the grocery business. He was 
then with A. Wilson & Sons, engaged in the mercantile business for 
twelve years, and in 1916 established the haberdashery business of 
Houghton & Strauss, No. 342 George street, which he yet successfully 
conducts. Mr. Houghton was elected city recorder in 1908 and was 
twice reelected to that office. In March, 1915, he was elected commis- 
sioner for a four-year term, and in May, 1919, was reelected for a similar 
term. He has served his city well and has won public confidence to a 
surprising degree. He is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus, 
and Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. 

Mr. Houghton married (first) in New Brunswick, April 28, 1898, 
Katherine Donahue, who died in August, 1900, leaving a daughter 
Katherjne, who married Francis R. Hays, of New Brunswick. He mar- 
ried (second) August 17, 1908, Mary A. Donahue, and they have a 
daughter Margaret, born December 4, 1909. 



ANTONIO FREDERICK MUNOZ.— The Munoz family is of 
Spanish origin, this branch finally settling in Berlin, Germany, where 
Antonio Frederick Munoz, Sr., was born, but of Spanish parents. Later 



336 MIDDLESEX 

in life he came to the United States, and located in Brooklyn, New York, 
where he died August 28, 1887, aged forty years. He was a man of 
education and ability, serving at one time as vice-consul to Venezuela,. 
South America. He married Edwina Wiggins, born in Parkville, Long 
Island, died in Brooklyn, December 21, 1886, her death preceding that of 
her husband by less than a year. They were the parents of two chil- 
dren: Antonio F., of further mention; and Grace Edwina, wife of Dr. 
Frederick Koehler, of Philadelphia. She died in Philadelphia, aged 
twenty-four. She was a descendant of Whitehead Howard, a colonel in 
the Revolutionary army, a landowner of Long Island, and one of the 
pioneer stage coach drivers between New York and Philadelphia. 

Antonio Frederick (2) Munoz, son of Antonio Frederick (i) and Ed- 
wina (Wiggins) Munoz, was born in Brooklyn, New York, November 28, 
1877. When nine years of age he lost both parents, their deaths occurring 
in Brooklyn. He pursued his studies in St. Joseph's College in Canada, 
and in 1888 came to Perth Amboy, making his home temporarily with an 
uncle. Dr. H. W. Phillips. After finishing his school years, he learned 
the plumber's trade with Kelly & McAlinden, of Perth Amboy, and 
remained with that firm for seven years, becoming a skilled workman in 
his line. His next position was in the laboratory of the Roessler & 
Hasslacher Chemical Company, of Perth Amboy, but a year later he 
abandoned his trade to engage in stock dealing, principally horses. He 
so continued until January i, 1917, when he was appointed by Common 
Council to his present position, street commissioner of Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Munoz is a Republican in politics, and has been active in the 
politics of his city. For three years he was president of the Third Ward 
Republican Club, and is county committeeman from the First District of 
the Third Ward of Perth Amboy, an office he has held since 19 12. In 
addition to his public business, he is president and treasurer of the 
Munoz Warehouse Company, Nos. 236-238 Sheridan street, a business 
established in 1898, and incorporated in 1917. His hours of recreation 
are usually spent in his power boat on the water of Ambov and New 
York bays, fishing also being one of his favorite sports. He is a mem- 
ber of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Foresters of 
America; Algonquin Lodge, No. 44, Knights of Pythias; Dramatic 
Order Knights Khorrasan; Exempt Firemen's Association of Perth 
Amboy ; Sons of Veterans ; Lincoln Engine Company, No. i ; and the 
Episcopal church. 

Mr. Munoz married, in Perth Amboy, April 28, 1898, Anna D. Bur- 
chell, born in Bordentown, New Jersey, October 30, 1876, daughter of 
William and Emily (Thorn) Burchell. Mrs. Burchell died Augu.^t 6, 
1906, in Perth Amboy, Mr. Burchell surviving her, and residing in 
Perth Amboy with his daughter Anna D. Mr. and Mrs. Munoz had a 
son, Antonio Frederick (3), born December 5, 1906, deceased. 



JAMES LOUIS FAGAN, M. D.— With a broadly comprehensive 
hospital experience, and a record of usefulness overseas, Dr. James Louis 
Fagan, M. D., has established himself in the practice of medicine in New 
Brunswick, New Jersey. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 337 

About the middle of the nineteenth century Dr. Pagan's grandfather, 
John Fagan, came from Ireland to America, and settled in Ash Brook, 
Union county, New Jersey. 

James Fagan, his son, was born in that vicinity, July 27, 1857. He 
is now living in Huntington, West Virginia, and holds the position of 
mechanical and electrical engineer for the American Railways Company. 
He married Helen Barry, who died July 12, 1920; they were the parents 
of eleven children, all of whom are now living. 

Dr. James Louis Fagan, M. D., son of James and Helen (Barry) 
Fagan, vras born in Brooklyn, New York, September 14, 1891. His par- 
ents removed to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and his education was 
begun in the primary schools of that city, continuing there up to the 
fourth grade. Another change took the family to Huntington, West 
Virginia, where the boy's common school course was completed. In this 
city also his higher education was begun, at Marshall College, Hunting- 
ton, from which he was graduated 1910. He then entered the University 
of Louisville, in the medical department, from which institution he was 
graduated in 1914. Then began Dr. Pagan's hospital practice, comprising 
a rarely extensive and varied experience. In 1914 and 1915, he was 
interne at St Joseph's Infirmary, Louisville, Kentucky ; and in 1916 and 
1917 in the New York Post-Graduate Hospital. In the latter part of 
1917 he became resident physician and surgeon in St. Luke's Hospital, 
New York City ; shortly thereafter he went to St. Mary's Hospital for 
Children, in the same capacity; then in February, 1918, he entered the 
medical department of the United States army. In the course of his 
official duties he was detailed to the Rockefeller Institute for Medical 
Research ; then to the Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, D. C, where 
he remained until August i, 1918. He sailed for France, August 31, 
1918, with Base Hospital No. 62. This hospital was located at Mars- 
sur-Allier, Prance. He was thereafter given temporary duty with 
Camp Hospital, No. 28, at Nevers, France; then later transferred to 
Base Hospital, No. 91, at Commercy, Prance. He sailed for the United 
States, July 22, 1919, and was discharged from the service in August, 
1919. 

On December 22, 1919, Dr. Fagan opened an office in New Bruns- 
wick for the general practice of medicine, at No. 243 George street. 
Although this is a comparatively recent date. Dr. Fagan is rapidly placing 
his name among those of the successful physicians of Middlesex county. 
Outside his profession Dr. Fagan has few interests. He is a member 
of Middlesex County Medical Association, New Jersey State Medical 
Association, fellow of the American Medical Association, a member 
of Rutgers Medical Club, and of the Phi Chi, a medical fraternity. His 
favorite relaxation is hunting and fishing. 

Dr. Fagan married, in Washington, District of Columbia, May i, 
1918, Lillian Wickenhaver, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, a 
daughter of John and Nettie (Wright) Wickenhaver; her father is now 
deceased, and her mother resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The 
family has always been connected with the Roman Catholic church. 

Mid-22 



338 MIDDLESEX 

JOHN PAXTON KIRKPATRICK, one of the successful attorneys 
of New Brunswick, New Jersey, and a man who has already made a 
name for himself and by his personal worth commands a high place in 
this community, was born in Jamesburg, New Jersey, January ii, 1881, 
the son of David and Mary (Paxton) Kirkpatrick. David Kirkpatrick 
was the son of John Kirkpatrick, who emigrated to this country from 
Ballyshannon, Ireland, in 1822, and settled in St. John's Newfoundland, 
the former owning a large farm in Jamesburg, where he resided. To 
Mr. and Mrs. David Kirkpatrick have been born two children : David, 
deceased ; and John Paxton, of further mention. 

John Paxton Kirkpatrick completed the elementary portion of his 
education in the schools of Spotswood, New Jersey, and at the model 
school of Trenton, New Jersey, after which he prepared himself for 
college at Princeton Preparatory School, subsequently matriculating 
at Princeton College, from which he was graduated with the degree 
of Bachelor of Science in 1904. Having determined in the meantime to 
adopt the law as a profession, he accordingly studied in the office of 
Aaron E. Johnston, and was admitted to the bar in February, 1908. 
Throughout his school and college years he had proved himself an intel- 
ligent and painstaking student, and at the close came to the opening of 
his career unusually well-equipped both with natural gifts and a training 
that was the result of long and conscientious effort. Immediately after 
passing his bar examinations, he first established himself in the practice 
of his chosen profession in Newark, later in Elizabeth, and in 1912 
came to New Brunswick, New Jersey, and opened an office at No. 46 
Paterson street, which has remained his headquarters ever since. He 
has built up an excellent practice and has handled many important cases 
up to the present, proving himself to be a most capable and conscientious 
attorney. 

Besides his legal activity, Mr. Kirkpatrick has interested himself in 
the conduct of public affairs in the community and has come to be 
regarded as a leader of the local organization of the Democratic party. 
He was a member of the General Assembly for three years, 1912-13-14.- 
He affiliates with Cranbury Lodge, No. 196, Free and Accepted Masons, 
and is an Episcopalian in religion. He holds membership in the Union 
Club of New Brunswick, and also in the New Brunswick Country Club. 

On November 27, 1907, Mr. Kirkpatrick was united in marriage with 
Ethel B. Davison, of Jamesburg, New Jersey, the daughter of Isaac S. 
and Louise (Marsh) Davison. Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick are the parents 
of five children: John P., born November 8, 1908, died August 29, 1909; 
Roger B., born June 8, 1910 ; Robert S., born May 3, 1914, died December 
15, 1915; David E., born November 12, 1916; Malcolm S., born February 
I, 1919. 



EDWIN VOORHEES KENT.— Among the older families in this 
section of the country, very few can trace a straighter line to a Colonial 
ancestor than Edwin Voorhees Kent, of New Brunswick, New Jersey. 
He is the eighth in descent from the original emigrant, Stephen Kent, 



BIOGRAPHICAL 339 

who landed in Massachusetts in 1638, from England. Some records 
give, this as 1635, but he was known to have sailed from Southhampton, 
England, in the ship "Confidence," in 1638, and to have brought with 
him his wife, Margery, and four servants. Settling in Newbury, Mas- 
sachusetts, he was sworn a freeman May 22, 1639. For several years 
Stephen Kent was a man of considerable prominence in his vicinity, and 
remained there until he and his family removed to Woodbridge, New 
Jersey, in 1665, so founding the family of Kent in Middlesex county. 

Edwin Voorhees Kent, born in New Brunswick, August i, 1865, is 
the son of John Voorhees and Ann Elizabeth (Van Derhoef ) Kent. John 
Voorhees Kent, born September 12, 1840, son of Clayton and Catherine 
Ann (Voorhees) Kent. Clayton Kent, born August 5, 1794, son of 
Phineas and Sarah (Brown) Kent. Phineas Kent, born September 11, 
1756, son of William and Charity (Freeman) Kent. William Kent, born 
in 1713, son of David Kent and unknown wife. David Kent, born June 
30, 1686, son of Stephen and first wife, Jane Scott Kent. Stephen Kent, 
born March 6, 1648, son of Stephen and first wife, Margery. Stephen 
(i) Kent, born in England, in 1607. 

John V. Kent, father of Edwin Voorhees Kent, was a native of New 
Brunswick and lived there all his life, his death occurring July 30, 1910, 
at the age of seventy years. For many years he had been in the employ 
of the Raritan & Delaware Canal Company as assistant superintendent. 
He married Ann Elizabeth Van Derhoef, born in New Brunswick in 
1841, who still survives him, her home being in New Brunswick. They 
had seven children, four of whom are now living: Edwin Voorhees, of 
whom further; Mabel, wife of Milton C. Mook, residing at No. 48 
Rector street, Metuchen ; Clayton, a coal merchant living in Uniontown, 
Pennsylvania; Elmer W., who resides in Passaic, New Jersey, and is 
assistant division superintendent of public service with an office in 
Passaic. 

Edwin Voorhees Kent was educated in the public schools of New 
Brunswick and at the age of fifteen years left school to take a position 
as clerk in a drug store, remaining so employed for six months, when 
he left to become a salesman in the L. B. Tarbox jewelry store on 
Church street, where he remained for two years. Following this, the 
young man entered the real estate office of J. Bayard Kirkpatrick, contin- 
uing this for two more years and then accepting an opening in the 
National Bank of New Jersey as messenger. From this small beginning, 
Mr. Kent has progressed from time to time as opportunity offered, as 
debit clerk, bookkeeper, receiving teller, paying teller and finally, in 191 5, 
as assistant cashier, a position he now holds. 

Mr. Kent enjoys the society of his fellow-men as is evidenced by 
his membership in various clubs and societies. He is quite active in 
Young Men's Christian Association work, and is much interested in 
the local lodges of the Free Masons, and the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. Since May, 1920, Mr. Kent has been president of the 
New Brunswick Boat Club, an organization with which he has been 



340 MIDDLESEX 

connected for several years. He has a particular fondness for all kinds 
of outdoor sports, chief among them being fishing, automobiling and 
hiking. Though occupied with sports and pleasures, Mr. Kent is a 
regular attendant at the Baptist church of New Brunswick. He resides 
at No. 275 George street. 



DR. MORTIMER HAROLD LINDEN.— Among the younger 
physicians of New Brunswick, New Jersey, who are going forward to 
ever increasing success, is Dr. Mortimer Harold Linden. 

Dr. Linden was born in New York City, March 11, 1887, a son of 
Jacob and Frances Linden, of that city. Jacob Linden was for many 
years a prominent clothier of Brooklyn, New York, but now is retired 
from active business. Of the five children of Jacob and Frances Linden 
Dr. Linden is the eldest. The others are as follows: Irving B., a suc- 
cessful attorney located at No. 299 Broadway, New York City ; Bernard 
A., a chemist, connected with the United States Department of Agricul- 
ture at Washington, District of Columbia ; Arthur C, a physician located 
at No. 5 East Eighty-fourth street. New York City ; and Jeannette E., 
of Brooklyn, New York. 

Gaining his early education at Public School No. 147, of New York 
City, Mortimer Harold Linden continued at the De Witt Clinton High 
School, then attended the College of the City of New York for one year. 
He then entered Long Island College Hospital, remaining until June, 
1910. From September to December, 1910, he was assistant house 
surgeon at the New York Lying-in Hospital ; then was house physician 
at Randall's Island, New York City, continuing there until April, 191 1. 
He then went to England and practiced in London until November, 
191 5 ; and following this experience returned to this country and estab- 
lished himself in private practice in Brooklyn, New York. Here he 
remained until the interruption of the World War. He began practice 
in New Brunswick, New Jersey, December 4, 1919, and is rapidly 
becoming one of the leading physicians of the city. Dr. Linden is a 
member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Improved Order of Red 
Men, the Order of B'rith Abraham, and of the Association of Military 
Surgeons of America. He is a member of the Craftsmen's Club, and of 
the Middlesex County Medical Society. 

When United States intervention became a fact, Dr. Linden was 
one of the first to offer his services to the Government for duty over- 
seas. He was commissioned first lieutenant in June, 1917, and called to 
active service, August 11, 1917, and detailed to Fort Benjamin Harrison, 
Indiana ; then to Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois. Promoted to captain, 
he was appointed commanding ofificer of Ambulance Company No. 341, 
and arrived overseas in France, August 13, 1918. Remaining with the 
Ambulance Company until after the armistice, he was ordered to duty 
at Camp Hospital No. i, at Gondrecourt (Meuse), France. Returning 
home, he arrived in the United States, July 24, 1919, and received an 
honorable discharge at Camp Dix, on that date. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 341 

CHARLEY MARTIN PETERSON, head of the firm of C. M. 
Peterson & Company, dealers in coal and wood, in Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, and prominent in the business and commercial affairs of the 
city, was born in Perth Amboy, October 15, 1879, a son of Martin and 
Christine (Madison) Peterson, old and highly respected residents there. 
The elder Mr. Peterson was a native of Nakshov, Denmark, and spent 
the first sixteen years of his life in that country. He then came to the 
United States and settled at once in Perth Amboy, where he engaged 
in business as a cobbler, a trade that he followed for some thirty-eight 
years. He. later became interested in the coal business and continued 
therein until his death, April 6, 1914, at the age of sixty-two years. He 
is survived by his wife, who continues to make her home in Perth Amboy. 
Five children were born to them, as follows : Frank, who died in infancy ; 
John, who died in infancy ; Charley Martin, whose career forms the 
subject of this sketch ; Matilda, who became the wife of John W. Olson, 
of Perth Amboy ; and Cornelia, who became the wife of Albert Hanson, 
of Perth Amboy. 

The childhood of Mr. Peterson was passed in his native city,, and 
it was there that he received his education, attending for this purpose 
Public School No. i and continuing' until he had taken one year in the 
local high school. He then gave up his studies and took a clerical posi- 
tion in a shoe establishment and remained there for three or four years, 
gaining in the meantime a wide knowledge of business methods. Mr. 
Peterson was then the victim of a breakdown in his health and was 
recommended by his physician to seek some employment that would 
keep him constantly out-of-doors, so he purchased the ice business from 
J. Neilson, which he conducted with a high degree of success for about 
three years. In 1902, in association with his father, who had given up 
the shoe business, he bought the coal business of Neer & Eggert, and 
has continued the same ever since. His father's death occurred in 1914 
and since that time Mr. Peterson has been in complete control of the 
enterprise which, under his very capable management, has grown to be 
the largest of its kind in the city. Outside of his private coal business, 
Mr. Peterson has taken an active part in the commercial enterprises of 
the community and is now interested in and a director of the Trojan 
Coal Mining Company, the Boardman Coal Mining Company, the City 
National Bank, the Citizens' Building and Loan and the Perth Amboy 
• Building and Loan associations. He is also prominent in social and 
:raternal circles in Perth Amboy, and is a member of the Ancient Free 
and Accepted Masons ; Royal Arch Masons ; Royal and Select Masters ; 
Knights Templar ; and Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles 
of the Mystic Shrine. Besides these Masonic bodies he is a member of 
the Danish Brotherhood, the Danish Relief Society, the Raritan Yacht 
Club, and the Young Men's Christian Association, being also a director 
of the last named organization and chairman of the Boys' Department. 
Mr. Peterson is an Episcopalian and attends St. Peter's Church in Perth 
Amboy. 

Mr. Peterson was united in marriage, July 21, 1904, in Perth Amboy, 



342 MIDDLESEX 

with Marie Magreta Therkelson, a daughter of Yen Peter and Marie 
Therkelson. Two children have been born to them, as follows: Carl 
Frederick and Elva Marie, born, respectively, July 15, 1907, and August 
20, 1918. 



HORACE E. BARWIS comes from an old English family who 
settled in Trenton, New Jersey, and vicinity before the Revolutionary 
War. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey, April 30, 1887, the son of 
Alfred C. and Susan R. (Hoagland) Barwis. Alfred C. Barwis was 
born in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and is now residing in 
Trenton, retired. For many years he was collector of the port of Bur- 
lington. Susan R. (Hoagland) Barwis was born in New Brunswick, 
July 13, 1858, and died September 6, 1920, the daughter of Tunis V. D. 
Hoagland, who was keeper of the New Jersey State Prison in 1862, and 
who served as mayor of New Brunswick at one time. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Barwis were bom four children : Mary, wife of William Davison, of 
Taylorsville, Pennsylvania; Dorothy, wife of George A. Pitman, of 
Trenton, New Jersey ; Robert Elmer, stenographer for the Pennsylvania 
railroad; Horace E., of further mention. 

The elementary portion of the education of Horace E. Barwis was 
obtained in the public schools of New Brunswick. After graduating 
from the local high school, in 1905, he entered Rutgers College, where 
he remained for two years, and then worked for the Home Rubber 
Company at Trenton for three years. He had in the meantime deter- 
mined to adopt the law as his profession, and, accordingly, studied in 
the law ofifice of George L. Burton, passing his bar examinations and 
establishing himself in his chosen profession in 191 5. He opened an 
office in the National Bank building in New Brunswick, and this has 
remained his headquarters ever since. He is building up an excellent 
practice and already has handled many important cases, proving himself 
to be a most capable and conscientious attorney. In politics he is a 
Republican, and was appointed in December, 1920, borough attorney 
of Highland Park. 

On October 9, 1918, Mr. Barwis was united in marriage with Ada I. 
Rolfe, a native of New Brunswick, and the daughter of Joseph G. and 
Mary Rolfe, deceased. There is no issue. 



ROBERT SEGRAVE is a son of John Segrave, a sailor, and his 
wife, Margaret (Austin) Segrave, who were born in Ireland, there 
passed their lives, and both died there. They had four children, two of 
whom are yet living: Patrick, of Brooklyn, New York; and Robert, of 
whom further. 

Robert Segrave, born in Ireland, in 1854, came to the United States 
in 1881, having previously been a sailor, shipping first at the age of 
fifteen years. Upon landing in New York City he decided to go directly 
to South Amboy, where he is yet (1921) living, at the age of sixty-six, 
coming here a young man of twenty-seven. After coming to South 
Amboy, he operated a coal barge for several years, then for eighteen 



BIOGRAPHICAL 343 

years was engaged in the liquor business on Stevens avenue, and is now 
interested in the operation of a line of freight boats. He is a director 
of the South Amboy Trust Company; was for two years chief of the 
South Amboy Fire Department and still a member; for thirty years 
has been a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians ; and is a com- 
municant of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. He is also a member of 
the South Amboy Chamber of Commerce. 

Mr. Segrave married, in Ireland (returning from the United States 
for his bride), Mary Grimley, born in Ireland, died in South Amboy, in 
1917. They were the parents of the following children: Margaret M., 
married P. Joseph McGowan, of South Amboy; Christopher, of Green- 
ville, captain of a tug boat ; Catherine T., who resides with her father at 
South Amboy ; John, cashier of the Perth Amboy freight station of the 
Central Railroad of New Jersey ; Mary C, also at home with her father ; 
Francis, a student at Holy Cross College ; and two children who died in 
infancy. 

THOMAS H. HAGERTY, an able, successful lawyer, known and 
honored throughout the county, and especially in New Brunswick, New 
Jersey, where he has been practicing since 1900, has since his commence- 
ment of law practice been continually in the public eye, and has won 
leadership in business and public life. He is a self-made man in the 
best sense of the word, a man of will and determination who knows not 
the meaning of the word failure. 

Thomas H. Hagerty was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
January 13, 1874, the son of Patrick and Mary A. (Hughes) Hagerty, 
the former a native of Ireland and now living in New Brunswick, 
retired, at the age of ninety, and the latter a native of New York City. 
Thomas H. Hagerty obtained his elementary education in the parochial 
and public schools of his native city. After attending local high school, 
he became a clerk in a grocery store, where he remained for two years, 
and then, having decided upon the profession of law for his life work, 
he entered the law school of the New York University, from which he 
was graduated in 1899, and admitted to the New Jersey bar the following 
year. He studied law with Hon. Peter F. Daily, now (1921), judge of 
the Court of Common Pleas. He then went to Perth Amboy, where 
he practiced his profession for two years, at the end of which time he 
removed to New Brunswick, where he has continued active ever since. 

In politics Mr. Hagerty is a Democrat, and is chairman of the 
Middlesex County and Democratic executive committees. He was 
county collector from 1910 to 1915, and from May, 1915, up to the present 
time (1920), he has been city attorney. He also holds the office of 
attorney for the borough of Sayreville, New Jersey. He is a member of 
the County and State bar associations. Mr. Hagerty fraternizes with 
the Knights of Columbus, and is a member of the Union Club of New 
Brunswick. In religion he is a Roman Catholic, a member of St. Peter's 
Roman Catholic Church. 

Thomas H. Hagerty was united in marriage, November 15, 191 1, 
with Rose N. Langan, a native of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. They 
have no children. 



344 MIDDLESEX 

ELIAS STRATTON MASON.— John Mason, grandfather of EHas 
S. Mason, of South Amboy, New Jersey, was born on the ocean, his 
parents having left their native England for the United States. John 
Mason grew to manhood, married and settled in Cranbury township, 
Middlesex county, New Jersey, where his son, Robert P. Mason, was 
born, January 6, 1841. Robert P. Mason was a veteran of the Civil 
War, serving in the Twenty-second Regiment, New Jersey Voluntees 
Infantry. He was a ship carpenter by trade, and also for forty-five years, 
served as a justice of the peace in Cranbury township and South Amboy. 
Twenty-five years prior to his death, which occurred June 4, 191 7, he 
moved to South Amboy, and there passed away. He married Mary 
Stratton, born in Pemberton, New Jersey, April 11, 1842, died February 
18, 1921, at South Amboy, in her seventy-ninth year. The six children 
of Robert P. and Mary (Stratton) Mason, all living, are as follows: i. 
Rev. John R., a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, now sta- 
tioned in Moorestown, New Jersey. 2. Addison H., also a minister of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, stationed at Hamburg, New York. 3, 
Elias Stratton, of further mention. 4. Anna K., married John Perkins, 
of South Amboy. 5. Eleanor S., of South Amboy. 6. Charles T., a 
Pennsylvania railroad employee. 

Elias Stratton Mason, third son of Robert P. and Mary (Stratton) 
Mason, was bom in the village of Cranbury, Middlesex county. New 
Jersey, April 11, 1871. He attended the public schools until sixteen years 
of age, then became a clerk in a grocery store at Kingston, New Jersey. 
He then began firing on a Pennsylvania railroad locomotive and for 
over ten years remained a fireman. He then retired from the road, 
settled in South Amboy, and with a partner established in the under- 
taking business under the firm name, Stillwell & Mason. That firm 
continued in business until 191 7, when it was succeeded by E. S. Mason 
& Son, who conduct in addition to their undertaking business a complete 
furniture and house-furnishing store at No. 212 North Broadway, South 
Amboy. Mr. Mason has just completed one of the most costly business 
blocks to be found anywhere outside the large cities, the building 
55x125 feet, with two stores and basement. Mr. Mason resides in a 
handsome house at No. 249 Second street, South Amboy. 

Mr. Mason retains his membership in the Brotherhood of Locomo- 
tive Firemen and Engineers, and is affiliated with the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and the Order of United American 
Mechanics. He is an official member of the Methodist Episcopal church 
and active in church work. 

Mr. Mason married (first) at Kingston, New Jersey, October 18, 
1889, Mary F. Johnson, who died June 6, 1891, leaving a son, Robert 
Perrine, of whom further. He married (second) December 12, 1894, in 
South Amboy, Mattie Adelina Stillwell, and they are the parents of a 
daughter. Hazel Adelina, who married, October 25, 1920, Harold Francis 
Stephenson. 

Robert Perrine Mason, only child of Elias Stratton Mason and his 
first wife, Mary F. (Johnson) Mason, was born in Cranbury, New 



BIOGRAPHICAL 345 

Jersey, May 23, 1891, and is a graduate of the grammar and high schools 
of South Amboy, finishing high school with the class of 1909. He at 
once began a business association with his father, becoming a master 
of that business, and in 1916 was admitted a partner of the firm of E. S. 
Mason & Son, furniture dealers and undertakers, a very successful firm. 
Robert P. Mason married, June 25. 1913, Nellie Lambertson, born in 
South Amboy, New Jersey. 



GEORGE SYLVESTER McLAUGHLIN.— Having had an unusual 
amount of experience as an assistant in the offices of other dehtists, 
George Sylvester McLaughlin. D. D. S., w^s well fitted to attain the 
success which has attended him since he opened his own office at No. 
137 Albany street. New Brunswick, New Jersey. 

The McLaughlin family originated in Ireland, but the great-grand- 
father of Dr. McLaughlin came to this country many years ago, settling 
in New Brunswick, where he now lies buried in one of the cemeteries. 
One of his grandsons, Charles A. McLaughlin, was at one time in the 
meat market business in New Brunswick, later giving it up to become 
free to attend to large real estate speculations in which he was interested. 
He was bom and brought up in the city, and there married F!!fn 
McElroy; he died in New Brunswick, in March, 1909, at the age ot 
seventy-one years. He and his wife. Ellen, were the parents of seven 
children: i. Agnes, \\-ife of George Gathers. 2. Frank A. 3. Charles 
A., Jr., now deceased. 4. George Sylvester, of whom further. 5. Eu- 
gene. 6. Jennie, who married Harvey H. Moj-nihan. 7. Qarence A. 
All but one are living at the present time in New Brunswick. 

The fourth child of this family, George Sylvester McLaughlin, was 
bom in New Brunswick, July 21, 1880, residing there ever since. He 
was educated in the public schools, and immediatelj- after graduating, 
entered the Philadelphia Dental College, from which he was graduated 
in 1901. His first step was to become an assistant in the office of the 
famous dentist. Dr. C. W. F. Holbrook, of Newark, Xew Jersey, later 
practicing with Dr. R. M. Sanger, of East Orange, New Jersey. After 
a time spent in this office. Dr. McLaughlin went to Freehold to join 
with Dr. W. E. Truax, president of the State Board of Dental Examiners. 
All of these different engagements gave the young dentist great oppor- 
tunities to ad\-ance in a practical way in his profession. Wishing to 
perfect himself in certain branches. Dr. McLaughlin took a post-gradu- 
ate course at Columbia University' in advanced surgical work and 
X-ray examinations. During the World War. Dr. McLaughlin sen-ed 
as the dental examiner for Middlesex county, on the Medical .\dvisor>- 
Board, his appointment coming from the governor of the State. Dr. 
McLaughlin's office is located at Xo. 137 Albany street. 

Though a veni- busy man and with but few leisure hours in which 
to enjoy the diversion of a club, Dr. McLaughlin is frequently seen 
at the meetings of the Knights of Columbus, which body he has 
served as treasurer, and at the Union Club, of which he is one of the 
board of governors. He is also a member of the National and State 
Dental societies, and former secretarj- and later president of the Middle- 



346 MIDDLESEX 

sex County Dental Society. He and his family attend St. Peter's Roman 
Catholic Church of New Brunswick. 

In Jersey City, New Jersey, on February 25, 191 1, George Sylvester 
McLaughlin was married to Margaret C. CarroU, a native of Keyport, 
New Jersey, where she was born, October 13, 1885. She is the daughter 
of Martin J. Carroll, now deceased, and his wife, Catherine C. (Dono- 
van) Carroll, who is still living, her home being in Jersey City. Dr. 
and Mrs. McLaughlin have two children, both living: Grace, born July 
29, 1912 ; Margaret Carroll, born May 4, 1914. Their home is at No. 225 
Hale street, New Brunswick. 



EARL LAKE, a prominent figure in business life in Perth Amboy, 
president and manager of the Lake Coal Company, Incorporated, from 
the time of his coming to this community in 191 1, has always had the 
welfare and advancement of Perth Amboy uppermost in his mind, and 
has given his earnest support to all movements calculated to advance 
business development. 

Earl Lake was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1876, the son 
of David Crawford and Georgiana (Fitze) Lake. David C. Lake was 
president of the First National Bank at Osage City, Kansas. The edu- 
cation of Earl Lake was obtained in the public schools of his native 
place, and after graduating from the local high school in 1894, he entered 
the Eastman's National Business College, completing the business and 
shorthand course in one year. In 1895 he secured a position as book- 
keeper for the Searls Manufacturing Company, at Newark, New Jersey, 
subsequently becoming bookkeeper for the Elizabeth Hardware Com- 
pany at Elizabeth, New Jersey, and later being promoted to office man- 
ager, where he remained until 1911, when he was appointed manager 
of the Perth Amboy branch of the business, which position he held until 
August I, 1917. He then purchased the coal and wood business of 
Henry W. Kinsey, and subsequently became president and manager 
of the company, which is now incorporated under the name of the Lake 
Coal Company, and located at No. 367 New Brunswick avenue. The 
enterprise has rapidly and consistently grown, due to Mr. Lake's bound- 
less energy. 

Mr. Lake is a director of the People's Building and Loan Association, 
and secretary and treasurer of the City Realty and Investment Com- 
pany, both of Perth Amboy. In politics he is a Republican, but is in 
no sense of the word a politician, having avoided rather than sought 
public office. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Perth 
Amboy, and president of its board of trustees. He also holds member- 
ship in the Raritan Yacht Club. 

On March 16, 1904, Mr. Lake was united in marriage with Jessie 
Hanslip, daughter of Edward R. and Jennie Hanslip, natives of Osage 
City, Kansas, who died October 22, 1918. Mr. and Mrs. Lake were the 
parents of four children : Edward Earl, born March 13, 1905 ; Jessie 
Kathryn, born January 17, 1908; Frederick David, born May 28, 1913; 
Anna Mae, born January 8, 1917. The family reside at No. 98 High 
street, Perth Amboy. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 347 

EDMUND ANTHONY HAYES.— New Brunswick's lawyers of the 
early twentieth century constitute an element in her citizenship impor- 
tant both from a professional and a civic standpoint, and one of the most 
representative of these members of her bar is the man whose name 
stands at the head of this article. Mr. Hayes takes a loyal interest in 
everything relating to the welfare and prosperity of his native city, and 
can always be relied upon to do all in his power to further these ends. 

Edward R. Hayes, father of Edmund Anthony Hayes, was born in 
Philadelphia, where his grandfather, Patrick Hayes, had settled on 
coming from Ireland. Edward R. Hayes was in business in Middlesex 
county, New Jersey. He married Mary MacLaren, who was a native of 
New Brunswick, and of the eight children born to them the following 
are now living : Edmund Anthony, mentioned below ; the Rev. John A. ; 
Molita Barry, R. Francis, and Kenneth. At the age of fifty years, Mrs. 
Hayes passed away at Highland Park, New Jersey, and her husband is 
still living at the same place. 

Edmund Anthony Hayes, son of Edward R. and Mary (MacLaren) 
Hayes, was born May 9, 1889, in New Brunswick. He graduated in 
June, 1905, from St. Peter's High School. In June, 1912, he received 
his degree from the New Jersey Law School. Having served a clerkship 
in the office of Irving Hoagland he was admitted, in 1912, at the Novem- 
ber term of the Supreme Court, to the New Jersey bar. In 191 5, at the 
November term, he was admitted as a counsellor. Ever since his admis- 
sion to the bar, Mr. Hayes has been continuously engaged in the active 
practice of his profession, having his office in the First National Bank 
building. The professional position which he has carved out for him- 
self proves him possessed of the essential qualities of a successful lawyer, 
and holds out a bright prospect for the future. Devoted as he is to his 
profession, Mr. Hayes is never neglectful of the duties of citizenship 
nor does he ignore the requirements of social intercourse. His favorite 
recreations are fishing, gunning and boating, and he affiliates with the 
Knights of Columbus, the Royal Arcanum, and the Ancient Order of 
Hibernians. His only club is the Catholic, of New Brunswick. He is 
a member of St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, Highland Park, New 
Jersey. 

Mr. Hayes married, April 23, 1916, at Woodbridge, New Jersey, 
Jane L. Dunigan, a native of that place, daughter of Thomas F. and 
Jane (Finn) Dunigan, the former a contractor of Woodbridge. Mr. 
and Mrs. Hayes are the parents of one child, Edmund Anthony, Jr., 
born March 30, 1917. 

A man of keen perception, sound judgment and clarity of vision, and 
withal, sagacious, fair-minded and forceful, Mr. Hayes is the type of 
man needed to insure the future of the New Jersey bar. 



JOHN SUTLIFF.— The days when New Jersey was called the State 
of Camden and Amboy, on account of the supposed domination of the 
Camden & Amboy Railroad in State affairs, are recalled by a reference 
to the fact that John Sutliff, when a boy of five years, was brought by 
his parents to South Amboy, at one time the eastern terminus of the 



348 MIDDLESEX 

road, and that at an early age he was employed on the freight docks, 
communication with New York being by steamboat. All this of course 
antedated the coming of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which acquired 
the Camden & Amboy. 

John (2) Sutliff was born in Hightstown, New Jersey, October 19, 
1858, son of John (i) and Mary Sutliflf, his father born in Ireland. 
John (i) Sutliff came to the United States when a young man and 
located in Trenton, New Jersey, where he married. Later he resided in 
Hightstown, but in 1863 moved to South Amboy, New Jersey. John 
and Mary Sutliff were the parents of nine children, six of whom are 
living: Mrs. Anna F. Outten, of Brooklyn, New York; Mrs. Elizabeth 
Morris, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey ; John (2), of further mention ; 
Jacob, of New York City ; Joseph, of Jersey City ; Mrs. Mary E. Houli- 
han, of New York City. 

When John (2) Sutliff was five years of age, his parents moved to 
South Amboy and there he attended public schools until twelve years 
of age. He then did a boy's work at the pottery nearby, and two years 
later entered the employ of the Camden & Amboy Railroad at their 
freight docks. In 1874 he was sent out with the construction train in 
charge of the water supply, this being followed by another period of 
employment in the brick yards at South Amboy. Later he was con- 
nected with the New York & Long Branch Railroad, then was again 
employed on the coal docks, finally, on April i, 1888, opening a grocery 
store at No. 104 North Pine avenue. Thirty-two years have since 
elapsed and he is still in business and at the' same location. His life has 
been one of activity, and he has richly earned the success which he has 
attained. 

A Democrat in politics, Mr. Sutliff has served his city three terms 
of three years each as a member of the school board, and a portion of 
that period as president of the board. He was city collector three years, 
1911-1914, and for thirteen years was treasurer of the Star Building and 
Loan Association. He is now a director of the same association, and 
serves the First National Bank of South Amboy in similar capacity. He 
is a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Knights of Colum- 
bus, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and his religious 
connection is with St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. 

Mr. Sutliff married, at Jamesburg, New Jersey, March 2, 1881, Mary 
A. Callahan, born there February 22, 1858, daughter of John and Cather- 
ine (Mullane) Callahan. Mr. and Mrs. Sutliff are the parents of eight 
children : i. Mary T., married Thomas P. Farrell. 2. Anna A., mar- 
ried James J. Dwyer. 3. John F., now his father's store assistant. 4. 
Edward A., now of Cleveland, Ohio, with the National Biscuit Company ; 
he is a veteran of the World War, served in France with the 77th Divi- 
sion of the American Expeditionary Forces. 5. Catherine S., married 
Romera R. Everett, and resides in South Amboy. 6. Joseph M., a priest 
of the Roman Catholic church, now serving the church at Gloucester 
City, New Jersey. 7. Charles J., now his father's store assistant ; he was 
in training at Camp Green, North Carolina, during the war period, but 
was not sent overseas. 8. Elizabeth B., residing at home. There are 
seven grandsons and one granddaughter in the family. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 349 

CHARLES VAN LIEW BOOREAM.— The Booraem, Booream, 
Boerum, and Van Boerum families all spring from William Jacobse, who 
came from the village of Boerum in Friesland, Holland, to New Amster- 
dam, in 1657, and settled in Flatbush, Long Island. To the Dutch Van 
(meaning from) the name of the village was added and the surname 
became Van Boerum, (William Jacobse from Boerum). The founder, 
William Jacobse, married Gertje Hendrickse, and two of their sons, 
Hendrick and Jacob, came to New Amsterdam with their parents. 

The Middlesex county family descends through the eldest son, Hen- 
drick Willemse Van Boerum, a landowner of Flatbush, and his wife, 
Maria (Ariaens) Van Boerum; their son, Hendrick Van Boerum, who 
moved to Bound Brook, New Jersey, changed his name to Booraem; his 
son, Nicholas Booraem, born near Bound Brook, New Jersey, in 1714, 
settled near New Brunswick, Middlesex county. New Jersey, and is 
the founder of that branch of the family. His son, Nicholas (2) Booraem, 
was a soldier of the Revolution ; and his grandson, Nicholas (3) Booraem, 
was a colonel in the War of 1812, a member of the New Jersey Legisla- 
ture, associate judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and for forty-two 
years treasurer of Middlesex county. Charles Van Liew Booream is 
a son of John Van Liew and Caroline (Vincent) Booream, his father 
born in Milltown, Middlesex county. New Jersey, his. mother in New 
York State. John Van Liew Booream was for many years manager of 
a lumber company in Milltown, after which he became postmaster of 
the village, an office which he was later compelled to resign on account 
of ill health. He is now living in Milltown, retired. 

Charles Van Liew Booream was born in Milltown, New Jersey, 
June 12, 1891, and there was educated in the public schools. He began 
business life as an employee of the Michelin Tire Company, where he 
remained about two years, then joined the Milltown Coal and Lumber 
Company, of which his father was manager, and when he later resigned 
to accept the postmastership he was succeeded as manager by his 
capable son. Mr. Van Liew Booream is a Democrat in politics, a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church, the Improved Order of Red Men, 
United Order of American Mechanics (both Junior and Senior) and of 
the Michelin Club of Milltown. He is one of Milltown's popular young 
business men, and is deeply interested in all that concerns the welfare of 
the village in which his life has been spent. 

Mr. Booream married, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, November 
22, 1916, Barbara Lins, born there, December 29, 1892, daughter of 
Adam Philip and Catherine (Steinmacher) Lins, both born in Germany, 
her father coming to the United States at the age of twelve years, her 
mother at the age of sixteen. Mr. and Mrs. Booream are the parents 
of a son, Charles Van Liew Booream, Jr. 



DR. LOUIS P. KARSHMER, one of the many young progressive 
dentists of New Brunswick whose patrons in that city are numerous, 
especially among the younger set of the Hebrew population, is a native 
of Russia. 



3S0 MIDDLESEX 

Dr. Karshmer's father, Morris Karshmer, is a retired merchant, 
living in New Brunswick. He was born in Russia, but came to this 
country many years ago, locating for some time in New York City, but 
later, moving to New Brunswick, he opened a general merchandise 
store on French street, remaining there for six years. His wife, Mindel 
Rubenstein, also was a native of Russia. They had seven children : i. 
Harry, now a grocer in New Brunswick. 2. A child who died in infancy. 
3. Sarah, who died at the age of nineteen. 4. Benjamin, a manufacturer 
living in New York City. 5. Louis P., of further mention. 6. Fannie, 
unmarried, a school teacher, living at home. 7. Nathan, living at home 
and now a student in the medical department of George Washington 
University ; he also is a graduate of the high school. 

Born in Russia, but coming to America when a very small child 
with his parents. Dr. Karshmer has grown up to manhood in the atmos- 
phere and with the many advantages of the United States. His early 
boyhood was spent in New York City, where he attended the public 
schools, but when he was nine years old his family removed to New 
Brunswick and he was sent to the public schools of that city. He 
became a pupil in the grammar school, from which he graduated in 19 10, 
then entered the high school, taking a four years' course and graduating 
in 1914. For a year after this he was a student at Rutgers College, 
New Brunswick, taking a preparatory course for entrance in the New 
York College of Dentistry. After a three years' course at that college 
he graduated, in 1918, and at once began the practice of his profession, 
with ofifices at No. 360 George street, New Brunswick. 

Dr. Karshmer has one great hobby and that is athletics in every 
form. While a pupil in the New Brunswick High School he played on 
the baseball team and is equally agile in basketball or on a football team. 
Swimming is another one of his accomplishments, and he makes it a 
point to keep up his practice in all these lines. He is a member of the 
Young Men's Christian Association and of the Young Men's Hebrew 
Association, greatly enjoying the opportunities for athletic exercises in 
both organizations. He and all the members of his family are members 
of the Synagogue. 

In New Brunswick, on February 22, 1919, Dr. Louis P. Karshmer 
and Rose Sheinaus were united in marriage. They have one child, 
Robert Eugene, born February 11, 1920. Mrs. Karshmer was born in 
New York City, and is the daughter of Abraham and Fannie (Orell) 
Sheinaus. Mr. Sheinaus is an electrical engineer in Brooklyn, in the 
employ of the Edison Company. Dr. Karshmer and his wife reside 
in the Highland Park section of New Brunswick, at Abbott and Eighth 
avenues. 



FRANK RUDOLPH NEWMAN was born in Liverpool, England, 
June 5, 1856. He attended the public schools there until he was seven- 
teen years of age, when he set sail for America and upon, landing in 
New York City went immediately to Newark, New Jersey, where he 
became a reporter, later an editor. In 1885 he came to Perth Amboy, 



BIOGRAPHICAL 351 

New Jersey, where he has been engaged in the printing business ever 
since and is the pioneer here in his particular line of occupation. He is 
a member of the International Typographical Union, No. 657, and 
affiliates with PoAmbo Tribe, No. 65, Improved Order of Red Men. 
In politics Mr. Newman was a staunch Republican until about 1902, 
when he opposed party machinery and affiliated himself with the "New 
Idea" movement. A few years later, as a member of the executive com- 
mittee of both the McKinley Club and later on, the Roosevelt Progres- 
sive Club, he was actively engaged in the support of his party's candi- 
dates. He never aspired to office himself, but was always in the front 
ranks in the securing of the best timber for offices of any importance. 
He takes particular pride in the possession of an autograph letter from 
the late President Roosevelt, sent to him in appreciation of work done 
in his behalf. His hobby is fishing, and he also takes a keen delight in 
gardening, and is a great reader. 

Mr. Newman married, September 27, 1884, Anna Louise Van Pelt, 
daughter of the late Joseph and Jane (Ling) Van Pelt, formerly of 
Rahway, New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Newman are the parents of nine 
children : Frank E. J. ; Jennie A. B., wife of J. H. Arrowsmith, of Albany, 
New York; Raymond LeRoy; Joseph J.; William McKinley; George- 
anna; Frances Ling; and a pair of twins, Harry S. A. and Emeline H. E. 

Since 1919 Mr. and Mrs. Newman have resided in Tottenville, Staten 
Island, New York. 

The position which Mr. Newman occupies in the business develop- 
ment of Perth Amboy represents the reward of unremitting labor and a 
fixed determination to achieve a responsible place, while in his advance- 
ment he has known no deviation from the strictest probity and the most 
upright methods. 



THOMAS HENRY RIDDLE, an Englishman by birth, and a resi- 
dent of his native home for the early years of his life, has been a resident 
of New Brunswick for the past thirty years. His parents were born in 
England and spent all their lives there, his mother, Elizabeth (Cowling) 
Riddle, dying at Plymouth, England, in 1883 ; his father, Jacob Riddle, 
still living in Plymouth at the age of ninety-six years. He was a con- 
tractor, in business there for many years, but has lived, for a long time 
back, in retirement. Jacob and Elizabeth (Cowling) Riddle had fourteen 
children, but of this large family only six are now living, five of them 
residing in England. They are Elizabeth ; Thomas Henry, the only one 
in America ; George, John, Carrie and William. 

Thomas Henry Riddle was born in Plymouth, England, May 12, 
i860. He attended the common schools in that city until thirteen years 
of age, leaving them to become an apprentice in the brick laying, stone 
cutting and stone mason trade. When the young man reached the age of 
twenty, he came to the United States, landing in New York City in 
1880. Remaining there for the next few years, Mr. Riddle worked at 
his trade in various states, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and New York, but 
in 1891, locating permanently in New Brunswick, he entered into the 



352 MIDDLESEX 

contracting business ; frequently his work has taken him temporarily into 
various sections of the country, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, West Vir- 
ginia, and Ohio, he having done quantities of railroad bridge and railroad 
construction work in all these States. He also built the locks for the 
government at Ford, Kentucky, across the Kentucky river, and the 
power house at Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, for the Michigan & Lake 
Superior Power Company. 

About 1912 Mr. Riddle opened offices in the New Brunswick Savings 
Institution building, at No. 102 Church street, and in the years that 
he has located there he has done contract work in the county of Mid- 
dlesex, city of New Brunswick, and also in Essex and Monmouth coun- 
ties. He built the Albany street bridge, now in use, and is the contractor 
for the improvements going on at the present time (1920) in George 
street. New Brunswick. Mr. Riddle has erected many railroad bridges 
and other large works, among them being the Walnut Lane bridge, in 
Philadelphia, the largest span concrete bridge in the world at that time, 
1906-08. 

While his ever-increasing business occupies most of Mr. Riddle's 
time and attention, he always greatly enjoys a gunning trip in the way 
of recreation, or a good game of baseball. In all matters pertaining to 
the work of the Free Masons, he has been particularly active, having 
taken all steps up to the thirty-second degree. He is a member of Ham- 
ilton Lodge, No. 274, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; Scott Chapter, 
No. 4, Royal Arch Masons; Scott Council, No. i. Royal and Select 
Masters; Temple Commandery, No. 18, Knights Templar, State of New 
Jersey ; Lulu Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic 
Shrine of Philadelphia ; Philadelphia Consistory, Scottish Rite, Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania, and is now (1921) grand commander of the Knights 
Templar of New Jersey. He is also a member of the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows, and of the Knights of Pythias, also the Benevolent 
and Protective Order of Elks, and the Royal Arcanum. Mr. Riddle 
has been active in the work of the Young Men's Christian Association, 
and is a prominent member of the Board of Trade. He is a director 
of the Masonic Temple Association, also the Elks Building Corporation. 
His clubs are the Craftsmen's and New Brunswick. Mr. Riddle and 
his family attend the First Reformed Church of New Brunswick. 

In Rochester, New York, on December 15, 1884, Thomas Henry 
Riddle was married to Matilda Christ, a native of Pennsylvania. Three 
children were born of this marriage, but the last two died in infancy, 
the only surviving one being a daughter, Caroline Elizabeth, born De- 
cember 29, 1886, now the wife of Alexander W. Quackenboss, living on 
Adelaide avenue, Highland Park. Mr. and Mrs. Riddle reside at No. 
269 Seaman street. New Brunswick. 



JABEZ HOLLAND HELM.— The fact that Mr. Helm has been but 
a few years numbered among the practising lawyers of New Brunswick 
does not exclude him from a place on the list of the city's known and 
respected members of the bar. In fraternal circles Mr. Helm is a figure 



BIOGRAPHICAL 353 

of prominence, and as a citizen can always be relied upon to do his utmost 
in the promotion of any plan having for its object the betterment of 
community conditions. 

Jabez Holland Helm was born March 7, 1882, in New Brunswick, and 
is a son of John A. and Alice (Cronk) Helm. John A. Helm was a 
well-known carpenter and stair-builder. The education of Jabez Holland 
Helm was received at the New Brunswick High School, and after com- 
pleting his course of study he became a law student in the office of 
Alfred S. March and Freeman Woodbridge. In 1916, at the June term of 
the Supreme Court, he was admitted to the New Jersey bar as attorney, 
being admitted as counsellor at the June term of 1919. On March 19, 
1917, Mr. Helm opened an office of his own in New Brunswick, in the 
National Bank building, and has since, by his own unaided efforts, won 
marked recognition both from the legal fraternity and the general 
public. In politics Mr. Helm is a Republican and has actively identified 
himself with the work of the organization. He affiliates with New 
Brunswick Lodge, No. 6, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Mid- 
dlesex Encampment, No. 43, Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; Pales- 
tine Lodge, No. Ill, Free and Accepted Masons; Scott Chapter, No. 4, 
Royal Arch Masons; Scott Council, No. i. Royal and Select Masters; 
New Brunswick Forest, No. 12, Tall Cedars of Lebanon. In both the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodges he is a past officer. His 
clubs are the Craftsmen's and the New Brunswick Boat. He is a 
member of Livingston Avenue Baptist Church. 

Mr. Helm married, December 10, 1910, in New Brunswick, Florence 
May Smith, daughter of Benjamin I. and Mary (Dunn) Smith, and they 
are the parents of three children: Augusta, born March 2, 1912; Benja- 
min Holland, born September 2, 1914; and Jane, born September 10, 
1916. The family home is at No. 14 Stratford place. 

Mr. Helm's career has opened auspiciously, and inasmuch as he is 
at the same time acquiring a lucrative practice and a well-founded 
reputation for ability and integrity, a bright future seems opening 
before him. 



CHARLES M. SCHAEFER, manager of the New Brunswick 
branch of the Beith & Reilly Company, was born in New York City, 
September 18, 1880, the son of the late Henry C. and Elizabeth (Over- 
land) Schaefer. Henry C. Schaefer was born in New York City, and 
died here, in 1890, at the age of fifty-seven years. For many years he 
was engaged in the real estate business in his native place. 

The education of Charles M. Schaefer was obtained in the public 
schools of his native place, after which he became identified with the 
concern with which he is still connected, first being employed with the 
main business, which was established in New York City in 1906, and 
later, in February, 1919, when this branch was established in New 
Brunswick, becoming its manager. There never was a supply house to 
take care of the wants of the many factories in this community and 
when this one was established it proved to be of great benefit to the 

Mid-Z3 



354 MIDDLESEX 

several manufacturing concerns of this vicinity. Henry F. Teall is the 
assistant manager of this branch ; he was born in England but came to 
this country when a young man and lived in Jersey City until 1919, 
when he accepted his present position. 

Mr. Schaefer takes no active part in the affairs of the community, 
devoting his entire time to his ever-increasing business cares. He affili- 
ates with Lodge No. 278, Free and Accepted Masons, but his home is 
his club. 

ANTHONY J. GEBHARDT, a lifelong resident of Middlesex 
county, New Jersey, now located in the thriving borough of Highland 
Park, represents the progressive spirit of his community, and is one of 
the substantial, successful business men of his town. 

Anthony J. Gebhardt was born in Milltown, Middlesex county, New 
Jersey, in 1864, and there resided until 1884, when he located in the 
city of New Brunswick and engaged in the grocery business. In 1889 he 
moved to Highland Park, Raritan township, where he opened a grocery 
store. He has continued in business there until the present (1921) and has 
in addition dealt extensively in Highland Park real estate. He is a director 
and treasurer of the Highland Park Building and Loan Association. He 
is a careful, energetic, capable business man, public-spirited in his citizen- 
ship and keeps abreast of the times. In 1891 he was elected township 
committeeman of Raritan township and served three years — one term. 
In 1903 he was the candidate of his party for collector of taxes for Raritan 
township, the township at that time being strongly Republican, and he 
carried the township by thirty-four votes. He secured the division of the 
township into three lighting districts; was one of the men instrumental 
in securing signatures to the petition which brought the present water 
supply to Highland Park from New Brunswick ; and was one of the 
organizers and a charter member of the fire department. In 1905 High- 
land Park was created a borough, and for six years Mr. Gebhardt served 
as borough collector of taxes. From 1909 to 1917 he was a director of 
the Board of Freeholders from Middlesex county. He has been one of 
the men responsible for the development of the thriving borough of 
Highland Park, and through his influence he had the sidewalks widened 
on the Albany street bridge, had Raritan avenue paved by the county, 
and was responsible for many other improvements. He was also a 
member of the board that drew the plans for the present draw-bridge 
between New Brunswick and Highland Park. He has also made an 
enauring name for himself as a successful business man and puolic- 
spirited citizen. 

Mr. Gebhardt married, May 9, 1887, Susie A. Fleming, and they are 
the parents of four children : Mrs. James L. Rogers ; Raymond A., at 
home ; Mrs. Joseph Ballon, and Mrs. Richard Whitaker. 



JOHN HENRY INTEMANN, D. D. S., numbered among the 
younger generation of professional men of New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
has been for the past five years engaged in dentistry at No. 336 George 
street. 




(2Jj^;fi/4a^e>lr 



BIOGRAPHICAL 355 

John C. Intemann, father of John Henry Intemann, was born in 
Germany, August 6, 185 1, and died in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
January 30, 1918, at the age of sixty-seven years. When sixteen years 
of age, he set sail for the United States and upon landing in New York 
City remained there until 1886, when he removed to New Brunswick 
and established himself in the confectionery business, in which he con- 
tinued until his death. He married Bertha Elizabeth Hauck, a native 
of the province of Posen, Germany. Mrs. Intemann is now residing 
in New Brunswick. Mr. and Mrs. Intemann were the parents of six 
children: Edward A., a confectioner at New Brunswick; Arthur H., 
a confectioner; Marie, deceased; John Henry, of further mention; Wil- 
liam F., an electrical engineer of New Brunswick; Bertha, deceased. 

John Henry Intemann was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
November 8, 1894, and it was here that the preparatory portion of his 
education was received. After graduating from the local high school, 
in 1912, he immediately entered New York College of Dentistry, where 
he remained for two years, subsequently matriculating at Philadelphia 
Dental College, from which he was graduated in 191 5 with the degree 
of Doctor of Dental Surgery. Dr. Intemann then returned to New 
Brunswick, where he has since been actively engaged in the practice 
of his chosen profession, having developed a large and high class prac- 
tice, so that he is now regarded among the leaders here in his particular 
field of labor. 

He is affiliated with Palestine Lodge, No. iii. Free and Accepted 
Masons, and is a member of the various professional organizations, in- 
cluding the National Dental Association, the New Jersey Dental Society, 
and the Middlesex County Dental Society, of which he is president, 
having been appointed in 1919. In religion he is a Baptist and attends 
the Livingston Avenue Baptist Church at New Brunswick. During 
the World War, Dr. Intemann served on the Middlesex County Board, 
No. 2, as dental examiner. 

Dr. Intemann married, April 29, 1918, Margaret Ella Bartels, daugh- 
ter of the late Frank and Gertrude Bartels. Mrs. Bartels married (sec- 
ond) J. L. McAuliffe, a resident of East Orange, New Jersey. Dr. and 
Mrs. Intemann have no children. Dr. Intemann greatly enjoys hunting 
and fishing and spends much of his spare time thus employed. 



ARTHUR A.. DETER. — The mercantile and industrial activities of 
the town of Woodbridge, New Jersey, call for many kinds of skill in 
the men who are carrying the burdens of the hour. Arthur A. Deter is 
an authority along chemical lines. Mr. Deter was born in Woodbridge, 
September 30, 1878, and is a son of Anthony and Helen (Gillis) Deter, 
both long residents of Woodbridge. 

As a boy Mr. Deter gained a practical and thorough foundation for 
future success in the excellent public schools of the town ; later entered 
upon special courses of study along his chosen line of effort. He took up 
chemistry and ore and copper sampling. The need of this knowledge 
applies to many of the industries located in this part of New Jersey, 



356 MIDDLESEX 

and Mr. Deter's work is not limited to local demands. He has won his 
way to a high position, and is widely sought for work demanding 
special knowledge of this nature. His success has been gained by steady 
application and patient endeavor. 

Mr. Deter, for the past ten years, has borne a share in the public 
life of Woodbridge. His standing among the people of the town is 
clearly evinced by the fact that, while himself affiliated with the Repub- 
lican party, he was elected to the Town Council from a Democratic 
ward. He was elected for a term of two years, in 191 1, and the call 
of the people has held him continuously in the same position up to the 
present time. Mr. Deter is a member of Perth Amboy Lodge, No. 784, 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; and of the Royal Arcanum, 
of Woodbridge. He is also a member of the Perth Amboy and Wood- 
bridge Gun clubs. 

On January 26, 1906, Mr. Deter married Anna Emhorn, and they 
have five children : George, Horace, Evelyne, Irma, and Arthur Robert. 



GEORGE ENGLAND BROWN was born in Worthington, Massa- 
chusetts, October 7, 1841, and died in Highland Park, Illinois, April 19, 
1895. He was a son of Timothy Harrington and Ermina (Drury) Brown. 
He was educated in the public schools of Worthington and in the acad- 
emy in Sherburne Falls, Massachusetts, and at a business college in the 
State of Wisconsin. Early in his career he taught school for two years, 
then entered the office employ of the New York Central Railroad Com- 
pany, and later transferred his services to the Pennsylvania Railroad and 
to other railroads of the East. He next spent two years in the lumber 
business in New Brunswick, New Jersey, going thence to Leadville, 
Colorado, where he was engaged in silver mining. After returning 
East he located in South River, New Jersey, where he engaged in the 
real estate business until his passing. Mr. Brown was a Democrat in 
politics and served in several offices, including a term in the State Leg- 
islature. He was also called for service in several town offices, including 
the school board. He was a member of the Masonic order and the 
Knights of Pythias, his religious affiliation being with the Protestant 
Episcopal church. 

Mr. Brown married, in South River, New Jersey, November 9, 1865, 
Mary Elizabeth Martin, daughter of Daniel B. and Sarah T. Martin, 
her father a chief engineer and engineer-in-chief in the United States 
Navy, and was stationed for four years in Washington, D. C. Three 
children were born to Mr. and Mrs. George E. Brown : Daniel B. Martin, 
Sarah T. Martin, and Ermina Drury, who married William H. Kline. 
Mrs. Brown survives her husband and continues her residence in South 
River. 

HENRY FRANK ZERFING, D. D. S., numbered among the pro- 
fessional men of New Brunswick, New Jersey, admittedly occupies a 
leading position, gained through natural ability, combined with close 
application and perseverance, factors that have contributed the most in 
this country toward making our successful men. Dr. Zerfing, who has 



BIOGRAPHICAL 357 

been so intimately associated with the welfare of this community since 
taking up his residence here in 1897, and who is as well known in social 
circles as he is among the dental fraternity, is a native of Ashland, 
Pennsylvania, where he was born, May 10, 1871, the son of Aaron and 
Catherine (Smith) Zerfing. 

Aaron Zerfing, father of Henry F. Zerfing, was born in Schuylkill 
county, Pennsylvania, October 20, 1836, and died at Scranton, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1908, at the age of seventy-two years. He was a carpenter 
by trade. During the Civil War he enlisted in the Union army. His 
wife, Catherine Smith, was born in Schuylkill county, in 1842, and died 
there, in 1876, at the age of thirty-four years. To Mr. and Mrs. Zerfing 
were born five children : Wilson, a dentist at Philadelphia, and director 
of the dental clinic in the dental department of the University of Penn- 
sylvania ; Ida, wife of Dr. R. J. Ritz, of Scranton, Pennsylvania ; Henry 
Frank, of further mention ; Charles E., a physician at Los Angeles, 
California ; Laura, deceased. 

Henry Frank Zerfing, son of Aaron and Catherine (Smith) Zerfing, 
is a direct descendant of the Zerfing family who came to this country 
from Germany in the middle of the eighteenth century, the records show- 
ing that the Zerfings paid taxes at Valley Forge in 1789. The prelimi- 
nary education of Dr. Zerfing was obtained in the public schools of his 
native place. After graduating from the Ashland High School in 1888, 
he secured a position in the Engineers' Corps with the Reading Rail- 
road, where he remained for two years. In the meantime, however, he 
had decided to adopt the profession of dentistry as his career, so with 
this end in view, matriculated in the dental department of the University 
of Pennsylvania and was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Dental 
Surgery in 1897. Having decided to establish himself in the practice 
of his profession at New Brunswick, New Jersey, he came here imme- 
diately and opened an office and in 191 1 moved to the National Bank 
building, which has been his headquarters ever since. His practice is 
a large and widely extended one, and he has the affection as well as the 
confidence of his patients. 

Dr. Zerfing affiliates with Union Lodge, No. 19, Free and Accepted 
Masons; Scott Chapter, No. 4, Royal Arch Masons-, and being of a 
social nature, holds membership in the Union and Country clubs of New 
Brunswick. In religion he is a Baptist, and attends the First Church 
of that denomination. 

On September 2, 1897, Dr. Zerfing was united in marriage with 
Sallie A. Wylie, daughter of Robert J. and Elizabeth (Dally) Wylie, 
both deceased, but formerly residents of Woodbridgie. Dr. and Mrs. 
Zerfing are the parents of one child, Ruth, born March 7, 1901. The 
family home is at No. 240 Lincoln avenue, Highland Park, New Jersey. 
Dr. Zerfing's hobby is golf and much of his spare time he devotes to 
this particular recreation. 



JOSEPH MARK.— The office of mayor which Joseph Mark held for 
thirteen years was tendered him each recurring term by his townsmen 
with the feeling that the proper thing to do is to continue a faithful offi- 



358 MIDDLESEX 

cial in office. He was a native son, born in South River, Middlesex 
county. New Jersey, December 6, 1865, died October 9, 1920, son of 
Bernard and Theresa Mark, his father a shoemaker. 

Joseph Mark was educated in private schools. He spent his life in 
South River and was one of the best known business men of the borough. 
In 1907 he was elected mayor of South River and served thirteen years ; 
he was successively reelected at the expiration of each term. He was 
postmaster of the borough for six years, and highly esteemed for his 
manly, upright life. He was a member of the Junior Order of American 
Mechanics; Patriotic Order Sons of America; Knights of Pythias; Im- 
proved Order of Red Men ; Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ; 
Nonpareil Club; and the Methodist Episcopal church. 

Joseph Mark married, in South River, September 7, 1904, Clara 
Kessler, daughter of George and Marie Kessler. Mr. and Mrs. Mark 
were the parents of four children : Joseph George, born May 23, 1905 ; 
Bernard Francis, born October 27, 1906 ; Emnia Theresa, born February 
3, 1908; Marie, born March 12, 1909. 



MICHAEL CARL SPINELLL— The Spinelli family of New 
Brunswick was founded in that city by Michael Spinelli, born in Italy, 
who at the age of twenty-one, in 1871, came to the United States, finding 
a home in Brooklyn, New York. For twenty years he conducted a 
fruit business in Brooklyn, and in 1893 moved to New Brunswick, New 
Jersey, where he established a junk business, which he conducted for 
ten years. He died August 14, 1910. Mr. Spinelli married Marie Rose 
Zita, born in Italy, who came to the United States at the age of fourteen. 
They were the parents of fourteen children, four of whom are here 
named : Peter D., a member of Spinelli Brothers Garage and automobile 
accessories, married and has a son, Michael ; Rose C, married Frank 
Piazzo, and has three children, Antoinetta, Salvator, and Michael ; 
Michael Carl, of further mention ; Dominick, a high school student. 

Michael Carl Spinelli was born in New Brunswick, December 5, 1895, 
and there has spent his years. He attended public school until sixteen 
years of age, then for a time was in the employ of Johnson & Johnson. 
His next position was with a moving picture house, remaining there two 
years, going thence to Easton, Pennsylvania, where he spent three years. 
In 1916, he opened a garage at No. 4 Prospect street, New Brunswick, 
known as Spinelli Brothers Garage, his partner being his brother, Peter 
D. Spinelli. They maintain an automobile livery service in connection 
with the garage, and at the corner of French and Bayard streets have 
an accessory store, where a complete stock for automobiles is carried. 
The business is a success, and Spinelli Brothers are rated as men of 
energy, thoroughly reliable and capable. Michael C. Spinelli is a mem- 
ber of the Improved Order of Red Men, and St. Peter's Roman Catholic 
Church. 

Mr. Spinelli married, in Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1915, Mary E. Mc- 
Laughlin, born in Pattenburg, New Jersey, daughter of John and Mary 
Emma McLaughlin, her mother yet living, a resident of Trenton, New 
Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Spinelli are the parents of two children : Mary 
and Peter 



BIOGRAPHICAL 359 

RALPH ENGLISH SEAMAN, son of Frederick and Anna (Eng- 
lish) Seaman, was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, December 28, 
1882. He received his preliminary education in the local public schools, 
and after graduating from the high school in 1900 he studied for three 
and one-half years in Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania. It having 
been decided that he follow in his father's footsteps for his business 
career, he prepared himself at Columbia University College of Pharmacy, 
from which institution he was graduated in 1907, and immediately 
returned to Perth Amboy and associated himself with his father's 
business, which was located at that time at No. 56 Smith street, in 1910 
moving to the present location. No. 60 Smith street. Whether Mr. Sea- 
man is considered as a business man or a citizen he must be considered 
a success, for his business is prosperous and his standing as a citizen is 
high. 

Mr. Seaman affiliates with the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks and the Free and Accepted Masons. He is also a member of the 
Raritan Yacht Club, and his hobby is gunning, in which recreation he 
engages during some of the leisure time which he can spare from his 
ever increasing business activities. Any reference to his appearance and 
manner would be out of place here, inasmuch as his years of successful 
business and good citizenship have made them thoroughly familiar to a 
large number of the residents of Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Seaman married, in Perth Amboy, Clara Hardiman, a daughter 
of James and Mary Hardiman, both of Perth Amboy. There are no 
children. 



MARINO VINCENT PALISI, JR., numbered among the younger 
men of the Perth Amboy business world who give promise of marked and 
well-deserved success, was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, August 
12, 1894, a son of Marino Palisi, who was born in Isola Salina, Italy, and 
has long been a resident of Perth Amboy. He is now fifty-eight years 
of age, but still has a fruit store at No. 132 Smith street, which he estab- 
lished thirty years ago. He came to this country at the age of twenty- 
one years. He married, in New York City, Frances Teaoriero, who was 
born in his own native city in Italy. They had nine children, of whom 
five are now living: Marina, Martno Vincent, Dominick, Anthony and 
John. 

Marino Vincent Palisi, Jr., received his education in the public 
schools of Perth Amboy. He began his life career by working in his 
father's fruit and grocery store at No. 132 Smith street, Perth Amboy. 
He was a natural salesman even when a young lad, and was well liked 
by his father's customers. But he was ambitious to handle larger inter- 
ests, believing himself capable of going out and finding trade and building 
up a business on a larger scale. So he became associated with P. C. Rich- 
ardson & Company, of New York City, in the capacity of traveling 
salesman. He remained with them for two years, then determined that 
whatever success he achieved in life would be for himself instead of 
turning it over to another. So on April 15, 1920, with the beginning of 



36o MIDDLESEX 

perhaps the greatest motoring season in the history of mechanical 
vehicles, he established the National Auto Supply Cgmpany, at No. 446 
Amboy avenue. His friends are certain that his success is assured. 
Unquestionably he is taking rapid strides forward, and will soon be 
among the leaders in his line. 

Mr. Palisi is a man of public spirit, and prominent in the social 
world, being particularly active in the work of those societies which 
promote the welfare of Americans of Italian birth or parentage. He is 
a member of the Sons of Italy, and also of the Knights of Columbus. He 
is a fine musician, playing the E-flat tuber, and for two years has been 
vice-president of the Musicians' Union, of Perth Amboy. He is manager 
of the Columbus Italian Union Band, of Perth Amboy. This organiza- 
tion gave gratis a great deal of their time in all public drives and 
demonstrations during the World War. He was a member of the New 
Jersey State Militia Reserve, and took an active part in the band of the 
regiment. He was first sergeant, and later second lieutenant, and also 
took an active part in assisting after the explosion at Morgan, New 
Jersey. 

Mr. Palisi married, in Perth Amboy, March 5, 1916, Amelia Rossi, 
daughter of Alfred and Gervasia (Occhialini) Rossi. Mrs. Palisi was 
born in Rome, Italy ; her father is a modeller, living in Perth Amboy, 
whose work is in New York City. The family attend the Italian Church 
of the Holy Rosary. 



GEORGE W. WOOD.— As cashier of Fords National Bank, of 
Fords, Middlesex county. New Jersey, Mr. Wood is well known and 
popular. He is deeply interested in the welfare of his adopted town and 
always aids or leads in every movement to make Fords a desirable place 
in which to locate. He is the son of George R. and Ida L. (Hamilton) 
Wood, who are descendants of old Staten Island and Brooklyn families. 

George W. Wood was born on Staten Island, New York, August 2, 
1891, and after graduating from the public schools, he spent three years 
in high school, and next took a business course in Trainor's Private 
School (now Trainor's Business College), at Perth Amboy, and in 1908 
entered the employ of the Perth Amboy Trust Company as clerk. For 
nine years he remained with that institution, rising to the postion of 
teller, after which time he spent two years as teller with the Elizabeth 
Trust Company, then in September, 1919, he accepted his present posi- 
tion as cashier of the Fords National Bank, being the first cashier of 
that institution. He is also secretary of the Fairfield Building and Loan 
Association ; a member of the Masonic order, the Junior Order of United 
American Mechanics, the Young Men's Christian Association the 
Raritan Yacht Club, Junior Club, Travel Club of America, and the First 
Presbyterian Church of Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Wood married, February 27, 1915, Bessie C. Sofield, of Perth 
Amboy, daughter of John Ellis and Laura A. Sofield, of an old Middlesex 
county family. The Wood home is in Fords. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 361 

RALPH JAMES FAULKINGHAM.— Among the many physicians 
who live in New Brunswick none has a practice of wider scope than Dr. 
Ralph James Faulkingham. From his early manhood he has devoted 
all his energies to his beloved profession, the years spent in preparation 
being the necessary "foreword" of the later career. 

Dr. Faulkingham claims New England as his birthplace, having been 
born on November 26, 1884, at West Jonesport, Maine, his father, James 
H. Faulkingham, being a fisherman of that seaport town. Dr. Faulking- 
ham's mother was, before her marriage, Flora E. Woodward. Their 
son, Ralph James, was given every advantage in the way of education 
from the primary school to his graduation in 1904 from the Jonesport 
High School. He remained at home for only a short time, for he desired 
to obtain college training and so entered Colby College, at Waterville, 
Maine, from which institution he graduated in 1910. Following this he 
matriculated at Bowdoin Medical College, where after a four years' 
course he became, in 1914, the proud possessor of the degree of Doctor of 
Medicine and with it the treasured "sheepskin." 

During his college days. Dr. Faulking'ham took an active part in the 
fraternal life surrounding him, being a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity 
and of Alpha Kappa Kappa, of which he had the honor to be president. 
He is also connected with a benevolent society, the Improved Order of 
Red Men. The doctor is now giving special attention to surgery. He 
is a member of the Middlesex County and New Jersey State Medical 
societies, the American Medical Association, and of the medical section 
of the Rutgers Club. He is also a member of the medical staff of St. 
Peter's Hospital. Dr. Faulkingham and his family attend the Baptist 
church of New Brunswick. 

On May 31, 1910, Ralph Jaihes Faulkingham was married to Lucy 
May Brown, the ceremony taking place at Waterville, Maine. She 
was the daughter of Fred H. and Clara (Dinsmore) Brown. To them 
two children have been born: Ralph Brown, born September 12, 1912; 
and Flora Blanche, born July 15, 1917. Their home is at No. 61 Living- 
ston avenue. 



THE GREENSPAN BROTHERS. — There is no name better known 
or more highly respected in mercantile and commercial circles in Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, than that of Greenspan, represented there as it is by 
four brothers, joint owners of the large and prosperous mercantile 
establishment at No. 314 Elm street, known as Greenspan Brothers 
Company. Isadore, Jacob, Hyman and Philip Greenspan are all natives 
of Russia, where the first named was born, May 30, 1892, and sons of 
Samuel and Diana Greenspan, of that country. The father, Samuel 
Greenspan, came to the United States with his wife and four children 
at the age of fifty years, having been preceded to this country by his 
son Hyman, who had settled in New York City and there engaged in 
the paper and box business. The elder Mr. Greenspan established himself 
in the milk business in Brooklyn, New York, where he met with marked 
success, but in 1900 removed to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and con- 



362 MIDDLESEX 

tinued in the same line until 1916, when he retired. There he still 
makes his home, surviving his wife, who died April 15, 1918, at the age 
of sixty-eight years. 

Isadore Greenspan was but six years of age when he accompanied 
his parents to the United States, and it was in Brooklyn that he began 
his education in the public schools. Two years later he came to Perth 
Amboy and there continued his schooling until he was of an age to 
take part in business. He then founded and for two years conducted 
a retail grocery store at No. 200 Madison avenue, Perth Amboy, dis- 
playing an unusual degree of business ability, and meeting with a well- 
deserved success. In the meantime his brother Hyman, who had been 
in the paper and box line for some years in New York City, had retired 
therefrom and with another brother, Jacob, had founded the wholesale 
grocery business in Perth Amboy in 1900, and at the end of his two 
years' success in the retail branch of the trade, Isadore Greenspan joined 
them in the enterprise, as well as the fourth brother, Philip. Since that 
time the concern has grown greatly in size and importance and is nov/ 
justly regarded as one of the most important of its kind in the region, 
it being engaged in wholesale groceries, importing, cofifee roasting, and 
as a commission mercantile house. The four brothers are also active in 
the general life of the community, Isadore being a member of the Masonic 
order, Hyman of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, while 
Jacob and Philip belong to both organizations. All four brothers attend 
Temple B'rith Mordicai, and are members of the Young Men's Hebrew 
Association. 

Isadore Greenspan was united in marriage, October 12, 191 7, in Perth 
Amboy, with Anna Davidson, a native of that place, and they are the 
parents of one daughter, Diana. Jacob Greenspan married Beatrice 
Eiten, and they are the parents of two children, Jeannette and Mortimer. 
Hyman Greenspan married Jennie Borak, and they also are the parex'.ls 
of two children, Abraham and Rebecca. Philip Greenspan married 
Frances Davidson, and they are the parents of three children, as follows : 
Lillian, Walter and Francis. 



THEODORE UNKEL, late owner of the Sayreville Hotel, which 
he conducted for many years, always took a keen and active interest in 
the affairs of the community, and when his death occurred, November 29; 
igig, Sayreville lost one of her foremost citizens. Theodore Unkel was 
a native of Germany, born May 22, 1870. He was the son of Rudolph 
and Elizabeth (Clemens) Unkel, both of them natives of Germany. Mr. 
Unkel was for many years a butcher in Sayreville. Theodore Unkel 
received his education in the local public schools, after which he became 
associated with his father in business. Upon coming to this country he 
located in Sayreville, New Jersey, in 1884, and subsequently purchased 
the hotel with which he was identified for so many years. Upon his 
death Mrs. Unkel took over the entire charge of the house and has since 
continued in its management. In politics Mr. Unkel was a Democrat, 
and was long an important figure in public affairs, although carmg noth- 



BIOGRAPHICAL 363 

ing for public office, but taking a deep interest in all that pertained to 
the public good. He affiliated with the Sons of Liberty, and in religion 
was a Roman Catholic, greatly devoted to the interests of his church. 

On July 13, 1893, in New York City, Theodore Unkel was united in 
marriage with Anna Nagle, a native of Germany, the daughter of Sebas- 
tian and Antoinette (Hoflfman) Nagle. To Mr. and Mrs. UnTcel have been 
born twelve children : Max, born October 27, 1894 ; Theodore, born No- 
vember 8, 1895 ; Elizabeth, born April 26, 1897 ; Jeanette, born December 
21, 1898; Sebastian, born October 2, 1900; Gertrude, born September 4, 
1904; John, born October 26, 1906; Lillian, born October 30, 190S; 
Augusta, born January 27, 1910; Madeline, born December 13, 1912; 
Randolph, born July 18, 1914; and George, born September 26, 1915. 



WILLIAM MORRISON SMITH, now a prosperous plumber of 
Metuchen, New Jersey, son of James Benjamin and Elizabeth Smith, 
was born in Summit, Spottsylvania county, Virginia, fifty-three miles 
by rail north of Richmond, October 25, 1891. He was there educated 
in the public schools. Upon coming to a suitable age he learned the 
plumber's trade and has since followed that occupation. Mr. Smith 
located in Metuchen, New Jersey, in 1914, and during the war period 
was employed in the government arsenal in Raritan. He is an Inde- 
pendent in politics, and a member of the Presbyterian church. 

Mr. Smith married, in Metuchen, June 23, 1917, Ida May Compt<.n, 
born in Metuchen, April 25, 1896, daughter of Charles and Phoebe K. 
(Boylan) Compton, of an old Middlesex county family. Mr. and Mrs. 
Smith are the parents of twins : Doris and Oliver Compton, born Decem- 
ber 23, 1918. 



JAMES P. GERITY.— Mr. Gerity's father, Andrew Gerity, of Wood- 
bridge, New Jersey, was born in Tipperary, Ireland. He came to the 
United States in 1857, and located in Woodbridge. He was married, 
September 18, 1864, by the Rev. Edward A. Braidy, at the Church of 
St. Teresa, corner of Rutgers and Henry streets, New York City, to 
Mary Jane Bolan. Mr. Gerity passed his life in honest industry, re- 
pected by all. 

James P. Gerity, son of Andrew and Mary Jane (Bolan) Gerity, was 
born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, March 21, 1880. He attended St. 
James' Parochial and Woodbridge public schools, but at the age of 
fifteen entered the employ of the Port Reading Railroad Company as 
an office boy under L. J. Barrett, then shipping agent for the company. 
He remained in the employ of the Port Reading Railroad Company for 
twenty-three years, 1895-1918, rising through the various grades of pro- 
motion to the position of general timekeeper and auditor. In 1918 he 
resigned as auditor to enter government service as deputy collector 
of internal revenue under Charles Duffy, chief of the New Jersey dis- 
trict. Mr. Gerity was in charge of Federal taxes for Hunterdon and 
Somerset counties until September, 1919, when he resigned and entered 



364 MIDDLESEX 

business under the firm name of J. P. Gerity & Company, Woodbridge, 
opening an office in the First National Bank building, where he transacts 
a real estate and general insurance business. 

Mr. Gerity is a Democrat in politics, and for three years, 1914-1917, 
was a member of the Town Committee, and from 191 7 until the present 
time has been a member of the Middlesex County Democratic Committee. 
A leader in local affairs, he has always taken a keen and active interest 
in the furtherance of any good movement which would be beneficial to 
Woodbridge. He was the first to advocate permanent street pavements 
in Woodbridge, and largely through his efforts Main street was taken 
over by the County Board of Freeholders and improved with a perma- 
nent pavement. He has been a director of the Woodbridge Building 
and Loan Association since its inception ; secretary of the Woodbridge 
Knights of Columbus Building Association ; member of the Woodbridge 
Knights of Columbus, serving the local council as second grand knight 
from 1907-1911, and in 1912-13 was district deputy. He is a member 
of St. James' Roman Catholic Church, Woodbridge; the Columbian 
Club ; and the Woodbridge Exempt Firemen's Association. 

Mr. Gerity has been greatly interested in athletic sports, and entire 
credit is due him for the field meets held under the Amateur Athletic 
Union in Woodbridge in 1910-11-12, when many of the leading amateurs 
of the county competed. 

Mr. Gerity married, at Union Hill, New Jersey, April 19, 1907, Anna 
F. Messenger, daughter of William T. and Frances (Volkert) Messenger, 
her father born in New York City, her mother a native of Germany. 
Mr. and Mrs. Gerity are the parents of two sons : James Francis Xavier, 
bom September 27, 1909; and George, born July 7, 1911. 

Mr. Gerity is well and favorably known in the community with which 
he has been associated all his life, and is building up a good business in 
the lines he has chosen, real estate and general insurance. 



ALEXANDER FITZ RANDOLPH.— The members of the Fitz Ran- 
dolph family of New Jersey, descend from the family in England, which 
traces its ancestry through different branches to noble and even royal 
blood. In this country they trace to the royal blood of New England, 
a "Mayflower" passenger, and on both sides descent is both ancient and 
honorable. 

Alexander Fitz Randolph, of Middlesex county, is a son of Elkanah 
Fitz Randolph, who spent his life in New Jersey, a farmer. Seventh Day 
Baptist, and a Republican. He was born October 9, 1797, and died in 
Plainfield, New Jersey, February 26, 1877. He married, in Plainfield, 
Phoebe Drake, who was born March 21, 1802, died June 19, 1876. They 
were the parents of eight children, all of whom grew to adult years 

save one. 

Alexander Fitz Randolph, youngest of the children of Elkanah and 
Phoebe (Drake) Fitz Randolph, was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, 
July 4, 1844. He was educated in the public schools of Plainfield, and 



BIOGRAPHICAL 365 

at Alfred University, Alfred, New York, an institution under the patron- 
age of the Seventh Day Baptist Church. After his college years were 
over, he returned to Plainfield, and has spent his life principally as a 
farmer, but for a few years was a merchant and for a time was employed 
in a factory. His home for the past forty years has been on a farm in 
Piscataway township, Middlesex county, where he is living practically 
retired. In politics he is a Republican, and for two terms served his 
township as school trustee. He is a member of Mount Zion Lodge, 
No. 135, Free and Accepted Masons, of Metuchen ; New Market Grange, 
Patrons of Husbandry; and a member of the Seventh Day Baptist 
church. 

Alexander Fitz Randolph married, January 20, 1877, at Alfred, New 
York, Jessie Witter, born in New York State, September 3, 1856, 
daughter of Charles Henry and Abby K. Witter, her father a farmer of 
New York State who gave his life for the Union cause, and died in 
Andersonville Prison, Georgia, April 20, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander 
Fitz Randolph are the parents of four children : i. Phoebe Elfrieda, born 
October 15, 1877; she finished her education in the Plainfield High 
School. 2. John Bryant, born December 3, 1884. 3. Margaret Louise, 
born February 18, 1888, a graduate of Plainfield High School. 4. Orson 
Witter, born September 26, 1892; was educated in Middlesex county 
public schools. 



WILLIAM A. SILENCE. — For more than a quarter of a century 
Oak Tree, Middlesex county. New Jersey, has been the scene of the 
business activity of William A. Silence, who is meeting with creditable 
and well deserved success as the reward of his indefatigable labor, 
tireless energy and capable management. He is a man whose word is 
as good as his bond, and whose transactions are conducted in a thor- 
oughly business-like manner, thus insuring the continuance of the patron- 
age accorded him in the beginning of his business career. 

The birth of William A. Silence occurred in what was then the city 
of Brooklyn, New York, now the borough of Brooklyn, Greater New 
York, November 9, 1869, a son of William A. Silence, a native of the 
State of Maryland, a hatter by occupation, and his wife, Emma F. 
(Depew) Silence, a native of Brooklyn, New York. The schools of 
Brooklyn in the vicinity of his home were the means of his education, 
and he profitted by attending them. He was a resident of his native city 
until the year 1894, when he removed to the State of New Jersey, 
locating in Oak Tree, Raritan township, where he has since made his 
home. His entire time and attention is devoted to the manufacture 
of cider and vinegar, which are of excellent quality, and these useful 
commodities are made in a plant which is suited to the purpose, modern 
in every particular, clean and neat in appearance, thus insuring the 
uniform quality of the articles manufactured. Mr. Silence holds mem- 
bership in the South Plainfield Patriotic Order Sons of America. He is 
a Republican in politics, and belongs to the Harding and Coolidge Club. 



366 MIDDLESEX 

The welfare and improvement of his community receives from him a 
hearty cooperation in all projects which have for their aim that object. 
Mr. Silence married, February 22, 1893, in Oak Tree, Jane Laing, 
born in South Plainfield, New Jersey, August 17, 1866, daughter of 
Abel Laing, a native of South Plainfield, a tiller of the soil, and his wife, 
Cornelia C. (Drake) Laing, a native of Oak Tree. Two children were 
born to Mr. and Mrs. Silence, as follows: Marion, born July 28, 1894; 
and William A. (3), born March 13, 1910. 



HARVEY LeROY HULLFISH.— When a young boy Harvey 
LeRoy Hullfish came with his parents to New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
and there has spent the years which have since elapsed. He has devoted 
himself chiefly to the automobile business as a salesman, and is one of 
the well known men of the trade. He is also well known in the political 
field. 

Harvey LeRoy Hullfish was born in Jamesburg, Middlesex county. 
New Jersey, July 29, 1885, son of Giles H. and Bertha M. Hullfish, his 
father a merchant. He was educated in New Brunswick public schools 
and in the Wilson Business College, New Brunswick. He at once 
entered business life in New Brunswick, first as a groceryman, then 
for ten years in the automobile business, dealing both in new and second- 
hand cars. He is still in that line as sales manager for Elwood E. 
Waller & Son, handling Willys-Knight and Overland cars. He was 
formerly manager for the New Brunswick Motor Car Company, was 
the first president of the New Brunswick Motor Trade Association, 
which he aided in organizing, and for three years he assisted in the 
management of the auto shows. 

In politics Mr. Hullfish is a Republican, and for ten years was a 
member of the Middlesex County Committee, resigning to accept ap- 
pointment on the Board of Elections of the Fourth Ward. He was 
appointed clerk of the Martin Act Commission, was stenographer to 
the State Assembly one session, and is now a deputy sheriff and court 
officer, holding these positions in connection with his automobile busi- 
ness. He is a past officer of Goodwill Council, No. 32, Junior Order of 
United American Mechanics, having served twelve and. one-half years 
in office, and is a member of Orient Court. He is a member of the 
Goodwill Club, and of the Livingston Avenue Baptist Church. 

Mr. Hullfish married, June 24, 1908, at New Brunswick, Mary C. 
Whitfield, daughter of Jacob H. and Julia Whitfield. Mr. and Mrs. 
Hullfish are the parents of a daughter, Elsie May Hullfish, born April 
30, 19"- . 

EUGENE WORDEN HOPE. — For many years Eugene Worden 
Hope has been prominent among the prosperous business men of Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, where he conducts a successful milk business anc' 
enjoys a large patronage in the surrounding community. He is a mem- 
ber of a family that had its origin in the Island of Jersey, in the British 
'•-hannel off the coast of France, and which came from there and settled 



BIOGRAPHICAL 367 

in Virginia in early days, where many of the Hopes continue to reside 
at the present time. 

Mr. Hope is a son of Luther Martin Hope, who was born at Modes- 
town, Virginia, June 9, 1839, ^nd came as a young man to Brooklyn, 
New York, and thence, later, to Perth Amboy, New Jersey. For many 
years he carried on a mercantile business at the last named place, but 
during the latter years of his life retired and made his home on the old 
Billy Watson farm, now "Hopelawn," in Perth Amboy, his death oc- 
curring there January 25, 1907. Luther Martin Hope married Katie 
Lee Coyle, of New York City, born February 2, 1840, and died December 
IS, 1907; they became the parents of nine children, as follows: Arthur 
H. ; Eugene Worden, with whom we are here especially concerned ; 
Luther J. ; J. Howard ; Everett, who died in infancy ; Annie A., who 
became the wife of George Liddle, of Fords, New Jersey ; Mary L., who 
became the wife of John Harvey, of Tottenville, Staten Island ; Elizabeth 
v., who became the wife of George Larrison of Perth Amboy ; Katie L., 
who became the wife of Edward Koch, of Perth Amboy. 

Eugene Worden Hope was jjorn, June 11, 1862, at Brooklyn, New 
York, and was but three years of age when his parents removed to 
Perth Amboy, where his childhood and early youth were passed. As a 
lad he attended the Fairfield School at Fords Corners, New Jersey, 
but the circumstances of the family were such at that time that it 
became necessary for him to engage in some kind of remunerative occu- 
pation at an early age and, accordingly, when only eleven years old, he 
began to work for the Lehigh Valley Railroad, driving a horse and cart, 
receiving in compensation sixty cents a day. When seventeen years of 
age Mr. Hope, who was of an enterprising and venturesome disposition, 
left his father's home and went West, locating in North Dakota, where 
he remained for seven years, engaged in farming and raising wheat. 
This period was the only one spent by him away from Perth Amboy, 
to which place he returned at the age of twenty-four, and where he has 
subsequently made his home. Upon locating a second time at Perth 
Amboy, Mr. Hope, who in the meantime had amassed a considerable 
capital, entered into the milk business and has continued successfully 
in this line ever since. Under his skillful and far-seeing management 
a large and flourishing business has been built up, the conduct of which 
has always been along the highest standards of commercial integrity and 
fair play. Mr. Hope is a Republican in politics and takes a keen interest 
in all the vital issues of the day. He is a member of the local lodge of 
the Royal Arcanum, the Eagle Athletic Club, and the Raritan Yacht 
Club. In religious belief Mr. Hope is a Baptist, and he and the members 
of his family attend the church of that denomination at Perth Amboy. 

Eugene Worden Hope was united in marriage, September 20, 1904, 
at Perth Amboy, with Flora Martha Russell, a widow, and daughter of 
Charles and Sarah Russell, both now deceased. Mrs. Hope was the 
mother of one daughter by her former marriage, Helen, now the wife of 
Clarence Davis, of Staten Island. Mr. and Mrs. Hope are also the parents 
of one daughter, Ruth Elizabeth, born December 27, 191 7. 



368 MIDDLESEX 

STEPHEN FRANCIS SOMOGYI.— Son of a scholarly father, 
Stephen F. Somogyi inherited the professional instinct, and in his chosen 
line of activity, the law, he has built up a lucrative practice and firmly 
established himself in the public regard. His residence and place of 
business is Perth Amboy, and he is one of the most successful among 
the younger lawyers of the county; his proficiency in the Hungarian 
and Slavic languages has gained for him a large clientele among the 
foreign born of Perth Amboy. Stephen F. Somogyi was born in Hun- 
gary, in the city of Kassau, August 20, 1879, son of Michael and Joseph- 
ine A. (Oslislo) Somogyi. Michael Somogyi was a professor in the 
Royal University of Kassau, and resided with his family in that city until 
his death occurred in 1882. 

Stephen F. Somogyi received his elementary education in the schools 
and colleges of his native city. Assisted greatly by his scholarly father, 
he was well advanced in his studies when he came to America with his 
mother in 1890. They located first in Oliphant, Pennsylvania, where he 
continued his studies in the local schools until 1899, when he removed 
to Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Electing to follow the legal profession, 
he began to read law in the office of Joseph E. Strieker, in the meanwhile 
attending the New York Law School, where he took a special course. 
On June 3, 1903, he was admitted to the Middlesex County Bar as an 
attorney, and immediately entered into the practice of his profession 
in Perth Amboy, opening an office in the Adelaide building, on Smith 
street. From there he removed his office to No. 137 Smith street. He 
was later admitted to practice as a counsellor, and now practices in the 
State and Federal courts of the district. 

For a number of years he was greatly interested in State and local 
politics. He was county interpreter from 1907 until 1920, when he re- 
signed from office. His knowledge of European languages especially 
fitted him for that office in a community where a large percentage of the 
population is of foreign birth. In 1915 he ran for the State Assembly 
on the Republican ticket, but as it was an out and out Democratic year, 
he was defeated. He retains a lively interest in party affairs, and is 
an active worker for party success. During the World War, 1917-1918, 
he served as a member of the Advisory Board in the Draft, and was 
himself enrolled in the New Jersey reserves and commissioned first 
lieutenant, serving until the close of hostilities. During the Liberty 
Loan "drives" he canvassed among the foreign born and was quite suc- 
cessful. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks ; Royal Arcanum, and Raritan Yacht Club, of which he is one of the 
board of governors and chairman of the entertainment committee. He 
is a lover of music and devotes much of his leisure time to that art, being 
an unusually fine performer on tfee 'cello. He was one of the organizers 
of the Dominant Society, an orchestral association, and while it was 
in existence, was its leader. He is a member of the String Quintette, 
which has considerable' local reputation, and is devoted to the study of 
classical music. 

Mr. Somogyi was united in marriage, December 27, 1910, with AUie 
May Dayton, daughter of William and Anna Dayton, of Perth Amboy. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 369 

FREDERICK DAVID SPRUANCE, of New Brunswick, has had a 
somewhat varied life, both as to occupation and place of residence. At 
the time of this writing he is engaged in the automobile business in New 
Brunswick. 

John Baylis Spruance, father of Frederick D. Spruance, was born in 
Philadelphia and still lives there, engaged in the sugar brokerage busi- 
ness, with an office at Eleventh and Market streets. He married Jessie 
Mcintosh, who was born in Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs. Spruance have 
three children: i. Mabel, the wife of Charles R. Fairland, of Jenkin- 
town, Pennsylvania. 2. Frederick David, of whom further. 3. Florence 
Duncan, wife of Rev. R. B. W. Hutt, of Philadelphia. 

Frederick David Spruance was born in Philadelphia, January 27, 
1884, remaining there and attending the primary school until he had 
reached the age of seven, when his family moved to Sheffield, Alabama. 
Here he attended the public schools and later entered the Alabama 
Polytechnic Institute, taking the electrical engineering course, and grad- 
uating from that seat of learning in 1906. Following this he spent two 
and a half years in electrical construction work on the Panama Canal. 
Mr. Spruance next went West, where he was engaged in the transport 
service for more than a year, returning then to Sheffield, Alabama, taking 
up electrical construction work again for two and a half years. In 1913 
he went for the second time to Panama, remaining for eighteen months, 
when he came back to the United States and accepted a position with the 
DuPont Powder Company. He remained with them, for nearly four 
years, helping in the production of powder for the war work, going from 
this to New Brunswick and establishing a business of his own, the F. D. 
Spruance Automobile Company, at No. 92 Schureman street. His tem- 
peramient is that of the hustler and his training has made him quick to 
grasp an opportunity. He handles the Chevrolet, the Stearns-Knight, 
and the Premier cars, and also does general repair work. 

Mr. Spruance is interested in several clubs in New Brunswick, being 
a member of the local lodge of Elks, the Middlesex County Automobile 
Club, and the Board of Trade. Mr. Spruance has a hobby, that of 
hunting, and during the season he may frequently be seen going off 
on an expedition with his dog and gun. During a period spent in Phila- 
delphia, he took considerable interest in military matters, being a mem- 
ber of the Second Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard, holding the 
commission of captain. 

The marriage of Frederick David Spruance to Annie M. Spear took 
place April 2, 1913, in Charleston, South Carolina, where Miss Spear 
was born. She is the daughter of Horace P. and Annie Mortimer (Cleck- 
ley) Spear, of Richmond, Virginia, where Mr. Spear is engaged in the 
real estate business. 

Mr. and Mrs. Spruance went to Panama immediately after their 
marriage, and there they started their first housekeeping. They now 
have a delightful home at No. 117 South Fourth avenue, New Brunswick. 

Mid-24 



370 MIDDLESEX 

There are no children of this marriage. Both are members of the Pres- 
byterian church. 

The Spruance family is of French origin; the first of the name to 
emigrate to the United States was John Spruance, who landed at Lewes, 
Delaware, from France, in 1730. 



AUGUSTUS STELLE.— On the east side of the Raritan river, 
opposite New Brunswick, and three miles east, lies the village of Stelton, 
named for the Stelle families, who owned large farms in the district, 
and there lived most of their lives. They were among the highly 
regarded citizens of their times, and among their number were promi- 
nent men and women of agricultural, business, professional, public and 
social affairs of life. 

Augustus Stelle was a prominent agriculturist and large land owner. 
The farm mansion which he built is now (1921) the home of his daugh- 
ters, who have never known any other residence than the old farm. 
The farm came into possession of Augustus Stelle in 1840, and the 
house was built by him the same year, consequently the associations 
of a lifetime gather around the old homestead, and the place is very 
dear to the Misses Stelle. They are granddaughters of Isaac and Frances 
(Dunn) Stelle, the former born near New Brunswick, January 26, 1789, 
died June 6, 1872, in Stelton, the latter born August 20, 1790, near New 
Brunswick, died March 3, 1876, in Stelton. Isaac Stelle was a farmer 
in this region all his life, and was well known. He and his wife were 
the parents of eight children : Samuel, Louis, Augustus, of whom fur- 
ther; Eliza, Phoebe, James, Prudence, and Alexander. 

Augustus Stelle, son of Isaac and Frances (Dunn) Stelle, was born 
October 23, 181 5, in Piscataway township, Middlesex county. New 
Jersey, died at the homestead, January 14, 1899. He was educated in 
the district schools, and during his active years he was engaged in 
farming and in farm management, becoming possessed of many acres 
on the east side of the Raritan river. He was an influential Democrat, 
and a man of substance, highly esteemed as a man of integrity and honor. 
He was a member of the Baptist church, which he liberally supported 
and regularly attended. 

Mr. Stelle married, February 12, 1840, in Plainfield, New Jersey, 
Maria Stelle, bom in South Plainfield, October 25, 1817, died January 
15, 1899, surviving her husband but one day, they both being laid at 
rest in Piscataway Town Cemetery at the same time. Augustus and 
Maria (Stelle) Stelle were the parents of four children: i. John, born 
June 4, 1842, in Stelton, died September 29, 1914, at Hollywood, Cali- 
fornia, and is buried in the family plot in Piscataway Town Cemetery. 
He was a farmer until his retirement and removal to California. He 
married Mary Conaway, of Martin's Dock, New Jersey. She died Janu- 
ary 16, 1920, at Washington, New Jersey, without issue. 2. Angelina 
A., born January 20, 1845, in Stelton. 3. Julia R., born February 20, 
1848, in Stelton. 4. Spencer C, born August 10, 1854, in Stelton. He 
has been variously occupied in life, being at one time in the silk business. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 371 

He is now living at Dalton, New Jersey. He married Ellen C. Conaway, 
a sister of his brother's wife, and two children have been born to them : 
Harry N., who died at the age of nine years ; and Russel A., who died 
at the age of sixteen. 

NELSON M. GILES.— After following different lines of mercantile 
pursuits, in which he achieved a certain degree of success, Nelson M. 
Giles, an enterprising and public-spirited citizen of Bound Brook, New 
Jersey, is now devoting his time and attention to the tilling of the soil, 
an occupation which calls for untiring energy, perseverance and careful 
management, characteristics which are fully developed in the person 
of the subject of this review. 

Nelson M. Giles was born in Harris Lane, Bound Brook, Middlesex 
county. New Jersey, September 20, 1862, in the same house in which he 
now resides, his parents, Benjamin S. and Adeline A. (Harris) Giles, 
also residing in the same house, Benjamin S. Giles having been born in 
Middlesex county, one mile distant from the place now occupied by his 
son. Benjamin S. Giles was a blacksmith by trade, following this line 
of work profitably during the active years of his life. 

Nelson M. Giles attended the common school adjacent to his home, 
and upon arriving at suitable age became a manufacturer of roofing 
material, following this occupation for twelve years, at the expiration 
of which time he changed his line of work and engaged in farming, 
and in addition to the arduous duties which falls to the lot of an agri- 
culturist has added those of public office, serving at the present time 
(1920) in the capacity of collector for Middlesex borough. He is presi- 
dent of the borough of Middlesex Building and Loan Association, a 
member of the Republican County Committee, a member and trustee of 
the Presbyterian church, filling the latter office for two decades, and a 
member of the order of Free and Accepted Masons, and the Knights of 
Pythias. He takes a keen interest in all that pertains to the growth 
and improvement of his native place, and well merits the confidence 
reposed in him. 

Mr. Giles married. May 7, 1884, in Bound Brook, New Jersey, Jennie 
Blaine, born in Somerville, New Jersey, February i, 1864, daughter of 
Charles W. and Phebe (Vanarsdale) Blaine. Children: i. Harry R., 
born January i6, 1886. 2. Benjamin H., born July 4, 1892. In 1917 he 
was drafted for service in the World War, went to camp for training, and 
was sent overseas, sailing from New York City, January 12, 1918. He 
was killed in battle, in France, October 5, 1918, thus adding another to 
the list who made the supreme sacrifice for their country. He had 
attained the rank of corporal, and was at the front for a period of five 
months. 3. Anna A., born September 22, 1895. 4. Albert M., born 
January 14, 1898. 5. Charles W., born December 11, 1900. 



DENNIS FRANCIS DONOVAN came to America with his parents 
as a child of six years. Growing up in Perth Amboy, he is now one of 
the business men of the city, and well known throughout this section. 



^2 MIDDLESEX 

Dennis Donovan, father of Dennis F. Donovan, was born in County 
Cork, Ireland. In his early manhood, he was employed on a railroad 
in England. Upon coming to America, he located directly in Perth 
Amboy, and there worked on the Lehigh Valley coal docks until his 
death, which occurred at the comparatively early age of fifty-one years. 
Dennis Donovan married Johanna Sullivan, who was also born in 
County Cork, Ireland. She came to this country with her husband, 
and died here, in 1913, at the age of sixty-five years. They had eight 
children, of whom five are now living: Anna, the wife of George Mickle, 
of New York City ; Michael J., of Perth Amboy ; Mary E., the wife of 
John Kelner, of Trenton, New Jersey ; Dennis Francis, of whom further ; 
and Katherine, the widow of John Sleight, residing in Trenton. 

Dennis Francis Donovan was born in County Cork, Ireland, August 
25, 1877. His education was begun at the public schools of Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, when his parents came to America and took up 
their residence there, and was completed in St. Mary's Parochial schools 
of that city. At the age of fifteen he went out into the world to earn his 
own living, beginning life in the work of tile making. After three years 
in this line, he worked on the railroad for three years, then, having 
saved enough to make a start for himself, he opened a hotel at No. 
314 Front street, Perth Amboy. The venture has been successful, and 
promises well for the future. 

Mr. Donovan is a Democrat by political choice. He is member of 
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; of the Foresters of 
America; and of the Improved Order of Red Men. 

Mr. Donovan married, in Perth Amboy, on October 14, 1903, Helen 
Gertrude Smith, daughter of Peter and Margaret Smith. She was born 
in Lambertville, New Jersey. Her father died in Long Island City, at 
the age of sixty-five years, and her mother now lives at Whitestone, 
Long Island. Mr. and Mrs. Donovan have two children: Margaret 
Frances, born March 14, 1905 ; and Helen Olive, born June 11, 1909. The 
family attend St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. 



CHARLES GROVER WRAGE. — Among the representative citizens 
of Dunellen, who have aided materially in its development, upbuilding 
and substantial progress, may be mentioned Charles G. Wrage, a native 
of Flemington, Hunterdon county. New Jersey, born September 14, 
1884, son of Henry and Catherine (Witt) Wrage, natives of Germany, 
from whence they emigrated to the United States in the year 1872. 
Henry Wrage was a contractor and builder by occupation, skillful and 
proficient in workmanship, just and equitable in all his transactions. 

Charles Grover Wrage attended the common schools in the vicinity 
of his home, acquiring a practical education which fitted him for the 
duties of an active career. Upon attaining a suitable age, he decided to. 
follow in his father's footsteps ; in this line of work, he gave his attention 
to familiarizing himself with the details, and in due course of time, in 
1908, began operations as a builder and contractor, so continuing during 
the intervening years, and at the present time (1921) many buildings 



BIOGRAPHICAL 373 

stand as monuments to his skill and ability along that line. He is 
progressive in his methods and ideas, fully alive to the present-day 
needs of the public, and by giving the closest attention to the work 
he has chosen, noting every improvement and acting upon it, he is looked 
upon as a thoroughly reliable man, and is in receipt of an excellent 
patronage. 

Mr. Wrage is a Presbyterian in religion, a Republican in politics, 
and a member of the Republican Club and the Benevolent and Protective 
Order of Elks. He is highly respected and esteemed in the community, 
and exerts an influence for good upon those with whom he is brought 
in contact. He was a member of the Dunellen Borough Council for 
three years, 1917-1920. 

Mr. Wrage married, in New York City, February 12, 1908, Emma 
Miller, born in New York City, December 30, 1884, daughter of Richard 
and Louisa (Raggar) Miller, natives of Germany, both now deceased. 
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wrage: Beatrice, born 
September 8, 1910; Hazel, born August 25, 1912 ; Evelyn, born December 
17, 1919. The house in which the family now resides, No. 504 Walnut 
street, Dunellen, was erected by Mr. Wrage in 1912. 



WILLARD N. APGAR.— Serving Dunellen as postmaster, Mr. 
Apgar applies to this public office the same energy and careful attention 
that he has given to all things connected with his busy life, and thus 
it can be said that he ranks among the foremost citizens of Dunellen. 

Willard N. Apgar was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, March 22, 1876, 
Ihe son of John P. and Sarah (Smith) Apgar. Mr. Apgar has spent 
practically his entire life in Dunellen, New Jersey. After receiving a 
good common school education, he became associated with his father 
in business and since that time has met with much success as a con- 
tractor and builder, which is the result of his untiring devotion to 
business. 

A Democrat in politics, Mr. Apgar has ever taken a keen and active 
interest in the affairs of the local organization, and in 1916 was appointed 
postmaster of Dunellen, to which service he has added intense public 
spirit and patriotic fervor, all based upon full appreciation of his respon- 
sibility as an American citizen to whom has been delivered a profound 
trust. Under his term of office as postmaster he advocated and had 
established a city delivery service in Dunellen. He affiliates with the 
Foresters of America, Junior Order of United American Mechanics, and 
the Patriotic Order Sons of America ; is a director of the Home Building 
and Loan Association, and in his religious belief is a Presbyterian. 

On November 28, 1900, Willard N. Apgar was united in marriage 
with Jennie M. Apgar, daughter of James M. and Martha (Haltman) 
Apgar, the former a native of High Bridge, New Jersey, the latter of 
Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Apgar are the parents of 
seven children : W. Clayton, born September 16, 1902 ; Sylvester M., born 
February 14, 1905 ; Cliflord, born January 25, 1907 ; Beatrice, born July 
19, 1908; J. Austin, born October 14, 1910; Eleanor, born July 14, 1912; 
and Yvonne E., born December 27, 1918. 



374 MIDDLESEX 

JOSEPH M. MAIER. — The career of Joseph M. Maier, proprietor 
of a fine grocery store in Dunellen, which he established in 1917, illus- 
trates that success can be achieved by hard work and honorable business 
dealings, for today he is the owner of one of the most up-to-date business 
establishments of his town. 

Joseph M. Maier was born in Dunellen, New Jersey, June 7, 1873, son 
of Joseph and Catherine (Eder) Maier, the former named having been 
engaged in a successful hotel business for a number of years. 

After completing the course of study afiforded by the common schools 
of his birthplace, Joseph M. Maier was the proprietor for a time of the 
hotel formerly conducted by his father. Later he decided that a change 
of occupation would be beneficial and better suited to his tastes and 
inclinations, and accordingly, on August 21, 1917, he embarked in an 
entirely different line, opening up a grocery store in his native town, at 
No. 384 North avenue, where he carries a complete stock of everything 
in the grocery line. His trade has increased during the past three years, 
which is largely the result of his energy, progressiveness,. and courteous 
treatment of all who grant him their patronage. Mr. Maier is con- 
nected with the First National Bank of Dunellen; is a Democrat in 
politics ; and a Catholic in religion. 

Mr. Maier married (first) at Cranford, New Jersey, February 14, 
1898, Anna Doyle, daughter of John and Mary (Brennan) Doyle. Mrs. 
Maier died in Dunellen, February 4, 1905. Three children were born 
of this marriage, as follows: Catherine, born January 28, 1900; Joseph, 
born March 5, 1902 ; John, born November 6, 1903. Mr. Maier married 
(second) July 12, 1910, Anna Pfister, daughter of Philip and Mary 
(Bonig) Pfister. Five children have been born of this marriage, as 
follows: William, born May 25, 1912; Edward, born November 30, 1913; 
Robert, born September 5, 1915; Anna, born September 30, 1917; Mar- 
garet, born February 25, 1920. 



JAMES EDWARD NOE, whose fifty-four consecutive years in one 
line of business in the same city, and that his birthplace, is a fine record. 
He is a venerable oyster dealer of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

The Noe family is one of the pioneer families of this region. Mr. 
Noe's father, David Ogden Noe, was born and died in the old Noe home- 
stead, the same house where his son now lives. No. 61 Water street. 
He was in the oyster business, with his son as partner, and the latter 
continued the business after the death of his father. He married Hester 
Margaret Harned, and they had nine children, four of whom are now 
living : James Edward, whose name appears at the head of this review ; 
Mrs. Henrietta L. Kipp; Mrs. Sarah E. Smith; and William Kelly; 
all of these are residents of Perth Amboy. 

James Edward Noe was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, August 
6, 1845. Here he received his early education, going to Pennington 
Seminary for advanced study, and later to Eastman's Business College, 
Poughkeepsie, New York. Immediately after his graduation from that 
institution, the young man went to New York City and engaged in the 




\u:io^ Q/ 




i^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 375 

lumber business, being associated with Stone & Wiswall. He remained 
with them one year, the only period in his business career not identified 
with the daily life of Perth Amboy. He next joined his father in the 
oyster business, buying one-half of this business, and on the death of 
his father he continued to own the same. He was twenty-one years of 
age when he bought out this business, and now (1921) at the age of 
seventy-five years he still keeps oversight of the business, although he 
has been practically retired from active work since 1915. 

Mr. Noe has always been deeply interested in all branches of public 
endeavor. He is a staunch supporter of Republican principles, and has 
for many years voted with this party. He was at one time elected to 
the Board of Education, and was made president of the board. He 
has also served as alderman from the First Ward. He has for many 
years been treasurer of the Alpine Cemetery Association, and only 
declined to serve longer in 1919 when advancing years made him feel 
that a younger man should relieve him of this charge. Since his youth, 
Mr. Noe has been identified with the work of the Simpson Methodist 
Episcopal Church. For twenty-five consecutive years he was superin- 
tendent of the Sunday school, for a long period had charge of the music 
for the church services, being chorister of the choir, and is still president 
of the board of trustees of the church. 

Mr. Noe married, in Perth Amboy, December 19, 1866, Annie E. 
Valentine, daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Buck) Valentine. Mrs. 
Noe was born in Keasbey, Woodbridge township. New Jersey. Her 
father was for many years a farmer in Woodbridge. Both her parents 
died in Perth Amboy. Mr. and Mrs. Noe have three children, all living: 
Edward Valentine, of Newark, New Jersey; Margaret E., wife of Wil- 
liam L. Anderson, of Dorchester, Massachusetts; and Katherine D., 
wife of William H. Hesser, of Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Noe is a man whom it is a pleasure to meet. After a long life 
of constant and active usefulness, he is not content to sit idly and let 
the world go by, but takes the keenest interest in every phase of the 
life of which he has been a part, and in this very interest wields a 
strong and beneficent influence in the community. 



GEORGE W. AINSCOW, of Stelton, Middlesex county, New Jersey, 
was born March 30, 1868, at Bay View, Maryland, son of Evan and 
Rachel (Brown) Ainscow, his parents both born in Wilmington, Dela- 
ware. Evan Ainscow was a contractor, a farmer, and a man of energy, 
and was successful in his varied business enterprises. 

William Ainscow, grandfather of George W. Ainscow, was born in 
Bolton, England ; he married in his native land, and later came to 
America with his wife Mary, settling in Wilmington, Delaware, where 
they lived and died. 

George W. Ainscow was educated in the public schools, and in early 
life was associated with his father as his assistant. He next engaged in 
business as a public caterer, and for fifteen years was the proprietor of 
a well patronized restaurant in the city of Wilmington. Delaware. In 



376 MIDDLESEX 

1898 he went to Jersey City, New Jersey, where he engaged in the 
grain and hay business for a time. He moved to Stelton, Middlesex 
county, two miles east of New Brunswick, in 191 1, and there bought a 
farm, upon which he resides. In 1920 he built a new residence on his 
farm, and is now building a large structure for general purposes, and 
for the convenience of auto tourists over the Lincoln Highway. In 
addition to this he erected a large garage in 1916, which he conducts in 
connection with his other interests. His gas and oil station is one of 
the largest on the highway between New York and Philadelphia. He 
supplies the big auto truck transportation companies with fuel, and in 
the course of a year hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil and gas are 
handled through his station. He has been successful in all his undertak- 
ings, and highly regarded in a business and social way. He and his fam- 
ily attend the Methodist Episcopal church of Metuchen, and take a deep 
interest in the life of the community. 

Mr. Ainscow married, in Elkton, Maryland, April 30, 1890, Virgie R. 
Lodge, born July 27, 1867, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, daughter of 
Richard and Jane (Hall) Lodge. Richard Lodge was born in England, 
and with his parents sailed for the United States in 1847. Mr. and Mrs. 
Ainscow are the parents of four children: Marion E., born May 19, 
1891, married Arthur Van Keuren, and they have two children: Vir- 
ginia and Tobias, now residing in Albany, New York; Edith V., born 
March 24, 1893, residing at home with her parents ; A. Roy, born January 
8, 1895, married Laura Boyd, and they reside near Metuchen; George 
W., Jr., born November 29, 1902, residing at home. 



HENRY S. GARRETSON.— From a Middlesex county farm in 
Piscataway township, Mr. Garretson came to Dunellen, in his native 
county, and there entered mercantile life. For nearly a quarter of a 
century he has conducted a lumber and coal business in Dunellen, and 
is one of the substantial men of his community. He is a son of James 
and Gertrude E. (Staats) Garretson, his father a farmer. 

Henry S. Garretson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
October i, 1856, and was there educated in the pubHc schools. He grew 
to manhood at the home farm, and until he was about forty-five years 
of age engaged in farming and tilling his own acres, and he prospered. 
About 1898 he formed a partnership with Alvah Gray in a lumber and 
coal business in Dunellen, which he has successfully conducted during 
the twenty-three years which have since intervened. He is a man of 
strong business ability, and as a citizen his upright life is an example. 
He is president of the Home Building and Loan Association of Dunellen, 
and president of the Hillsborough Mutual Fire Assurance Association, 
and was a member of the Board of Freeholders for nine years. 

In his political views, Mr. Garretson is a Republican ; in his church 
affiliation he is a member of the First Baptist of New Market, in which 
he has been active. He is a member of the Masonic order, the Junior 
Order of United American Mechanics, Patriotic Order Sons of America, 
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Republican Club. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 377 

Mr. Garretson married, in New Market, New Jersey, November i, 
1882, Lily E. Benward, born August 17, 1863, daughter of Peter and 
Phoebe L. (Dayton) Benward, her father a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Gar- 
retson are the parents of three children: Ethel, born June 30, 1884; 
J. Russell, born February 7, 1890; and Lillian, born August 4, 1892. 
The Garretson home is in Dunellen, New Jersey, where the family is 
well known. 



FREDERICK B. PEINS.— For eighteen years Frederick B. Peins 
has been engaged in the manufacture of tile flooring with the B. H. 
Lage Company, first under the partnership form, and later, in 1914, 
under its corporate form, the B. H. Lage Company, Inc., of New York 
City, and Menlo Park, New Jersey. This is one of the well known tile 
manufacturing companies, its offices being in New York City, the plant 
at Menlo Park. He is a son of Henry and Margaret (Anderson) Peins, 
both born in Germany, where they lived and died. They were the parents 
of eight children: Ferdinand, Catherine, Sophia, Andrew, Marie, Hen- 
rietta, Frederick B., of further mention ; and Heinrich. Four of these 
children came to the United States : Andrew, Catherine, Frederick B., 
and Marie. 

Frederick B. Peins was born in Tating, Germany, January 24, 1866, 
and there spent the first twenty-five years of his life. He was educated 
in his native land, the gymnasium there furnishing training and instruc- 
tion on a par with the best technical high schools in this country. In 
1891 he came to the United States and shortly afterward began his 
connection with clay manufacturing. His line has been largely the 
manufacture of tile flooring, and in that particular line of business he 
has specialized. In 1902 he became superintendent and later manager 
of the B. H. Lage Company, of Menlo Park, New Jersey, the well known 
tile manufacturing company. He has been connected with that company 
ever since, although in more recent years its ownership has changed 
and it is now the B. H. Lage Company, Inc., of New York City. Mr. 
Peins is one of the principal stockholders of the present company, and 
fills the same place in the management of the corporation as he did 
in the firm. He is well known in the clay products business, and the 
company is well established and highly regarded in the trade. 

In political faith Mr. Peins is a Republican, and keenly alive to his 
responsibilities as a citizen, but as a citizen only, not as a seeker for 
office. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, 
of Rahway, and the Independent Order of Foresters, of Metuchen; he 
and his family are members of the Lutheran church of Rahway. 

Mr. Peins married, in Rahway, in 1891, Anna Eseman, born in Ger- 
many, November 3, 1866, daughter of Frederick and Marie Eseman, 
natives of Germany, where they always resided. Mrs. Peins has a sister, 
Martha, who remained with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Peins are the 
parents of five children : Anna, born February 22, 1893 ; Frederick, born 
April 8, 1895 ; Elsie, born June 17, 1897, died September 4, 1898; Rudolph, 
born September 7, 1899; Margaret, born January 24, 1904, died January 



378 MIDDLESEX 

29, 1904. Mr. Peins and his family are among the well known and 
highly respected residents of Menlo Park. The family home is one of 
the fine old mansions there, and the first house in which Thomas Edison 
installed electric lights. 



GUSTAV BLAUM. — A native son of Woodbridge, Gustav Blaum 
has all his life been connected with the town, and from boyhood has 
been associated with its mercantile life. He began as a grocer's clerk, 
and has always been partial to that business, finally, in 1905, becoming 
proprietor of the Hilsdorf store in Woodbridge, and one of the leading 
merchants of his town. He is a son of Sebastian and Catherine (Lorch) 
Blaum. 

Gustav Blaum was born in Woodbridge, Middlesex county. New 
Jersey, April 10, 1867, and there obtained a public school education. 
Quite early in life he clerked in different Woodbridge stores, but attended 
school quite regularly until about 1880, when he took a permanent 
position with Robert Humphrey, a long-time hardware merchant, with 
whom he remained until 1882, when he transferred his services to Hils- 
dorf & Harned, grocers, at now No. 82 Main street, Woodbridge. He 
remained with Hilsdorf & Harned until 1888, when he became a clerk 
with Burkett & Paterson, grocers, of Woodbridge, and three and one- 
half years later entered into a partnership with C. W. Harned and con- 
ducted a grocery business on Main street, Woodbridge, for three years. 

This experience seems to have satisfied Mr. Blaum's ambition for a 
mercantile career, and for five years, 1895-1900, he was agent for the 
Prudential Life Insurance Company, with offices in Perth Amboy. In 
1900 he reentered the grocery business, accepting a position with Hilsdorf 
Brothers, who were then running a chain of grocery stores, one of them, 
the old Hilsdorf & Harned store in Woodbridge, in which Mr. Blaum 
had formerly been a clerk. He was appointed manager of that store by 
Hilsdorf Brothers, and successfully operated it for five years, when he 
purchased the business from the Hilsdorfs, and since 1905 has operated 
it under his own name. He has been very successful, has built up a 
good business, and is highly esteemed by his community. He has other 
interests of importance, the most important being in the Woodbridge 
Building and Loan Association, of which he was one of the founders 
in 1910, and during the entire eleven years of its life he has been the 
efficient treasurer. 

Mr. Blaum has served his town as fire commissioner, and member 
of the Lighting Commission ; is a member of the Woodbridge Fire 
Department; the Junior Order of United American Mechanics; the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows ; and the Royal Arcanum. Politically 
he is an Independent, and keenly alive to his responsibilities as a citizen. 
He is always ready to "lend a hand" in any forward movement, and 
displays a fine public spirit in his attitude on all questions of civic 
importance. 

Mr. Blaum married, in Woodbridge, in 1900, Emma Ayres, daughter 
of John and Maria Ayres. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 379 

CHARLES COMPTON.— The farm in Raritan township, Middlesex 
county, New Jersey, which Charles Compton owns and cultivates has 
been in the family name for over a century, and the house he occupies 
was built by Ephraim Compton, his grandfather, nearly one hundred 
years ago. 

Joel Compton, son of Ephraim and Elizabeth (Carpenter) Compton, 
occupied the old farm, and in i860 built an addition to the old house 
built by his father and now occupied by his son, Charles. The Comp- 
tons came from England to Monmouth county, New Jersey, in 1667, 
and William Compton, the original settler, became one of the original 
proprietors of Middlesex township, and from him sprang a large and 
influential family. The farm in Raritan township upon which Ephraim 
Compton lived and built his house adjoins the village of Metuchen, and 
once contained about five hundred acres, part of which is now owned 
and tilled by his grandson, Charles Compton. 

Charles Compton, son of Joel and Louisa (Campbell) Compton, was 
born in Dark Lane, Middlesex county, New Jersey, May 28, 1865, and 
was educated in the district schools. He early became his father's farm 
assistant, and later inherited the old homestead upon which he now 
resides. He has been a farmer all his life and is rated one of the pros- 
perous, substantial men of his township. In religious faith, Mr. Comp- 
ton is a Presbyterian, and in politics exercises the greatest independence, 
voting for the man of principle which best appeals to his judgment. 

Mr. Compton married, April 25, 1881, Phoebe (Boylan) Mettick, 
born October 27, 1855, daughter of John V. and Susan Terry (Newman) 
Boylan, and widow of Isaac Mettick. Mr. and Mrs. Compton are the 
parents of six children: Louisa, born August 15, 1883; Mattietha, born 
December 11, 1885 ; Olive, born May 11, 1888; Mary N., born September 
3, 1889; William C, born April 16, 1892; and Ida May, born April 5, 
1896, 

MARTIN GALBRAITH, JR., was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, 
March 25, 1879, the son of Martin Galbraith, Sr., who was born in Ire- 
land, but came to the United States about 1859. Martin Galbraith, Sr., 
married Julia Kilbride, and they were living in Plainfield, New Jersey, 
at the time of the birth of their son, Martin, Jr. 

Martin Galbraith, Jr., was educated in the public schools of that city. 
He early became a hotel proprietor, and is now owner of the only hotel 
in Iselin, a village of Woodbridge township, Middlesex county, on the 
Pennsylvania Railroad. The hotel of which Mr. Galbraith is proprietor 
was built in 1864. In politics he is an independent, in religious faith a 
Catholic. His fraternity is the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, 
of Rahway. 

Mr. Galbraith married, April i, 1901, at Plainfield, New Jersey, Mary 
Geary, born November 5, 1881, daughter of Richard and Ellen (Hughes) 
Geary, born in Iselin. To Mr. and Mrs. Galbraith five children were 
born: Dorothy, born February 21, 1903; Roger, born June 9, 1905, died 
March 14, 1910; Eleanor, born November 16, 1909; Charles, bom Novem- 
ber 5, 191 1 ; Howard, born February 24, 1915. 



38o MIDDLESEX 

CALVIN CLETUS CUNNIUS, JR.— Coming to New Brunswick 
a lad just out of high school, Mr. Cunnius saw the opportunity and two 
years later established the business which he has since conducted — 
an automobile service station, his absence in the army the only interrup- 
tion since 191 5. 

Calvin C. Cunnius, Jr., was born in Freeland, Pennsylvania, March 19, 
1897, the son of Calvin and Mary (Nagle) Cunnius; his father is engaged 
in the automobile business. The family later moved to Long Branch, 
New Jersey, where Calvin C. was educated, finishing with graduation 
from Chattle High School. He became familiar with the automobile 
business and was the first to operate auto-motive electrical service in 
New Brunswick. Later, for two years, he was with the Willard Com- 
pany at their New Brunswick station. In 1915, although but eighteen 
years of age, he opened a service station in New Brunswick for his 
own account, and has successfully conducted it until the present (1921). 

During the World War, Mr. Cunnius enlisted in the United States 
army, September 5, 1918, and spent five months at Camp Humphries, 
Virginia, as a private of Company K, Engineers Regiment. He was 
honorably discharged, January 4, 1919. He is a member of the Lions 
Club, and of Suydam Street Reformed Church. 

On May 5, 1918, in Suydam Street Reformed Church, Mr. Cunnius 
married Mary Regina Deshler, daughter of John and Mary Deshler. 

Mr. Cunnius is a young man of energy and ability, and has obtained 
a good start in the business world. His service station, at No. 257 
George street, is well patronized, the service being appreciated by 
motorists. 



ARTHUR J. HAMLEY, now cashier of the First National Bank 
of Dunellen, New Jersey, was born in Mount Olive, New, Jersey, 
December 18, 1881, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Lindberry) 
Hamley, his father a machinist. Arthur J. Hamley was educated in 
public schools and business college, and when ready to enter business 
life he chose banking. He came to the First National Bank of Dunellen, 
January i, 1907, and since has been its efificient cashier. He is thoroughly 
informed in matters financial, and has the entire confidence of the public. 
Mr. Hamley is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Presby- 
terian church. Mr. Hamley married, in 1903, in Stephensburg, New 
Jersey, Esther M. Fleming, daughter of Albert and M. Louise (Mitchell) 
Fleming, her father a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Hamley are the parents 
of two children: J. Ronald, born January 15, 1905; S. Elizabeth, born 
July 22, 1909. 



JOHN H. BECKER. — As a cosmopolitan nation, America is distinc- 
tive. From the four quarters of the globe men have come to her shores, 
many of whom have been men of unbounded integrity, of determined 
purpose, of mental vigor and endurance, men who are both builders 
and conservators. When one man passes another on the highway of pros- 
perity and high standing in a community, it is because he has the power 



BIOGRAPHICAL 381 

to make the most of every advantage which surround the human race. 
It is this power which has made John H. Becker, of Milltown, New 
Jersey, one of the leading men of this community. 

John H. Becker was born in Austria-Hungary, December 24, 1886, 
and came to this country at the age of sixteen. He conducts a garage 
at Milltown, New Jersey, where he also does a large repair business. 
He has won his way to success through sheer pluck and that indomit- 
able energy which in its last analysis is the fundamental characteristic 
of the successful business man. His career is one of those whose 
study affords fruitful conclusions for men who possess the combination 
of pluck and perseverance, and who take advantage of the opportunities 
open to young men in this country. In politics Mr. Becker is a Repub- 
lican. He fraternizes with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and 
the Improved Order of Red Men. 

On August 4, 1907, Mr. Becker was united in marriage with Anna 
Mihalofsky, and they are the parents of five children : Anna, born April 
4, 1908; Elizabeth, born December 11, 1910; John, born January 6, 1912; 
Margaret, born June 12, 1918; Catherine, born February 25, 1920. The 
family home is at No. 86 Riva avenue, Milltown, New Jersey. 



PATRICK F. McCUTCHEON, numbered among the representative 
citizens of Sayreville, New Jersey, is a native of this community, where 
he has always had the welfare and advancement of it uppermost in his 
mind and given earnest support to all movements calculated to advance 
its development. 

Patrick F. McCutcheon was born January 6, 1865, in Sayreville, 
New Jersey, the son of John and Anna (Campbell) McCutcheon. He 
was educated in the schools of his native place, and after completing 
his studies entered upon his business career. For the past thirty years 
he has been owner and manager of a general merchandise store and has 
been highly successful in this venture. Unswerving honesty and fairness 
has won for him the respect of his . fellow-citizens. In politics Mr. 
McCutcheon is a Democrat, and gives to the affairs of the organization 
the interest demanded of every good citizen. He is also prominent in 
fraternal circles, being affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, the 
Improved Order of Red Men, the Foresters of America, and the Wood- 
men of the World. In religion he is a Roman Catholic, and has always 
served the church well by personal righteousness, and his means is ever 
contributed to his church and its benevolences. 

Patrick F. McCutcheon was united in marriage with Catherine (Kel- 
ley) Clark, February 26, 1900. Mrs. McCutcheon was born September 
I, 1865, in New York City, the daughter of Martin and Margaret (Gur- 
nan) Kelley. Mr. and Mrs. McCutcheon have no children. 



WILLIAM P. WALDRON.— At Three Bridges, a village of Hun- 
terdon county, New Jersey, on the south branch of the Raritan river, 
four miles east of Flemington, Peter Waldron, and his son, William P., 
were born, that locality having long been the family seat. Peter Wal- 



382 MIDDLESEX 

dron, a farmer of Three Bridges, married Louise West, born in Mont- 
gomery, Somerset county, New Jersey, and they were the parents of 
William P. Waldron, now (1921) superintendent of the Middlesex 
County Poor Farm. 

William P. Waldron was born at Three Bridges, New Jersey, Novem- 
ber 15, 1871, and there was educated in the public schools. He remained 
at home, his father's farm helper, until coming of age, then farmed 
for his own account until elected to superintend the County Poor Farm 
at Stelton. He has held that position for seven years, beginning in 
1914. He is a Republican in politics, a member of Stelton Baptist 
Church, and of the Junior Order of American Mechanics. 

Mr. Waldron married, at Bound Brook, New Jersey, March 31, 1897, 
Carrie Moore, born at Bound Brook, July 31, 1873, daughter of John 
M. and Mary (Wisner) Moore, her father a miller. Mr. and Mrs. Wal- 
dron have three children : Rilla, born September 2, 1901 ; Beulah, born 
January 19, 1907; Howard, born February 20, 1910. 



JAMES PARKER LIDDLE.— A native son of Middlesex county, 
Mr. Liddle strayed far from his native heath, and for thirty years braved 
the storms that swept Dakota's prairies. But storms are followed by 
sunshine, and the Dakota storms and sunshine produced the wonderful 
crops which Mr. Liddle garnered year after year, until his wants were 
satisfied, then he met the craving he had long fought against and returned 
to the hills, valleys and fields of Middlesex county. On a little farm not 
far from Metuchen (a garden in comparison with his broad Dakota 
acres) he located, near enough to have city advantages, far enough 
away to avoid the crowded feeling, and there the veteran of seventy- 
three years, in the house which he rebuilt and modernized, is reaping 
the reward of his years of toil in a life of contented ease. He is a son 
of Joshua and Ann (Buck) Liddle, his father before him a Middlesex, 
farmer. 

James Parker Liddle was born in Woodbridge township, Middlesex 
county, New Jersey, December 15, 1847, and there spent the years of his 
youth and early manhood. He attended public schools, then learned 
the blacksmith's trade, working at his trade and farming until 1878, 
when he went to North Dakota, and there remained for thirty years. In 
the early days in North Dakota few people attempted to remain on 
their prairie lands during the winer, Mr. Liddle being one of the first 
to attempt it in his section. He built one of the first frame houses in 
that country, most of the houses being made of sod, which is a house 
partly' below and partly above the surface, the walls and roof being 
built of thick, tough prairie sod, making a warm and comfortable home. 
After thirty years in the West he returned to Middlesex county and 
bought a little farm of nineteen acres near Metuchen, and has there 
created a delightful home for his declining years. In politics he is a 
Republican, and takes a great interest in affairs of his community. 

Mr. Liddle married, at Fords Corners, New Jersey, December 15, 
1873, Ellen GafFney, born in Boston, Massachusetts, July 5, 1849, daugh- 
ter of John and Ellen (Lavigne) Gaflfney, both bom in Ireland. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 383 

JOHN JOSEPH QUINN.— One of the responsible executive posi- 
tions in the business world of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is filled by 
John Joseph Quinn. Born in this city, he is a son of Terence Quinn, 
a native of Ireland, who spent the greater part of his life in this country. 

Terence Quinn was born in Tyrone, Ireland, and came here with 
his parents when he was a boy. The family located in Philadelphia, 
and remained there for a considerable period of time. In his early 
manhood young Terence enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment, and 
served through the Civil War. Soon after his discharge, he came to 
Perth Amboy, and established a cigar and candy store at No. 88 
Smith street. He conducted this store for many years, and the building 
in which it was located came to be known as the "Old Quinn Home- 
stead." It is still in excellent condition, and used for both residence 
and business purposes. Mr. Quinn's widow still resides there. Mr. 
Quinn died on September 29, 1893, at the age of sixty-one. He married 
Jane McDonnell, who was born in County Sligo, Ireland, and came to 
this country with her father at the age of nine years, settling in Quebec, 
Canada. Terence and Jane (McDonnell) Quinn were the parents of the 
following children : Mary ; Arthur ; Elizabeth ; Terence, deceased ; Anna ; 
James ; Michael, deceased ; and John Joseph. 

John Joseph Quinn began his education in the public schools of 
Perth Amboy. After completing the usual course, he entered the 
Coleman Business College, of Newark, New Jersey, and was graduated 
in 1903. He then entered the employ of Westinghouse, Church, Kerr 
& Company, engineers of New York City, as one of their statistical 
force, remaining with them for a year and a half, during which time he 
spent his evenings in advanced study at the Lenftner Preparatory 
School. At the end of that time he went to New York University, com- 
pleting his studies, and for the next five years was employed by 
Douglas Robinson, of Charles S. Brown Company, dealers in real 
estate. Returning to Perth Amboy, he became associated with Alpern 
& Company, as vice-president of their organization, remaining in this 
connection for three years. He is now manager of the real estate depart- 
ment of the Perth Amboy Trust Company; and is also clerk of the 
District Court of Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Quinn is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Benevolent 
and Protective Order of Elks, and the Raritan Yacht Club. His hobby 
is music, and he has a fine bass voice. He is a member of the Roman 
Catholic church. Mr. Quinn married, October 20, 1920, Florence E. 
Donegan, a teacher in the grammar school of Perth Amboy. 



W. GUY WEAVER, now general superintendent of the New Jersey 
plants of the National Fireproofing Company, with local offices in Perth 
Amboy, was born in Newark, New Jersey, December 29, 1878, son 
of W. Guy and Elizabeth J. (Brannigan) Weaver, his father a railroad 
man and a well known resident of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

The son, W. Guy Weaver, was educated in Perth Amboy public 
schools, and after school years were over, began his business career, 



384 MIDDLESEX 

his first position being as office boy with the G. B. Wilson Company, 
in Jersey City. He remained with that house four years, then, about 
1896, became a clerk with the Perth Amboy Gas Light Company, con- 
tinuing here until 1898. In the same year he took a position with the 
American Smelting and Refining Company, as a weigher in the lead 
department, holding this until 1902. In July, 1902, he entered the 
employ of the National Fireproofing Company at Perth Amboy, a con- 
nection which has grown closer and stronger as the years have passed 
by and which he yet continues (1921). 

Mr. Weaver's first place with the above company was as a clerk in 
the shipping department, and promotion followed, he having been suc- 
cessively assistant superintendent, superintendent, and, as above stated, 
is now general superintendent of all the company's plants in New Jersey, 
one being located in Perth Amboy, two in Woodbridge township, one 
at Lorillard, and one at Port Murray. He is a thorough master of every 
detail of the business over which he has direction, and is regarded as 
one of the best informed and most capable men in the business. He is 
a director of the City National Bank of Perth Amboy, and of the Wood- 
bridge National Bank, of Woodbridge, New Jersey. 

In politics, Mr. Weaver is a Democrat, and has served the city of 
Perth Amboy as president of the Board of Aldermen, and as secretary 
of the Board of Water Commissioners. He is a past exalted ruler of 
Perth Amboy Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ; a mem- 
ber of the Knights of Columbus ; Royal Arcanum ; and Woodmen of the 
World; and his religious connection is with St. James' Roman Catholic 
Church of Woodbridge. His clubs are the East Jersey, the Raritan 
River Yacht, and the Sewaren Land and Water. 

Mr. Weaver married, at Perth Amboy, October 30, 1902, Madeline 
R. Hartung, daughter of Bernard and Theresa (Angst) Hartung, of 
Perth Amboy. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver are the parents of two daughters : 
Ruth M., and Bernice C. Since coming to Woodbridge, after a long 
residence in Perth Amboy, the family home has been at No. 192 Green 
street. 



JOSEPH A. FURKAY. — Almost the entire section around James- 
burg is given over to farming, that portion of New Jersey having a wide 
reputation for agricultural development. One of the numerous farms 
is operated by Joseph A. Furkay, who has been a resident for some years 
past, though not a native of this State. 

Joseph A. Furkay was born in New York City, March 11, 1874, 
the son of John Furkay, a cigar maker of that city, and his wife, Anna 
(Lowda) Furkay. The education of the young boy was acquired in 
the common schools, and when that was finished he began his farming 
career. 

In politics Mr. Furkay is a liberal, and in religion he is a Presby- 
terian ; his business interests are with the First National Bank of James- 
burg, and the only organization of which he is a member is the Farmers' 
Corporation of Monmouth county. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 385 

In Rhode Hall, February 26, 1902, Joseph A. Furkay was united in 
marriage with Mae E. Scott, born April 5, 1882, in Hightstown, New 
Jersey. She is the daughter of Addison H. and Lydia A. (Ferine) Scott, 
born natives of Hightstown. The grandfather of Mae E. (Scott) Furkay 
was James Scott, and her grandmother Mary Harding, both having 
been born in Mercer county, New Jersey, all her family for several gener- 
ations owning that county as their native place. Mr. and Mrs. Furkay 
have two children : Addison S., born September 4, 1903 ; and Joseph A., 
born September 14, 1915. 



LEO C. OSBORN, an agriculturist and market gardener in the 
vicinity of New Brunswick, New Jersey, is a man who has won for 
himself a place among the prominent and highly respected citizens of 
that locality, who through his industry, his upright and honorable 
principles, and his genial nature, well merits the confidence and esteem 
in which he is held by his fellow-men. 

Leo C. Osborn was born in New Market, Middlesex county. New 
Jersey, May 23, 1887, a son of Peter C. and Ida E. (Fulton) Osborn, 
the father devoting the years of his active career to the breaking and 
training of horses, a lucrative occupation in those days when horses 
were used almost exclusively as a means of conveyance from place to 
place, in addition to being used for all kinds of work. By attendance at 
the common schools in the neighborhood of his home, Leo C. Osborn 
obtained a good education, and upon the completion of his studies he 
turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, the farm which he now 
owns and resides on having been in the possession of members of the 
family from the Revolutionary period, he being a member of the fifth 
generation, and a portion of the house he resides in was built prior 
to the Revolutionary War, this making it one of the ancient landmarks 
of that locality. The work and care he has bestowed on his property 
is amply shown in the harvests that it yields, which is housed in com- 
modious and modern buildings, everything kept in the best of order. In 
religious preference he is a First Day Baptist, and he is connected with 
the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, and the local Grange, 
Patrons of Husbandry. 

Mr. Osborn married, October 14, 1914, at High Bridge, Hunterdon 
county. New Jersey, Mae Cory Titus, born April 30, 1896, at Plainfield, 
New Jersey, daughter of Isaac and Caroline Titus, the former named 
born in Ohio, and the latter named in Bound Brook, New Jersey. Mr. 
and Mrs. Osborn are the parents of one child, Gorden, bom Septem- 
ber 27, 19 1 7. 

HENRY KUHLTHAU, one of the leading business men of the bor- 
ough of Milltown, is the successful proprietor of a coal, hay and grain 
.'Store He also carries on an extensive trade in all kinds of farm 
products. 

While Mr. Kuhlthau is a descendant of German ancestry, he is of 
American birth, having been born in Milltown, New Jersey, April 23, 

Mid-2S 



386 MIDDLESEX 

1864. After attending the public school of that town, he assisted his 
father both in his general store and on the farm, growing up to man- 
hood in the village where he was borri. His father, Conrad Kuhlthau, 
was born in Germany, came to this country when a young man, joined 
the mad rush to the Pacific coast, and became one of the gold diggers 
of California. He afterward came East and settled in Milltown, engag- 
ing in farming and conducting the village store, handling general mer- 
chandise. He bought and sold the farm his son now lives on. The 
mother of Henry Kuhlthau was Myleana (Junker) Kuhlthau, also a 
native of Germany. 

Mr. Kuhlthau takes an active part in all the affairs of the constantly 
growing borough, and is well regarded by his fellow-citizens. He has 
been chosen president of the Milltown Building and Loan Association. 
He also is a member of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics 
and of the Improved Order of Red Men. In politics Mr. Kuhlthau is a 
Republican, but not a politician, though for the last nine years he has 
been one of the councilmen of the borough. He is also a member of 
the Milltown Republican Club. Mr. Kuhlthau and his family attend 
St. Paul's Church. 

On August 4, 1886, in the city of New Brunswick, Henry Kuhlthau 
married Mamie Hughes, daughter of Thomas Hughes, a native of Eng- 
land. Mr. Hughes came to this country many years ago and settled 
in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where his daughter Mamie was born 
May 28, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kuhlthau have one child. May E., 
born in 1887. 

REUNE FITZ RANDOLPH, deceased, who for many years was 
a representative of the farming interests of Raritan township, Middlesex 
county. New Jersey, was a lineal descendant in the ninth generation 
of a family that made its home in the State of New Jersey at an early 
date, the founder having been Edward Fitz Randolph, a native of 
England, from whence he emigrated to New England in the year 1630 
and located in the State of Massachusetts, married. May 10, 1637, 
Elizabeth Blossom, and later moved to Manasquan, New Jersey. The 
descent to Reune Fitz Randolph was through his son, Thomas Fitz 
Randolph; his son, David B. Fitz Randolph, born January i, 1690; his 
son, William Fitz Randolph, born January 10, 1716, died December 10, 
1795; his son, Nehemiah Fitz Randolph, born January 3, 1745, died 
January 3, 1806, married Sarah Walker, born 1750, died March 27, 1807 ; 
their son, Peter Fitz Randolph, bom December 12, 1767, died April 24, 
1815, married Phoebe Blackford, born February 12, 1763; their son, 
Asa Fitz Randolph, born in Plainfield, New Jersey, May 21, 1802, a 
farmer by occupation, married Hannah T. Drake, born August 18, 1801, 
in New Jersey, they the parents of Reune Fitz Randolph, of this review. 

Reune Fitz Randolph was born in Plainfield, Union county. New 
Jersey, February 18, 1837. He attended the schools of his native place, 
completing his studies in the Plainfield High School, thus acquiring 
an education that prepared him for the activities of life. He gave his 
attention to farming pursuits in early boyhood, and so continued until 



BIOGRAPHICAL 387 

his retirement from labor in his declining years, thereafter enjoying 
to the full the rest and quiet that should follow years of strenuous 
effort. He was a Seventh Day Baptist in religion, and a Republican 
in politics, and was looked upon in the vicinity of his home as a good 
neighbor and friend. His death occurred at his home, January 25, 1914. 
Reune Fitz Randolph married, in Flemington, New Jersey, January 
I, 1862, Anna Camp, born in Flemington, August 25, 1842, daughter of 
Elias Camp, who was born in Cape May, New Jersey, May 23, 1816, 
married, September 30, 1838, Elizabeth Ann Dills, born February i, 1814. 
Three children were born of this union, as follows : Ida, born August 5, 
1864; Nellie, born July 5, 1866, departed this life December 27, 1901 ; and 
Etta, born January 27, 1874. They reside in the old homestead, and are 
honored and esteemed for their excellent characteristics. 



PLATT J. ROWLEY, deceased, who for many years was classed 
among the prosperous and representative tillers of the soil of Raritan 
township, in the vicinity of Plainfield, New Jersey, who are noted for 
their excellent products, was born in Lexington, Greene county, New 
York, March 18, 1822, a son of Nathan and Esther (Goslie) Rowley, who 
resided for many years on a farm there. 

The district schools of Lexington afforded Piatt J. Rowley the 
opportunity of obtaining an elementary education, and his active life 
thereafter was devoted to farming in Greene county, New York, and 
later in Middlesex county. New Jersey. He spent a number of years 
on his father's farm in New York State, and later became the owner of 
the farm in New Jersey, whereon he spent the remainder of his days, 
and which since his death is occupied by his daughters. He was a man 
of means and experience, energetic, thrifty, and painstaking, all these 
qualities combining to make him a successful farmer. He also gave 
proof of his patriotism and allegiance to his country by enlisting in its 
service during the period of the Civil War, becoming a lieutenant in the 
Ulster New York Guard, which was ready for service at any moment, 
but was not called out for action. He was a member of the First Baptist 
Church of Plainfield, an adherent of Republican principles, and highly 
esteemed by all with whom he associated, either in business, religious 
or social circles. 

Mr. Rowley married, in Somerville, New Jersey, December 31, 1865, 
Augusta C. Cubberley, born March 23, 1829, daughter of Isaac Cubberley, 
of Bergen, New Jersey, and his wife, Susanna (Van Nostrand) Cubber- 
ley, of Paterson, New Jersey. The Cubberleys are an old English family, 
various members being found among the early settlers of Staten Island, 
and in the maternal line Mrs. Rowley is descended from the Mercereau 
family, an equally well known family. Two children were born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Rowley: Lizzie, born February 12, 1868, resides at the home- 
stead in Plainfield; Adelaide, born August 31, 1870, also resides on the 
old homestead; she became the wife of George M. Banks, and they are 
the parents of five children, as follows: Luther, Everett, Adelaide, 
Eunice, and George. Mr. Rowley died in his residence on the farm in 
Raritan township, August 17, 1899, and his wife died October 25, 1913. 



388 MIDDLESEX 

PHINNEY E. AND RUTHETTA (CURTIS-DRAKE) GRAF- 

FAM.— In the town of Gray, eighteen miles from Portland, Cumberland 
county, Maine, Phinney E. GrafJam was born, October 5, 1852, son of 
Clement and Elizabeth (Ross) Grafifam; his father was a farmer. After 
finishing public school, he learned the carpenter's trade, which he 
followed many years. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, a Republican in poHtics, and in his younger years a member of 
the militia. 

Mr. Grafifam married, in Newark, New Jersey, December 3, 1916, 
Ruthetta (Curtis) Drake, daughter of David and Katherine (Long) 
Curtis, and widow of David F. Drake, dealer in stocks, who was born 
in Plainfield, Union county, February 11, 1845, son of William W. Drake, 
Esq., a descendant of Sir Frances Drake, and Eunice (French) Drake, 
who was a sister of P. M. French. William W. Drake, Esq., filled a 
number of important public offices during his life. He was health com- 
missioner, overseer of the poor, and county surveyor, holding these 
positions until the time of his death. 

Ruthetta (Curtis-Drake) Graflam was born in Plainfield, Union 
county, April 27, 1850, and has been a resident of this section all her 
life. She traces her ancestors (all of whom were born and lived in 
Union county) back to the early pioneer days of the seventeenth century, 
her great-grandfather, Daniel Curtis, having fought and died in the fight 
for independence. 

In her early life, Mrs. Grafifam devoted a great deal of her time to 
fancy poultry raising, for which she took many prizes. Of recent years 
she has dealt extensively in real estate, and owns a large amount of 
property in Plainfield. At the present time she and Mr. Graffam reside 
on their farm in Piscataway township. The farm is under splendid culti- 
vation. She is a Methodist, a member of the First Methodist Church of 
Plainfield. Notwithstanding her very active life in business, Mrs. Graf- 
fam has always found time to minister to the wants of the poor and 
needy, and is well known for her philanthropic work. 

By Mrs. Grafifam 's first marriage there are five children now living: 
I. William W. Drake, milk dealer, married, in Trenton, New Jersey, 
Lily Fermann, and has two children: Eugene and Bessie. 2. Minnie 
Drake, who lives in Plainfield, New Jersey; married John Barber Car- 
penter, and has two children: Ethel and William. 3. Edward Drake, 
public service employee for twenty-one years; married, in New Bruns- 
wick, New Jersey, Mabel Curtis, and has five children : Dorothy, Evelyn, 
Walter, Katherine and Mabel. 4. Charles Drake, stock farmer, in New 
Brunswick, New Jersey, married Mabel Long, and has two children: 
Nellie and Grace. 5. Sarah Elizabeth, of Brooklyn, New York, married 
Edward Sanders, retired merchant, and has three children: Gladys, 
Victor and Ruth. 



FRANK J. LAWSON. — Although Mr. Lawson has been a resident 
of Woodbridge for a longer period than he can remember, his business 
is and always has been in New York City, he having been connected 




(y/Lj^.^uy/oX. <^^ 



^lAV^^s-y^^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 389 

with the music publishing business since his school days, and is now 
head of the F. J. Lawson Company, Inc., general publishers of music. 
He is not only a practical printer, but a practical publisher and an 
excellent business man. 

Frank J. Lawson is a son of Peter Lawson, a one-time music pub- 
lisher of New York, who nioved to Woodbridge, New Jersey, in 1867, 
and there died, February 21, 1899. He was born in New York, in 1817, 
and continued actively engaged in the music publishing business until 
1898, when he retired in favor of his son, who had been his valued assist- 
ant. He was a member of the famous Seventh Regiment, New York 
Militia, and was with that regiment in some of its noted experiences. 
He married Rachel Lyons, of English parentage. She died in Wood- 
bridge, New Jersey, December 12, 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Lawson were 
the parents of five children : James, Henry, Frank J., of further mention ; 
Jeannette, and Elsie. 

Frank J. Lawson was born in New York City, December 16, 1866, 
but in 1867 Woodbridge, New Jersey, became the family home, and there 
he completed public school studies. He then pursued a course of study 
at Paine's Business College, New York City, after which he became 
associated with his father in business. Under his father's direction he 
learned the printer's trade, and the methods of setting musical scores, 
printing, and every detail of the business. He became his father's trusted 
assistant, and when, in 1898, Peter Lawson retired from the business, 
Frank J. Lawson assumed sole management. In 1907 the business was 
incorporated as the F. J. Lawson Company, with offices at No. 350 
West Thirty-eighth street. New York. The business is one of the largest 
music publishing concerns in the country, and at the company's plant 
every phase of music printing is conducted. Outside of his own firm, 
Mr. Lawson is interested in other activities, among them being vice- 
president of the Woodbridge National Bank. 

Mr. Lawson is a Republican in politics, and takes a keen interest 
in local aflfairs. He is a trustee of the First Congregational Church of 
Woodbridge, is past chancellor commander of Woodbridge Lodge, 
Knights of Pythias, and member of the official board of Woodbridge 
Chapter of the Red Cross. He has taken a keen interest in the affairs 
of the community, and is one of the esteemed citizens of the town. 



RUSSELL E. RUNYON.— Dunellen, New Jersey, has long been the 
home of this branch of the Runyon family, this review dealing with 
three heads of generations who have made Dunellen the seat of their 
business activities: Eugene Runyon, his son, Walter G. Runyon, and 
his grandson, Russell E. Runyon. Eugene Runyon was active in town 
enterprises, and one of the leading men of his day. He was one of the 
principal organizers of the Dunellen Building and Loan Association, 
and conducted a large real estate and insurance business. He was also 
a merchant of Dunellen, and a man genuinely respected. He married 
Jersey Ann Randolph, and they were the parents of five children: 
Walter G., of further mention; Oscar, for many years a leading mer- 



390 



MIDDLESEX 



chant of Dunellen, borough councilman, and a member of the Board 
of Education ; William, Arthur, and Randolph, all of whom died young. 

Walter G. Runyon, eldest son of Eugene and Jersey Ann (Randolph) 
Runyon, was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, and for thirty years was 
engaged in the undertaking business in Dunellen. He also conducted 
a successful livery business, dealt extensively in real estate, and became 
influential in town affairs. He was highly esteemed and widely known 
as a man of integrity, public-spirited and progressive, whose labors for 
the good of Dunellen added much to town progress and welfare. He 
was a member of several organizations, social and fraternal, and a 
devoted member of the New Market Baptist Church. He married Cora 
A. Apgar, of Cokesbury, New Jersey, and they were the parents of an 
only child, Russell E. Runyon, of further mention. 

Russell E. Runyon, son of Walter G. and Cora A. (Apgar) Runyon, 
was born in Dunellen, New Jersey, October i, 1891, and there was 
educated in the public schools of Dunellen. He finished his studies in 
Plainfield High School and after leaving that institution, became asso- 
ciated with his father in business, continuing until the passing of the 
elder partner, when the son succeeded him as owner and manager. He 
has other business interests in his town, one being his connection with 
the First National Bank, another, the Dunellen Building and Loan Asso- 
ciation, of which his grandfather was a founder. He is a member of 
several organizations of Dunellen, social and fraternal, and takes a deep 
interest in town affairs. 

Mr. Runyon married (first) at Dunellen, November 18, 1914, Edna 
M. Shivley, of Dunellen, who died December 14, 1917, the mother of two 
children: Walter G. (2), born October 3, 1915; and Edythe A., born 
November 23, 1916. He married (second) Mabel Brown, of Boonton, 
New Jersey. 



ALVAH GRAY. — Among the leading residents of Dunellen who 
have passed from a life of usefulness and service was Alvah Gray. He 
was one of the town's most influential citizens, highly esteemed by all 
who knew him, and his death, which occurred February 9, 1918, was a 
sad loss to the community. He was a native of the State of New Jersey, 
born near Long Valley, Hunterdon county, November 18, 1849, ^ son 
of Ranee H. and Elizabeth (Swakhamer) Gray, natives of Long Valley, 
where Mr. Gray was engaged in agricultural pursuits. 

Alvah Gray was a student in the common schools adjacent to his 
childhood home, and being inured to farm labor, assisted his father in 
the work of the homestead. He gave his attention to that line of occu- 
pation until the year 1884, then took up an entirely different line of 
work, engaging in the lumber, coal, flour and feed business in Dunellen, 
Middlesex county. His business increased in volume and importance 
with each passing year until it ranked among the most successful in this 
section of the township. He was honorable and straightforward in his 
methods of conducting his business, energetic and enterprising, and the 
success which he achieved was the direct result of his own well-directed 
efforts. His connection as president of the First National Bank of 



BIOGRAPHICAL 391 

Dunellen for many years testified to his trustworthiness and ability. 
He was a member of the Presbyterian church of Dunellen, and his 
political allegiance was given to the Republican party. For many 
years he was a member of the Town Board, and a committeeman of the 
township. 

Mr. Gray married, in Glen Garden, near Spruce Run, New Jersey, 
December 18, 1869, Mary Elizabeth Bonnell, born in Clinton, New 
Jersey, October 20, 1849, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Beavers) 
Bonnell, natives of Clinton. Mr. and Mrs. Gray were the parents of one 
daughter, Sarah Louise, born in Califon, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, 
September 4, 1874 ; she married, April 20, 1898, William E. Terry, born 
September 29, 1872, now serving in the capacity of manager of the 
American Felt Company in New York City, and resides in Dunellen. 
Mr. and Mrs. Terry are the parents of three children: Natalie, born 
December 30, 1901 ; Edwin T., born July 12, 1904 ; and Richard G., born 
July II, 1907. 



TRUMAN W. BILYEU, one of the successful business men of New 
Market, New Jersey, is a man of excellent business and executive ability, 
is public-spirited and enterprising, and has always adhered to a high 
standard of living, both in public and private life, and enjoys the esteem 
and respect of all who know him. 

Truman W. Bilyeu is a native of Brooklyn, New York, born October 
31, 1847, ^ son of William and Sarah (Upson) Bilyeu, the former named 
born in Somerset county. New Jersey, a chair maker by trade, from 
which he derived a comfortable livelihood, and the latter named a 
native of New York City. The common schools in the vicinity of his 
home afforded Truman W. Bilyeu the opportunity of acquiring a prac- 
tical education, and upon arriving at the age when he could depend 
upon his own efforts for making a living, he chose the trade of blacksmith, 
at which he became highly proficient. He also learned the trade of 
wagonmaker, and to these occupations he has since devoted his entire 
time and energy. In 1870, at the age of twenty-three years, he estab- 
lished a blacksmith shop on Somerset street, in Plainfield, New Jersey, 
which he conducted very successfully up to the year 1910, when he 
moved to New Market and there erected a repair and blacksmith shop, 
at the same time erecting a modern house for the occupancy of his 
family. At present he is connected with his son-in-law, Walter J. Titus, 
in the blacksmith and wagonmaking shop at New Market. Mr. Bilyeu 
is a Baptist in religion, and is staunch in his advocacy of the principles 
of the Republican party. 

Mr. Bilyeu married, June 24, 1871, in Plainfield, New Jersey, Adeline 
Harris, born in New Market, Middlesex county, New Jersey, December 
8, 1845, daughter of John and Susan (Pope) Harris. Two children have 
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bilyeu, namely: Emma Louise, born March 
30, 1872, who became the wife of Walter J. Titus, of Somerset county, 
New Jersey; and Florence, born March 5, 1882, who became the wife 
of George Apgar, of Plainfield, and they are the parents of two children : 
George, Jr., and Harold Apgar. 



392 MIDDLESEX 

JAMES SCANLON.— At the age of thirty, James Scanlon came to 
the United States from Ireland and became an employee of the Penn- 
sylvania Railroad, remaining many years with that company until an 
accident so crippled him that his days of usefulness to the road were 
ended. The company most generously compensated him by placing him 
upon the pension list, and he now resides at Menlo Park, Middlesex 
county, New Jersey, a property owner, contented and free from all care. 
He is a son of John and Katherine (Dugan) Scanlon, both of whom lived 
and died in County Sligo, Ireland, his father a farmer. The family were 
members of the Roman Cathohc church, and in that faith James Scanlon 
firmly abides. 

James Scanlon was born in County Sligo, Ireland, August 15, 1853 
He attended parish schools, and until 1883 resided in Ireland, employed 
as a farm hand and in other pursuits. In that year he came to the 
United States and soon afterward received employment with the Penit- 
sylvania Railroad. He was badly injured in a railroad wreck on the 
Pennsylvania, and has since been upon the company's retired list. He 
was a member of that old-time organization, the Knights of Labor, now 
but a memory but at one time very strong. In politics he is a Democrat 

Mr. Scanlon married, in Ireland, February 3, 1879, Katherine Carroll 
born November 27, 1850, in Ireland, daughter of Mark and Bridget 
(Dwyer) Carroll. Mr. and Mrs. Scanlon are the parents of four children; 
I. Mary, born November 7, 1882; she married Joseph Jan Konsky, and 
has eight children : Katherine, Mary, John, James, Joseph, Agnes, 
Michael, and Edward. 2. John, born July 24, 1884, deceased. 3. Kath- 
erine, born February i, 1888; she married Stephen Walker, and has three 
children : Gertrude, Katherine, and James. 4. John F., born May 21, 
1896. 



low R. EDGAR. — The Edgars were formerly a Woodbridge family, 
and there Freeman Edgar, the father of low R. Edgar, was born. While 
he was yet young, his parents moved to New York City, where his life 
was largely spent. For a number of years he was engaged in the grocery 
business there, but later in life was in the same business in Metuchen, 
New Jersey, where he died. 

low R. Edgar, son of Freeman and Sarah (Martin) Edgar, was born 
in New York City, March 20, 1847, and there spent the first eleven years 
of his youth. He attended the New York City public schools until 1858, 
when the family moved to Metuchen, New Jersey, and there the lad 
attended a private school until 1862, when school days ended. In that 
year he became a clerk in his father's general store in Metuchen, con- 
tinuing in the business until 1873. He then became engaged in general 
merchandising on his own account for several years, later entering the 
clay business, a line of activity he has been in for thirty years, having 
clay interests in Middlesex county. New Jersey, in Florida, and in 
Georgia. 

Mr. Edgar is a director of the Metuchen National Bank, a man 
highly regarded in business circles, and in a social way has many friends 




%H^^^ &>(t9-'^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 393 

throughout the community. In politics, Mr. Edgar is a Republican, 
keenly alive to his duties as a citizen, and is interested in all things for 
public betterment. He and his family are members of the Metuchen 
Reformed Church, where he married, in 1874, Cecilia Ross Thomas, 
daughter of David G. and Ann (Ross) Thomas, the Ross family one of 
the old Revolutionary families of Metuchen. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar are the 
parents of two sons : Harold T. and David R. The family home is at 
No. 32 Graham avenue, Metuchen. 



CALEB DOUGLAS FRASER.— The Eraser family, originating in 
the Scottish Highlands, was established on this side the Atlantic two 
hundred years ago, the original immigrant ancestor settling in Nova 
Scotia. There the family remained for many generations. William 
Eraser, who was born in Nova Scotia, in 1838, later came to the United 
States, bringing his wife and children, and located in Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey. He was in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad for many 
years. William Eraser died in Perth Amboy, in 1904. His wife, Susan 
Douglas, also born in Nova Scotia, survives him, and is now seventy-one 
years of age. She is a descendant of the famous Douglas clan of the 
Scottish Highlands. The children of this fine couple, all born in Nova 
Scotia with the exception of the youngest, with the sturdy pioneer spirit 
of their ancestors, are : Jessie, the wife of Frank Douglas, of Providence, 
Rhode Island ; Caleb D., of further mention ; Anne, widow of Maxwell 
E. Lawton, of Brooklyn, New York; Edwin Grant, a sketch of whom fol- 
lows ; Mary, who died not long after the family left Nova Scotia ; Har- 
riet, a resident of Perth Amboy; Emma, wife of John E. Sofield, of 
Perth Amboy; and William H., a real estate man in Perth Amboy. 

Caleb Douglas Fraser was bom in Hants county. Nova Scotia, on 
July 17, 1870, on the old farm where the family had lived for many years. 
There he attended school until he was sixteen years of age, helping his 
father in the butcher business in his spare time. In May, 1887, the family 
came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the young man accompanying them. 
Later, he was employed in a grocery store in Brooklyn, New York. 
Returning to Perth Amboy after a year spent thus, he was apprenticed to 
Thomas Langfan, a carpenter. He worked at this trade for a few years 
here in this city, then entered the employ of the American Smelting and 
Refining Company, and remained in that connection for ten years. Dur- 
ing that time, however, he kept in close touch with the construction work 
constantly going on in the rapid development of the city. The out- 
growth of this interest was the formation in 1907 of Eraser Brothers, 
real estate dealers. The Fraser Realty Company was also formed, of 
which Caleb Douglas Eraser is treasurer. He is also a director and sec- 
retary of the People's Building and Loan Association. 

Closely identified as he is with the growth and development of the 
city, Mr. Fraser is interested in every phase of its progress, and while 
always preferring to forward the welfare in an unofficial way, he was at 



394 MIDDLESEX 

one time induced to become a candidate for alderman of the First Ward. 
He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church, and an elder and trus- 
tee. He at one time taught in the Sunday school. 

Mr. Eraser married, October 12, 1899, in Pluckemin, New Jersey, 
Margaret Huff, daughter of David and Henriette (Van Arsdale) Huff. 
Mrs. Eraser was born in Pluckemin, and her mother now resides there, 
but her father died in Perth Amboy. Mr. and Mrs. Eraser have three 
children, all living: Mary Douglas, born August 14, 1902; Douglas, born 
June 12, 1904 ; and Margaret Melick, born February 29, 1908. 



EDWIN GRANT ERASER, fourth child of William and Susan 
(Douglas) Eraser (q. v.), was born in Shurbenacadie, Hants county. 
Nova Scotia, February 4, 1875, and there spent the first thirteen years of 
his life. In 1888 he came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and there com- 
pleted his school years. At the age of fifteen he began his business 
career in a Perth Amboy real estate office, and so well was he adapted to 
that business that he has always continued therein. He began business 
under his own name at the age of thirty-one, in 1906 opening his first 
office at No. 81 Smith street. Later he moved to No. 95 Smith street, 
thence to a building of his own at No. 194 Smith street, and in April, 
1918, to his present offices, No. 210 Smith street, in the Perth Amboy 
Savings Institution building. He has been very successful in business 
and holds the confidence and high regard of his fellowmen. He is a 
director of the First National Bank of Perth Amboy ; vice-president of 
the People's Building and Loan Association ; secretary-treasurer of the 
East Jersey Lumber and Timber Company; secretary-treasurer of the 
East Jersey Bridge Company ; and president of the Eraser Realty Com- 
pany. 

Mr. Eraser is a Democrat in politics, and was a member of the first 
Board of City Assessors, and president of the Perth Amboy Board of 
Water Commissioners. He is a member of the Masonic order, the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Royal Arcanum, East Jersey 
Club, Colonial Country Club, New York Athletic Club, and the First 
Presbyterian Church. Mr. Eraser is not married. 



STANLEY FRANK KACZMAREK.— Although Jersey City was his 
birthplace, Stanley F. Kaczmarek was brought by his parents to Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, when a child of five years. Thus, when bis law 
course was completed, he came directly to Perth Amboy and is there 
beginning the building of a career. He is the son of Frank and Mary 
Kaczmarek, both born in Poland, Europe, his father coming to the 
United States at the age of twenty-eight, settling in Jersey City, New 
Jersey, both yet living, Mrs. Kaczmarek a capable and well known mid- 
wife of Perth Amboy, the oldest in the city. Mr. and Mrs. Kaczmarek 
are the parents of two children : Mary, wife of Stephen Pribula, engaged 



BIOGRAPHICAL 395 

in the retail meat and provision business on State street, Perth Amboy; 
and Stanley F., of further mention. 

Stanley F. Kaczmarek was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, October 
19, 1895, his parents moving to Perth Amboy in 1900. He completed 
grammar school courses of study in 1910, high school in igi4, then 
entered the New Jersey Law School, at Newark, whence he was grad- 
uated, class of 1919. He began practice in Perth Amboy, in May, 1920, 
and is succeeding very well in his upbuilding of a practice, his offices 
being in the Board of Trade building. During the interval between high 
and law schools, Mr. Kaczmarek served in the United States army, 
attached to the base hospital medical corps. He enlisted. May 17, 191 7, 
and after three weeks at Fort Slocum was sent to Camp Ethan Allen, in 
Vermont, where he performed three months' service. His next assign- 
ment was at Camp McClellan, in Alabama, where he remained eighteen 
months, going thence to Camp Dix, New Jersey, where he was honorably 
discharged and mustered out, February 19, 1918. Mr. Kaczmarek is a 
member of the American Legion, St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church, 
and fond of those royal out-of-door sports, hunting and fishing. 



PATRICK FRANCIS KENAH.— Thomas Kenah, father of Patrick 
F. Kenah, was born in Cork, Ireland, and came to the United States a 
boy. He found a home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but in 1880 moved 
to South Amboy, New Jersey, where he died in 1910, aged seventy-two 
years. He was a ship carpenter and a good mechanic. He married Ellen 
Costigan, born in Tipperary, Ireland, and was brought to the United 
States by her parents, they settling in Philadelphia, where she died, in 
1871, aged twenty-six. They were the parents of four children: 
Mary, died in Philadelphia, at the age of thirty-seven years ; Patrick 
Francis, of further mention; Catherine, died aged five years; James 
Joseph, in the employ of the government at Washington. It was James 
J. Kenah who admitted President Wilson and his daughter to the floor 
of the House when the officer in charge of their party was trying to find 
keys to unlock the door, the janitor having gone home. The newspapers 
of the country made a thrilling story out of this, saying that the officer 
would not admit them, not recognizing the President. That story con- 
tained the usual grain of truth, but Mr. Kenah knew the President well, 
and stole a march on the other officers by getting the House door 
unlocked. 

Patrick F. Kenah, son of Thomas and Ellen (Costigan) Kenah, was 
born in Philadelphia, March 25, 1866, and there attended public schools 
until fourteen years of age. His father then moved to South Amboy, 
where the lad obtained employment in the shipyards, continuing a 
worker in the yards at Perth Amboy and South Amboy for ten years. In 
1890 he established a cafe in South Amboy, and in 1895 erected the build- 
ing he now occupies at No. 128 North Broadway. Personally, Mr. Kenah 
is a man in good standing among the business men of his city, is popu- 



396 MIDDLESEX 

lar with all classes and is a liberal public-spirited citizen. He is a director 
of the South Amboy Trust Company, a director of fifteen years standing 
in the Star Building and Loan Association of South Amboy, was secre- 
tary of the South Amboy Association, and in 1905 was elected chief of 
the fire department, having then been a member of the department for 
fourteen years. At the end of his term of service as chief, the South 
Amboy paper described his record as one of "conscientious service, intel- 
ligently and faithfully performed." Further, "in many particulars his 
wisdom and persevering efforts have secured important reforms in the 
ranks and greater efficiency in the service." 

Mr. Kenah is a member and ex-treasurer of the Loyal Order of 
Moose ; member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians ; of the Chamber of 
Commerce; and of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church. He is always 
ready and willing to "lend a hand" in any movement tending to advance 
the interests of South Amboy, and is interested in many of the city's 
enterprises not mentioned in this review. 

Mr. Kenah married, in Philadelphia, December 2-j, 1888, Mary A. 
Campbell, bom in that city, daughter of John and Mary Campbell, her 
parents both deceased. 



HENRY GUNTHER.— Frederick (i) Gunther, father of Henry 
Gunther, was born in Wittenbac, Germany, and served as cashier in the 
post-office of his native city. In 1850 he left his native land, coming to 
the United States and settling in the vicinity of Metuchen, New Jersey, 
where he purchased a farm, consisting of one hundred and fifteen acres, 
and built thereon a candle factory, which he operated for a number of 
years. The building was later destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. He 
also erected a substantial house, which is now (1921) occupied by his son, 
Henry Gunther, the present owner of the farm. The elder Mr. Gunther 
prospered as a farmer, and knew a freedom and independence previously 
but dreamed of. Frederick Gunther married Pauline Fischer, and they 
were the parents of three sons and two daughters, as follows: i. Fred- 
erick (2), born in Germany, now deceased; he accompanied his parents 
to the United States; in after life he resided in Philadelphia, Pennsyl- 
vania ; married Hannah Drake, of Metuchen, New Jersey, and they were 
the parents of three children: Frederick (3), Lillian, and Bertha. 2. 
Gustavus, born in Germany, and accompanied his parents to the United 
States ; he enlisted in the Union army and fought throughout the Civil 
War ; he had followed the life of a farmer, his home near Metuchen, New 
Jersey; he married Sarah LangstafT, and they are the parents of three 
children : Laura, Charles, and Julia. 3. Johanna, born in Germany, and 
accompanied her parents to the United States. She married Frederick 
Manning, of New Durham, New Jersey, and they are the parents of three 
children : Stelle, Harry and Pauline. 4. Henry, of further mention. 5. 
Julia, born in the old homestead near Metuchen ; married Alvin F. Ran- 
dolph, of Piscataway, New Jersey, and they are the parents of four chil- 
dren : Paul F., Gertrude F., William F. and Julia F. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 397 

Henry Gunther was born near Metuchen, New Jersey, September 11, 
1850. He obtained a good education in the district schools. He bought 
the old farm, his birthplace, and has lived there for the past thirty-five 
years. The farm lies about one mile from Metuchen, on the road to 
New Brunswick, opposite the Pines Hotel. Mr. Gunther is a prosperous, 
substantial farmer, well known in his community. In politics he is a 
Republican, and in religion a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. 

Mr. Gunther married, April 9, 1877, Josephine Randolph, born March 
20, 1853, daughter of Azael and Jane (Gibson) F. Randolph, and a mem- 
ber of a prominent New Jersey family. 



HARLEY IRWIN WOOD.— On the border line between Middlesex 
and Union counties, in the vicinity of Rahway, New Jersey, a city which 
is noted for its many manufactures, there have been few families which in 
successive generations have been more highly respected than that of 
Wood, the man whose name heads this article being a representative in 
the third generation of the family to reside on the same farm whereon 
there are two substantial, commodious houses, equipped with all the 
necessaries of modern life. 

Harley Irwin Wood, son of Samuel F. and Sarah Jane (Clark) Wood, 
the former named a carpenter and joiner by trade, was born in New 
Dover, New Jersey, October 5, 1873. He was a student in the common 
school of his birthplace, making good use of his opportunities and becom- 
ing well-grounded in the fundamentals, and then he followed in the foot- 
steps of his father, from whom he obtained a thorough insight into the 
mysteries of carpentering, to which he added building, conducting both 
lines with equal success and profit. Integrity, activity and energy have 
been the factors in the success he has achieved, and his enterprise has 
been of decided advantage to the community, promoting its material 
welfare in no uncertain manner. He holds membership in the New Dover 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and in the Junior Order of United Amer- 
ican Mechanics, and his political affiliations are with the Republican 
party. 

Mr. Wood married, June 26, 1901, in Plainfield, New Jersey, Adda 
Belle Huselton, born in Kings, Hunterdon county, New Jersey, October 
I, 1880, daughter of Henry and Margaret (Rupell) Huselton, the former 
named serving in the capacity of conductor on the New York Central 
Railroad. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Wood: Dorothy M., born July 15, 
1903; Isabel H., born July 18, 1904; Ruth L., born January 16, 1909; 
Marjorie J., born February 9, 191 1 ; Harley S., twin of Marjorie J. ; and 
Norman H., born June 25, 1918. 



WILLIAM H. VAN WYCK.— Agriculture has from time imme- 
morial been the chosen occupation of many men, the greater portion of 
whom have achieved not only success in a material way but a strong, 
healthy body and an alert, active mind, capable of coping with the 



398 MIDDLESEX 

various problems of life, and among this number is the man whose name 
heads this sketch, William H. Van Wyck, an enterprising and progres- 
sive agriculturist of Colonia, New Jersey. 

William H. Van Wyck is a native of Flatbush, Long Island, New 
York State, born July 24, 1872, youngest son of Z. B. and Catherine 
(Mitchell) Van Wyck, the former born on Long Island, and the latter at 
Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York State. They were the parents of 
five other children,, namely : Frank B., born May 24, 1858; Samuel H., 
born December 25, 1859 ; George M., born November 8, 1861 ; Elizabeth 
M., born August 3, 1863 ; and Doritha M., born March 28, 1874. 

William H. Van Wyck attended the common schools in the vicinity 
of his home in Flatbush, in which section he resided until the year 1890, 
when he was eighteen years of age, and then changed his place of resi- 
dence to the State of New Jersey, locating on a farm in Colonia, Wood- 
bridge township, Middlesex county, where he has made his home ever 
since, a period of three decades. He is devoting his entire attention to 
the raising of a general line of farm products, and the neat and thrifty 
appearance of everything pertaining to the property, including his resi- 
dence and out buildings, indicates the careful supervision of a master 
hand. Mr. Van Wyck is not hampered by affiliation with any of the 
great political parties, but casts his vote for the men who in his opinion 
are best qualified for the office for which they are nominated. His reli- 
gious affiliation is with the Dutch Reformed church, in the work and 
activities of which he takes an active interest, and wherever he is known 
he is held in high regard for his genuine worth, his loyalty to his duties 
of citizenship, and his trustworthiness in all relations of life. He is 
unmarried. 



EDWARD W. COOPER.— Prior to the birth of their son, Edward 
W., his parents, Frank and Anna (Haley) Cooper, left their home in Ire- 
land and came to the United States, Frank Cooper being at that lime a 
young man of thirty. They settled in Iselin, Middlesex county, New 
Jersey, and there a son, Edward W. Cooper, now a prosperous dairy 
farmer of the same town, was born, July 22, 1863. Edward W. attended 
the Iselin public schools, and early in life began farming. He now owns 
a farm of forty-three acres near Iselin station, on the Pennsylvania Rail- 
road, in Middlesex county, and rents about two hundred adjoining acres 
which he cultivates, and also uses as pasture for a herd of thirty-two 
cows, for since 1902 he has been a successful dairy farmer. He is a Dem- 
ocrat in politics, and a member of the Protestant Episcopal church. 

Mr. Cooper married, in Oak Tree, New Jersey, June 14, 1893, Jane 
W. Dickson, born in Scotland, February 5, 1870, daughter of Thomas and 
Jane (Wilson) Dickson, her father a farmer, born in Scotland. Mr. and 
Mrs. Cooper are the parents of five children: Frank, born April 6, 1894; 
Jeannette, born July 10, 1896 ; Helen, born June 12, 1901 ; Edward, born 
April 27, 1907, died April 29, 1907; and Ethel, born January i, 191 1. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 399 

RICHARD J. FAGAN, a lifelong resident of his native State, New 
Jersey, a representative of its agricultural interests, a man of integrity 
and honor, esteemed and respected by his fellow-townsmen, was born 
in Raritan, New Jersey, April 20, i860, a son of John and Frances 
(McGuire) Fagan, the former named born in Ireland, November 11, 1827, 
the latter named born in New York City, and they were the parents of 
ten children, as follows : Sarah, born July 2, 1855 ; James, born July 27, 
1857 ; Richard J., of this review ; Julia, bom July 18, 1861 ; John, born 
February 24, 1863; William, born April 17, 1867; Thomas, born October 
21, 1868; Henry, born August 26, 1870; Arthur, born May 6, 1872; and 
Charles, born July 21, 1874. 

Richard J. Fagan obtained his preliminary education in the public 
school in the vicinity of his home, and completed his studies in the Rah- 
way High School. His father was the owner of a farm consisting of two 
hundred acres, upon which all his children were born, hence Richard J., 
being the second oldest son, was inured to farm labor, assisting his father 
in the work of planting, cultivating and reaping, in addition to the many 
other tasks that fall to the lot of a farmer, and thus was thoroughly com- 
petent to carry on the work on his own account when attaining the suit- 
able age. The property is well improved and gives every indication of a 
master's hand in its management and cultivation. His residence and out- 
buildings are neat and attractive in appearance, and are equipped with 
everything needful for comfort and convenience. Mr. Fagan is a mem- 
ber of the Roman CathoHc church, a member of the Knights of Colum- 
bus, a Democrat in politics, and a staunch supporter of community inter- 
ests. He is unmarried. 



FRED JENSEN.— The Danish Home for the Aged, at Metuchen, was 
founded in 1913 and at that time a fine private residence and seventy-two 
acres of land were purchased from the Smith estate and has since well 
served its purpose. The home and farm has all modern improvements, 
and is maintained by various Danish societies. 



FRANK WALLACE KIESSLING, son of Joseph Charles and 
Rachel Jane (Bell) Kiessling, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
December 27, 1874, and there educated in the public schools. Since May, 
1920, he has been a deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of New 
Brunswick, New Jersey. 

Mr. Kiessling married, in Bellport, New York, June 3, 1905, Anna 
Evelyn Osborne, daughter of George Tomlinson and Anna Eliza (Sel- 
over) Osborne. Mr. and Mrs. Kiessling are the parents of a daughter, 
Elizabeth Osborne Kiessling, born January 16, 1909. 



JAMES B. POWER.— John Power, father of James B. Power, was 

, born in Waterford, Ireland. He came to the United States, about 1870, 

and settled in Metuchen, New Jersey, a harness-maker by trade. He 



400 



MIDDLESEX 



married, in Mew York State, Ellen O'Callahan, and they were the par- 
ents of five children : David, John, Edward, Nellie, and James B., whose 
career is herein traced. 

James B. Power was born in Metuchen, New Jersey, October 25, 
1875, and there completed a high school education. He was variously 
employed in his earlier years, and since 1903, has been with the Vaccum 
Oil Company in official capacity. He is a Roman Catholic in religion, a 
Democrat in politics, and a member of the Independent Order of 
Foresters. 

Mr. Power married, . in Southampton, Long Island, November 23, 
1904, Anna McTurnin, born in Water Mill, Long Island, January 20, 
1883, daughter of Frank and Mary (Boyle) McTurnin, her father born in 
Ireland, but coming to the United States at the age of fifteen years. Mr. 
and Mrs. Power have no children. Their* home is in Metuchen, New 
Jersey. 

CHARLES SMITH EDGAR.— The Edgar family, of which the late 
Charles Smith Edgar was a descendant,- came to the United State? from 
Scotland, about 1680, and settled in Middlesex county, New Jersey. 
The members of this family were mostly men of business and farmers, 
and in each generation produced worthy men and women who trans- 
mitted to posterity the sterling traits of character which distinguished 
their early Scotch ancestors. Mr. Edgar's Grandfather Tappen's home 
at Bonhampton, New Jersey, was once the headquarters fof the British 
army during the Revolution. Afterwards, a British cannon ball was 
found in the house and is yet kept by Mrs. Edgar as a souvenir. Mr. and 
Mrs. Edgar's great-grandfather, Thomas Edgar, served during the Revo- 
lution. 

Charles Smith Edgar, a clay miner and manufacturer, was a son of 
Albert Edgar, born in New Jersey, who became a successful farmer 
of Bonhampton, New Jersey, where his wife, Susan Tappen, was born. 

Charles S. Edgar was born in Bonhampton, New Jersey, September 
22, 1848, and died in Metuchen, New Jersey, May 15, 1917. He obtained 
a good education in the district schools, and grew to manhood at the 
home farm, later becoming a landowner. A clay bed was found on his 
property, and he made the mining, washing and production of clays his 
life's business. The production of his mines was used in the pott€:ry 
industry. He developed a very, profitable enterprise, and secured a 
fortune through his initiative and executive ability. He continued in 
business until his passing away. He was a man of sterling character; 
and was held in high esteem by his townsmen and his business associ^ 
ates. In politics he was a Republican, and in religion a member of the 
Metuchen Dutch Reformed Church. 

Mr. Edgar married, in ]\$etuchen, New Jersey, December 20, 1882, 
Frances Emily Edgar, born May 22, 1848, daughter of Freeman and 
Sarah Elizabeth (Martin) Edgar, both parents born in New York City, 
where her father was a merchant. One son was born, to Mr. and Mrs. 
Edgar, Albert Charles Edgar, born May 27, 1898, who attended Rutgers 



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BIOGRAPHICAL 401 

College, New Brunswick, and is now (1921) a student at Pratt Institute, 
Brooklyn, New York. During the World War he was with the Twenty- 
eighth Regiment, New Jersey Engineers, and served in France. Mrs. 
Edgar survives her husband, and continues her residence in Metuchen, 
her home, at No. 31 Graham avenue, a handsome residence built in 1889 
by Mr. Edgar. Mrs. Edgar is a member of the Metuchen Dutch Re- 
formed Church, as was her husband. She is a lady highly esteemed 
in the community in which she has so long resided, and has been active 
in community affairs. 



ANDREW KEYES.— A half century ago William and Mary (Irvine) 
Keyes came from Ireland to the United States, where William Keyes 
engaged as a farmer at Englishtown, New Jersey. Later they moved 
to Rahway, New Jersey, where their son Andrew was born, he now a 
successful contractor of Woodbridge, Middlesex county, New Jersey, 
and an esteemed citizen. 

Andrew Keyes was born in Rahway, New Jersey, June 15, 1883, and 
there attended the public schools. Later he completed a course in the 
New Jersey Business College, Newark, New Jersey, entering the clerical 
employ of the Pennsylvania railroad immediately after graduation. He 
continued a clerk in the Newark freight office of the Pennsylvania until 
1906, when he became a lineman with the Public Service Corporation 
at Perth Amboy, and six years later, in 1912, began business in Wood- 
bridge, New Jersey, as a contractor, and there continues a prosperous 
business. 

In politics Mr. Keyes is a Republican, and since 191 1 has been town- 
ship clerk, now serving his tenth consecutive year. He is a member 
of the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, Royal Arcanum, and the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He and his family are mem- 
bers of St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Church of Rahway, New Jersey. 

Mr. Keyes married, in Rahway, in 1905, Mary A. Marson, daughter 
of John and Mary Ann Gordon (Bunch) Marson, her parents of English 
birth, they coming to the United States a half century ago. Mr. and 
Mrs. Keyes are the parents of two children: John Andrew, and Behatta 
Alice. 

The family home is in Woodbridge, where the family are highly 
esteemed. Mr. Keyes has proven a most efficient town clerk and has 
given to his office the same careful attention that he gives to his private 
affairs. In his business relations he is honorable and upright, holding 
public confidence to a remarkable degree. 



ARTHUR EDWARD WARNER, president and manager of the 
Perth Amboy Printing Company, who in the last three years has become 
prominently identified with the business life of Middlesex county, and 
politics of New Jersey, particularly of Union county, is a member of 
a New England family and a native of East Providence, Rhode Island, 
where his birth occurred May 15, 1878. His father, Edward Pike 

Mid— 26 



402 MIDDLESEX 

Warner, was also born in that town, in 1843, and resided there during 
his entire life. The elder Mr. Warner was engaged in business at East 
Providence, and was connected with the Department of Roads for many 
years, being one of the prominent residents of the town. His death 
occurred there in 1919, at the age of seventy-five. He married Sarah 
Medbury, by whom he had two children: Alvah F., now a newspaper 
man of Schenectady, New York; and Arthur Edward, of whom further. 

Arthur Edward Warner attended the local schools of East Providence 
as a lad, and was prepared for college at the high school, from which 
he graduated in 1898, at the age of twenty years. Later he matriculated 
at Dartmouth College, and was graduated from there with the class 
of 1904, having in the meantime done considerable work in connection 
with various Rhode Island newspapers. After completing his studies 
he did not, however, at once continue with his journalistic work, but 
accepted a position as vice-principal and instructor of mathematics and 
sciences at the Newport Academy, Newport, Vermont. He found that 
the more active life of the newspaper man made a stronger appeal to 
him, and after one year in the above position, became editor of the 
"Daily Eagle," of Lawrence, Massachusetts. His next post was as 
city editor of the "Telegram," of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and after six 
years in this position he became acting editor of the Hartford "Post." 
He was later associated with the New Haven "Register." This was 
Mr. Warner's last New England paper, and from New Haven he came 
to New Jersey to take the post of assistant editor of the "Daily Journal" 
of Elizabeth. From the latter place he went to Newark and became 
associated with the "Star-Eagle" of that city, remaining with that 
publication until 1917. In that year he severed his connection with 
the "Star-Eagle" and gave up direct newspaper work in order to estab- 
lish the Perth Amboy Printing Company, of Perth Amboy, his present 
concern, with himself as president and manager. This company is the 
successor of the job department of the Perth Amboy "Evening News," 
and its career as a separate organization under the directions of Mr. 
Warner has been eminently successful. The shop and offices are located 
at No. 70 Smith street, and there a large business is done in the printing 
of periodicals, catalogues, job work and stationery, the firstclass quality 
of the work and service recommending it highly to the community. The 
establishment is carried on in a most efficient and businesslike manner, 
the equipment being of the most modern type and adequate to care for 
every kind of highclass and fancy printing. 

Since coming to Perth Amboy, Mr. Warner has interested himself 
actively in local and State politics, and his grasp of practical affairs has 
already carried him far. He is associated with the local organization 
of the Republican party and in 1918 was elected a member of the New 
Jersey State Legislature, a post in which he has served the best interests 
of his constituents and the community-at-large in a highly efficient 
manner. He was appointed by Governor Edge, in 1919, as a member 
of the commission to urge upon Congress a Federal appropriation for 
the Intra-State canal from Bordentown to Morgan, and was chairman 



BIOGRAPHICAL 403 

of the House Commission on Domestic Relations and Juvenile Courts, 
besides serving on the Appropriations Committee of the State of New 
Jersey for three years. 

Mr. Warner is also prominent in social and fraternal circles, and is 
a member of the Loyal Order of Moose; the Improved Order of Red 
Men ; and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. His clubs 
are the Dartmouth of New York City, and the University of Bridgeport, 
Connecticut. Mr. Warner is a Baptist in religious belief, and is a mem- 
ber of the Central Church of that denomination of Elizabeth, New Jersey.' 

Mr. Warner was united in marriage, September 4, 1901, at Riverside, 
Rhode Island, with Nellie Benning Allen, a daughter of Samuel and 
Helen (Reynolds) Allen, now both deceased. 



JOSEPH JOHN KEENEN, proprietor of the successful boiler-mak- 
ing establishment at No. 396 Division street, Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
one of the rapidly growing enterprises of the city, is a native of Cali- 
fornia, his birth having occurred in the city of San Francisco, December 
8, 1865. He is of Irish parentage, his father, Jeremiah Matthew Keenen, 
having been born in Ireland, and there spent his childhood days. 

The elder Mr. Keenen came to the United States in company with his 
parents when quite young, the family settling for a time at Hackensack, 
New Jersey. Later, however, the young man went to California, and, 
settling in San Francisco, there developed a boiler-making business, in 
which he continued successfully for a great number of years. He now 
resides in that city at the venerable age of eighty-two years. Jeremiah 
Matthew Keenen married Hannah Kennedy, in San Francisco, and they 
were the parents of seven children, as follows : James, who now occu- 
pies the position of chief engineer with the Pacific Mail Steamship Line 
Company; William, who is a member of the City Fire Department of 
San Francisco; Thomas, who volunteered for service in the Spanish- 
American War, and met his death in action during that conflict in the 
Philippine Islands ; Joseph John, with whose career we are here espe- 
cially concerned ; Mary, who married John Howley, and they reside in 
San Francisco; Ellen, who married Robert James Kennedy, and they 
make their home in Seattle, Washington ; and Catherine, who married 
John Douglass, and they make their home at Auckland, New Zealand. 

Joseph John Keenen passed his childhood in his native city of San 
Francisco, and attended the parochial school of St. Francis Xavier's 
Church until he had reached the age of seventeen years. He then 
entered his father's boiler-making shop and there learned the trade that 
he has followed ever since. After serving an apprenticeship of several 
years, he came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1902, to take the posi- 
tion of foreman in the boiler-works of P. White & Sons, and continued to 
hold the same for a period of twelve years, during which time he not 
only perfected his knowledge of every detail of the work, but also gained 
considerable familiarity with the business side of the establishment. 
In 1914, having amassed a sufficient capital, he terminated his associa- 
tion with that firm and engaged in the same line of business on his 



404 MIDDLESEX 

own account. Mr. Keenen met with success from the outset of his 
venture, and now owns a large and developing business, with shop and 
office at No. 396 Division street, Perth Amboy. The scrupulous honesty 
with which he has always conducted his affairs, together with the quality 
of his work and the materials which he uses, have gained for him the 
well-merited esteem of the business and industrial world, and a reputa- 
tion which is the basis of his success. 

Mr. Keenen has always interested himself in the questions and issues 
of the day, as well as in local affairs, but although his fitness for public 
office is apparent, and he has had several opportunities to become a can- 
didate, he has consistently refused all offers of the kind and confined 
himself to the conduct of his business affairs. He is a Democrat in politics, 
and is well known in local social circles, being a member of the Benevo- 
lent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Columbus, and the 
Ancient Order of Hibernians. In his religious belief Mr. Keenen is a 
Roman Catholic and attends St. Mary's Church of that denomination at 
Perth Amboy. He is an active member of the parish and belongs to the 
Holy Name Society connected with his church. Mr. Keenen has always 
taken keen pleasure in open air sports and pastimes, especially in hunting 
and fishing, his favorite hunting ground being his native State of 
California, where he delights to stalk the big game of the region, making 
occasional trips to that section. 

Mr. Keenen was united rn marriage, June 18, 1908, at Perth Amboy, 
with Mary F. Smith, a native of that city. She is a daughter of James 
Smith, a proprietor of one of the oldest blacksmith shops of the city, 
situated on King street. He served at his trade when Perth Amboy was 
but a village, for some sixty years. He died July 3, 1920. 



JOSEPH BRUCK.— In the retail distribution of fine footwear, one of 
the most complex of any one line of merchandising, Joseph Bruck, of 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, meets an everyday need of the people. 

The name of Bruck is an old one in Hungary. Maurice Samuel Bruck, 
Mr. Bruck's father, owned a large jewelry store in the city of Unghvar, 
Hungary. He was a prosperous and highly respected citizen, and 
besides this mercantile establishment he handled extensive government 
contracts. He lived and died in Hungary, reaching the age of fifty-five 
years. He married Mary Weinburg, also a native of that country. She 
survived her husband for a long time, and died at the age of seventy- 
three, in Hungary. They had ten children : Johanna, deceased ; Sigmund, 
deceased ; Cecilia, now a resident of New York City, and the widow of 
Max Blau ; Caeser, deceased ; Antonia, married and lives in the city of 
Rosenau, Hungary ; Rosalia, a widow, resides in Budapest, Hungary ; 
Isador, a resident of Brooklyn, New York; Joseph, of further mention; 
Louis, deceased ; and Samuel, now living in Brooklyn, New York. 

Joseph Bruck was born in Hungary, January i, 1863. He attended 
school there until 1879, when his ambition leaped ahead of the oppor- 
tunities he saw in that environment and he came to the younger country 
across the seas. He located in New York City, where he obtained work 



BIOGRAPHICAL 40S 

in a book bindery. Realizing the importance of practical education in the 
struggle of life, he was a regular attendant at evening school, making 
the most of this opportunity to become thoroughly familiar with the 
language and customs of the country. With mental equipment won 
by diligent application, he secured a position on the road in the employ 
of a grocery house, holding same for two years. At the end of that time 
he was ambitious to branch out for himself, so started a store and auction 
room in New York City. He followed this successfully for two years, 
then removed to Perth Amboy and started a wholesale and retail grocery 
store on State street. This was in 1893, and he continued in that busi- 
ness for ten years. Then, in 1903, he established the present business 
on Smith street. For the past fifteen years he has been at his present 
location at No. 140 Smith street, and this has come to be recognized as 
the largest shoe store in Middlesex county. 

Apart from the shoe business, Mr. Bruck has extensive real estate 
interests, and takes great interest in the building up of unimproved 
districts. He is a keenly enthusiastic motorist, and few people have 
a greater familiarity with the topography of the surrounding country. 
He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and of the 
Knights of Pythias. 

Mr. Bruck married, March 7, 1893, Stella Eisner, daughter of Emanuel 
and Barbara (Gottlieb) Eisner, of Bohemia, she born in that country, June 
19, 1864. Her father died in Bohemia, after which her mother joined 
her in Perth Amboy, and there her mother died. Mr. and Mrs. Bruck 
are the parents of three children: Mary, who died in infancy; Irene 
Agnes Sarah, who was born May 2, 1895 ; and Maurice Samuel, born 
July 29, 1896. The family worship at Temple Beth Mordecai. 



WILLARD PAYNE MELICK.— The Melicks of Woodbridge, New 
Jersey, were early interested in the clay industry, and there, engaged 
in that industry, Joel Melick spent his life. He was born in Woodbridge, 
September 5, 1838, and there died, August 31, 1890. He married Anne 
E. Payne, born in Woodbridge, October 7, 1841, and they were the 
parents of Willard Payne Melick, secretary of Powell's, Inc., No. 411-415 
Canal street. New York City. 

Willard Payne Melick was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, October 
2, 1870, and there completed the grade and high school courses of study, 
finishing with high school graduation, class of 1888. He then increased 
his educational advantages by a full course at the Coleman Business 
College, Newark, New Jersey. After graduation, in 1889, he was vari- 
ously employed, and in November, 1890, entered the employ of A. M. 
Powell, at No. 154 Chambers street, New York City. He began as a 
bookkeeper and cashier, and has never severed his connection with the 
business that first claimed him in 1890. In 1910 the business was incor- 
porated as Powell's, Inc., with the following officers: Alexander M. 
Powell, president; Joseph B. Powell, vice-president; Robert J. Powell, 
vice-president ; Willard P. Melick, secretary ; and Alexander W. Powelli 
treasurer. The business of the house is wholesale confectionery, and 
they are also proprietors of Powell's Chocolate Mills. 



4o6 



MIDDLESEX 



Mr. Melick is a Republican in politics, and a member of the First 
Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge. 

Mr Melick married, in Woodbridge, May i8, 1892, Edith Jeannette 
Lawson, daiighter of Peter and Rachel (Lyons) Lawson. Mr. and Mrs. 
Melick are the parents of a son, Edwin W., and a daughter, Jeannette. 

Edwin W. Melick enHsted in the United States army durmg the 
World War, 1917-18, serving, with the Motor Section Headquarters 
Troops, First Army of the American Expeditionary Forces, attaining the 
rank of sergeant. He was honorably discharged and mustered out in 
June, 1919. The family home is at No. 204 Green street, Woodbridge, 
New Jersey. 

COLONEL J. BLANCHARD EDGAR.— The Edgars, since coming 
from Scotland to Middlesex county. New Jersey, about 1720, have varied 
farming with business operations, the heads of each generation having 
been either men of large affairs or substantial farmers. Thomas Edgar 
was the first of the family in Woodbridge, and he received a large tract 
of land, upon which a homestead was erected, which in its day was 
one of the handsomest and most substantial in the county. The land 
adjoining and surrounding the homestead was extensive, and a con- 
siderable portion descended to WiUiam Edgar, the great-grandfather of 
Colonel J. B. Edgar, and to his son. Major William Edgar, one of the 
leading men of his day, a member of the New Jersey Legislature, a 
founder and first president of the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of 
Rahway. He married Phoebe S. Baker, and they were the parents of 
thirteen children, one of these being John B. Edgar, father of Colonel 
J. Blanchard Edgar, who built the home in which his son was born, and 
where the family resides. 

John B. Edgar was born at the old Edgar homestead, in 1809, and 
died at his farm in April, 1882. He attended the district school, and from 
youth was employed about the farm, later adopting agriculture as his 
life work ; he became one of the successful, substantial farmers of Wood- 
bridge. He bought his own farm when quite young, and built a com- 
fortable residence thereon. He made a specialty of blooded cattle, sheep 
and swine, and was a large exhibitor at the fair held at Trenton by the 
New Jersey State Fair Association, of which he was a charter member. 
He was a man well read and well informed, public-spirited and energetic, 
particularly interested in road improvement, a subject upon which he 
was far in advance of his neighbors. He could never be prevailed upon 
to accept any other office than that of overseer of roads, and that he was 
always willing to take, as it enabled him to accomplish needed improve- 
ments. He was a Presbyterian in his religious belief, a Whig and later 
a Republican in politics. He loved his farm not as a farm, but as his 
home, and there hospitality abounded. 

Mr. Edgar married (first) Anna Louise Ross, who died in 1863, 
daughter of William M. Ross, a merchant of New York City, and later 
in life lived at Metuchen, New Jersey, where he was an elder of the 
Presbyterian church. A sister of Mrs. Edgar married Amos Robins, a 



BIOGRAPHICAL 407 

leading Middlesex county Democrat, who sat in both houses of the 
Legislature, and for several terms was president of the Senate. Mr. 
and Mrs. Edgar were the parents of six children : Eugene R. ; Rufus N. ; 
J. Blanchard, of further mention; Margaret, Josephine, and Catherine. 
Mr. Edgar married (second) Catherine Bevier, of Ulster county. New 
York, who with her infant child passed away. 

J. Blanchard Edgar, the last survivor of the children of John B. and 
Anna Louise (Ross) Edgar, was born at the homestead built by his 
father at Woodbridge, New Jersey, May 7, 1843, ^^d died December 
28, 1920. After preparation at Rev. David H. Pierson's School, at 
Elizabeth, New Jersey, he entered Rutgers College, whence he was 
graduated in the class of '66. He decided to become a lawyer, and so 
entered the offices of Parker & Keasby, of Newark, New Jersey, as a 
student, but pressing calls were made for his help in the management 
of the home farm, and he gave up his own ambition to become his father's 
assistant. Some years later he was appointed to a position in the United 
States Custom House, New York City, a position he held several years. 
He then spent ten years in charge of the lumber interests of the Domes- 
tic Sewing Machine Company of Newark, New Jersey, then operated 
on his own account in West Virginia and other timber sections. The 
lure of the land then proved the stronger, and he became owner of the 
homestead upon which he was born, and there resided until his death. 
He operated the farm as a dairying proposition largely, maintaining a 
herd of seventy-five cows, and serving a choice class of customers in 
Rahway with the products of his dairy. 

Colonel Edgar was a member of the State militia for over twenty 
years, serving at one time as a member of the general staff of the gov- 
ernor's, with the rank of colonel, and for several years was a member of 
the Woodbridge Board of Education. His college fraternity was Zeta 
Psi, and he was a member of the Masonic order. Politically he was a 
Republican. 

Colonel Edgar married Harriett B. Collins, of New Britain, Connec- 
ticut, and they were the parents of five children: Anna Louise, who is 
the wife of Willard C. Freeman, of Rahway, New Jersey; Blanchard 
Collins, who resides at Nashville, Tennessee, and is vice-president and 
general manager of the Tennessee Power Company ; Gertrude, the wife 
of Cornelius T. Myers, of Avenel, New Jersey ; Marguerite, the wife of 
Henry D. Tucker, of Rahway, New Jersey ; and Natalie, who is now 
(1921) at home. Colonel Edgar was interred in the cemetery at Rahway, 
New Jersey. 



JOHN ELLIOT BRECKENRIDGE.— From the time he received 
his degree from Yale University more than a quarter of a century ago, 
Mr. Breckenridge has been engaged in the chemical industry, being now 
chief chemist of the American Agricultural Chemical Company, and an 
authority on many matters connected with his department. He has 
written extensively on chemical topics, his articles appearing in current 
chemical journals. 



4o8 MIDDLESEX 

John Elliot Breckenridge, son of John Albert and Harriet (Kellogg) 
Breckenridge, was born at Palmer, Massachusetts, May 4, 1873. He 
completed public school education with graduation from Palmer High 
School, class of 1891, then entered Yale University, whence he was 
graduated with honors in chemistry, class of 1896. Immediately after 
graduation from Yale University, he began professional work with the 
Liebig Manufacturing Company, continuing with that company as chem- 
ist until accepting his present position, chief chemist of the American 
Agricultural Chemical Company, at No. 2 Rector street, New York City. 
The company is an important one, Mr. Breckenridge having seventeen 
laboratories under his charge and direction. He is a member of the 
American Chemical Society; Association for the Advancement of Sci- 
ence ; Society of Chemical Industry, and was for several years chairman 
of the fertilizer division of the American Chemical Society. 

In politics Mr. Breckenridge is a Republican, and was chairman of 
the township committee of Woodbridge township, Middlesex county, 
New Jersey, for two years, 1918-19. He is an elder of the First Presby- 
terian Church of Woodbridge; member of the Independent Order of 
Foresters ; and Yale Alumni Association. 

Mr. Breckenridge married, October 26, 1898, Amanda G. Edgar, 
daughter of William and Amelia (Gray) Edgar. They are the parents 
of two children : Marian Edgar, born December 26, 1900, now a junior 
at Wellesley College, class of 1922; and Harriet Amelia, born May 31, 
1906. The family home is at No. 198 Green street, Woodbridge, New 
Jersey. 



J. EDWARD HARNED.— Active in the community life of Wood- 
bridge, New Jersey, a locality in which he drew his earliest breath, 
Mr. Harned has through his business activities and personal character- 
istics won the respect and confidence of all who knew him, and that 
includes practically everyone in the town. 

Mr. Harned is a son of the late Dr. Samuel P. and Fannie C. (Blood- 
good) Harned, his mother of old New Jersey family, a daughter of 
James Bloodgood, of Woodbridge. Dr. Harned was a medical practi- 
tioner m Woodbridge many years, continuing until his death in 1898. 
He was the son of William Harned, of ancient New York family who 
came to Woodbridge in 1856, his son, Samuel P., then being a young 
man. Dr. Samuel P. Harned there practiced his profession with suc- 
cess and honor for a long term of years, passing away at the age of 
sixty-two, after having been a resident of Woodbridge for nearly half 
a century. 

J. Edward Harned was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, October 
I5> 1875, and there passed all the grades of the public schools, graduating 
from the high school with honors in 1891. The year following his grad- 
uation he entered the grocery business in Woodbridge as clerk, contin- 
uing until 1898, when he entered the employ of the Central railroad at 
^ewaren. In 1901 he took a position as bookkeeper with Fayerweather 
& Ladew, of New York City, then the largest manufacturers of leather 



BIOGRAPHICAL 409 

belting in the world. He continued in the employ of this firm for sev- 
eral years, finally becoming head accountant and assistant secretary. 
He later became associated with the publishing house of Frank A. Mun- 
sey & Company, as an accoyntant. His engagement with Mr. Munsey 
was a brief one, his health failing a few months after he made this 
connection to such an extent that it was necessary for him to work in 
the open air. As he was not in a position to finance a long period of 
rest, even for health purposes, he secured an out-of-door position with 
the Prudential Life Insurance Company. He acted as collector and 
agent for that company at Woodbridge for three years, 1909-1912, then 
resigned and opened a real estate office in Woodbridge under his own 
name. 

Since 191 2, Mr. Harned has operated a successful real estate business, 
his office now being in the Post Office building. He was one of the 
organizers of the Woodbridge Building and Loan Association, of which 
he is now a director. A Democrat in politics, he has long been connected 
with public civic life. From 1906 until 1912 he was town clerk; 1912-13, 
township treasurer; 1913-16, secretary of the Middlesex County Board 
of Taxation ; and since April, 1918, has been postmaster of Woodbridge. 

Mr. Harned married, in "The Little Church Around the Corner," in 
New York City, September 20, 1906, Mabel E. Stell, daughter of William 
and Emma (Huber) Stell. Mr. and Mrs. Harned are the parents of four 
children : Warren P., Helen E., Katherine V., and Emily L. The family 
are attendants of the First Congregational Church of Woodbridge. 



WALTER GREEN QUACKENBUSH.— Good roads form one of 
the big issues of the day, not only in State and county politics, but in 
the daily welfare of a large percentage of the population. Middlesex 
county. New Jersey, takes a justifiable pride in her excellent roads, and 
since 1918 Walter Green Quackenbush has been at the head of this 
important branch of the county business. 

The name of Quackenbush dates back several generations in New 
Jersey. Allen Peter Quackenbush, father of Walter Green Quackenbush, 
was born in Monmouth county, and died in Middlesex county, at the 
age of seventy-three years ; he was a lifelong farmer. He married Mary 
Magee, who was also born in Monmouth county, and died in Middlesex 
county, at the age of sixty-seven. They were the parents of thirteen 
children, of whom seven are now living : Richard, Experience, William, 
Luther, Ella, Allen, and Walter Green, of whom further. 

Walter Green Quackenbush was born in Madison township, Mid- 
dlesex county. New Jersey, on August 31, 1867, on his father's farm, the 
old family homestead. He attended school in the nearest district, then 
worked on the farm with his father until he was twenty-two years of 
age. He then went to Matawan, New Jersey, where he learned the trade 
of mason. He followed this trade for a number of years, going about 
wherever fine construction work offered interesting employment, and 
thus covering a large part of the State. Then, in 1901, he came to Perth 
Amboy, where he remained until 1918 in the same line of work, and 



4IO MIDDLESEX 

also doing a very considerable amount of road construction. In 1918 
he was elected road supervisor of Middlesex county, which office he 

now holds. . . ^t ■ 

Mr Quackenbush is a Republican by political affiliation. He is a 
member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ; of the Knights 
of the Golden Eagle; and of the Improved Order of Red Men. His 
main hobby is of the outdoor kind, that of hunting, and he is a member 
of the New Brunswick Shooting Club, and considered an excellent shot. 
Mr. Quackenbush married, in Freehold, New Jersey, May 11, 1887, 
Annie Grace Preston, daughter of Henry and Ellen (Miller) Preston, 
who was born in Hawkeshead, England. Her parents were both born 
in England, and both died in Matawan, New Jersey. Mrs. Quacken- 
bush's grandfather, John Preston, died in Middlesex county, near Old 
Bridge, New Jersey, at the age of one hundred and four years, five 
months and ten days. He always voted the Republican ticket. Mr. 
and Mrs. Quackenbush are the parents of four children, all living : Arlie, 
born on January 9, 1888, and now the wife of Alfred Therkelsen, of 
Perth Amboy; Maud, born on September 20, 1890, and now the wife 
of Abram Mason; Percy James, born on January 4, 1897, who was 
graduated from the University of Michigan in the class of 1920; and 
Walter Earl, born on January 8, 1907. The family are members of the 
Episcopal church, and active in all the social and welfare work of the 
same. 

VICTOR HERBERT GILLIS.— Among the well known ship- 
builders of New Jersey and New England is Alexander Gillis, father of 
our subject, who was born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, in 1851. 
He learned the ship carpenter's trade and was employed in Nova Scotia, 
Canada, where his son, Victor H., was born, and later in Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey, and Providence, Rhode Island, dying in the last-named 
city in 1920. He married Anne Ellis, and they were the parents of 
Victor Herbert Gillis, now holding executive position with the Roessler 
& Hasslacher Chemical Company of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

Victor Herbert Gillis was born in South Maitland, Nova Scotia, 
Canada, March 12, 1882. Soon afterward his parents moved to Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, where he was educated in the public school, finish- 
ing with the high school graduating class of 1899. He entered business 
life with the Tietjen & Lang Dry Dock Compan'y, but after a few months, 
shipped before the mast for an ocean voyage and for eighteen months 
remained at sea. He tried various occupations, remaining two years "in 
the freight department of the Central Railroad of New Jersey as clerk, 
1902-05, then from 1904-07 was with the C. Pardee Company of Perth 
Amboy, finally, in 1907, forming a connection with the Roessler & Hass- 
lacher Chemical Company of Perth Amboy. He has risen to an im- 
portant position with that company and is highly regarded by the 
company's officials. He is an independent in politics; a member of the 
Raritan Yacht and Chemical clubs of Perth Amboy ; and the Bentley 
Yacht Club of Tottenville, Staten Island, New York. He and his family 
are members of the Presbyterian church of Perth Amboy. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 411: 

Mr. Gillis married, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1905, Laura 
Tunis, daughter of Charles S. and Ella (Peacock) Tunis. Mr. and Mrs. 
Gillis are the parents of three children : Helen G., Marjorie, and Cath- 
erine S. 



BERNARD M. GANNON.— A familiar figure in the business world 
of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is Bernard M. Gannon, of Gannon & 
Sheehy, the leading haberdashers of Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Gannon is a son of John and Mary (Clancy) Gannon, both of 
whom were born in Ireland, and emigrated to this country early in 
life. They made their home in Port Jervis, New York, Mr. Gannon 
entering the employ of the Erie railroad, where he was continuously 
employed for fifty years. 

Bernard M. Gannon was born in Port Jervis, New York, where he 
attended school until fifteen years of age. Being active and full of 
spirit, the boy started out to make his way in the world, taking the line 
of railroad work as his choice. He entered the yards of the West 
Shore railroad, vviping engines for a beginning. He remained with the 
West Shore for four years, then went on the New York Central railroad 
as a fireman. While working in that capacity he had an accident which 
deprived him of the use of his right hand, and thereafter, during his 
connection with the New York Central, was a station agent. He came 
to Perth Amboy in 1893 and acted as joint agent for the Staten Island 
railroad and the United States Express Company. 

In 1903 Mr. Gannon became associated with his present partner, 
and the firm of Gannon & Sheehy was formed for the purpose of estab- 
lishing a retail business in men's furnishings and haberdashery. The 
venture was successful from the very beginning, and the attractive 
store at No. 92 Smith street has become the popular shopping mart for 
the fastidious men of Perth Amboy and its vicinity. 

Mr. Gannon has long been interested in the public matters of the 
city, having been called upon repeatedly to serve in public capacities. 
In 1901 he was elected alderman from the Second Ward ; in 1902, elected 
assemblyman ; in 1907 again elected alderman ; in 1909 county clerk, 
which latter office he has held continuously ever since. He is a Demo- 
crat in his political affiliation, and a member of the Perth Amboy Demo- 
cratic Club. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order 
of Elks ; of the Knights of Columbus ; and of the Hibernians. He also 
is a member of the East Jersey Club ; of the Raritan Yacht Club ; and 
of the Union Club, of New Brunswick. 

Mr. Gannon married, in New York City, in 1900, Catherine Maher, 
who has since died. Mr. Gannon has three children: Catherine, John, 
and Mary. He resides in Metuchen. 



SAMUEL S. BURLOCK.— To the intelligence, industry and thrift 
of her agriculturists, more than to all other causes combined, does Mid- 
dlesex county. New Jersey, owe her remarkable development. The 
farm owned by Samuel S. Burlock and his wife was brought to its 



412 MIDDLESEX 

present condition by Louis Kolb, a native of Germany, who came to 
this country in 1853 and settled in Newark, New Jersey, where at the 
age of twenty-one he became a citizen of the United States, and where 
he worked at his trade, that of hat finishing. In 1861 Mr. Kolb married 
Christina Schaffer, also a native of Germany, and they were the parents 
of five children, two sons and three daughters, all born in Newark, in 
the public schools of which place they received their education. Mr. 
Kolb had the misfortune to lose his arm, so was compelled to give up 
his trade. He bought the farm which had laid idle for over twenty years, 
and by hard work succeeded in clearing it. He built a residence thereon, 
and set out the grounds with all kinds of fruit trees suited to that cli- 
mate. In 1900 Mr. and Mrs. Burlock purchased this farm and made it 
their home, Mr. Burlock remaining, however, with the Pennsylvania 
railroad. 

Samuel S. Burlock is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, born 
September 4, 1843, ^ son of Samuel DeForest Burlock, a native of New 
York City, and Lydia Ann (Smith) Burlock, a native of Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania. The elder Mr. Burlock was an enterprising business man, 
devoting his entire time and attention to the publishing trade, from 
which he derived a lucrative livelihood. 

Samuel S. Burlock was a student in the public schools of Philadelphia. 
He learned the trade of book binding in his father's publishing house, 
becoming thoroughly expert in that line, but he did not follow it for his 
active business career, as he entered the employ of the Pennsylvania rail- 
road, in whose service he continued until he attained the age limit for 
their employees, then was retired on a pension. 

Mr. Burlock is a veteran of the Civil War. He enlisted in Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania, August 7, 1862, serving sixteen months, when he was 
honorably discharged. He is a member of the Protestant Episcopal 
church, and whatever conduces to the betterment of the community 
receives from him an earnest support. 

Mr. Burlock married (second) in New York City, April 10, 1889, 
Catherine Christina Kolb, born in Newark, New Jersey, January 13, 
1862, a daughter of Louis and Christina (Schaffer) Kolb, the former 
owners of the Burlock farm. By a former marriage Mr. Burlock has a 
son, Horace V. Burlock, who is employed by the New York Central 
railroad; he is the father of two sons and one daughter, the latter a 
teacher in the public schools of New York City. Also, by a previous 
marriage, Mrs. Catherine C. (Kolb-Wenzler) Burlock had a son, Harry 
Wenzler, who was raised by Mr. Burlock and given the name of Bur- 
lock; he was born in Newark, New Jersey, May 25, 1883. He is a 
prosperous farmer, and the father of four children, two sons and two 
daughters, who represent the third generation of the Kolb family born 
in America. 

PHILIP LEO SCHWARTZ, D. D. S., is more than usually well 
supplied with talents by which he may earn a livelihood. He has been 
on the staff of a daily periodical; has written upon professional sub- 
jects for magazines; is at present an instructor upon medical subjects; 




(^t.9^^^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 413 

and also is a dentist with a large practice which occupies most of his 
time. 

Born in New Brunswick, Dr. Schwartz is the son of Herman 
Schwartz, a cigar manufacturer in New Brunswick, where he has con- 
ducted an establishment for many years at No. 84 Albany street, his home 
being at No. 19 Kirkpatrick street. Mrs. Schwartz was Malvina Rosen- 
berg, the daughter of Rev. Daniel Rosenberg, a prominent divine, located 
in New York City. Mr. and Mrs. Herman Schwartz have six children, 
all Hving at the present time. Their son, Philip Leo Schwartz, has 
enjoyed the advantages arising from a good, fundamental education, 
having been a pupil in the grammar schools, from which he graduated 
in 1909, followed by a four years' course at the high school, graduating 
in 1913. Immediately after leaving school, the young man held the 
position of assistant advertising manager of the New Brunswick "Daily 
Times." After a short business experience. Dr. Schwartz entered the 
New York College of Dental Surgery, which institution, after a complete 
course of instruction, conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Dental 
Surgery, in 191 7. For six months after his graduation from college. 
Dr. Schwartz was located in Trenton, but at the end of that time he 
opened an office in New Brunswick, in October, 1917, and began the 
practice of his profession here, his office being at No. loi Albany street, 
in the Montalvo building. 

Dr. Schwartz is at the present time assistant oral surgeon at the 
Vanderbilt clinic in New York City, and instructor in anesthesia at 
Columbia University in the post-graduate course of dental surgery. Dr. 
Schwartz also devotes part of his time to charitable work, being a mem- 
ber of the staff on oral surgery at St. Peter's Hospital, New Brunswick. 
His particular work is in the line of dental surgery, using the X-ray 
in connection with his work. Dr. Schwartz has also contributed several 
excellent articles treating on professional subjects to the "Dental Cosmos 
Magazine," one being "The Treatment of Facial Neuralgia by Alcoholic 
Injections," and another article upon "The Removal of Redundant Tis- 
sues of the Mouth." 

The various societies having connection with professional matters 
are some of Dr. Schwartz's many interests. He is a member of: The 
Middlesex County Dental Society, of which he is secretary; the New 
Jersey State Dental Society ; the National Dental Association ; and the 
Middlesex County Professional Guild, being treasurer of same. In 
club life he is also quite active, being a member of the New Brunswick 
Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the New 
Brunswick Country Club, this last affording him the opportunity to 
indulge in his favorite game of golf. Dr. Schwartz is not married. 



EPHRAIM CUTTER.— As a legal practitioner at Woodbridge, New 
Jersey, Mr. Cutter has passed his professional life, which began in 1877 
with his admission to the New Jersey bar. He opened an office in 
Woodbridge, in January, 1878, and has since practiced there. That 
period, however, does not cover his connection with Woodbridge, for 



414 MIDDLESEX 

there he first saw the light of day, and there his father was borri, and 
his forefathers, back to Richard (2) Cutter, the first of his family to 
leave New England and establish a home m New Jersey. 

The Cutter family is of English origin. Elizabeth Cutter, a widow, 
came to New England about 1640 with her three children, William, 
Richard and Barbara. 

Richard Cutter, son of Elizabeth Cutter, died at Cambridge, Massa- 
chusetts, June 16, 1693. He married (first) about 1644, Elizabeth Wil- 
liams. He married (second) February 14, 1662-63, Frances (Perriman) 
Amsden, widow of Isaac Amsden. Fourteen children were born to 
Richard Cutter, seven by each wife, William Cutter, of whom further, 
being among the children of his first wife. 

William Cutter, son of Richard and Elizabeth (Williams) Cutter, 
was born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, February 22, 1650, and died 
in Cambridge, April i, 1723. He married Rebecca Rolfe, and they were 
the parents of Richard (2) Cutter, of whom further. 

Richard (2) Cutter, son of William and Rebecca (Rolfe) Cutter, was 
born November 13, 1682. As before mentioned, he was the first of the 
Cutter family to leave New England and establish a home in New 
Jersey. He settled in Woodbridge township, Middlesex county, where 
in 1709, in company with John Pike, he built what is believed to be the 
first mill erected in that township. That mill stood on then Pike, now 
Woodbridge creek, at what is now the Cutter and Prall dock, He 
married, August 20, 1706, Mary Pike, and they were the parents of 
fourteen children. Richard (2) Cutter died in December, 1756, aged 
seventy-five years. From this ancestor sprang the Cutters of Wood-- 
bridge, prominent in the clay mining and manufacturing business, in 
farming and merchandising. 

Ephraim (2) Cutter, of Woodbridge, is a son of Ephraim and Mary 
(Stansbury) Cutter, his father a farmer of Woodbridge township, who 
died in 1854, at the age of forty-seven years. He was an officer of the 
Presbyterian church, and was greatly respected. Mary (Stansbury) 
Cutter belonged to an old Woodbridge family, the Alston. The farm 
upon which Ephraim and Mary (Stansbury) Cutter first lived came 
into the Cutter family in 1750. They were the parents of four children: 
William; Mary H., deceased; Sarah, who married Daniel S. Voorhees, 
of Woodbridge; and Ephraim (2), of further mention. 

Ephraim (2) Cutter was born at the farm in Woodbridge, New 
Jersey, August 11, 1854, this farm having been the home of his father 
and grandfather. The farm has been known for many years as the Spa 
Spring Farm. Ephraim (2) Cutter began his education in Woodbridge 
public schools, passing thence to a private school in Elizabeth, New 
Jersey, of which Dr. David H. Pierson was the head, continuing there 
during the years 1867-68. He then spent a year in Rutgers Preparatory 
School at New Brunswick, New Jersey, and in the fall of 1870 entered 
Rutgers College, taking a classical course, remaining until graduation, 
when he received his A. B. with the class of 1874. 

After his graduation he at once began another term of close appli- 
cation, registering as a law student in the office of Andrew Dutcher, in 



BIOGRAPHICAL 415 

Elizabeth, New Jersey. After a year's study under Mr. Butcher, he 
entered the office of William J. Magie and Joseph Cross, also at Eliza- 
beth. Mr. Magie was afterwards chancellor of New Jersey. He con- 
tinued in this office as a student for two years. At the November term, 
1877, of the Supreme Court, Mr. Cutter was admitted to the New 
Jersey bar as an attorney, and the following January he opened an 
office in Woodbridge, and began the practice of law. At the June term, 
1881, he was admitted as a counsellor, and has since been admitted to 
practice in all the Federal courts of the district. He has been continu- 
ously in the practice of law in Woodbridge from 1878 to 1921, and holds 
honorable position at the Middlesex county bar. He served as town- 
ship attorney in 1884-1889, and again in 1906-1913, inclusive. He has 
a good practice along general legal lines, and holds the confidence and 
esteem of his community. He has been engaged in much important 
litigation. 

A Democrat in his political faith, he has always taken an active 
interest and part in local public affairs. He represented the First 
Assembly District of Middlesex county in the New Jersey State Assem- 
bly in 1888 and 1889, and from 1884 to 1889 was a member of the town- 
ship committee. In the years 1896 and 1897 he was president of the 
Woodbridge Board of Education. Mr. Cutter has always been one of 
the leading supporters of every forward movement, and in all things, 
progressive and public-spirited. He is a member of the official board 
of the First Congregational Church of Woodbridge, a society he aided 
in organizing in 1874, and of which he has been a member for forty- 
seven years. 

Mr. Cutter was one of the charter members of the Salmagundi Liter- 
ary Society of Woodbridge, organized in 1882, and has been a member 
of that society since that time. He has always taken a keen interest 
in State and National affairs. 



JUDSON G. COTTRELL, a prominent physician of Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey, and one of the leaders of his profession in Middlesex 
county, is a member of an old and highly esteemed family in this part 
of the State, where for four generations it has held a conspicuous place, 
his great-grandfather, James Cottrell, being one of the early settlers 
of Madison township. His grandfather, Garrett Cottrell, and his wife, 
Hannah (Herbert) Cottrell, also lived here and were well known in the 
life of the community in their time. 

Dr. Cottrell is a son of William H. and Louisa (Ely) Cottrell, 
the former a prosperous farmer of these parts, and the latter a native 
of Hightstown, New Jersey, and now a resident of Asbury Park. They 
were the parents of eight children, as follows : Harvey, who died at the 
age of twenty-four years ; Ely, now engaged in business as a merchant 
in New York City ; Laura, who became the wife of C. W. Waltman, of 
Asbury Park; Emily, who became the wife of C. T. Warner, also of 
Asbury Park; Herbert, who now follows the occupation of farming in 
Middlesex county; Willard and Frank, twins, the former a practicing 



4j6 MIDDLESEX 

physician at Rutherford, New Jersey, and the latter a farmer in this 
region ; Judson G., with whom we are here especially concerned. 

Dr Cottrell was born on the old family homestead m Middlesex 
county, New Jersey, June 14, 1883, and after attending the local district 
schools as a lad, entered the Glenwood Collegiate Institute, at Matawan, 
New Jersey, and was graduated from the same in 1902. He had in 
the meantime determined to follow medicine as a profession, and accord- 
ingly matriculated at the New York Homoeopathic College, where his 
brother, Willard, was a sophomore. After his brother's graduation at 
New York, he entered the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, where he graduated with the class of 1906, and received 
the degrees of Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Homoeopathic Medi- 
cine. For eighteen months Dr. Cottrell served as interne at the Metro- 
politan Hospital on Blackwell's Island, New York, and there gained a 
wide practical experience in his work, which has been of inestimable 
service in his subsequent career. In 1908 he removed to Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey, and on June 25th of that year, began the general practice 
of his profession there, with offices at No. 288 Madison avenue. He has 
continued in this place uninterruptedly up to the present time, and 
has in that period built up one of the largest practices in the region, 
and come to be regarded with the highest respect alike by his pro- 
fessional colleagues and the community-at-large. 

During the World War Dr. Cottrell volunteered his expert services 
in the cause of his country and the world, and served for eight months 
as surgeon in the United States Army Debarkation Hospital, No. 3, 
at the headquarters of the Port of Embarkation at Hoboken, New Jersey. 
Dr. Cottrell is a man of wide interests and has always given much 
attention to the general problems and issues, social and political, of 
the day. He is a Republican in politics, but does not allow himself 
to be bound by partisan considerations in casting his ballot, but judges 
for himself of each issue and candidate with the greatest of independence. 
He is very fond of outdoor life and spends much of his leisure in 
automobiling, to which he is greatly devoted. Dr. Cottrell is a promi- 
nent member of the Masonic order, having reached the thirty-second 
degree in Freemasonry, and is affiliated with Raritan Lodge, Free and 
Accepted Masons ; the commandery, Knights Templar ; Salaam Temple, 
Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine ; and New Jersey 
Consistory. Besides those Masonic bodies, he is a member of the local 
lodges of the Royal Arcanum and the Order of Maccabees ; Tall Cedars 
of Lebanon ; the Perth Amboy Medical Society ; the Middlesex County 
Medical Society; the New Jersey State Medical Society, and the Amer- 
ican Medical Association. Other societies with which Dr. Cottrell is 
affiliated are the American Institute of Homoeopathy; the New Jersey 
State Homoeopathic Society ; the New York County Homoepathic 
Society, of which he is an associate member; the Alpha Sigma Alumni 
Association ; and the Association of Military Surgeons. He is a mem- 
ber of the Colonial Country Club of Colonia, New Jersey, and the 
Middlesex Golf Club at Woodbridge. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 417 

HON. JAMES KEARNY RICE.— From the beginning of the legal 
activity of the young attorney of 1876 to the death of the ex-Judge and 
ex-United States District Attorney in 1920, there is no period in the life 
of the Hon. James Kearny Rice that does not measure up to the highest 
of professional and private standards. There is written below the outline 
of his busy, purposeful career, and the words of appreciation of his 
closest associates are quoted. Were there means of recording and pre- 
serving the testimony of all who knew and loved him, from the humblest 
to the most influential, then and then only could there be reared the 
perfect memorial to one of the first citizens of Middlesex county and 
New Jersey. 

James Kearny Rice was born in Washington, D. C, November 20, 
1849, son of Nathan and Eliza W. (Warren) Rice, his mother a daughter 
of John Warren, of New York City, one of the first members of the New 
York Stock Exchange. James Kearny Rice was graduated from Law- 
renceville High School in 1865, and for several years was engaged in 
business in New York City. He began the study of law in the office of 
Woodbridge Strong, and in 1875 was admitted to the bar of New York, 
becoming an attorney in New Jersey in 1876. After graduation from the 
Law School of the University of New York he was admitted as coun- 
sellor in New Jersey at the November term, 1880, and two years later, 
in 1882, his long career in public life began. In this year he was 
appointed by Governor Ludlow prosecutor of the pleas for Middlesex 
county, was reappointed at the expiration of his term by Governor Green, 
and in 1890 was appointed law judge of Middlesex county by Governor 
Abbett. He was reappointed by Governor Werts in 1895. 

Mr. Rice was the first law judge who ever sat and held the Circuit 
Court in New Jersey after the passage of the act authorizing law judges 
to sit in the circuit, and after that act was passed until he stepped down 
from the bench, nearly all of the circuit business was tried before him 
under the assignment of Chief Justice Beasley. Judge Rice was also the 
first law judge who ever sat in the Oyer and Terminer alone, without a 
justice of the Supreme Court, in a capital case, under the provisions of 
the act of 1894. This was the case of the State vs. Aragio and Spina, 
charged with the murder of Antonio Frisco. It was first tried in the 
Middlesex Oyer and Terminer, December term, 1894, before Judge Rice. 
After two weeks' trial the jury disagreed ; another trial was held at the 
April term, 1895, and the defendants were convicted of murder in the 
first degree. The case is somewhat celebrated, both because of the facts 
connected with it and from the fact that it was the first time in the his- 
tory of the commonwealth when a capital case was presided over by any- 
one except a justice of the Supreme Court. 

In February, 1896, Judge Rice resigned his judgeship of the Court 
of Common Pleas of Middlesex county to accept the post of United 
States Attorney for the district of New Jersey, tendered him by Presi- 
dent Cleveland, and this place he filled with eminent satisfaction until 
1900. 

Mid-27 



4i8 MIDDLESEX 

Judge Rice's talents were not alone those of the attorney, advocate, 
and jurist, for he was the possessor of exceptionally keen business judg- 
ment, and in connection with several important receiverships and trustee- 
ships, pfoved his ability in most commendable accomplishment. In 1904 
he was appointed by the United States Circuit Court receiver for the 
Great Eastern and the National Clay Company, near South River, the 
other receiver being the New York Trust Company, Otto T. Bennard, 
president. The affairs of these companies were administered so success- 
fully that within one year more than $90,000 was made for the creditors, 
reorganization being made and a new concern formed, which, in later 
years, was absorbed by the trust. In December, 1907, Judge Rice was 
appointed by Judge Lanning, in the United States Circuit Court, receiver 
of the Arizona Smelting Company and of the Consolidated Arizona 
Smelting Company, a corporation capitalized at $15,500,000, with offices 
in New York and plant in Humboldt, Arizona. He was subsequently 
made receiver by the New York and Arizona courts, his duties in this 
relation taking him to Arizona a number of times. The companies were 
thrown into bankruptcy. Judge Rice was elected trustee, the plants were 
sold and a new company was organized, now continuing in operation. 

In July, 1917, Elmer E. Connolly, treasurer of the Michelin Tire 
Company, and Judge Rice, were asked to accept positions on the Federal 
Draft Board of New Brunswick, New Jersey, in the place of the mayor 
and the city clerk, who were disqualified by reason of being within the 
draft age. Both expressed their willingness to serve, and Judge Rice was 
elected chairman of the board, and Mr. Connolly secretary. They con- 
tinued in service with Dr. Cronk, the medical advisor, during the remain- 
der of the war, until the signing of the armistice and their discharge by 
orders from Washington in the spring of 1919. Few persons, who did not 
experience it, realize the heavy drain upon the members of the various 
draft boards, the burden of responsibility they bore, and the disadvan- 
tages under which they labored. During long periods the government 
furnished insufficient help for the work, and assistance had to be obtained 
elsewhere. The Michelin Tire Company, Johnson & Johnson, and the 
Interwoven Stocking Company, at times furnished clerical help without 
charge, and Judge Rice, on occasions of importance, gave the services of 
his expert stenographer to the government. A feature of the draft board 
work in New Brunswick, which was probably different from that of other 
boards, was the keeping of the record of every person who appeared for 
examination, showing the results of the physical examination whether or 
not exemption was claimed. If exemption was claimed, the findings of 
the board were noted, while in cases that were contested a full report of 
the testimony was given. This was the course adopted at Judge Rice's 
suggestion before the questionnaire system was adopted, and after that 
system was introduced, every case that was investigated for validity, and 
every case where the board on its own motion directed that testimony 
be taken regarding alleged claims for exemption, was recorded by Judge 
Rice with the aid of his stenographer, who was especially adapted for 



BIOGRAPHICAL 419 

such work. Before any case was decided the person concerning whom 
the hearings were ordered had his or her "day in court," and in every 
case that was heard Judge Rice wrote an opinion, his recommendations 
being submitted to the other members of the board for their decision 
thereon before the final judgment was given. In other words, the Fed- 
eral Draft Board of New Brunswick required that every man have his 
"day in court," just as in a trial in a court of law, before decision was 
rendered. A stenographic report of the proceedings was kept and for- 
warded to Washington with the general records. 

In the summer of 1918 the work of the board was particularly strenu- 
ous, and Judge Rice was advised by his physician, the late Dr. Donahue, 
that his own welfare required his resignation. Judge Rice, in his zeal 
and devotion to patriotic ideals, disregarded this counsel, although his 
colleagues on the board lightened his responsibilities as far as possible, 
and with the close of hostilities he gave up actual participation in the 
daily routine, but retained his place on the board. In 1919 he had been 
appointed a member of the State Board of Conservation and Develop- 
ment, serving thereon with the conscientious fidelity that marked his 
administration of every public trust. 

Judge Rice married the eldest daughter of Theodore G. Neilson, of 
New Brunswick. The family home for many years was at No, 82 Car- 
roll Place, New Brunswick, New Jersey. He died in New Brunswick, 
January 14, 1920. The following is a minute of the Middlesex Bar Asso- 
ciation, adopted January 16, 1920: 

This minute is a slight expression of the love and esteem of the members of the 
bar of Middlesex County for their brother and friend, so long their companion and 
advisor, their leader as President for many years. 

His was a strong and sturdy personality, — a man of decided opinions, reticent, 
brief in speech; a deep thinker; an ardent lover of the profession of the law and ever 
ready to preserve its dignity and traditions ; a thorough student of the law ; an earnest 
advocate, a tireless defender of the State and fearless prosecutor of offenders of its 
laws; an able and impartial judge. Loyalty to his client, thoroughness in preparation 
and earnestness in presentation, were his distinguishing legal characteristics. 

We knew him to love him. He was the first to congratulate us upon every success 
in public or private life, and the first to express the word of sympathy in personal loss 
or failure. His word of counsel in many a difficult situation will be remembered and 
appreciated by us all. 

As a public official his high sense of duty and responsibility for whatever office he 
filled was strongly marked. He sacrificed his personal practice upon the altar of official 
duty. 

What more fitting climax to his long and splendid career than to have given his 
time and talent in his declining years to patriotic service of his country upon the Fed- 
eral Draft Board, — the great test of our democracy, where without fear or favor 
America's youth proved its belief in equality and sprang to its country's service. 

The memory of Judge Rice's personality, his faithfulness in private and public 
affairs, and his love of his profession will be an inspiration to those of us who remain. 
W. E. FioRANCfi, Chairman; Peter F. Daly, 

Geo. S. SitzER, Frederick Neigel, 

Charles T. Cowenhoven, Edward W. Hicks, 

Adrian Lyon, Freeman Woodbridge. 



420 MIDDLESEX 

MONSIGNOR JOHN A. O'GRADY.— From the time when as a 
youth of sixteen years he felt the urge to his holy calling, until as a Chris- 
tian veteran of seventy years he laid aside a completed task, Monsignor 
John A. O'Grady lived a life of single-hearted devotion that has its rich 
fruits in the thousands he has influenced toward righteousness. The 
glorious history of the church is but the composite record of such loyal, 
faithful followers of its great head as he, and it is from such example that 
the great body of its people have derived inspiration for lives of unselfish 
service, of brotherhood with all men. His parish has many physical evi- 
dences of splendid work accomplished under his vitalizing leadership, and 
in the minds and hearts of the multitude in Middlesex county and 
throughout the State whose privilege it was to work with him, there 
remains in unfailing strength and beauty the memory of a Godly man. 
An editorial tribute in the "Daily Home News" of New Brunswick, at the 
time of his death spoke thus of this beloved churchman : 

Probably no New Brunswicker has rivalled in warmth of affection or in distinc- 
tion the life and achievements of Monsignor John A. O'Grady. He was conspicuous in 
church and civic affairs in this city for nearly half of his life of three score and ten 
years, and as a faithful churchman, a mighty molder of public opinion, a scholar, and a 
friend, he was noteworthily esteemed by the vast majority of our citizens. The record 
of his personal accomplishments is amazing. The untiring and restless energy of his 
mind vied with and even exceeded that of his indefatigable body — for long after the 
inroads of ill-health had made necessary a curtailment of physical exertion his mind 
was as clear and his discourse as illuminating as at any period of his career. 

Monsignor O'Grady was a churchman of noble stature atid a leader whose rare 
sagacity and diplomacy won many victories for the cause of civic righteousness and 
spiritual and moral uplift. An orator of power and tremendous conviction, he proved 
a potent leader, and while his victories were mainly those secured through peaceful 
conquest, he never shirked a fight against evil in any form, and his splendid influence 
was always to be counted upon for the betterment of all mankind. As a theologian he 
ranked with the highest, while as an administrator and financier his works will long 
remain as monuments of unusual efficiency. He was, in his heart's core, a lovable man, 
adored by all who shared his intimacies. Guided by an overwhelming love for his 
Master, with a masterful intelligence and a profound knowledge of men and motives, 
he was a born leader. Scintillant in his many-sided genius, he almost was gifted with 
what Hugo termed the cube of human faculties. He was among his fellowmen a star 
of the first magnitude, an Orion in the firmament of mankind. 

A strange, great light exhausted its vital ray when Monsignor O'Grady's lamp of 
life flickered and went out A community testifies its sense of personal bereavement. 
An imposing, dominating and rugged figure has passed from view. 

Monsignor John A. O'Grady was born at Montague, Sussex county. 
New Jersey, July 3, 1849. He was sixteen years of age when he de- 
termined to give himself to the priesthood, and he entered St. Charles 
College at Ellicott City, Maryland. Upon the completion of his course 
in this institution, he entered Seton College for the study of theology and 
philosophy, and was ordained May 30, 1874, becoming private secretary 
to Bishop M. A. Corrigan, of the diocese of Newark, New Jersey. Later, 
he was sent to St. Patrick's Cathedral, Newark, and two years afterward 
to St. Peter's Church, New Brunswick, New Jersey, as curate. Rev. 
Father Rogers then serving as pastor. After two years at St. Peter's, he 
became rector of the church at Boonton, and in 1881 returned to St. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 421 

Peter's for his long and richly blessed pastorate, Father Rogers' advanced 
years having made necessary the relinquishment of his heavier ecclesi- 
astical burdens. Father O'Grady, during the long years of his New 
Brunswick residence, became more than a denominational figure, for his 
sympathies and interests extended into all fields affecting the welfare 
and happiness of his fellowmen, irrespective of race or belief, and his 
admirers were found in all classes alike. At one time he was a member 
of the City Park Commission, and he was a member of the Board of 
Trade. He was a devoted friend of Rutgers College, and for several 
years prior to his death was the donor of an annual oratory prize, known 
as the "O'Grady prize." At the 1918 commencement exercises the degree 
of Doctor of Letters was conferred upon him, in absentia, illness keeping 
him at home. 

Father O'Grady's pastorate at St. Peter's covered a period of thirty- 
seven years, a period of vast material expansion and spiritual growth. 
Among the accomplishments of his long term of service whose physical 
evidences remain, were the purchase of a new organ, the redecoration 
and furnishing of the church, the building of a commodious sacristy, the 
enlargement of the rectory and convent, and the acquisition of additional 
ground for the cemetery, whose area he more than doubled. A notable 
event of his ministry was the erection of the splendid equipped parochial 
school, known as Columbia Hall, and the construction of a large addition 
to that building a few years prior to his death. The purchase of the 
former Russell property at Somerset and Hardenbergh streets, and the 
founding of St. Peter's General Hospital on the site, was due in large 
measure to Monsignor O'Grady, who gave the institution watchful care 
from the first and contributed heavily to its success. 

When Father O'Grady assumed charge of the parish of St. Peter's 
it was staggering under a debt of almost one hundred thousand dollars, 
a disheartening handicap for a young priest to take up. Nevertheless, 
in addition to paying off this debt, he paid off the old and new debt of 
Columbia Hall, the hospital grounds, and several acres of hospital prop- 
erty, which, with interest, amounted to nearly three hundred thousand 
dollars. All of this was paid by the close of 191 1, when the parish was 
entirely free from debt. With barely a breathing space, this zealous man 
of God and his devoted followers undertook a new program of advance- 
ment, and in order to meet the demand for more hospital room a fine 
home for the nurses was erected and later a separate maternity hospital, 
containing a children's ward. 

Father O'Grady was an earnest supporter of the movement to pro- 
vide a convenient church home for the Catholics of Highland Park, and 
the formal opening of St. Paul's Chapel resulted from this interest. Out 
of St. Peter's parish was formed the German parish of St. John the Bap- 
tist in 1865, the Sacred Heart parish in 1883, the Hungarian parish of St. 
Ladislaus in 1904, and the Italian parish of St. Mary of Mt. Virgin in 
1905. Father O'Grady was raised to the dignity of dean by the late Bishop 
O'Farrell and was made a domestic prelate with the title of Monsignor 



422 MIDDLESEX 

by His Holiness, Pope Leo XHL, predecessor of the present Pope Pius 
X. For a number of years he occupied the position of Rural Dean of the 
northern section of the diocese of Trenton, and as such was the valued 
advisor of the bishop and the warm personal friend of every rector in his 
district. 

On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination 
celebration, ceremonies of four days concluded with a banquet, at which 
he was presented with a silver box containing one thousand dollars in 
gold and fifteen hundred dollars in bills, all of which he at once applied 
toward the work of refurnishing the church. His fortieth anniversary, 
in 1914, was likewise the occasion of a season of celebration by his 
parishioners. 

Monsignor O'Grady died January 15, 1919. His funeral was held in 
the church of which he had been pastor for so many years, and was 
attended by thousands of men, women and children in every walk of life. 
It was the largest funeral service ever held in the city of New Brunswick, 
and many of the mourners, who filled the church to overflowing, together 
with hundreds of children attending the parochial school, accompanied 
the cortege to St. Peter's Cemetery, where all that was mortal of this 
saintly man was laid to rest. The solemn High Requiem Mass was cele- 
brated with Rt. Rev. Monsignor B. J. Mulligan, celebrant ; Rev. Thomas 
Roche, of Asbury Park, deacon; and Rev. Dr. William P. Cantwell, of 
Perth Amboy, sub-deacon ; Rev. Thomas B. Hagerty, of Hampton, mas- 
ter of ceremonies; Rev. Father Neal A. Mooney, of Trenton, thurifer; 
Rev. Fathers James A. Harding, of Phillipsburg, and J. Arthur Hayes, 
of Trenton, acolytes. 



DR. SAMUEL MESSINGER.— Among those who, coming to this 
country from other lands, have not only made a successful career for 
themselves but have reared and educated a family for future usefulness 
to themselves, their country, and the nation, Leon and Helen (Baum) 
Messinger, parents of Dr. Samuel Messinger, of Roosevelt, New Jersey, 
have rendered a distinct service. Leon Messinger was a manufacturer 
of furniture in Austria, and a well known citizen in his native town, 
Czernowitz. Capable, energetic, and ambitious, he found conditions 
somewhat hampering in the Old World, so decided to try his fortune in 
the newer land to the westward, where opportunity was greater and 
where there were fewer long-established customs to fetter the ambitious 
man who wished to rise. In 1891, with his wife, Helen, and four chil- 
dren, Morris, Henrietta, Samuel, of whom further, and Hattie, he came 
to America and settled in New York City, where he engaged in the furni- 
ture business, first as a mechanic, and later, in 1894, as a manufacturer. 
There were difficulties that called for all the courage and determination 
he possessed, and there were times when his business venture seemed 
doomed to failure, but the initiative, and the steady courage which had 
brought him into a new country never failed him. Against heavy odds, 
he succeeded, building up a business which not only supplied their imme- 
diate needs, but which enabled him to give his children the best education 



BIOGRAPHICAL 423 

obtainable. In addition to the four children born in Austria, four more, 
Mildred, Isadore, Rose and David, were born in America, and both Leon 
Messinger and his wife were determined that their family should have all 
the advantages which the new country could give. To this end they had 
toiled, economized, and achieved business success. Leon Messinger died 
March 14, 1920, survived by his wife. A hard worker, honest and sin- 
cere in his every purpose, Leon Messinger was a devoted father and a 
true citizen, and in the hearts and lives of his children his influence will 
long continue to be of service to them. 

Samuel Messinger, son of Leon and Helen (Baum) Messinger, was 
born at Czernowitz, Austria, July 7, 1887, and came to America with his 
parents, while still a small child. Taking full advantage of his father's 
desire that the children should obtain the best education possible, and 
also of the opportunities offered in the land of his adoption, he attended 
the grammar and high schools of New York City and then entered the 
College of the City of New York, first pursuing a general course of study 
and then studying medicine and surgery in the Eclectic Medical College 
of the City of New York, from which he graduated in 1912, receiving the 
degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. He then entered upon his 
professional career in New York City, where for a year he practiced in 
various hospitals and infirmaries, specializing along certain medical lines. 
He then left New York City and for three years engaged in general prac- 
tice in Jersey City, New Jersey. In 191 5 he located in the borough of 
Roosevelt, Middlesex county. New Jersey, where he has remained, and 
here has built up a large and successful practice. He is one of the lead- 
ing physicians of this section of the county, and has rendered valuable 
service to his community, both in professional and in public life. The 
poor and afflicted have found in him a "great physician," tender and sym- 
pathetic, always ready to meet a real need, regardless of the probabilities 
of renumeration. 

Dr. Messinger has taken a keen interest in civic affairs in the borough 
of Roosevelt, and is held in high esteem by his many friends. During 
the World War he was a member of the Officers' Reserve Corps, hold- 
ing the rank of lieutenant. He is a member of the visiting staff of the 
Rahway Hospital, of which he was one of the founders. He is also a 
member of the Middlesex County Medical Society, and of the National 
and State Eclectic Medical societies. 

Dr. Messinger is highly talented as a musician. He studied the violin 
under Nathan Manor, of New York City, and his mastery of this instru- 
ment is still fresh in the minds of those who have heard him play while 
in the concert world. 

Dr. Messinger married, December 11, 191 1, Sonja Carsch, daughter 
of Aaron and Frances (Wexler) Carsch, of New York, and Boston, Mas- 
sachusetts. To Dr. and Mrs. Messinger three children have been born : 
Walter, October 19, 1913; Edith Barbara, March 28, 1920; and Leonard, 
May 29, 192 1. Dr. Messinger's fine residence and well-fitted clinic is 
located at Nos. 29 and 31 Roosevelt avenue, corner of McKinley avenue, 
borough of Roosevelt, Middlesex county. New Jersey. 



424 MIDDLESEX 

AARON GROSS. — Among the prominent business men and citizens 
in the progressive little town of Fords, New Jersey, may be mentioned 
Aaron Gross. He is a son of Nathan and Rebecca Gross, and was born 
in Hanusfolwa, Austria, October 23, 1870. In early life his father fol- 
lowed the occupation of a farmer in that country, and about 1887 he and 
his wife came to the United States with their children, among whom 
were: William, now a prominent business man at Fords; Terrie, now 
the wife of Max Goldberger, of Perth Amboy ; Aaron, of further men- 
tion ; Sallie, now the wife of Jacob Gluck, of Cold Spring, New York ; 
Mollie, now the wife of Julius Kohn, of Perth Amboy ; David, a business 
man of Newark, New Jersey; and Herman, deceased, who was a prac- 
ticing physician at Metuchen, New Jersey. 

Aaron Gross passed the years of his boyhood in Austria, where he 
received a good education in the schools of his home town. At about the 
age of eighteen he accompanied his parents to the United States, where 
he secured employment in New York City, "remaining there for some 
time. Later, he moved to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where he secured 
a position in a local grocery store. After about six years in this line of 
business he gained much experience, and with a little capital, embarked 
in business on his own account. 

It is now about twenty-five years since he came to Fords Corners, 
and in that time he has built up the largest mercantile business in the 
town. He carries a large line of high-grade groceries and meats, and 
deals extensively in many other commodities. Mr. Gross has established 
a reputation for himself by his honorable and upright dealings. His store 
is modern in all its details and one of the finest in this section of the 
State. He takes a keen and active interest in the affairs of his town, and 
is well known throughout the county. Besides his own business, Mr. 
Gross is interested in other affairs, including the Fairfield Building and 
Loan Association, of which he is a director, and he is a large stockholder 
in the Fords National Bank. He is a member of the Republican party, 
the Masonic order, and the Woodmen of the World. 

Mr. Gross married, July 7, 1895, at Brooklyn, New York, Bertha 
Goldberger, a native of Austria, the daughter of Samuel and Sara (Good- 
man) Goldberger, who came to the United States when their daughter 
was a child, and eventually made their home at Perth Amboy, New Jer- 
sey. Mr. and Mrs. Gross are the parents of four children : Mollie, born 
March 27, 1896; Irene, born March 5, 1899; Nathan, born April i, 1902; 
and Joseph, born May 31, 1907. 



MATTHEW A. HERMANN.— When a man passes practically his 
entire life in one community and gives freely of his time, his energy, 
and his talents to the upbuilding of the interests of the group with which 
he lives, he makes for himself a large place in the life of the community 
and in the hearts of his fellow-citizens, a place which, when vacated, 
cannot well be filled by another. When he passes from among his life- 
long associates, his friends and fellow-citizens suffer deep loss. Such 




^Iz^^^tW?^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 4^5 

loss has been experienced by the citizens of the borough of Roosevelt, 
New Jersey, in the death of Matthew A. Hermann. 

Mr. Hermann was born in Carteret, now the borough of Roosevelt, 
New Jersey, and received the fortunate heritage which often results 
from the union of two nationalities. From his father, Matthias Her- 
mann, born in Baden, Germany, he received the German thoroughness, 
steadiness, and earnestness of purpose; from his mother, Bridget (Kelly) 
Hermann, born in County West Meath, Ireland, the quickness of sym- 
pathy, the wit, and the genial warmth of the sons of Erin. These char- 
acteristics of two nations blended in one personality, staunchly and 
intensely American, produced a fine type of American manhood and a 
life that was exceptionally valuable to friends and community. 

Matthew A. Hermann attended the schools of his district and then 
went to Miss Arrowsmith's Private School at Blazing Star Landing. 
As a boy, he worked on the farm with his father, where, undaunted by 
the long hours of hard work, he developed strength and determination, 
and nourished his ambition for larger things. His parents encouraged 
his aspirations, and when he decided to study telegraphy, helped in 
every way they could. The lack of means of transportation in those 
days, however, made impossible the fulfillment of many a young dream, 
and the vigorous, ambitious, clear-seeing boy soon realized that his plan 
was impracticable. He kept at his studies, watched for his opportunity, 
and filled his days with earnest work at whatever his hand could find 
to do until the general contracting business offered the chance for which 
he had been waiting. He formed a partnership with his brother, Joseph 
A. Hermann, and for many years the firm of Hermann Brothers has 
carried on a large and successful business as dealers in builders' mate- 
rials. In recent years he also individually conducted a large construction 
business, and never failed to complete a contract satisfactorily and on 
time. Many big improvements, public and private, in the Roosevelt 
section of the county have been the result of his work. 

Politically, Mr. Hermann was a loyal Democrat, actively interested 
and influential in the councils of the party. Always devoted to the best 
interests of his community, he served on the Middlesex county g^and 
jury, and was a member of the local Board of Education since the incor- 
poration of the borough in 1906. He was also an active and faithful 
member of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, a member of the Holy 
Name Society, and of the Knights of Columbus. The Fire Department 
found him an efficient, faithful member of its corps of defenders of the 
homes of the borough, and his fellow members of the Order of Red Men 
loved him for his wit and for his genial friendliness. Earnest, honest, 
unassuming, a constructive worker for the improvement of social and 
economic conditions in his home town, and in the surrounding district, 
Mr. Hermann will long be missed and his influence will long be felt. 

Mr. Hermann is survived by his mother, Bridget (Kelly) Hermann ; 
his brother, Mayor Joseph A. Hermann ; and his sisters, Elizabeth, Bar- 
bara, Margaret, and Catherine. Matthew A. Hermann died May 3, 1921, 



426 MIDDLESEX 

HON. JOSEPH ANDREW HERMANN.— Long one of the forceful, 
outstanding figures in the business and public life of the county of Mid- 
dlesex is the Hon. Joseph Andrew Hermann, mayor of the borough of 
Roosevelt, New Jersey. 

Born in the borough, in the section then known as Carteret, son of 
Matthias Hermann and Bridget (Kelly) Hermann, pioneers in the devel- 
opment of this section of the county, he first attended the local public 
school and later Miss Arrowsmith's Private School. Reared on a farm 
until his early youth, he left to assist in the management of his uncle's 
mercantile business in New York City for about five years, returning 
to engage with his brother in the masons' materials business, which he 
has conducted ever since, developing it into one of the largest of its 
kind in the county. He has reached the position of one of the leading 
business men of the county, recognized throughout for his probity, energy 
and high abilities. He was one of the first directors of the First National 
Bank of Roosevelt, and is the vice-president of the Carteret Building 
Loan Association. In the direct personal making of the great growth in 
the business, industry and realty improvement of this section of the 
county, Mr. Hermann stands second to none. 

Mr. Hermann served as township committeeman of the township of 
Woodbridge, New Jersey, from 1901 to 1906. Following a long con- 
tinued desire and some spasmodic efforts, a definite movement was 
organized in the last-named year by Mr. Hermann to effect the incorpora- 
tion as a distinct municipality of all that portion of Woodbridge town- 
ship extending along Staten Island Sound from Port Reading to the 
Rahway river, a distance of about three miles, and running back from 
the Sound about one and one-half miles. This territory included the 
settlements known as Carteret and Chrome, and embraced many large 
manufacturing enterprises along the water front. A committee of 
twenty-five of the leading men of the community was formed, repre- 
sentative of all parties and elements that went to make up its civic, 
business and industrial life, for the purpose of incorporating it by legis- 
lative enactment as the borough of Roosevelt. Mr. Hermann was made 
its head, and he gave all that was in his heart and mind to the work and 
success of the movement. Active, persistent and formidable opposition 
from outside the proposed new municipality had to be met, but the 
movement did succeed and the borough was incorporated by the act of 
the Legislature, approved April 11, 1906. And, admitted by all, the 
success was largely due to the brain, the leadership, the work and the 
organizing genius of Joseph A. Hermann, so much so that he is called 
the father of the borough. 

Mr. Hermann was elected the first mayor in 1906 and has continu- 
ously held the office ever since, having been elected eight times in 
succession. This is an unprecedented record in this respect, and shows 
the measure of the man and what the people think of him. During his 
time as the executive of the municipality (fifteen years), the population 
has increased from 1,500 to 11,049; ^^^ tax values from $1,000,000 to 
$10,196,000; miles of roads, sewers, sidewalks and curbing have been 




i.»mts Jiiatai'ical Pvo,£ O' 



Enc hif .- -.n'tny A Cann 




/'^- 1^ 



^X^Pu- 



BIOGRAPHICAL 4^7 

laid, and the borough today has not over $25,000 municipal bonded 
indebtedness, an indebtedness based on tax values incomparably lower 
than any like municipality in the State of New Jersey. This indicates 
the kind of a man and official and the quality of the service he has 
rendered. 

In 1920, Mayor Hermann was appointed by Governor Edwards a 
member of the Middlesex County Board of Taxation and this year, 1921, 
he was elected its president. In this important office he has demonstrated 
his special fitness for the work and the soundness and impartiality of 
his decisions. 

Mr. Hermann is a member of Carey Council, Knights of Columbus, 
was its grand knight for six years, and has been a district deputy of the 
order; Court Carteret, Foresters of America; Division No. 7, Ancient 
Order of Hibernians; Holy Name Society of St. Joseph's Church, its 
vice-president; Quinnipiac Tribe, Improved Order of Red Men; past 
sachem ; Rahway Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ; 
Friends of Irish Freedom; Middlesex Grove, Ancient United Order of 
Druids; St. Vincent De Paul Society, its president; and the Roosevelt 
Fire Company, No. 2. He is also director of St. Elizabeth's Hospital, 
Elizabeth, and the City of Rahway Hospital. 

During the World War Mayor Hermann was the recognized leader 
of the borough in the work of all the agencies and drives recognized and 
approved by the United States Government, and to his masterful efforts, 
militant Americanism, and able executive direction, was largely due the 
fact that no similar community surpassed the borough of Roosevelt in 
the intensity and success of all the movements organized to help win 
the war. 



PATRICK L. RYAN. — Among the well known clay miners and man- 
ufacturers of Middlesex county, and a man highly regarded and esteemed 
for his sterling character and uprightness, was the late Patrick L. Ryan, 
of Woodbridge, New Jersey. 

Patrick L. Ryan was a native of Ireland, born December 31, 1838, 
the son of good parentage. He received a good education in the home 
schools of that country. When he was about twenty years of age he 
came to the United States with members of his family, and shortly 
afterwards located at Kreischerville, Staten Island, New York, where 
he began his long and honored career in the clay busiixess. For a time 
he was employed at the old Kreischer Brick Works there, and in i860 
removed to Woodbridge, New Jersey. Here he followed the occupatfon 
of clay mining, being variously engaged for many years by some of the 
well known clay operators of the region, among them being Frederick 
W. Meeker, of New York City, with whom he remained several years. 
By strict application, thrift, and the savings of his labors, he was able 
to purchase Mr. Meeker's clay mining interests in 1890, which consisted 
of about ten acres. This venture proved so successful that as time went 
on he added to his original holdings until he had about six hundred 
acres of the finest fire-day producing mines in the State of New Jersey. 



428 MIDDLESEX 

In 1900, with his sons, Patrick J. and John F., he helped organize The 
Mutton Hollow Fire Brick Company of Woodbridge, of which he was 
president until the time of his death. 

Mr. Ryan was a broad-gauged man, and had a wide view on business 
and other conditions which he came in contact with. As one of Wood- 
bridge's most influential citizens, he did his best to further any cause 
that would be of benefit to the community in which he lived. Aside from 
his clay mines, he was the holder of valuable real estate in and about 
Woodbridge. 

While he did not take an active part in political life, he was a staunch 
Democrat, and abreast with the political affairs of his day. A loyal 
churchman, he was one of the original supporters of St. James' Roman 
Catholic Church of Woodbridge. 

Mr. Ryan married, about 1867, in Rah way, New Jersey, Catherine. 
Doyle, like himself a native of Ireland, born April 10, 1845, coming to the 
United States in 1867. To Mr. and Mrs. Patrick L. Ryan the following 
children were born, all in Woodbridge: i. Margaret, born August 3, 
1870, married Eugene L. Romond, of Woodbridge, who is now con- 
nected with The Mutton Hollow Fire Brick Company. 2. Mary, born 
September 28, 1871, married James L. Dalton, of Metuchen, also con- 
nected with the above company; they are the parents of five children: 
Catherine, deceased ; Margaret, Helen, Anna, and James. 3. Patrick J., 
of further mention. 4. John F., of further mention. 5. Rev. Richard 
T., of further mention. 6. Julia J., born March 6, 1879, married Richard 
P. Grace, of Woodbridge, now a superintendent with The Mutton Hol- 
low Fire Brick Company; they are the parents of three children: Cath- 
erine, Julia, and Anna. 7, William A., of further mention. 8. Lawrence 
C, of further mention. 9. Catherine, born December 28, 1885, married 
P. H. Gallagher, of AUentown, Pennsylvania, now well known in business 
circles in New York City. Patrick L. Ryan died April 28, 1912, and his 
wife, Catherine (Doyle) Ryan, June 20, 1913, at Woodbridge, New Jersey. 
The passing away of these two people was a sad bereavement to the 
community. 

Patrick J. Ryan, first son and third child of Patrick L. and Catherine 
(Doyle) Ryan, was bom March 10, 1874. He was educated in the public 
schools of Woodbridge and the Coleman Business College at Newark, 
New Jersey. At the age of thirteen years he began to learn the clay 
mining business under the direction of his able father, and has continued 
in this line of activity to the present date with much success. In igoo, 
with his father and brother, he helped organize The Mutton Hollow Fire 
Brick Company, and became its treasurer. He was instrumental in going 
before the officials of the Philadelphia & Reading railroad and convincing 
them of the logic of extending a branch freight line about two miles 
long into the clay mining district of Woodbridge. This line was officially 
opened September 6, 1901, to the miners and manufacturers in the 
district, and since that time traffic has greatly increased in volume and 
it has proven to be one of the profitable branches of the railroad company. 
During the World War Mr. Ryan was selected one of the eight members 



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BIOGRAPHICAL 4^9 

to serve on the War Service Committee of the National Clay Miners' and 
Producers' Association. 

Politically a Democrat, Mr. Ryan is one of the leaders at the execu- 
tive councils of the party in Middlesex county. He is a member of the 
Knights of Columbus, Middlesex Council, No. 857, of Woodbridge ; and 
an attendant of St. James' Roman Catholic Church. 

Mr. Ryan married, in Woodbridge, December 3, 1913, Helen Golden, 
daughter of William and Margaret (Hackett) Golden. To them two 
children have been born : Catherine, and Patrick J., Jr. 

John F. Ryan, second son and fourth child of Patrick L. and Cath- 
erine (Doyle) Ryan, was born November i, 1875. He was educated in 
the public and St. James' Parochial schools of Woodbridge, and the 
Coleman Business College of Newark, New Jersey. He first began 
work with the Standard Fire Proofing Company in their Perth Amboy 
offices, where he remained five years, becoming a chief clerk and auditor. 
In 1900, with his father and brother, he helped in the organization of 
The Mutton Hollow Fire Brick Company, of which he became secretary 
and general manager, a post he has held with credit to the present time. 
In addition to his manufacturing interests, John F. Ryan is president 
of the newly organized Woodbridge National Bank, vice-president of 
the Woodbridge Building and Loan Association, and secretary and 
treasurer of the Woodbridge Realty Company. 

In politics a Democrat, Mr. Ryan was appointed postmaster "of Wood- 
bridge by President Wilson, serving from 1913 fo 1917, and during his 
administration the new post office was erected here. During the World 
War he was active in various Liberty Loan and other war work activities. 
He is a member of St. James' Roman Catholic Church ; past grand knight 
of the local council, Knights of Columbus, and secretary and treasurer 
of their Building Association. 

Mr. Ryan married, in Woodbridge, October 21, 1908, Alice E. Mara, 
daughter of John I. and Ellen (Paterson) Mara. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan are 
the parents of eight children : John P., Helen M., Richard T., Robert V., 
deceased; Patrick L., deceased; Catherine F., AHce, and Mary D. 

Rev. Richard T. Ryan, third son and fifth child of Patrick L. and 
Catherine (Doyle) Ryan, was born August 29, 1877. He received his 
education in the public and St. James' Parochial schools of Woodbridge, 
Seton Hall College, South Orange, New Jersey, and St. Mary's Seminary, 
Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained to the priesthood at Trenton, 
New Jersey, June i, 1901, subsequently becoming a curate at various 
Roman Catholic churches. He was appointed to Long Branch, New 
Jersey, June 6, 1901 ; transferred to Phillipsburg, October 5, 1901 ; ap- 
pointed to Sandy Hook, February 21, 1905, and August i, 1910, was made 
pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Somerville, New 
Jersey. He is well known in Somerville, and beloved by friends in and 
outside of the church. He is chaplain of Somerville Council, Knights 
of Columbus; member of the Somerville Gun Club, and the Somerset 
Golf Club. 

William A. Ryan, fourth son and seventh child of Patrick L. and 



430 



MIDDLESEX 



Catherine (Doyle) Ryan, was born March 12, 1881. He was educated 
at the public and St. James' Parochial schools of Woodbridge, and the 
Coleman Business College at Newark, New Jersey. Like his father and 
brothers, he started in the clay mining and manufacturing business and 
has followed it ever since, and is now superintendent of mines of the 
Ryan estate at Woodbridge. Aside from the clay business, he is in the 
general contracting business and has built up a large and growing enter- 
prise. He is general contractor on road work, excavations, and building 
construction, being well known in the trade. Mr. Ryan is a Democrat 
in politics, member of the local lodge. Knights of Columbus, and St. 
James' Roman Catholic Church. 

Mr. Ryan married, in Woodbridge, November 25, 1907, Elizabeth 
Jelicks, daughter of Frank and Elizabeth (Dunn) Jelicks. They are the 
parents of four children : Elizabeth, Patrick L., Catherine and Margaret. 

Lawrence C. Ryan, fifth son and eighth child of Patrick L. and 
Catherine (Doyle) Ryan, was born April 8, 1883. He received his edu- 
cation in the public and St. James' Parochial schools of Woodbridge, 
and the Coleman Business College of Newark, New Jersey. Since leav- 
ing school he has been identified in the clay mining and manufacturing 
business. He is now assistant secretary of The Mutton Hollow Fire 
Brick Company, and takes a leading part in the management of this 
large and successful firm. 

Mr. Ryan is a Democrat in politics. During the World War he was 
actively engaged on the Registration Board in Woodbridge. He is a 
member of the local council. Knights of Columbus, the Foresters of 
America, and St. James' Roman Catholic Church. 

Mr. Ryan married, in Woodbridge, May 2, 1909, Mary Geis, daughter 
of Henry and Anna (Soder) Geis. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan are the parents 
of the following children : Lawrence C, Patrick J., Anna M. and James H. 

This historical record of the family of Patrick L. and Catherine 
(Doyle) Ryan shows the strong character and family stapleness of all 
its members. They began in a modest way and have built up large 
business interests, and a sound social standing, which reflects much 
credit upon them individually and as a whole throughout the region. 



THE WOODBRIDGE LEADER.— One of the foremost institu- 
tions of Woodbridge is the "Woodbridge Leader," a weekly paper 
devoted to the encouragement of all movements, having for their object 
the advancement of the best interests of the town. "The Leader" came 
into being on March i, 1910, succeeding "The Register," which was at 
that time edited by R. Uhler and Harry B. RoUinson. The necessity for 
a paper of the type of "The Leader" was pressing at the time, because 
of the rapid growth of the community and the absolute need of an 
organ that would at all times speak for and defend the best interests 
of the people. Such a purpose could not fail of success, and from the 
start "The Leader" was accepted as the reliable and fearless mouth- 
piece of the citizenry of Woodbridge. 

The first editor was Mark J. Boyle, newspaper man of many years' 



BIOGRAPHICAL 431 

experience. At present, the paper is ably edited by John A. Flood; 
business manager, L. A. McLeod. "The Leader" is owned and con- 
trolled by a corporation known as the Woodbridge Printery, Inc., com- 
posed of the following men: P. J. Ryan, J. E. Harned, L. M. Campbell, 
J. F. Ryan, C. A. Campbell, J. S. Dooley. 

"The Leader" is at present recognized as the official news medium of 
the town, having expanded from a circulation of three hundred to more 
than a thousand copies weekly. 



FRANCIS A. MONAGHAN.— Among the sons of men prominent 
in the life of South Amboy, New Jersey, who are beginning careers of 
usefulness and promise, is Francis A. Monaghan, son of James and 
Catherine (Carson) Monaghan. James Monaghan, the father, has for 
many years been prominent in the mercantile life of South Amboy, where 
he and his family have lived practically all their lives. Francis A. Mon- 
aghan, the son, has given evidence of ability and steadiness of purpose 
which will carry him far in his chosen profession, and which has caused 
him already to be numbered among the able and prominent young 
lawyers of his section. 

Francis A. Monaghan was born July 23, 1893, at South Amboy, 
New Jersey. He attended the grammar and high schools of that place, 
and then went to Villanova College, at Villanova, Pennsylvania, where 
he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1915, and Master of Arts 
in 1917. He then began his law studies at the New York Law School 
of Columbia University, serving from 191 5 to 1916 as clerk in the law 
offices of Senator Thomas Brown, of Perth Amboy. He was admitted 
to the New Jersey bar, April 8, 1920, and is now engaged in active service, 
having his offices at Roosevelt, New Jersey, but residing with his par- 
ents in his home town, South Amboy. In both towns he is well known 
as one of the promising young men of his profession. 

During the World War, Mr. Monaghan enlisted as a private, and 
received his training at Camp Syracuse, Syracuse, New York, where he 
became first sergeant of his company. He was transferred to the Air 
Service, Aircraft Production, and sent to Elizabeth, New Jersey, from 
which service he was honorably discharged, March 17, 1919. Mr. Mon- 
aghan is a member of the Luke A. Lovely Post of the American Legion, 
South Amboy, and of St. Mary's Catholic Church, also located at South 
Amboy, New Jersey. 



SAMUEL LEDERER, a native of Bohemia, Austria, was one of 
the first of his nationality to settle in Englishtown, Monmouth county, 
New Jersey. Later he went to New Brunswick, New Jersey, where 
he became an influential citizen. He was born October i, 1824, of good 
parentage, received his education in the gymnasium schools in his home 
town, and there learned the trade of tanner of leathers, after which he 
traveled through various European countries, working at his trade until 
about 1850, when he came to America, locating in New York. He 
resumed his trade, working on Jacob street, where he remained a few 



432 



MIDDLESEX 



years. He built up a substantial leather business in New York, which 
he disposed of about 1855, going to Englishtown, New Jersey, where 
he conducted a tannery until about 1864. He next removed to New 
Brunswick, New Jersey, where he likewise conducted a tannery for 
a number of years, subsequently becoming a dealer in hides and skins 
and a manufacturer of fertilizer. He was known all over the country 
for the excellence of his work and made the first lamb skin apron used 
by a lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in the United States. As a 
business man he was highly regarded both at Englishtown and at New 
Brunswick, and socially he was esteemed by his many friends. He 
continued business through his long life, and was "in the harness" until 
the time of his death, June 16, 1916. He built up an immense business 
for those early days, and during the Civil War devoted much of his time 
to the preparation of leather for the government. He was a well informed 
man, a great reader, and a linguist of note, speaking eight languages. 
Few citizens of New Brunswick were better known than Samuel Lederer, 
and he was one of the "grand old gentlemen" of the town. He had 
various fraternal and social connections, being one of the oldest Masons 
in the State of New Jersey at the time of his death. He was a firm 
believer in religious life and principles, and was one of the original 
supporters of the Anshe Emeth Temple, of New Brunswick, being vice- 
president of that temple for years. 

Mr. Lederer married, in New York City, October 10, 1852, Marie 
Abels, a native of his own country, born December 19, 1833. It is of 
interest to note that this grand old couple celebrated their golden wed- 
ding anniversary, October 10, 1902, at New Brunswick. To the mar- 
riage were born eleven children: i. Samuel M., now a prosperous 
contractor in St. Louis, Missouri; married Augusta Bodenheimer, of 
New York City, and became the father of four children : Jeannette, 
Lucille, Marie, and James. 2. Rose, married Edmund Bayer, of New 
York City, prominent in the insurance business ; they have four children : 
Clarence, Jessie, Alice, arid Grace. 3. Josephine, married Simon Bar- 
doch, a tobacconist of New York City, and has two children: Charlotte 
and Monroe. 4. Julius, now a real estate dealer in New Haven, Con- 
necticut ; married Martha Posner, of New Brunswick, and they have four 
children: David, Milton, Harold, and Charles. 5. Max M., a sketch of 
whose life follows. 6. Clara, married Morris Baumann, of New Haven, 
Connecticut, a rubber manufacturer; they have three children: Irving, 
Gertrude, and Robert. 7. Louise, deceased; married Morris Somerfeld, 
a business man of New York. 8. Flora, deceased ; married Ignatz Fox, 
a merchant of New York City, and left three children : Theresa, Arthur, 
and Flora. 9. David J., associated with the American Tobacco Company, 
of Yonkers, New York; married Hattie Zabinsky, of Yonkers, and has 
two children : Marie and Cora. 10. Henry A., a traveling salesman, of 
New York City ; married Deborah Levy, of New York City. 11. George 
W., a traveling salesman, of New York City; married Nettie Grodell, 
and they have one child, Samuel. Mrs. Lederer, the mother of all these 
children, died at a venerable old age at her home in New Brunswick, June 
24, 1909. 




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BIOGRAPHICAL 433 

MAX M- LEDERER, one of New Brunswick's prominent citizens, 
long identified with the leather, hide and fertilizer business, was born in 
Englishtown, New Jersey, August i8, i860. When he was very young 
his parents moved, with their family, to New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
where the life of .the son has been spent. He received his education in 
the schools of New Brunswick, and as a young man entered the busi- 
ness of his father in which he has been engaged practically ever since. 
For the past twenty years he has had the sole management of the business 
started by his. honored father, and in 1906 he purchased the entire 
interests of the firm. The business, started under the name Samuel 
Lederer & Son, still bears the original title and enjoys a well known 
reputation in the industrial life of the community under the direction 
of Max M. Lederer. 

Mr. Lederer is well known, fraternally, being a member of the Free 
and Accepted Masons, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and 
of the Knights of Pythias, and having served as a chancellor in the latter 
order, Friendship Lodge, No. 30, of New Brunswick. He is a member 
of the Republican party, and like his father a member of Anshe Emeth 
Temple, of which he was a trustee for seventeen years. 

Mr. Lederer married, March 29, 1892, Henrietta Sontheimer, daughter 
of Mayer and Regina (Scheld) Sontheimer, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, 
well known residents of that city, the father having been treasurer of 
the Board of Trade there, president and treasurer of the Building and 
Loan Association, a county freeholder and had other important con- 
nections. Mrs. Lederer is one of the active women of New Brunswick, 
being secretary of the Middlesex Hospital Aid Association, a member 
of the Board of Visiting Nurses' Association, a councilor of the Girl 
Scouts, and prominent as a Red Cross worker. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Lederer have been born three children: Marie, now the wife of Sidney 
J. Kauder, of Newark, New Jersey, they having one child, Warren G. ; 
Edith, married Harry Strauss, of New Brunswick, and they have one 
child, Robert L. ; and Mayer S., a student, now living at home with his 
parents. 



GARFIELD A. HUNT.— Son of a contractor and builder, Mr. Hunt 
was early inducted into the building trades, but chose plumbing as his 
line. He is a son of Mansfield and Maria (Quinn) Hunt, formerly of 
Brooklyn, New York, his father a skilled mechanical contractor and 
builder. In 1910 Mansfield Hunt and his family moved to Queens, 
Long Island, where they yet reside. 

Garfield A. Hunt was born in Brooklyn, New York, August 13, 1881, 
and there attended public schools until becoming a plumber's apprentice. 
He became a skilled plumber and was employed in various places, but 
always followed his trade. In 1910 he located in Dunellen, New Jersey, 
and there is well established in business for himself, and is prosperous. 
He is a Republican in politics, a Presbyterian in religious faith, a member 
of the Republican Club and the Patriotic Order Sons of America. 

Mr. Hunt married, in Brooklyn, New York, September 8, 1901, Mar- 

Hid-28 



434 MIDDLESEX 

garet Hignett; born in that city January 17, 1881, daughter of William 
and Anna (Williams) Hignett. Mr. and' Mrs. Hunt are the parents of 
jive children : Garfield, born October 8, 1903; Marguerite, born Februq.iy 
20, 1906; Warren, born November 22, 1908; Clinton W., born November 
22, 1910; Gilbert T., born July. 4, 1912. 



HYMAN WEDEEN.— The firm of Hyman Wedeen & Son, Inc., was 
founded in Perth Amboy by Hyman Wedeen^ who was born in Russia, 
January 19, 1870, but in 1889 came to this country, and since 1890 has 
been a resident of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He spent the first eighteen 
months of his American residence in New York City, where he attended 
school, then moved to Perth Amboy. He began his business career as 
a pack peddler, traveling that section of New Jersey with his pack for 
four years. He had a fixed ambition, and by carefully husbanding his 
resources he was able at the end of four years to abandon his route and 
open a small store in Perth Amboy on lower Smith street. The store at 
No. 27s Smith street was operated very successfully for eleven years, 
until 1904, when he open.ed a department store at Nos. 271-273 Smith 
street. In 1912, he added to the business a shoe store at No. 279 Smith 
street. In 191 5 he enlarged his department store by building back sixty 
feet, doubling the floor space, and bringing in the shoe department, and 
continued to conduct a prosperous modern department store. He is a 
large owner of Perth Amboy real estate, a stockholder in the Perth 
Amboy Trust Company, and one of the prosperous business men of his 
city. 

Hyman Wedeen married, in New York City, February 22, 1883, 
Esther Bella Borak, also born in Russia. They are the parents of nine 
children : Nathan, of further mention ; Nettie ; Mollie, wife of David 
Metzendorf, of Perth Amboy; Jennie, deceased; Sarah, Rose, Pearl, 
Alvin, and Isabelle, all residing with their parents in Perth Amboy 
except Mrs. Metzendorf. 

Nathan Wedeen, son of Hyman Wedeen, was born in Perth Amboy, 
May 9, 1895. He was educated in the public schools, graduating from 
Perth Amboy High School, class of 1912, and spent a year at the College 
of the City of New York. He has been associated with his father in 
business for several years, and is a member of the firm of Hyman 
Wedeen & Son, Inc. He is now taking a course in finance at New York 
University, attending evening classes. During the war with Germany, 
Nathan Wedeen was in the United States service in the medical supply 
department at Camp Merritt, on duty for thirteen months. He is a 
member of Prudence Lodge, Amboy Chapter, Scottish Rite Consistory, 
and Salaam Temple, Shriners, of the Masonic order; Tall Cedars of 
Lebanon, the American Legion, Young Men's Christian Association, 
Young Men's HebreW Association. The family are members of the 
Shaseh Tephiloh Synagogue congregation. 



MICHAEL POLLAK. — Among the best known and highly esteemed 
citizens of Woodbridge township, Middlesex county. New Jersey, a 




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BIOGRAPHICAL 435 

builder of some note in his vicinity, which is called the Rahway Home- 
stead, a man who has always stood out and has led many good move- 
ments in his community, is Michael PoUak. 

Mr. Pollak was born in Nona, Hungary, February 22, 1873, the son 
of Charles and Lena (Danzinger) Pollak, old and highly respected 
residents of that city. His father was a large landholder and a rancher 
there, a man of influence. 

Michael Pollak was given the best educational advantages, receiving 
his learning at the gymnasium schools of his native town, was later at 
the University of Vienna, and finished at the famous Heidelburg Uni- 
versity, Germany, where he pursued courses in mechanical and chemical 
engineering. 

In 1896 Mr. Pollak decided on a touring trip to America. After a 
short time in this country he felt so much at home that he decided to 
remain, and so established himself in business in New York City. The 
subsequent years were spent in that city, where he followed his profes- 
sion, that of a mechanical and construction engineer, with success. In 
1906 Mr. Pollak removed to Middlesex county. New Jersey, locating 
near Woodbridge, where he has since resided. He purchased one of 
the old landmarks of the county, which he reconstructed, and today it 
is one of the show places, pictures of which appear in this work. He 
eventually acquired a large parcel of land, which he named the Rahway 
Homestead. Formerly, most of this was vacant land, but today there 
are many substantial houses built thereon, many of which were con- 
structed by Mr. Pollak. Aside from his building activities, he has many 
other important interests, among them being president and founder of the 
following companies: Rahway Homestead Company; the Pollak Build- 
ing and Construction Company, and the Nocan Soup Company of New- 
ark, New Jersey, which is making dehydrated soups in powdered form 
and which is revolutionizing the food industries of the world. Mr. 
Pollak has had many important financial connections, and various other 
activities. 

Mr. Pollak married Laura Dupca, in the town of Kadar, Hungary, 
March 16, 1894, the daughter of Anton and Elizabeth (Heffner) Dupca. 
Her father was a director of lands and an owner of much property. 

Mr. and Mrs. Pollak are well known socially throughout the region, 
and are especially active in church work and charitable affairs. During 
the World War Mr. Pollak was very active in the many drives and cam- 
paigns, and showed the quota of his district on every occasion. 



RENSSELAER CLARK KENYON.— Several generations back the 
Kenyon family came from England and settled in Rhode Island, some 
of them later living in Pennsylvania on a farm known as the "Old Ken- 
yon Homestead." 

Rensselaer Clark Kenyon was born March 9, 1870, in Fell township, 
Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania, and there he grew up on the farm 
of his father, D. C. Kenyon, who was born in Pennsylvania, in 1845, 
and is still living on the homestead farm with his wife, Louise (Johnson) 



436 MIDDLESEX 

Kenyon, also born in Pennsylvania. She is now about seventy-five years 
old. They had a family of six boys, all living at the present time (1920) : 
I. Rensselaer Clark, of wrhom further. 2. Thomas, living in Edge Hill, 
Pennsylvania, treasurer of the Edge Hill Silica Rock Company. 3. 
Edward N., residing in Portland, Maine, a soldier in the United States 
army, and also engaged in the real estate business. 4. Howard D., 
living in Edge Hill, Pennsylvania, where he is engaged in the sand 
business ; he is a veteran of the Philippine War. 5. Robert W., at Edge 
Hill with his brother Howard D. 6. William J., a resident of Highland 
Park, New Jersey, and superintendent of the Johnson & Johnson plant 
in New Brunswick, same State. 

The eldest son of this family, Rensselaer Clark Kenyon, attended 
the schools in the township where he was born, and assisted his father 
upon the farm until he reached the age of seventeen years, then, coming 
to New Brunswick, the young man entered the employ of Johnson & 
Johnson, the well known chemists. For twenty-six years Mr. Kenyon 
remained with this company in their clerical department and as auditor 
in the credit department, leaving it to become manager of the Edge 
Hill Silica Rock Company of New Brunswick. He is now president 
of the company, as well as manager. 

Mr. Kenyon is very greatly interested in everything pertaining to 
New Brunswick. For a time he was on the School Board, and has been 
active in the work of the Young Men's Christian Association; also 
is a member of the Craftsmen's Club, of New Brunswick, the Junior 
Order of United American Mechanics, and of the local lodge of Free 
and Accepted Masons. 

In June, 1898, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Rensselaer Clark 
Kenyon married Mary Jane Henderson, the daughter of Robert and 
Sarah (Brown) Henderson, natives of England, where also their daugh- 
ter was born. Both Mr. and Mrs. Henderson died in this country some 
years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon have three children, all living: i. 
Rensselaer C, Jr., born May 10, 1901, a student at Rutgers College in 
the sophomore class. 2. Evelyn Mildred, born February 13, 1903, a 
graduate of the Livingston Avenue High School in the class of 1920. 
3. Mary Alice, born August 27, 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon reside 
at No. 29 Adelaide avenue. Highland Park, New Brunswick. They 
and their family are members of Christ Protestant Episcopal Church. 



REV. WILLIAM A. GILFILLAN,— As pastor of the Church of 
Our Lady of Virtues, Sayreville, Middlesex county. New Jersey, Father 
Gilfillan is performing the mission in life for which he prepared and 
which it is his highest ambition to worthily fulfill. He is a son of 
Joseph and Ann Gilfillan, who at the time of the birth of their son, 
William A., were living at Milford, Massachusetts. 

William A. Gilfillan was born November 22, 1869, and began his 
education in the public schools of Worcester, Massachusetts. He then 
entered Holy Cross College, Worcester, whence he was graduated B. A., 
class of '94. He finished preparation for the priestly office at Grand 



BIOGRAPHICAL 437 

Seminary, Montreal, Canada, and at the close of his theological studies 
he was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic church, December 22, 
1894. During the years he has been in orders. Father Gilfillan has been 
assigned to various phases of priestly duty, and as before noted, his 
present connection is as pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Virtues 
at Sayreville, New Jersey. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, 
and is highly regarded in his community without regard to creed. His 
parish is a large and prosperous one, all departments being in a con- 
dition of usefulness. 



BERNARD DUNIGAN. — The name of Bernard Dunigan will long 
be remembered in Woodbridge, and also Middlesex county. New Jersey, 
as one of the pioneers of his nationality to settle in Woodbridge town- 
ship, where in later years he was one of the leaders in the industrial, 
political, and social life of the community. He was a native of Ireland, 
born about 1832, and as a young man came to America, soon afterward 
settling in Woodbridge, his home until his death, in January, 1904. 
During his early residence he was variously employed in the district, 
and by toil and thrift in the following years accumulated a little capital, 
which he invested in a strip of land. 

During the early days of clay mine prospecting he became interested 
in this field of activity and upon his own property found rich deposits 
of clay, which he mined and shipped, becoming one of the prosperous 
clay operators of the region. He was a man of energy and sound 
business ability, and his splendid traits of character found expression 
m the works of good citizenship. A Democrat in politics, he took a 
leading, part in party affairs in his district, and at one time was a town 
committeeman and a member of the School Board. He was a devoted 
member of the Roman Catholic church, and a fruitful, blameless life 
placed him high in the esteem of his fellowmen. 

Bernard Dunigan married, in Woodbridge, New Jersey, in 1852, 
Julia Ryan, also a native of Ireland. Their life together was most 
happy and contented, and they celebrated the golden anniversary of 
their marriage in 1902, surrounded by their family and friends. Chil- 
dren, all born in Woodbridge : Edward P., deceased ; John M., a resi- 
dent of Tottenville, Staten Island ; Thomas F., deceased ; Ellen, married 
L. A. Conley, deceased, of Jersey City, New Jersey; Jane, married 
W. H. Nash, of Woodbridge, both deceased ; Marcellia, died in infancy ; 
Anna, died aged seventeen years; Margaret L., married B. Whalen, of 
Carteret, New Jersey, both now deceased;. Catherine J., married E. J. 
Flannigan, of Woodbridge ; Bernard J., a sketch of whom follows ; and 
Morris P., now (1921) living in Woodbridge. 



BERNARD JOSEPH DUNIGAN, son of Bernard and Julia (Ryap) 
Dunigan (q. v.), was born in Woodbridge, Middlesex county. New 
Jersey, October 26, 1875. After completing his education in Wood- 
bridge public schools he entered business life and later became associ- 
ated with his father in the clay business at Woodbridge, mining and 



438 MIDDLESEX 

shipping clay from their own clay beds. In 1904 the senior head of 
the business passed away and the burden of management fell upon 
the young man, then twenty-nine years of age. Seventeen years have 
since passed and the business is still conducted by Bernard J. Dunigan 
in a most efiScient manner. 

Mr. Dunigan, a Democrat in politics, has always taken an active 
part in public affairs, and since January i, 1913, has been assessor of 
Woodbridge township, an office he capably fills. He possesses a wealth 
of friends and is held in high esteem both as a business man and a 
citizen. Mr. Dunigan is a member of the Royal Arcanum, the Knights 
of Columbus, the Columbian Club, and St. James' Roman Catholic 
Church, all of Woodbridge. 

Mr. Dunigan married, June 19, 1907, at Woodbridge, New Jersey, 
Julia A. Whalen, daughter of Thomas and Julia (Bray) Whalen. Thomas 
Whalen was well known in Woodbridge, having resided here for many 
years after his coming as a young man from Ireland. He was engaged 
in the fire brick industry until his death, in May, 1898. Bernard Joseph 
and Julia A. (Whalen) Dunigan are the parents of four children : Mar- 
garet Gtraldine, JuHa Veronica, Bernard Joseph, Jr., and Thomas, all 
born in Woodbridge. 



WILLIAM VAN NUIS, JR., prominent among the younger genera- 
tion of business men in New Brunswick, New Jersey, is secretary and 
treasurer of The Neilson T. Parker Company, insurance brokers. If 
describing a man as a leading citizen is equivalent to saying that he 
possesses intelligence of a high order and touches life at many points, 
then Mr. Van Nuis is of this type. 

William Meeker Van Nuis, father of William Van Nuis, Jr., was 
born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1854, and now (1921) resides 
in New York City, where he is at present connected with the Penn- 
sylvania Hotel. For many years he was engaged in the wholesale 
liquor business in New Brunswick. He married Emma Strong, and 
they are the parents of three children : William, Jr., of further mention ; 
Irene, a resident of New Brunswick; Leon Lyle, a traveling salesman 
and a resident of New Brunswick. Lyle Van Nuis, grandfather of 
William Van Nuis, Jr., was a prominent citizen during the early history 
of New Brunswick, and conducted a carriage factory on Washington 
street. New Brunswick, for many years. He was mayor of New Bruns- 
wick during the years 1856 and 1857, 1861 and 1862, 1877 and 1878. 

William Van Nuis, Jr., was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
March 15, 1886. He attended the local schools, including the high school, 
until 1903, when he became identified with the Knickerbocker Trust 
Company, with whom he remained until 1907, when the company failed. 
Mr. Van Nuis was immediately invited to go with the Guarantee Trust 
Company of New York on account of his knowledge of New York City 
securities. In May, 1914, he entered the employ of The Neilson T. 
Parker Company, and two years later was promoted to fill the positions 
of manager and secretary of the company, and during the year 1921 



BIOGRAPHICAL 439 

became secretary and treasurer. He is an able manager and executive, 
keenly alert to every changing phase of the business. He is a man of 
foresight, swift and sure in his decisions, and most progressive in his 
policies. 

In politics Mr. Van Nuis is a Democrat, and takes an active interest 
in political matters. He was elected alderman from the First Ward 
in 1914 and served the city for one term. He is a member and treasurer 
of the Board of Trade of New Brunswick, New Jersey. He is a director 
of the Provident Building and Loan Association, and also of the New 
Brunswick Building and Loan Association. His hobby is golf, and 
he is also keenly interested in water sports, holding membership in 
the New Brunswick Country Club and in the New Brunswick Boat 
Club, serving as trustee of the latter. He is also an active member 
of the Rotary Club of New Brunswick. Mr. Van Nuis is a Mason, being 
a member of Union Lodge, No. 19, Free and Accepted Masons ; Scott 
Chapter, No. 4, Royal Arch Masons; Temple Commandery, No. 18, 
Knights Templar; Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of 
the Mystic Shrine of Newark, New Jersey ; Forest No. 296, Tall Cedars 
of Lebanon ; Craftsmen's Club of New Brunswick, New Jersey ; member 
of Christ Episcopal Church, and of the Young Men's Christian Associa- 
tion. 

Mr. Van Nuis married, September 19, 1918, Blanche Marie Crenning, 
daughter of Charles C. and May (Allen) Crenning. Mr. and Mrs. Van 
Nuis are the parents of one child, William Lyle, born February 10, 1920. 

Mr. Van Nuis, who is a young man, has progressed very rapidly 
and is considered an authority on insurance matters. There can be no 
reasonable doubt that the years which lie before him will be filled with 
greater effort and more signal achievement. 



GEORGE I. APGAR, JR. — ^Among the younger generation of suc- 
cessful business men of Dunellen, New Jersey, is one of her native sons, 
George I. Apgar, Jr. Since 1905 Mr. Apgar has been engaged in the 
contracting and building business, the same line of business followed 
by his father for many years. 

, George I. Apgar, Jr., was born June 18, 1889, at Dunellen, New 
Jersey, the son of John P. and Sarah (Smith) Apgar. He attended the 
public and high schools of Dunellen, and upon leaving school he became 
associated with his father in business. He has followed the same line 
of business ever since, and is well known in and about Dunellen. 

A Republican in politics, he is keenly interested as a voter in all 
the political issues of bis town. State and county. He affiliates with the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Junior Order United 
American Mechanics, the Patriotic Order Sons of America, and is a 
member of the Republican Club of Dunellen. In his religious belief 
he is a Presbyterian. 

Mr. Apgar married, November 17, 1913, at Dunellen, New Jersey, 
Emma Voorhees, a native of Chester, New Jersey, her birth having 
occurred there March 2, 1890, a daughter of Theodore and Anna (BlaineN 



440 MIDDLESEX 

Voorhees. Mr. and Mrs. Apgar are the parents of two children : Eleanor, 
born September 25, 1914; George, born January 9, 1918. The family 
reside at No. 604 Lincoln avenue, Dunellen. 

REV. ERNEST RAMON BROWN, pastor of the First Presbyterian 
Church at Dunellen, New Jersey, has won many friends in his admin- 
istration of the affairs of his charge. He is a son of John Busham 
Johnson and Emma Caroline (Crow) Brown, his father a farmer and 
a water commissioner of Rahway, New Jersey. 

Ernest R. Brown was born in Woodbridge, New Jersey, August 4, 
1871. He was educated in Rahway public schools. Moody Bible Insti- 
tute, Oberlin College, and the Reformed Theological Seminary, New 
Brunswick, New Jersey. 

Rev. Mr. Brown served the city of Rahway as a member of the 
Board of Education. He is a member of Anchor Lodge, No. 149, Free 
and Accepted Masons, of Plainfield, New Jersey, and of Washington 
Camp, Patriotic Order Sons of America, of Dunellen, New Jersey. 

Rev. Mr. Brown married at Rahway, New Jersey, in the First 
Presbyterian Church, February 27, 1901, Alice Louise Avery, daughter 
of Charles Henry and Susan Frances (Wood) Avery, her father a 
retired officer of the United States navy. Rev. and Mrs. Brown are the 
parents of five children : Dorothy Frances, born November 20, 1901 ; 
Ernest Thornell, born April 5, 1903; Roger Woodruff, born April 7, 
1905 ; Edward Payson, bom July 30, 1907 ; and Alice Louise, born Jan- 
uary II, 191 2. 

HANS M. K. HANSEN was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
October 8, 1886, son of Christian and Christine Hansen. He was edu- 
cated in the public schools, finishing with high school graduation in 
1905. He was in the employ of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, 
in the traffic department at Perth Amboy, and also in the traffic depart- 
ment of the American Can Company in New York City, but his ambition 
was for a professional career and he entered New York University Law 
School, whence he was graduated LL. B., class of 1914. He was 
admitted to the bar in June, 191 5, as an attorney, and opened offices 
at No. 119 South street, Perth Amboy. He formed an association with 
George J. Plechmer, lawyer, at No. 390 George street, New Brunswick, 
which still continues. He was later admitted a counsellor, and prac- 
ticed in the State and Federal courts of the district. During the World 
War, 1917-18, he served in the United States army as an infantryman. 

Mr. Hansen married, December 15, 1920, Mabel F. Randolph, daugh- 
ter of Samuel S. and Lillian F. Randolph. 



ELIAS SHAPIRO, D. D. S.— In 1904, even before the World War 
had made such havoc among the nations of Europe, Israel Shapiro found 
Russia a most undesirable place of residence, and with his wife, Hannah 
(Arkus) Shapiro, and his children, came to the United States, the land 
of promise to the oppressed then as now. He settled in Bayonne, 




O^c^cWk 



BIOGRAPHICAL 44i 

New Jersey, where he is now engaged in the automobile business. Mr. 
and Mrs. Shapiro have four children: Elias, of further mention; Ida, 
living at home; Morris, in business with his father in Bayonne; and 
Rebecca, residing at home. 

Elias Shapiro was born in Russia, April 28, 1896, and when eight 
years of age was brought to the United States by his parents. The 
family resided in New York City for a time, and in that city he attended 
Public School No. 64. He completed his public school courses in Bay- 
onne, New Jersey, with graduation from high school in 191 1, then was 
a student in the City College of New York, finally, in 1918, receiving 
the degree of D. D. S. from the New York College of Dentistry. He 
began the practice of his profession in New York City, but in January, 
1920, located in South Amboy, New Jersey, where he is building up a 
satisfactory practice. 

During the World War period he enlisted in the Medical Reserve 
Corps, and met every demand of citizenship. He is a member of and 
for two terms was president of the Cosmos Club of New York City, 
and is a member of the Knights of Pythias. 



MILTON ALBERT EDGAR, son of Albert and Susan (Tappen) 
Edgar, was born in Bonhampton, Middlesex county. New Jersey, Novem- 
ber 17, 1850. He acquired a sound education through his own efforts 
and application, availing himself of every opportunity for mental train- 
ing and regularly walking five miles to school. He overcame the dis- 
advantages encountered in those days by youth's ambition for education, 
and in the public schools near New Brunswick, and Rutgers Preparatory 
Academy, of the same place, he cultivated tastes that were naturally 
scholarly, devoting himself with especial interest to classical languages 
and science. At the age of sixteen years he passed the examination 
for teachers and for two years taught in the schools of New Durham 
and Bonhampton. His inclinations were toward the world of practical 
affairs, and with his brother, Charles Smith Edgar, he engaged in clay 
mining near Metuchen, meeting with excellent success. This partner- 
ship covered a period of two years, and his savings at the end of this 
time purchased an interest in a well known mercantile establishment 
in Perth Amboy, with which he was connected for two years, during 
this same period conducting an independent clay mining business in 
Perth Amboy and Woodbridge. In 1877 he again joined his brother 
and they purchased a clay mining property near Fords, New Jersey, 
which they operated until disposing of it by sale in 1885. 

Since that time Mr. Edgar has been generally engaged, independently 
and in association with others, in clay mining, clay washing, and manu- 
facturing, his activity in all these lines attended by a generous degree 
of success. He is an expert on geological phases of clay formation, and 
his counsel has guided his associates in clay mining in Middlesex county 
and other places. Mr. Edgar is one of the most prominent figures in 
the ceramic trade, known locally and nationally, and is president of the 
American Clay Producers' Association. He is president of the Edgar 



442 MIDDLESEX 

Brothers Company of New Jersey and Georgia; vice-president of the 
Edgar Plastic Kaolin Company, of Edgar, Florida, and Metuchen, New 
Jersey ; president of the Lake Park Improvement Company, of Metuchen 
and Red Bank, New Jersey, and has numerous other business interests. 

For many years Mr. Edgar was chairman of the Middlesex County 
Republican Committee, and for forty years he was a delegate to every 
State convention of his party. In 1883 he was appointed by President 
Arthur collector of customs for the port of Amboy, holding that office 
until the close of the Arthur administration. He was a member of the 
old Perth Amboy Board of Aldermen at the time that the city was 
divided into wards. When the trolley roads were first projected through 
Middlesex county, he was a member of the Board of Freeholders, and 
as chairman of the committee on street railroads and public roads did 
much to establish these lines upon a firm, equitable, and permanent 
basis. Mr. Edgar has been a keen observer and student of life's prob- 
lems, has read much of the best literature of all time, and has travelled 
extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and the Southern 
republics. After many years of extremely useful service he continues 
active in the management of his diverse business interests. He is well 
known socially and fraternally, holding membership in various Masonic 
bodies and other orders and clubs. 

Mr. Edgar married (first) in February, 1873, Frances E. Thomas, 
daughter of William and Phoebe (Moore) Thomas, a member of an 
old New Jersey family long resident in Perth Amboy. She died in July, 
1907. She was the mother of Eva W., who married F. W. Johnson, of 
New York City ; Albert J., Frederick W., and Charles S., the last three 
deceased. Mr. Edgar married (secgnd) in September, 1908, Nellie G. 
Rock, daughter of William G. and Emma Rock, also old residents of 
Perth Amboy. Children of this marriage : Milton A., Jr., and Jeannette E. 



LAURITZ WILLIAM SMITH.— The province of Schleswig-Hol- 
stein was taken from Denmark by Prussia. The province is formed of 
Schleswig in the north, Holstein and Lauenburg in the south. The 
province is traversed by the Kiel Canal, built by the deposed Kaiser 
Wilhelm, which connects the Baltic and North seas. The people of 
North Schleswig, at a plebiscite taken under the terms of the treaty 
of Versailles, negotiated after the disastrous defeat of the Germans 
at every point of contact with the allies, voted to return to the govern- 
ment of Denmark, from whom Prussia and Austria wrested Schleswig- 
Holstein at the close of the War of 1864. When Germany and Austria 
fought in 1866, Germany took the province from Austria and held it 
until compelled to return the northern part of it to its own people, and 
they are now safely attached to their ancient mother Denmark, into 
whose possession the province had passed in the eleventh century. 

In the city of Christiansfeld, North Schleswig, now Denmark, Lauritz 
William Smith, now owner of the firm. Smith & Ostergaard, Fords, 
Middlesex county. New Jersey, was bom December 5, 1876, son of 
Peter and Maren (Zeuthen) Smith. He was educated in the public 



BIOGRAPHICAL 443 

schools of his home town, and after completing school years, in 1892, 
he came to the United States and settled in Middlesex county. New 
Jersey, finding his first employment at the plant of the National Fire 
Proofing Company at Keasbey (the plant formerly operated by the 
Isaacs Company). For one year he continued with that company, 
then became an employee of the Pardee Works, manufacturers of fire 
brick, at Perth Amboy. Four months later he left the works and began 
learning the carpenter's trade, becoming in time an expert workman. 
In 1909 the firm of Smith & Ostergaard, contractors and builders, was 
organized at Fords, and there has since conducted a prosperous business. 
Mr. Smith as the managing head has proven both a reliable, skillful 
builder and a business man of high type. He is a director of the Fords 
National Bank, and interested in all that pertains to the welfare of his 
village. 

Mr. Smith is a member of the Masonic order, the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks, the Master Builders' Association, the Singing 
Society "Frem," of Perth Amboy, the Raritan Yacht Club, and the 
Lutheran church of Perth Amboy. In politics, he is a Republican. He 
is a man of high reputation as a citizen and business man, and is highly 
esteemed in his community. 



CALVIN CUNNIUS.— Two men of the name Calvin Cunnius, 
father and son, are engaged in the automobile business in New Bruns- 
wick, New Jersey, and whether one or the other is patronized, good 
service and courteous treatment attend the transaction, and the needs 
of the car are fully met. Calvin Cunnius, Sr., came to New Jersey 
from Pennsylvania, his father being a native of that State, and there 
the son spent his youth and earliest years of manhood, and there mar- 
ried. 

John M. Cunnius, father of Calvin Cunnius, Sr., was a contractor and 
builder of Freeland, Luzern county, Pennsylvania, now (1921) retired. 
He married Laura Santee, and they were residing in Freeland, Luzerne 
county, Pennsylvania, at the time of the birth of their son, Calvin, Sr., 
now of New Brunswick, New Jersey. 

Calvin Cunnius, Sr., son of John M. and Laura (Santee) Cunnius, 
was born in Freeland, Pennsylvania, December 18, 1873, and was edu- 
cated in the public schools. After leaving school he learned the car- 
penter's trade, became an expert wood-worker, and there continued until 
after the birth of his son, Calvin, Jr., when the family moved to Long 
Branch, New Jersey, where he engaged in the automobile business. In 
191 1 he located in Brooklyn, New York, continuing there in the same 
business until 1914, when he moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
and opened an auto service station, namely, Depot Garage, located on 
Albany street. After that he was located for three years on Dennis 
street, but is now (1921) located at the corner of George and Oliver 
streets. Mr. Cunnius is a Republican in politics, and a member of High- 
land Park Reformed Church. 

Mr. Cunnius married, at Freeland, Pennsylvania, August 11, 1894, 



444 



MIDDLESEX 



Mary D. Nagle, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Nagl.e. Mr. and Mrs. 
Cunnius are the parents of five children : Percy, Calvin, Jr., of previous 
mention in this work ; Laura, Ruth, and Naomi, the daughters residing 
with their parents. 

JEAN Dubois, business manager of the Roessler & Hasslacher 
Chemical Company of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and a well knovvn 
figure in the business and industrial life of that city, is a native of Swit- 
zerland, his birth having occurred at Le Locle, in that country, Novem- 
ber 24, 1869. He is a son of Philippe Henri and Louise (Andreae) 
DuBois, the former born at Le Locle and the latter at Frankfort-on- 
the-Main, Germany. The elder Mr. DuBois now lives retired with his 
family at Neufchatel, Switzerland, and has attained the venerable age 
of eighty-four years, his wife being three years younger. To Mr. and 
Mrs. DuBois eight children have been born, as follows: i. Cecile, now 
the wife of Dr. Henri Steinhauslin, of Le Locle, Switzerland. 2. Phil- 
ippe, now a resident of Rhodesia, South Africa. 3. Louise, deceased. 4. 
Alice, now the wife of the Rev. Herman de MontmoUin, of Courcelles, 
Switzerland. 5. Jean, of whom further. 6. Albert, who resides at 
Neufchatel, Switzerland. 7. Georges, who resides at Frankfort, Ger- 
many. 8. Hugo, deceased. 

The childhood of Jean DuBois was passed in his native town of Le 
Locle, Switzerland, and there as a lad he attended the local public 
schools, passing through grammar and high school grades, and in the 
latter being prepared for college. He then entered the University of 
Neufchatel, in the city of the same name in Switzerland, and took a 
course in law, graduating with the class of 1890. After completing his 
studies at the latter institution, he removed to South Africa and remained 
in that country for eight years, being interested in mining operations 
on an extensive scale. While there he at one time lodged a complaint 
against the natives of the Blauberg region on account of their depre- 
dations, and afterwards joined the Boer army and was with their forces 
in the field during the South African campaign. In the year 1900 he 
came to the United States, and located in Florida, where for four years 
he was engaged in the phosphate business in association with a French 
company. Returning to Europe for three years, he was occupied with 
the building of a large chemical plant in France, but in 191 1 came once 
more to the United States. Here he became associated with the Roes- 
sler & Hasslacher Chemical Company of Perth Amboy, his wide knowl- 
edge of industrial chemistry making him a most valuable member of 
the staff of the great concern. He was appointed to the responsible 
position of factory business manager, and continues to hold that office 
at the present time, making his home at No. 105 High street, Perth 
Amboy. Mr. DuBois has always been actively interested in the general 
business development of the community in which he has elected to 
reside, and since coming to Perth Amboy has been a prominent member 
of the local Chamber of Commerce, and for six years its vice-president. 
He is also a member of the Drug and Chemical Club of New York City, 



BIOGRAPHICAL 445 

and the East Jersey Club. In his religious belief, Mr. DuBois is a 
Presbyterian, and attends the church of that denomination at Perth 
Amboy. 

Mr. DuBois married, in 1895, Mattie Schreiber, a native of New 
York City, and a daughter of Dr. Henry and Cora (Gulick) Schreiber, 
also natives of that place. Dr. Schreiber is a physician who has retired 
from the active practice of his profession, and now makes his home at 
Hopewell, New Jersey. Mrs. Schreiber died in New York City. Mr. 
and Mrs. DuBois are the parents of two children, as follows: Jean 
Claude, born March 30, 1898, served in the World War with the United 
States Naval Reserves, in which he now holds the rank of second officer ; 
Cora Alice, born October 26, 1903. 



COLBY DILL, one of the most successful of the younger business 
men of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where he is associated with the great 
organization of the Roessler & Hasslacher Chemical Company, was 
born December 29, 1882, at Boston, Massachusetts, and is a son of 
Joshua Martin and Catherine (Bassett) Dill of that city. Both the 
Dill and Bassett families are old ones in New England, Mr. Dill's 
father being a native of Wellfleet, Massachusetts, where he was born 
January 31, 1850, and his mother of Bridgewater, in the same State. 
The elder Mr. Dill has been an educator for many years. He now lives 
retired from active life with his wife at Newton, Massachusetts. They 
were the parents of four children, as follows: Martin Bassett, M. D., 
now a practicing physician at Newton Center, Massachusetts ; Colby, 
with whom we are here especially concerned ; Helen Baker, who became 
the wife of Walter A. Forbush, of Brockton, Massachusetts ; and Nathan- 
iel Lothrop, who died May 8, 1903, at the age of sixteen years. 

Colby Dill passed his childhood and early youth in his native city 
of Boston, and there attended as a lad the Boston Latin School, from 
which he was graduated in 1900. Having completed his preparation 
for college at that institution, he entered Harvard University, taking 
the usual academic course, and was graduated with the class of 1904 
with the degree of A. B. He had early taken a strong interest in scien- 
tific and technical subjects, and desiring a career of this kind, entered 
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Boston, from which he 
was graduated in 1906 with the degree of B. S. Another year of post- 
graduate work brought him the degree of M. S. from the same institu- 
tion, and he thereupon secured a position with the United States 
Geological Survey as chemist. He was employed in this capacity at 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for six months, and then resigned his govern- 
ment post to accept an offer of the position of works manager with the 
Perth Amboy Chemical Works. This was in 1908, and the efficiency 
with which he discharged his responsible duties soon brought him to 
the attention of the owners of the Roessler & Hasslacher Chemical Com- 
pany, also of Perth Amboy. He did not sever his connection with the 
smaller concern, however, until January, 1917, when he accepted the 
post of assistant to the second vice-president of the Roessler & Hass- 



446 MIDDLESEX 

lacher Chemical Company, which he holds at the present time. Mr. 
Dill has always interested himself actively in the general life of his 
adopted community, and is affiliated with many important orders and 
clubs, both here and in New York City, especially those of a professional 
character. He is a member of the Masonic order, and the East Jersey 
Club, of New Jersey; the Chemists' Club, and the Harvard Club of 
New York City; the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the 
Society of Chemical Industry, the American Chemical Society, the 
Association of Harvard Chemists, and the New England Society. In 
his religious belief Mr. Dill is a Congregationalist and attends the church 
of that denomination at Perth Amboy. He has always been very fond 
of outdoor sports and pastimes of all kinds, and takes especial pleasure 
in hunting and fishing, spending most of his leisure time in this manner. 
Colby Dill was united in marriage, July 30, 191 1, at Greenville, 
Michigan, with Elsie DeLamarter, a native of Kalamazoo, in that State, 
and a daughter of Dr. Louis and Mary (Baker) DeLamarter. Dr. 
DeLamarter now makes his home at Lansing, Michigan, where he is 
engaged in active practice as a physician. Mr. and Mrs. Dill are the 
parents of four children, as follows: Donald Lothrop, born May 28, 1912; 
John Harding, born in 1913; Catherine Elizabeth, born in 1915; and 
Eleanor, born in 1917. 



ROBERT A. HARKINS.— The father of our subject, Hugh Harkins, 
a veteran of the Civil War and a farmer, was a resident of Weston Mills, 
New Jersey. He married Jane McCune, and they were the parents of 
a son, Robert A. Harkins, now a contractor and builder of Milltown, 
New Jersey. 

Robert A. Harkins was born at Weston Mills, New Jersey, December 
13. 1858, and educated in the district schools. Upon arriving at a suit- 
able age he learned the carpenter's trade and later located permanently 
in Milltown, where he has engaged as a carpenter and builder until the 
present (1921). He is a skilled mechanic and has proved his ability and 
reliability to the abundant satisfaction of hundreds of patrons. In poli- 
tics he is a Republican, and for twenty-one years has been borough 
clerk. He is a member of the Order of United American Mechanics, 
the Improved Order of Red Men, and of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
He is still actively engaged in business, and is highly regarded in his 
community. 

Mr. Harkins married, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, May 24, 1879, 
Anna Reed, born September 22, 1858, daughter of Randolph and Harriet 
(Black) Reed, her father born in Hightstown, New Jersey, a rubber mill 
worker. Mr. and Mrs. Harkins are the parents of five children: i. 
Hannah Wilhelmina, born February 27, 1882, married Charles C. Lins, 
and has three children: Percy, Robert, and Dorothy. 2. Dorothy L., 
born November 22, 1883. 3. Oscar B., born October 13, 1885. 4- Harriet 
A., born March 31, 1889, married Clarence H. Hill, and has a son, 
Clarence H. (2). 5. Claude W., born September 7, 1899. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 447 

JOHN VANDURSEN OUTCALT.— A "son of the soil" indeed is 
John Vandursen Outcalt, for he was born and raised in the county and 
State in which he has always lived, on the farm where he remained 
until he reached manhood. 

On August 20, 1869, John Vandursen Outcalt was born in Milltown, 
New Jersey, his parents being Frederick Richard and Mary (Vandur- 
sen) Outcalt. The elder Mr. Outcalt was at that time a farmer, but 
some years later he went into the butcher's business, which he carried 
on for a time, eventually retiring from active occupation in the latter 
years of his life. 

The education of John Vandursen Outcalt was acquired in the public 
schools at Carharts Corner. He learned to be a farmer with his father, 
continuing this work until 1890, when he went to live in New Brunswick, 
New Jersey. Having a brother there, James V. Outcalt, who was a 
carpenter, Mr. Outcalt entered his shop, learned the trade, and served 
as an apprentice for three years, after which he continued to work at it 
for the next fourteen years. In 1907 Mr. Outcalt started in business 
for himself as a contracting carpenter and builder and is continuing it 
at the present time. 

Having spent his early life in the country, Mr. Outcalt is especially 
fond of animals, their care having been a part of his daily home life. 
He is also devoted to music, claiming that his particular enjoyment is 
to listen to good banjo playing, minstrels, or to be with a gathering of 
entertaining company of musical ability. 

Of a social temperament, Mr. Outcalt has become a member of 
several of the fraternal organizations of New Brunswick, among them 
being: Goodwill Council, No. 32, Junior Order United American 
Mechanics; Relief Council, No. 40, Order United American Mechanics; 
Knights of the Golden Eagle ; and in connection with his business, the 
Master Builders' Association. Mr. Outcalt and his family are members 
of the Livingston Avenue Baptist Church. 

In New Brunswick, New Jersey, on June 15, 1898, John Vandursen 
Outcalt was married to Leila May Leonard, the ceremony being per- 
formed by the Rev. C. A. Jenkins. Mrs. Outcalt is the daughter of 
William Milton and Katharine (Cornell) Leonard, of New Brunswick, 
Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Outcalt : Willard Milton, 
deceased; Everett Stanley, and Rutherford Clifton. The family home 
is at No. 144 Jones avenue. 



GEORGE ANTHONY VIEHMANN, for many years one of the 
best known and most influential citizens of New Brunswick, New Jer- 
sey, and a leader of the bar in that State, whose death occurred at Briar- 
cliff Lodge, New York, October 12, 1918, was a son of Anthony and 
Louisa (Litterest) Viehmann. Anthony Viehmann was born in Ger- 
many, but came to the United States in early youth, and settled in New 
York City. He was an expert wood carver, and produced fine furniture 
which he sold in the local market. He married Louisa Litterest, a 
native of New York City. Later Mr. Viehmann, Sr. removed to New 



448 MIDDLESEX 

Brunswick, New Jersey, and it was at that place that his son, George 
Anthony Viehmann, was born, November 29, 1868. 

The education of George Anthony Viehmann was begun at the local 
public schools, and he then became a student at Rutgers Preparatory 
School, from which he graduated in 1882, and was prepared for college. 
Mr. Viehmann then matriculated at Rutgers College, New Brunswick, 
where he took the usual classical course, graduating with the class of 
1886, and gaining his Bachelor's degree. In the meantime the young 
man had determined to adopt law as his profession in life, and accord- 
ingly entered the law school in connection with Columbia University, 
in New York City, from which he was graduated. Immediately after, 
he was admitted to the practice of law in New York and New Jersey, 
and also to practice before the United States Court. Mr. Viehmann then 
began the active practice of his profession, and maintained offices both 
in New York City and New Brunswick, carrying on a very large legal 
business in both of these places. He was recognized by his colleagues 
as an attorney of profound learning and unusUal natural acquirements, 
and possessed of an unusual brilliant delivery, which made him an 
efifective trial lawyer. But Mr. Viehmann never depended upon these 
qualities in the prosecution of a case, but gave to it in each case a most 
careful "study and examination, and possessed himself beforehand care- 
fully of every point in its favor. This is a combination difficult to over- 
come, and it is no wonder that such important litigation was entrusted 
to him in both the New York and New Jersey courts. He was a man of 
distinctly judicial temperament, and was noted as an expert interpreter 
of the law. The fact that Mr. Viehmann was also actively engaged in 
a large number of successful business enterprises gave him much exper- 
ience and a keen insight into litigation involving business elements. 

It has already been mentioned that Mr. Viehmann was connected 
prominently with the business world, and was an officer in a number 
of important concerns in the region of New Brunswick and Newark, 
New Jersey. He was a director and officer in the Perth Amboy Trust 
Company, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey; vice-president of the Middle- 
sex Title Guarantee Company, of New Brunswick ; director of the Fed- 
eral Trust Company of Newark, New Jersey; and in addition was the 
owner of the following industrial concerns: The Cronk Manufacturing 
Company of New Brunswick, and the Highland Park Building Company. 
He was also the owner of the New Brunswick Opera House, and all of 
these enterprises met with a substantial success. He was also president 
of the New Brunsvdck Fire Insurance Company, the New Jersey Fire 
Insurance Company, of Newark, New Jersey, and several other import- 
ant concerns. He always maintained a keen interest in the business 
welfare of the community-at-large, and was one of the organizers and 
for many years served as president of the New Jersey Chamber of Com- 
merce, in which capacity he was very active in promoting enterprises of 
all kinds in this State. Mr. Viehmann was also a conspicuous figure in 
the social and club life of New Brunswick and the surrounding district, 
and was a member of the New Brunswick Country Club, the Union Club 



BIOGRAPHICAL 449 

of New Brunswick, and the local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective 
Order of Elks, serving as first exalted ruler of the latter. 

It is probable, however, that Mr. Viehmann was even better known in 
connection with public life and politics in this region than he was as an 
attorney or business man, and for many years he was one of the leaders 
of the Democratic party. He was possessed of a large personal follow- 
ing in New Brunswick, and in 1900 was elected mayor of this city on 
the Democratic ticket. He served in that capacity for two years and 
was one of the most capable and efficient executives that this city has 
ever had. He continually interested himself in carrying out measures 
calculated to improve the general welfare of the community, and one of 
his acts was the compelling of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company to 
elevate its tracks through New Brunswick, as a measure of safeguard 
to the inhabitants. It was Mr. Viehmann also who arranged for the 
foundation of a handsome Carnegie Library, which this city now pos- 
sesses, and during his administration many of the streets were ade- 
quately paved. He was regarded as a very progressive man, and his 
fellow-citizens universally regarded him as their friend. Mr. Viehmann 
was also nominated on a number of occasions as governor of the State 
by the Democratic party. In his religious belief, Mr. Viehmann was a 
member of the First Reformed Church of New Brunswick, and was very 
active in his support of the work of this congregation. 

George Anthony Viehmann was united in marriage, November 28, 
1898, at Concord, >|ew Hampshire, with Mary Abbott, a native of that 
place, born November 7, 1870, and a daughter of Franklin Augustus and 
Asenath Austin (Dow) Abbott. Both of Mrs. Viehmann's parents were 
natives of New Hampshire, her father having been born at Concord, 
August I, 1836, and her mother April 4, 1831. Mr. Abbott died August 
4, 1910, but his wife survives him. Mr. and Mrs. Viehmann are the par- 
ents of the following children: Ruth Abbott, who became the wife of 
Augustus Lemuel Gladding, of Lincoln, California, where they make 
their home; George Anthony, Jr., born February 6, 1903; and Mary 
Alice, born June 29, 1905. 

Mr. Viehmann was a man of unusually strong personality, and pos- 
sessed a remarkable grasp of practical affairs. He was, however, of a 
very kindly and genial temperament, and won the affection and esteem 
of all with whom he was associated. He was a man of large proportions 
and commanding presence, and nature seemed to have intended him as 
a leader of men. His instincts were intensely domestic, and he found 
his chief happiness among the members of his own family by his own 
hearthstone. 



WILLIAM C. KELLY was born at Oak Tree, New Jersey, August 
17, 1837, the son of Christian L. and Jeannette E. (Campbell) Kelly, both 
Campbell and Kelly families being among the oldest families of that 
section. 

William C. Kelly was educated in the public schools of Oak Tree and 

Mid-2B 



450 



MIDDLEShX 



Plainfield, New Jersey, but at an early age he was thrown upon his own 
resources and compelled to make his own way in the world. He learned 
the carpenter's trade, but soon abandoned it, going to Illinois, where he 
spent four years on a farm. During these years he accumulated a small 
capital which he invested in a tract of pine timber in Wisconsin. He 
continued the purchase of timber tracts, with profit in lumbering, and 
eventually owned thousands of acres. Finally, Mr. Kelly sold most of 
his timber land and removed from Wisconsin to Cadillac, Michigan 
where he erected a large mill, and there manufactured timber on a large 
scale. He continued there about five years, then, in accordance with his 
wife's wishes, sold out and removed to Asbury Park, New Jersey, there 
engaging in the wholesale lumber business, under the firm name of Kelly 
& Palmateer, this firm continuing in business until 1895. Mr. Kelly then 
sold his business and returned to Oak Tree, New Jersey, the place of his 
birth, where he purchased a large farm, upon which he resided until his 
death. He was a man of strong character, energetic and capable, winning 
success through his own ability. He was a Democrat, but never took an 
active part in politics. He accumulated a fortune which he wisely used 
in creating and providing for the future maintenance of a home for those 
dear to him. He was very liberal and gave much to charity ; was genial 
and neighborly, fond of books, and most hospitable. 

Mr. Kelly married, in 1864, Bessie M. Palmateer, of Albany, New 
York, and they were the parents of a daughter, Eva Lena Kelly, born 
at Oak Tree, New Jersey, July 8, 1865. She married, June 27, 1888, John 
Henry Campbell, a sketch of whom follows. 



JOHN HENRY CAMPBELL, son of Ellis A. and Louisa H. (Fink) 
Campbell, was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, June 25, 1861, his father 
a contractor of Plainfield. He was educated in the public schools of 
Plainfield, finishing with high school, then entered business life with the 
Clifton-Campbell Company of Plainfield, wholesale produce merchants. 
He established in a minor position, but soon was advanced to higher 
rank, finally becoming an official of the company, his term of service 
covering a period of thirty years. He retired from business about 1910. 
Besides his connection with the Clifton-Campbell Company he had other 
business interests, including land in Florida and extensive orange groves. 
The product of his orange groves in Florida he disposed of through the 
Clifton-Campbell Company, large shipments being made daily during the 
season. 

About 191 1 he removed from Plainfield to Oak Tree, Middlesex 
county, New Jersey, there occupying the farm owned by William C. 
Kelly, and bequeathed by him to his daughter, Mrs. Eva Lena (Kelly) 
Campbell. Mr. Campbell assumed the management of the estate left by 
Mr. Kelly, and there he has spent a very pleasant and profitable decade 
of his life. The estate at Oak Tree has been largely converted into 
building lots, and disposed of most advantageously. Mr. Campbell has 
closely adhered to his business interests and has taken little active part 





fD^-/:^'-/f^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 451 

in public affairs. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and in 
politics is a Democrat. 

Mr. Campbell married, June 27, 1888, at Oak Tree, New Jersey, Eva 
Lena Kelly, born July 8, 1865, daughter of William C. and Bessie M. 
(Palmateer) Kelly, whose sketch precedes this. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell 
are the parents of two children : Bessie, born April 25, 1890, married 
Harvey Nash, and resides in Newark, New Jersey; William K., born 
June 2, 1894, married Gail Tichenor, and resides with his parents at Oak 
Tree, his father's business associate. 



ROBERT LEWIS McKIERNAN, M. D.— Although but a compar- 
atively short time has elapsed since his coming to New Brunswick, the 
name of Dr. Robert Lewis McKiernan is already familiar and most 
favorably known to many of the residents of this community. Dr. 
McKiernan has during these two years thoroughly identified himself 
both as a physician and a citizen with the progressive element here. 

Robert Lewis McKiernan was born February i, 1891, in New Haven, 
Connecticut, the son of Daniel and Catharine (De Heslin) McKiernan. 
He attended the Sacred Heart Parochial School of his native place until 
1905, when he entered the New Haven High School, and after complet- 
ing the prescribed four years' classical course was graduated with the 
class of 1909. Having in the meantime decided to adopt medicine as a 
profession, he matriculated in the medical department of Tufts College 
and was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1914. He 
then spent some three years in hospital work. In 1916 he was appointed 
instructor at Cornell University in hygiene, where he remained for six 
months, then in February, 191 7, entered the United States navy as 
lieutenant in the Medical Corps, serving during the war with Germany 
until January 5, 1920. He then came to New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
and established himself in the practice of his profession. 

Dr. McKiernan specializes in Urology, and is a member of the staff 
of the Middlesex Hospital, also the Hospital for Joint Diseases, of New 
York City. He is a director of Gradwohl Laboratories of New Bruns- 
wick. He is also a director of the State clinic, and general supervisor of 
the Public Health of New Brunswick. 

Dr. McKiernan belongs to the Professional Guild of Middlesex 
county, the American Medical Association, the American Urological 
Association, the New Jersey State Medical Association, the Middlesex 
County Medical Society, the Essex County Anatomical and Pathological 
Society, the medical section of Rutgers College, is a member of the Sigma 
Alpha Epsilon, a college fraternity, and Tufts College Club, Hartford, 
Connecticut. He is a charter member, first secretary and a director of 
the Rotary Club of New Brunswick, and also holds membership in the 
Business Men's Club of the Young Men's Christian Association, the 
Raritan Valley Country Club, the New Brunswick Country Club, and 
the Diomedian Club of New York City. In religion Dr. McKiernan is 
a Roman Catholic and attends St. Peter's Church of that denomination 



452 MIDDLESEX 

at New Brunswick. He is a member of Charles Henry Post, No. 59, 
American Legion, also American Officers of the World War. He is a 
member of the Reserve Corps of the United States navy, with the rank 
of lieutenant, senior grade. 

Dr. McKiernan married, January 29, 1919, Marie Cathryn Schafer, 
daughter of Henry G. and Rebecca Schafer, and they are the parents of 
one child, Marie Louise, born May 12, 1920. 



HELEN (GLIDDEN) TOMBS, of Sewaren, is among the prominent 
women in the social and club life of Woodbridge township, Middlesex 
county. New Jersey. 

Helen (Glidden) Tombs, daughter of Captain Samuel G. and Martha 
A. H. (Fisher) Glidden, both of distinguished ancestry, was born in 
Brooklyn, New York. The Gliddens came, in early Colonial days, from 
Hampshire county, England, where they had long been seated, a family 
of French and Norman descent, who came into England with William 
the Conqueror about the year 1066. 

Captain Samuel G. Glidden, the father, was a native of Newcastle, 
Maine, and in the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and 
Ohio, the family has always taken a leading part in the pioneer move- 
ments. Early members of the family were partly responsible for the 
name given the State of New Hampshire, named for the County of 
Hampshire, England. In 1820, when the part of Massachusetts now 
called Maine became a separate State, the Gliddens were active in bring- 
ing about the separation, and the name Glidden is likewise well repre- 
sented in the State of Ohio. The family for centuries were large land- 
holders, but were also engaged in maritime pursuits, Samuel G. Glidden 
having been for years a master mariner. After retiring from the sea, he 
became a very successful commission merchant in New York City, and 
was a man of influence until his death at the age of fifty-three, in Brook- 
lyn, New York. He was well educated, being a college graduate, a dig- 
nified and commanding personage, yet genial and a sympathetic friend. 
His wife, Martha A. H. (Fisher) Glidden, was born in Taunton, Massa- 
chusetts, daughter of Julius and Mary Wheeler (Horton) Fisher, of 
Franklin and Wrentham, Massachusetts, a descendant of Sir Daniel 
Fisher, who came to America in early days and founded the town of 
Dedham, Massachusetts, and of the celebrated physician of that day. 
Dr. Nathaniel Miller, a friend of General Lafayette. The English ances- 
try of the Fisher family dates back for many centuries to the town of 
Syleham, Winston, near Cambridge, England, where they were knighted 
for valor by their liege lord. The Gliddens, Fishers, and all their allied 
families were patriots of the Revolution and of early Colonial days, and 
veterans of later wars. John Glidden, father of Captain Samuel G. 
Glidden, served in the War of 1812 at old Fort Pemaquid on the coast 
of Maine. 

Mrs. Helen (Glidden) Tombs, the subject of this review, was edu- 
cated in Brooklyn, New York, and there resided until 1898, when a resi- 




ifreDertc iftrman 6rant 



BIOGRAPHICAL 453 

dence was established in Sewaren, New Jersey. Her beautiful home, 
Strathspey Hall on Cliff Road, Sewaren, is the abode of hospitality and 
culture, her friends being many. Mrs. Tombs is the founder and organ- 
izer of the Sewaren History Club and of the local Civic Club, two 
organizations which have been of great value to the community. It was 
through her efforts that a memorial stone dedicated to George Wash- 
ington was placed in the belfry tower of the Memorial Cathedral at 
Valley Forge by the History Club, of Sewaren, New Jersey. Like 
"Tabitha" of old, she is active in numerous good works. An enthus- 
iastic Red Cross worker, she also finds time to give generous support to 
all worthy charitable and philanthropic movements. She is a member 
of the Fort Greene Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, of 
Brooklyn, New York ; an honorary member of Camp Middlebrook Chap- 
ter, Daughters of the American Revolution, of Bound Brook, New Jer- 
sey ; of the New England Women's Society, of New York ; the New Jer- 
sey Historical Society ; the Women's Branch of the New Jersey Histor- 
ical Society; and of the Monmouth County Historical Society. She is 
also a member of St. John's Episcopal Church, of Sewaren. 

Mrs. Helen (Glidden) Tombs was twice married (first) to Frederic 
Firman Grant, whose life history follows in this work, and (second) to 
William Henry Tombs, born at Rahway, New Jersey, son of William 
H. and Margaret (Ayres) Tombs. The Tombs family came from Eng- 
land and first located at Toms River, New Jersey, later settling at Rah- 
way in the same State. Mr. Tombs' maternal ancestors, the Ayres fam- 
ily, are related to the well known Coreys, of Elizabeth, and Halseys, of 
Newark, and to the Davis family, of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Mr. Tombs 
is an inventor and has devoted his life to mechanical research and 
practice. 



FREDERIC FIRMAN GRANT was born in Hobart, New York, 
June 18, 1837, an<i died at his home in Sewaren, New Jersey, July 26, 
1915. He was the son of Philander Sweeton and Caroline R. (Greene) 
Grant, being descended on the paternal side from Matthew Grant, who 
came to America from Strathmore, Scotland, settled early at Windsor, 
Connecticut, and from whom General Ulysses Grant also descended. On 
the material side, the line of descent includes the progenitors of General 
Nathaniel Greene, of Revolutionary fame. 

While still very young, Frederic Firman Grant came with his parents 
to Albany, New York, where he was educated in the public schools and 
in the old Albany Academy. Upon leaving the Academy, he went to 
work in a local bank where he remained until his real opportunity came, 
when George F. Baker, a close friend of his and later a great financier, 
invited, young Grant to join him in his banking activities in New York 
City. Mr. Baker had just organized the First National Bank, of New 
York, and the opportunity offered was a valuable one. Thus Frederic 
Firman Grant entered upon the important banking career in which he 
remained until his death, a period of more than half a century. He saw 



454 MIDDLESEX 

the First National Bank of New York City grow from what might be 
termed an acorn to a mighty oak, and much of the growth of that insti- 
tution may be attributed to those who, like Mr. Grant, so faithfully and 
ably filled its important offices. 

Mr. Grant was a loyal and good business man, having many firm 
friends and afHliations in business and financial circles. The social side 
of his life was varied. Being a constant reader and possessed of much 
humor, he was the life of most gatherings of which he formed a part. He 
was held in high esteem by his many friends and acquaintances, and 
having a genial and sympathetic nature, combined with insight and good 
judgment, his advice and counsel were much sought. During the Civil 
War days he was a member of that famous old military body, the Albany 
Zouaves. He was a member of various societies, orders and clubs, among 
them being the Albany Society, and the Salamagundi Society, of Wood- 
bridge, New Jersey, of which he was president for a time. He was a 
staunch Republican and a leader in the Republican Club, of Brooklyn, 
New York. When he established his residence in Sewaren, Middlesex 
county. New Jersey, he took a leading part in all movements for the wel- 
fare of the community, and here he had a host of warm friends. At 
Sewaren and at Woodbridge he was well known, socially and other- 
wise, and was a prominent member and a warden of St. John's Episcopal 
Church, of Sewaren, New Jersey, and St. James, of Brooklyn, New York. 

Mr. Grant married Helen Glidden, of Brooklyn, now a prominent 
figure at Sewaren, New Jersey, whose life story is told in the preceding 
sketch. 



RARITAN TRUST COMPANY— The history of the Raritan Trust 
Company dates from June 6, 1916, when the institution was incorporated 
under the laws of the State of New Jersey, with a capital stock of 
$100,000. The company is owned and controlled by residents of Perth 
Amboy and vicinity, and the degree to which the public confidence is 
held is shown by a gratifying annual increase in the business of all its 
departments. The Raritan Trust Company performs all the service of 
the modern trust company, and in addition to its banking business has 
come into that intimate touch with the community that such an institu- 
tion, through the very nature of its organization, can best attain. 

There have been only a few minor changes in the official personnel 
of the company during the four years of its life, and its place of business 
continues at the corner of State and Fayette streets. The statement pre- 
pared at the close of business, June 30, 192 1, showed deposits of well 
over $1,500,000, and all its items indicate a healthy growth and vigor- 
ous condition. The officers of the Raritan Trust Company are : Sidney 
Riddlestorfifer, president; A. Greenbaum, vice-president; Abel Hansen, 
vice-president; A. Clayton Clark, vice-president; W. Parker Runyon^ 
vice-president; Harry E. Comings, secretary-treasurer; and I. R. Solt] 
assistant-treasurer. The directors are: A. Clayton Clark, manager of 
the Raritan Copper Works ; Leo Goldberger, city attorney ; M. S. Gold- 



BIOGRAPHICAL 455 

berger, merchant; A. Greenbaum, president of the Metuchen Realty and 
Improvement Company; Abel Hansen, proprietor of Fords Porcelain 
Works ; M. M. McHose, treasurer of L. H. McHose, Incorporated ; Anton 
Massopust, real estate and insurance operator; S. Riddlestorffer, mort- 
gage and investment broker ; I. R. Robins, dealer in lumber and building 
materials; L. M. Rossi, works manager of the General Bakelite Com- 
pany; W. Parker Runyon, president of the P. A. Dry Dock Company; 
Dr. C. I. Silk, physician ; Frank Stas, treasurer of the Slovak League of 
America; Max Wurtzel, of Wagner & Wurtzel, wholesale merchants. 
The company has found a wide local sphere of influence, and has taken 
a responsible place among the financial institutions of the county. 



FRANK HENRY VAN SYCKLE— Among the most prominent of 
the young business men of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, is Frank Henry 
Van Syckle, owner and manager of the Frank Van Syckle Garage, 
located at No. 162 New Brunswick avenue. His meteoric rise, from a 
modest beginning at the bottom of the ladder to the topmost rung of 
success in the automobile business of the county and State, is a matter 
of much favorable comment by his fellow-citizens. His interest in all 
that concerns the welfare of the community is deep and sincere, and 
wherever substantial aid will further public progress, it is always freely 
given. 

Mr. Van Syckle was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, July 26, 1884, 
son of Peter H. and Catherine Van Syckle, of New Brunswick, New 
Jersey. He was educated in the public schools of Perth Amboy, and 
took a further course in mechanics with private tutors. At the age of 
fourteen years he made his first venture in the business world by selling 
newspapers in his home town. At seventeen, he began mechanical work 
as a machinist in the employ of Thomas Lingel, on Kings street. His 
next employment was with the Ramsay Ship Building Yard. From there 
he went to the Raritan Copper Works, where he was foreman of the 
machine shop, and finally became master mechanic for the Barber 
Asphalt Paving Company, remaining with that company until he was 
twenty-six years old. 

Like many another ambitious and energetic young man, Frank H. 
Van Syckle was not satisfied to eke out an existence in the employ of 
others; he wanted to establish himself in a business of his own, where 
he could garner the fruit of his labor and energy, and establish for him- 
self a position in the business world, so on October i, 1910, with a small 
and borrowed capital back of him, he started in the automobile business 
of repairing and selling of automobiles, locating in a small frame build- 
ing—little more than a shanty — at the corner of Fayette and High 
streets. He was successful from the start ; the business soon outgrowing 
its limitations, he was obliged to seek more spacious quarters, and in 
191 1 removed to New Brunswick avenue, to the John Donaghue building, 
then known as the City Market, now the New Auditorium, and there 
engaged in the sale of automobiles, under the firm title of the Frank Van 



4S6 MIDDLESEX 

Syckle Garage. These quarters he rented for five years, when they again 
proved too small for the ever-expanding business, so in 1913 he began to 
erect the handsome building on the corner of New Brunswick avenue 
and Jefferson street, where he is now located, one of the largest auto- 
mobile concerns in the State. This building, completed in 1914, and 
perfectly fitted out in every detail for the automobile business, with its 
spacious showroom, finely equipped garage and beautiful offices, is 
indeed a monument to the energy, business ability and good taste of its 
owner. Mr. Van Syckle moved his business to these new quarters, then 
in 191 7 he purchased the New Auditorium building, where he had for- 
merly conducted his business. The business still expanding, he erected a 
building in New Brunswick, and opened a new branch of the business, 
under the title of the American Auto Company. 

Among other enterprises in which Mr. Van Syckle is interested is the 
A. G. Belknap Company, of Plainfield, New Jersey. He is also vice- 
president of the Fords National Bank at Fords, New Jersey. Mr. Van 
Syckle is now thirty-six years old, and in ten years of his business career, 
starting at the bottom with a borrowed capital of but three hundred dol- 
lars, he has risen to be the owner of the above mentioned concern, the 
largest of its kind, and still expanding. 

During the World War Mr. Van Syckle furnished the government 
with fifty automobiles for its use at Camp Raritan at a mere nominal 
rental, keeping them in condition and supplying all parts and supplies, 
and was one of the largest purchasers of Liberty bonds during all the 
drives. In religion he is a Roman Catholic, and a member of St. Mary's 
Church, of Perth Amboy, He holds membership in the East Jersey Club, 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Knights of Columbus, Forest- 
ers, and New York Canadian Club. Mr. Van Syckle is married and has 
one son, Frank H., Jr. 

It may be said of Frank Henry Van Syckle that he has been the 
architect of his own fortune, and is building up a name that will endure. 
He is an able business man, public-spirited and progressive, and the 
place he occupies in the community is well deserved. 



THOMAS FRANCIS DUNIGAN, who for many years was a leader 
in the business, financial and political life of Middlesex county, was one 
of the esteemed and representative citizens of Woodbridge, New Jersey, 
until his passing away, April 30, 192 1. 

Mr. Dunigan was a son of Bernard and Julia (Ryan) Dunigan, also 
prominent in the community life of Woodbridge. He attended the public 
schools of Woodbridge and the parochial schools of Perth Amboy, sub- 
sequently completing his education at St. John's Academy, Fordham, 
New York. Mr. Dunigan at first started in business with his father, 
who was a prosperous clay miner and contractor, with properties in 
Woodbridge, but remained with him but a short time. His next con- 
nection was with the Ostrander Fire Brick Company, Fords, New Jer- 
sey, as a foreman in their clay banks. Here he gained much experience. 




THE VAN SYCKLE AUTOMOBILE AGENCIES 




A T^.fT-icDJi ?-Ji^lDruai Sairif 



7. 




^a^ 



BIOGRAPHICAL 457 

and after being thus associated for a few years, he was tendered an offer 
to become associated with the Henry A. Maurer & Sons Company, 
Maurer, New Jersey. For a time he acted as foreman, but later con- 
tracted with this company in mining clay. This connection was a pleas- 
ant one, and quite permanent, for he remained with the company for 
some twenty-eight years, until his health required him to relinquish it, 
much to the regret of the Maurers. While associated with them he 
established, during the year 1898, a retail coal and wood business, which 
grew rapidly to large proportions, and still later added builders' supplies, 
which also proved a success. His next venture was that of a contractor 
on road construction work, and in all of these activities he became a 
leader and known throughout the State of New Jersey. 

Mr. Dunigan was a director and vice-president of the First National 
Bank of Woodbridge ; a town committeeman ; president of the fire com- 
missioners, and a county freeholder. He was a staunch Democrat, and 
a leader in the councils of the party. In his religious belief he was a 
Roman Catholic, being a member of St. James' Roman Catholic Church, 
Woodbridge, of which he was a trustee up to the time of his death. Mr. 
Dunigan was equally well known in fraternal circles, being a member of 
New Brunswick Lodge, No. 324, Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks; the Knights of Columbus, of Perth Amboy; the Royal Arcanum, 
of Woodbridge ; and the Catholic Benevolent Legion of America. 

Mr. Dunigan married, in Woodbridge, May 28, 1884, Jane M. Finn, 
daughter of Robert and Margaret (Meagher) Finn, who were among the 
first settlers of Irish ancestry in Woodbridge. The following children 
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunigan: Florence, now the wife of James 
J. Dunne, of Brooklyn, New York, and they have three children : James 
J., Jr., Jane M., and Regina M. ; George, now living at Woodbridge ; Jane 
L., now the wife of Edmund A. Hayes, and they have two children: 
Edmund A., Jr., and Jane; Anna B., who resides with her mother. 

In the passing away of Thomas F. Dunigan, Woodbridge lost one of 
its most substantial sons and citizens, a man who was a good father, a 
firm friend and neighbor, and a builder in every sense of the word, which 
means so much to any commonwealth. 



JOHN H. RINEHART— The Rineharts are a Hunterdon county, 
New Jersey, family, George Rinehart being a farmer there until his 
death. He married Mary Ann Hackett, also of a Hunterdon county 
family, and among their children was a son, John H. Rinehart, father 
of George Rinehart, the latter now conducting a prosperous ice business 
in Dunellen, New Jersey. 

John H. Rinehart was born in Hunterdon county. New Jersey, April 
10, 1863. He was educated in the public schools, and became a cooper 
by trade, but for many years was in railroad employ. Mr. Rinehart was 
brought up in the Roman Catholic church ; in politics always a Democrat. 

Mr. Rinehart married, in Hunterdon county, February 14, 1880, Anna 
Hallanhan, born in Ireland, March 17, 1864, daughter of Patrick and 



458 MIDDLESEX 

Catherine (Hapney) Hallanhan. Of this marriage seven children were 
born: i. Francis J., born May 29, 1881. 2. Mary, born February 10, 
1882, died August 20, 1888. 3. George, born April 10, 1885 ; he is now 
well established in the ice business in Dunellen, New Jersey, employing 
in his enterprise two large trucks; in his earlier years he learned the 
machinist's trade, which he followed for some time. 4. Anna, born Octo- 
ber 3, 1889. 5. Sylvester, born December 13, 1893. 6. John, born June 
26, 1895. 7. Catherine, born January 16, 1898. 



EDWARD J. HEIL — Teutonic strength, steadiness and patience, 
have long been adding their contribution to the diverse elements which 
make up the life stream flowing into this country from across seas, and 
they have built valuable material into the life of the nation. When 
Henry and Caroline (Schardt) Heil came to the land of opportunity 
about i860, from Fulda, Germany, they brought their worldly goods with 
them, and they came to stay. Since that time, in thorough-going, prac- 
tical fashion, they have built themselves into the life of the communities 
in which they have lived, first at Newark, New Jersey, and later at 
Linoleumville, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Heil were the parents of six 
children: Edward J., of further mention; Henry A., Margaret, Anna, 
Caroline, and Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Heil are now both deceased. 

Edward J. Heil was born in Newark, New Jersey, September 13, 1869. 
He attended the public schools of Linoleumville, New York, later the 
private school of Mrs. Simonds of the same town, finishing at St. Ben- 
edict's College at Newark, New Jersey. Since that time his busy years 
have been passed mostly at Carteret, Middlesex county. New Jersey, 
where he is widely known as an active, progressive, and extremely suc- 
cessful real estate and insurance man. The carrying on of a very large 
and successful business, however, does not prevent him from serving 
his community in many valuable ways. He has been president of the 
Board of Education since 1907, and of the Board of Health since 1913. 
He has also been president of the Exempt Firemen's Association since 
1903, and of the Sinking Fund Commission since 1915. Mr. Heil has 
been serving as president of the Roosevelt Realty and Investment Com- 
pany, Inc., since the beginning of its existence in 1913, and of the Car- 
teret Building Loan Association for ten years. 

Politically, Mr. Heil is a Democrat, is president of the Carteret Dem- 
ocratic Club, is a member of the county executive committee, and has 
been local judge and recorder since 1915. Fraternally, he is affiliated 
with Elizabeth Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the 
Foresters of America, the Improved Order of Red Men, the Knights of 
Columbus, and with the Woodmen of the World. Mr. Heil was secre- 
tary of the Committee on Incorporation of the borough of Roosevelt in 
1906. With his multitudinous business, civic, and social responsibilities, 
Mr. Heil finds time for active church duties. He is a member of St. 
Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, and is president of the Holy Name 
Society. 




^€3e<<V YT^^ ^^' ^Au^<^ , 



BIOGRAPHICAL 459 

Mr. Heil married Rose Frances Kreger, daughter of Joseph and Anna 
Frances (Brown) Kreger, of Dover, New Jersey, and they are the par- 
ents of two children: Edward J., Jr., born August 9, 1900, educated in 
the public schools of Roosevelt, the high school of Rahway, Seton Hall 
Preparatory School, and Seton Hall College, South Orange, New Jersey ; 
and Helen F., born February 3, 1905, educated in the public schools of 
Roosevelt, and Mount St. Mary's Academy, of Plainfield, New Jersey. 



LLOYD PERCY JOHNSON.— The name Johnson is an old and 
honored one in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the first settler in this branch, 
James Johnson, great-grandfather of Lloyd P., being of the Newark John- 
son family, founded by Thomas Johnson, who in May, 1666, came with the 
thirty families from Connecticut to Newark, New Jersey, where the first 
town meeting was held. May 21, 1666. Thomas Johnson was one of the 
committee of five from Newark who met John Ogden, Robert Treat, and 
others from Elizabeth, New Jersey, to settle boundary disputes. He 
became one of Newark's most influential citizens, active in church and 
State. His residence in Newark was on the northeast corner of Broad 
and Walnut streets, on the site of the present Grace Church. Thomas 
Johnson was a son of Robert Johnson, who came from Yorkshire, Eng- 
land, and was one of the founders of the New Haven, Connecticut, 
colony. James Johnson, of the eighth American generation, was pro- 
prietor of the Old Tavern at the foot of High street, and is buried in 
Perth Amboy. His son, Jeremiah Johnson, was born in Perth Amboy, 
and both he and his son, Abraham Johnson, were engaged in oyster 
planting in the Raritan river and in the bay. Abraham Johnson mar- 
ried Margaret Isdell, born and married in Perth Amboy, which city is 
still her home at the age of sixty-five years. Mr. Johnson died an acci- 
dental death, September 23, 1907, aged sixty years. Children, all born 
in Perth Amboy : Elwood, chief clerk with the Lehigh Valley Railroad 
Company, married and has a son, Elwood; Mattie, married Ferdinand 
Hall, of Perth Amboy, and has a son, Ferdinand L. Hall ; Lloyd Percy, 
of further mention ; Viola, deceased, who married W. L. McCready ; and 
Caroline, who died unmarried. 

Lloyd P. Johnson, youngest son of Abraham and Margaret (Isdell) 
Johnson, was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, August 15, 1880, and 
was there educated in the public schools. After leaving high school, he 
was engaged in the oyster planting business with his father for eighteen 
months, and then entered the employ of the Perth Amboy Gas Light 
Company, where he remained for two years, then worked for the Public 
Service Corporation for a year and a half at the end of which time he 
entered the employ of the Central Electric Company, later returning to 
the Perth Amboy Gas Light Company. He then continued in the employ 
of that company for eighteen years, rising from office boy to the position 
of assistant manager. In 1914 he resigned his position to engage in the 
insurance business under the firm name, The Johnson Company. In 
1919 he purchased a half-interest in the business of Pierce & Son, one of 



46o MIDDLESEX 

the largest fire insurance agencies in the country, now operated as the 
Pierce- Johnson Company. Mr. Johnson opened up Keasbey Heights, 
an addition to the city, as his personal promotion, and has other interests 
of similar nature. He is fond of sports of the forest and field, hunting 
being his favored recreation. He is a member of the Baptist church, and 
a man highly esteemed for his sterling qualities. Mr. Johnson is a Re- 
publican in politics, and ran for the State Assembly on the Republican 
ticket in 1918. 

Mr. Johnson married, in Perth Amboy, Johanna Margaret Koyen, 
born in Perth Amboy, daughter of Emil and Marie Koyen, both residing 
in Woodbridge, New Jersey, her father a retired builder. 



JOHN H. DAYTON. — One of the well known business and profes- 
sional men of Middlesex county, New Jersey, having offices in Perth 
Amboy and residing in Woodbridge, New Jersey, is John H. Dayton. He 
was born February 10, 1881, in Perth Amboy, the son of Spencer and 
Mary E. (Walters) Dayton, his father for many years a prominent con- 
tractor and builder in Perth Amboy. 

John H. Dayton attended the grammar and high schools of his native 
city, and then studied architecture with private tutors, passing the ex- 
aminations required to practice as an architect in the State of New Jer- 
sey, in 1902. Since that time he has followed that profession with pro- 
nounced success, having prepared plans for many of the well known 
buildings of Middlesex and surrounding counties. 

Mr. Dayton is a member of the State Board of Architects. Politically, 
he is a Republican. He is affiliated with the Free and Accepted Masons, 
the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the East Jersey Club, and 
the Raritan Yacht Club. 

On June 20, 1906, Mr. Dayton married Amy B. McEwen, daughter 
of Joseph and Sarah McEwen. They have one child, Dorothy Dayton. 



THOMAS J. SCULLY, for eight years representative for the Sec- 
ond District of New Jersey in the Congress of the United States, and at 
present mayor of the city of South Amboy, New Jersey, is one who has 
steadily endeavored to make after-election performance square with pre- 
election promise. In so doing, he has found that he who would achieve 
must struggle, and his Congressional career has been an eventful one. 

Born in South Amboy, New Jersey, September 19, 1868, he attended 
the public schools of that city and then went to Seton Hall College. 
Upon leaving college, he was taken into the towing business which his 
father had established in 1874. Always energetic, ambitious, and capa- 
ble, he directed his full energy into the upbuilding of that business with 
the result that the Scully Towing and Transportation Company de- 
veloped into an important maritime enterprise, owning more than fifty 
ocean going tugs and barges and carrying more than a million tons of 
freight annually to all parts of the world. 

Devotion to his business, however, did not prevent Mr. Scully from 



BIOGRAPHICAL 461 

taking an active part in the life of his community. Always ready to aid 
in any project which seemed to him well calculated to further the inter- 
ests of the city, he early gave evidence of executive and administrative 
ability, and when, in 1898, Dr. Ambrose Treganowan resigned his office 
as mayor of South Amboy, the Council appointed Mr. Scully to finish 
the unexpired term. Mr. Scully had already served the city most accept- 
ably and faithfully as a member of the Board of Education for a term of 
three years, and in filling out the unexpired term as the chief executive 
of the city, he so commended himself to the people that in 1909 they 
elected him to serve for a full term. In discharging the duties of that 
office he displayed the same vigor and fearlessness that had made the 
Scully Towing and Transportation Company a success. He improved 
the dock facilities and the sewer system of the city and reorganized the 
fire and police departments. In 1908 he went as a Democratic delegate 
to the National Convention that named William J. Bryan for President, 
and he was also a candidate on the Bryan ticket for presidential elector. 
He was also a delegate to the National Convention which nominated 
Woodrow Wilson in 1912. 

It was in 1910 that Mr. Scully first appeared as a candidate for Con- 
gress, securing the nomination against the Republican candidate, Ben- 
jamin F. Howell, who had represented the District of Washington for 
sixteen years, and defeating him by a plurality of nearly 4,500. So 
acceptably and ably did he represent his district that he was reelected in 
1912-14-16. In 1916 the result of the contest between himself and the 
Republican candidate, Robert Carson, was in dispute for many weeks 
after the election. The returns as filed with the county clerks by the 
election boards of the district credited Mr. Carson with fourteen more 
votes than were credited to Mr. Scully. Mr. Scully demanded a recount, 
and because a tie between the parties in the National House of Repre- 
sentatives was threatened, the result of the recount was awaited with 
keenest interest throughout the country. The recount disclosed a ma- 
jority in favor of Mr. Scully and he retained his seat, preventing the tie 
between the parties in the House. 

Since completing his most honorable and faithful term of Congres- 
sional service, Mr. Scully has not become inactive, but continues to fur- 
ther the economic, social, and political interests of his community, state, 
and nation in every way possible. His long and eventful experience in 
the legislative halls of the nation make him an unusually valuable citi- 
zen, and in many fields of endeavor his influence is felt and will con- 
tinue to work for the upbuilding of intelligent and efficient civic life. 
He is the present mayor of South Amboy, an office to which he was 
elected shortly after the expiration of his Congressional term, and to 
which he was again returned at the last city election. 



THOMAS L, SLUGG.— One of the well known citizens of Carteret, 
Middlesex county. New Jersey, is Thomas L. Slugg, who was born in 
Huntingdon Valley, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, January 16, 



462 MIDDLESEX 

i860. He was educated there in the grammar schools, and upon complet- 
ing his school years he became a telegraph operator and station agent. 
In 1888 he came to Carteret, where he followed the same occupation for 
three years. About 1892 he engaged in the real estate and contracting 
business here, which he continued until his retirement from same in 
1916. He is now supervising foreman for the United States Metal Refin- 
ing Company at Carteret. 

Mr. Slugg has been active in a public way, being a justice of the peace 
since 1890, and once postmaster and recorder of Carteret. Fraternally, 
he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a mem- 
ber of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. 

Mr. Slugg married, March 3, 1880, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
Margaret J. Robinson, of Norristown, Pennsylvania, and they are the 
parents of the following children: Morris L., now (1921) superintend- 
ent of the American Agriculture Chemical Company at Belfast, Maine ; 
Bessie E., now Mrs. Howard W. Thorn, of Carteret, New Jersey ; Fannie 
P., residing at home with her parents ; Julia R., now Mrs. L. Bergheim-, 
of Dunellen, New Jersey; Margie, a teacher in Perth Amboy public 
schools; Ruth M., a trained nurse in the employ of Mrs. M. Barron, of 
Woodbridge, New Jersey, who is now (1921) 104 years old; and Clar- 
ence H., now supervising foreman for the United States Metal Refining 
Company at Chrome, New Jersey, and a councilman for the borough of 
Roosevelt, New Jersey. 



PETER ANDREAS JOHANSEN.— The ancestry of Peter Andreas 
Johansen, president and treasurer of the Perth Amboy Foundry and 
Machine Company, extends far back into Danish history, the American 
record of the line dating from his own arrival, via the Danish West 
Indies, in 1884. He is a grandson of Peter Johansen, of Horsens, Den- 
mark, and son of Julius Johansen. 

Julius Johansen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1826, and died 
in 1900. He was an iron molder by trade, and served as a sergeant of 
infantry in the Danish army. In 1848, while serving in this military 
capacity during the Danish-German War, he married Carolina Thessen, 
born in 1828, died in 1885, the marriage taking place under royal decree 
by order from King Frederick VII. The Thessens were silversmiths 
throughout many generations. Julius Johansen and his wife were mem- 
bers of the Lutheran church. 

Peter Andreas Johansen was born in Aarhus, Denmark, August 26, 
1859, and after attending public schools, was graduated in marine engi- 
neering at the Royal Navy Yard. In 1873 he entered the machinist's 
trade, and in 1881 was placed in charge of a sugar plant in St. Croix, 
Danish West Indies (Virgin Islands, United States), and in 1884 he came 
to the United States. Following the trade of machinist in Yonkers and 
Ossining, in New York State, for a time, he later came to Perth Amboy 
as superintendent of McCullough & Company's Machine Shop. In 1892 
he entered the employ of Patrick White & Sons, and later was superin- 



BIOGRAPHICAL 463 

tendent of same. In 1905 he founded the Perth Amboy Foundry and 
Machine Company, and is president and treasurer of same. Mr. Johan- 
sen is connected with the First National Bank of Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, with the Perth Amboy Trust Company, and bears throughout his 
community the reputation of an able, substantial, progressive man-of- 
affairs. His technical talents have been turned to industrial advantage, 
and the concern of which he is the head ranks high among organizations 
of its kind in the locality. 

From 1897 to 1901 Mr. Johansen was an alderman of Perth Amboy, 
and from 1902 to 1906 he was a member of the Board of Freeholders of 
Middlesex county. He has numerous fraternal affiliations, and has held 
all offices in Algonquin Lodge, No. 44, Knights of Pythias, while he holds 
the thirty-second degree in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Ma- 
sonry, his lodge, Raritan, No. 61, Free and Accepted Masons of Perth 
Amboy. He is also a noble of Salaam Temple, Ancient Arabic Order 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Newark. He is a member of Perth Am- 
boy Forest, Tall Cedars of Lebanon, and is also a member of the Young 
Men's Christian Association. He and his family are communicants of 
the Protestant Episcopal church. 

Mr. Johansen married, in St. Paul's Church, Ossining, New York, 
Mary Louise Rex, who died January i, 192 1, daughter of William and 
Louise Rex, her father a lawyer of the Virgin Islands. Children of Peter 
Andreas and Mary Louise (Rex) Johansen: i. Wilson, born in Perth 
Amboy, educated in the Perth Amboy High School and Stevens Institute 
of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey ; was director and scenario writer 
of his own moving picture company, co-editor of Street and Smith's 
"Picture Play," and a writer of short stories under the nom de plume 
"Rex." He was a young man of literary and dramatic talent, and his 
death. May 12, 1916, at the age of twenty-two years, deprived his calling 
of a most promising man. 2. Hessie Louise, born in Perth Amboy, edu- 
cated in the Perth Amboy High School, a graduate of the New York 
College of Music. 



LUCIUS PORTER JANEWAY.— The great wallpaper business 
conducted under the corporate title, Janeway & Carpender, is distinc- 
tively a Janeway enterprise, the Carpender interest having been extin- 
guished in 1889 by purchase. For a period of eight years, 1892-1900, it 
was a department of the National Wall Paper Company, but was re- 
deemed from trust control in 1900 and incorporated as Janeway & Car- 
pender, Colonel Jacob James Janeway, president, yet remaining its head, 
although in years long past the age when men lay down business cares 
through physical infirmities. To that company, in 1904, came Lucius 
Porter Janeway, youngest of the children of Colonel Jacob James and 
Eliza Ann (Harrington) Janeway, as vice-president, and in association 
with his honored father in the president's chair, and his brother-in-law. 
Rev. Charles Scudder, at the secretary's desk, the Janeway control is 



464 ' MIDDLESEX 

absolute. The company runs on a plan of independent action and is the 
largest of all wallpaper manufacturers outside the combined companies. 
The business has grown to immense proportions and is a wonderful 
monument to the business acumen of the men who have been its direct- 
ing heads. 

Lucius Porter Janeway was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
June 18, 1881. He was a student at Rutgers College Preparatory School, 
Lawrenceville, until graduation in 1900, going thence to Princeton Uni- 
versity, there receiving the customary Bachelor's degree with the class 
of 1904. When college years were over, he at once became associated 
in the management of Janeway & Carpender, serving that corporation 
as vice-president. For sixteen years he has held that ofHce, and is one 
of the strong men of the wallpaper manufacturing business. He is de- 
voted to his business, and has few outside interests. 

Mr. Janeway married, in New York City, November 4, 1915, Lila 
Fairchild, daughter of LeRoy Cholwell and Julia Louise (Moore) Fair- 
child, and they are the parents of a daughter, Juliana Louise Janeway. 



ROBERT R. VANDENBERGH. — One of the prominent business 
men and active citizens of Prospect Plains, New Jersey, is Robert R. 
Vandenbergh. Active in promoting all movements planned for the ad- 
vancement of his community, he has worked for the economic and civic 
upbuilding of his native city in various ways, and has made his influence 
felt among a wide circle of friends and fellow-citizens. 

Robert R. Vandenbergh, son of Robert M. and Elizabeth S. (Mait- 
land) Vandenbergh, lifelong residents of Monroe township, New Jersey, 
was born in Monroe township, Middlesex county, New Jersey, at the 
home farm, April 26, 1871. He attended the public schools of his district 
and then went to work on his father's farm. Having by experience 
gained a thorough knowledge of the business, he took over the manage- 
ment of all his father's farm properties, and for several years managed 
them most successfully. In 1901, however, he turned his attention to 
another line and engaged in the hotel business at Prospect Plains, con- 
tinuing this business until 1917, when he retired. He is still, and has 
been for many years, very active in the community life and in civic affairs 
as well as in political affairs. He supports the Republican party, was 
county tax assessor from 1900 to 1920, has been a member of the Middle- 
sex county Board of Freeholders since February 15, 1920, and takes a 
prominent part in the political life of this part of the State. Fraternally, 
he is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of New 
Brunswick, New Jersey, and with the Improved Order of Red Men, 
Ahander Tribe, of New Brunswick, New Jersey. 

Mr. Vandenbergh married, at Cranberry, New Jersey, December 16, 
1901, Mary E. Doty, daughter of Louis E. and Sarah (Montgomery) 
Doty, well known residents of Bernardsville, New Jersey, and one son 
has been born of this marriage, R. Maitland, born September 25, 1905. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 465 

ISAAC ALPERN. — There is no more illuminating commentary upon 
the economic, social, and political fabric of this country than is the 
lives of those who have come to us from other lands. Those who ques- 
tion the assertion that America is a land of opportunity, and that energy, 
application, ability, and thrift, are the only capital necessary for the 
building of a business career, have only to search the life histories of 
those who, coming to this country without capital, without friends, 
without acquaintance with the customs of the country, and without 
even the ability to use the language of the land of their adoption, have 
yet risen to high positions of usefulness and power. 

One of these wonder stories is that of Isaac Alpern, son of Jacob 
and Sadie Alpern. Born June 6, 1883, in the humble home of his parents, 
near Warsaw, Russia, he grew strong, vigorous, enduring, inured, even 
as a lad, to hard work, long hours, and small compensation. That he 
shouldered his share of the burdens without complaint did not prevent 
his alert mind from seeing clearly the limitations of his environment, 
and meagre as was the education he received, it was enough to enable 
him to gain a knowledge of other lands where opportunity was greater 
and oppression and injustice less dominant. Visions of a better life 
in the land to the westward early floated before his mind, and as, from 
time to time, letters and reports of letters from those already in the 
distant land deepened his desire to try the great adventure, to turn the 
dream into a reality, determination strengthened into action, and when 
he was twenty-one he sailed away to the westward in search of a 
fortune and a career. He landed in New York City, the nerve center of 
the "Land of Opportunity," where he remained for a time doing what- 
ever he could find to do and getting acquainted with his new world. 
Then he went to Brooklyn, New York, where, working at whatever 
jobs he could find to do in the daytime, he attended school in the eve- 
ning, quickly mastering the English language. With a genius for hard 
work, and a thoroughness in mastering detail, as well as a clear grasp 
of essentials, his increasingly ready command of the English language 
removed the last barrier to the first rounds of the ladder of success, 
and the character of the positions he held improved with each change. 
Of a studious nature, he used his spare moments in reading, and rapidly 
acquired a working knowledge of the customs, the history, and the 
political and civic institutions of his adopted country. 

By 1904 Mr. Alpern felt prepared for a change of occupation, and 
removing to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, began teaching Hebrew in one 
of the schools connected with the Sharai Tefiloh Temple. It was char- 
acteristic of the man that during his career as a teacher, when he was 
working long hours for small pay, he still strove to improve his own 
fitness for his work, making nightly trips to New York City, where 
he continued his studies in the evening schools. He continued his 
teaching for about three years, when, having by strict economy saved a 
little money, he entered the real estate and insurance business, first 
being employed by Pratt-Brown & Company, of Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, and later buying out the interests of that firm. He continued 

Mid-SO 



466 MIDDLESEX 

business under the Pratt-Brown name for a time and then changed the 
firm name to Alpern & Company. As a real estate and insurance man 
he was very successful, and as his business grew and prospered, his 
services came to be sought by other interests. He was made a director 
of the Perth Amboy Trust Company, later becoming its vice-president, 
and in 1919 became president of this large and growing institution. He 
is also vice-president of the People's National Bank, of Elizabeth, New 
Jersey, and is connected with various other important concerns. As his 
banking interests became more and more exacting, demanding larger 
and larger portions of his time, he finally sold out his real estate and 
insurance business in order that he might devote his time to the offices 
of trust which had been conferred upon him. 

In addition to the exacting demands of his business connections, Mr. 
Alpern finds time to serve his community in various ways. He is 
president of the Young Men's Hebrew Association and also a member 
of the Young Men's Christian Association. Fraternally, he is a mem- 
ber of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is affiliated with 
various Masonic bodies, and is a member of the Raritan Yacht Club, 
all of Perth Amboy. He is prominent in church work, interested and 
active in charitable enterprises, and during the World War was a leader 
in the various drives for the raising of funds. 

Mr. Alpern married, March 4, 1910, in New York City, Lena Pauline 
Coble, daughter of Louis and Rebecca Coble, of New York City, 
and they are the parents of two children : Ruth S., born January i, 191 1 ; 
and Frances, born April 28, 1917. 

Mr. Alpern is well known in banking circles, and is a widely known 
and highly esteemed citizen of Middlesex county. Coming from a 
foreign land, with only his faith, his courage, his ability, and his willing- 
ness to work, he has built for himself a life and a career which speak 
eloquently of the character of the man, and at the same time vindicate 
the right of his adopted country to its best-loved title — the "Land of 
Opportunity." 



WALTER G. DUNN.— To the intelligence, industry and thrift of 
her agriculturists, more than to all other causes combined, does the 
county of Middlesex, New Jersey, owe her remarkable development, and 
of this large and useful class of her population Walter G. Dunn, of New 
Market, is a worthy exponent. 

Walter G. Dunn was born July 19, 1870, in New Market, Middlesex 
county, New Jersey, on the farm he now resides on, the house being 
two hundred and fifty years old, the shingles thereon being the same 
as when first built, they being shaved by hand and nailed on with 
hand-made nails, that being before the day of machinery for every 
conceivable line of work. The house is one of the landmarks of the 
neighborhood, being kept in good repair by its present owner, who is 
very proud of its antiquity. His parents were Louis C. and Aurelia 
Dunn, the former named born in New Market, November 11, 1844, the 
latter born November 6, 1846. Louis C. Dunn was a tiller of the soil, 
conducting his operations on the farm where his son now resides. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 467 

Walter G. Dunn attended the common schools of Piscataway town- 
ship. From childhood he assisted in the labors of the farm, and early 
in life became familiar with all the duties pertaining to the life of the 
agriculturist, and when the time arrived for earning his own livelihood 
he chose the line of work followed by his father. His birthplace has 
become his permanent place of residence, and the neat and thritfy 
appearance of the farm, coupled with the handsome competence he 
receives from his labors, plainly indicate that his vocation was wisely 
chosen. He is a member of the Seventh Day Baptist church, in which 
he takes an active interest, and his political allegiance is given to the 
Republican party. He is a member of the Order of Foresters. 

Mr. Dunn married, February 13, 1889, in Dunellen, New Jersey, 
Ella T. Larkin, born April 3, 1870, daughter of George and Anna Shepard 
(Tithwarth) Larkin, the former named born in Connecticut, September 
26, 1827. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunn: Myrtle T., 
born March 26, 1892; Jennie F., born March 20, 1893; and Marjorie, 
born March 23, 1895. 



SARAH E. M. TOMS.— One of the landmarks of Middlesex county, 
New Jersey, is the residence of Miss Toms, located in Melrose Park, 
which was erected by her grandfather on the paternal side in the year 
1797 and remained as erected until the year 1835, a period of thirty-eight 
years, when an addition was made thereto by the father of Miss Toms, 
and thirty-four years later he built another addition, this making it a 
very commodious and substantial structure, now equipped with all 
appliances for the comfort and convenience of its inmates. The prop- 
erty is now very valuable, having enhanced in value in the past few 
years, and this was left to Miss Toms by her father at his death, she 
taking a particular interest in it by reason of its antiquity and associa- 
tions. 

Sarah E. M. Toms was born in Rahway, New Jersey, a daughter 
of Joseph and Sarah Jane Toms, the former named born February 12, 
1802, died July 7, 1867, and the latter named born December 12, 1819, 
died October 10, 1895, having survived her husband for more than a 
quarter of a century. They were the parents of another daughter, Ellen 
Jane, born August 2, 1843, died August 12, 1873. 

Miss Toms attended the common school adjacent to her home, this 
knowledge being supplemented by careful reading and observation. She 
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Melrose Park, taking 
an active interest in its activities, and her many friends in the com- 
munity honor and respect her for her many excellencies of character. 



ROBERT LAWSON STOTESBURY.— In solving the complex 
problems of everyday existence, Robert Lawson Stotesbury takes a 
most practical part. Under the name of the Middlesex Sanitary Laundry 
he takes one of the heaviest burdens from the shoulders of the house- 
wives of this vicinity. 

Mr. Stotesbury's father, Robert Hall Stotesbury, was born in Water- 



468 MIDDLESEX 

ford, Ireland. He came to America when he was twenty years of age, 
and was accompanied by his three sisters : Ellen, Mary and Ann, all of 
whom are now deceased. Their brother survived them until 1919, 
when he died in Brooklyn, New York, at the age of ninety-two years. 
Robert Hall Stotesbury married Frances L. Van Cleef, who was born 
in New Jersey, and is now (1921) a resident of Brooklyn. They had 
six children, four of whom are now living: Robert Lawson; William; 
May, who married Peter Elling, and resides in Brooklyn, New York; 
and Hattie, who married J. H. Byington, and also resides in Brooklyn. 

Robert Lawson Stotesbury was bom in Brooklyn, New York, on 
May II, 1882. He received his education in the public and high schools 
of Brooklyn, and when eighteen years of age took a position as book- 
keeper in Brooklyn, later filling a similar position in New York City. 
He was ambitious to branch out for himself in an independent business, 
and to that end bent all his energies. By industry and economy he laid 
by enough capital to make a start in 1915, when he came to Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey, and established the Middlesex Sanitary Laundry. Just 
at this time an up-to-date, well equipped laundry was a crying need in 
Perth Amboy, the existing industries of this kind being utterly inade- 
quate to handle the volume of business waiting to be done. Mr. Stotes- 
bury met this real necessity in a most satisfactory manner, and his 
success was assured from the beginning. His first place of business 
was small, and located on King street, but in 1917 he removed to his 
present commodious quarters, where he has installed every available 
kind of equipment for the rapid and faultless handling of all kinds of 
laundry work. His location at No. 5 Gordon street is most desirable 
for this line of business. 

Mr. Stotesbury is a man of public spirit, and interested in every 
movement for the public welfare. He is a member of the Perth Amboy 
Board of Trade. He is also a member of the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, of which organization he is district deputy grand master. 
He spends his leisure time in motoring. Mr. Stotesbury was married in 
the fall of 1920. 



PATRICK JOSEPH ROCKS.— The man of merit and distinction, 
who by his own efforts has attained a prominent position, and by his 
personal worth commands a high place, is certainly worthy of biographic 
honors, and as such a one we present Patrick Joseph Rocks. Especial 
comment is unnecessary upon his high standing in the community, but 
the outline of his career cannot fail to be of interest. 

Patrick Joseph Rocks was born in Ireland, March 17, 1873, the son 
of Patrick J. and Mary Ann (Berry) Rocks, both natives of Ireland. 
His father died in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of fifty-six years. 
They were the parents of five children, and Patrick J. (2) is the only 
surviving member of the entire family. 

Patrick J. (2) Rocks attended school in Ireland for a time, but in 
1881 was brought by his father to this country, their landing place 
bemg New York City. After attending the public schools of Perth 



BIOGRAPHICAL 469 

Amboy, New Jersey, where his father finally settled, at the age of 
thirteen he began his career in the business world by carrying water 
in the coal docks. In 1893 ^^ entered the local fire department and drove 
one of the department's teams for two years, and for the past fifteen 
years has been engaged in his present business. 

In politics he has always been a staunch Democrat, taking an active 
interest in the affairs of the local organization. He affiliates with the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Loyal Order of Moose, Im- 
proved Order of Red Men, and the Knights of the Golden Eagle. He 
is also president of the New Jersey Third Congressional District of the 
Exempt Fire Department. In religion he is a Roman Catholic. 

On July 12, 1912, Mr. Rocks was united in marriage with Annie A. 
Hill, daughter of Charles and Louise Hill. They are the parents of 
one child, Dorothy, born June 20, 1913. 



GEORGE A. SCHENCK.— A conspicuous figure in the business 
life of New Market, New Jersey, is George A. Schenck, who has carried 
on a successful ice business here since 1895. With but little else in the 
way of capital save a clear head, stout heart and a strong body, and 
these reinforced by hard work and a clear vision, he has attained to his 
present position as the reward of his efforts. 

George A. Schenck was born December 19, 1864, at Centerville, 
New Jersey, the son of John H., who was a painter by trade, and his 
wife, Rebecca (Skilman) Schenck. After obtaining his education in 
the schools of his native place he came to New Market, and in 1895 
established himself in the ice business. The venture proved successful, 
the business consistently increasing until it has reached its present large 
proportions. Mr. Schenck is eminently respected for the unimpeach- 
able integrity of his dealings, and is a leader in movements which have 
for their end the advancement of civic conditions. 

In politics Mr. Schenck is independent, not having identified himself 
with any political party, preferring to remain free from all partisan 
influences in the exercise of his own judgment on public issues. He has 
long been a prominent member of the Baptist church of New Market, 
and affiliates with the Junior Order United American Mechanics. He 
also holds membership in the Owls Club. 

On January 18, 1895, at Somerville, New Jersey, George A. Schenck 
was united in marriage with Lillian R. Soper, a native of South Plain- 
field, New Jersey, her birth having occurred there, August 4, 1878. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Schenck have been born three children : Clififord Earl, born 
November 8, 1899; Doris, born February 11, 1904; Marjorie, born 
November 18, 1914. During the World War, April 23, 1917, Clifford 
Earl Schenck enlisted in the United States navy, and was located for 
a time at the Mare Island navy yard, California. He served on a United 
States-French mine sweeper, also on the "President Grant," crossing 
the ocean fourteen times, carrying soldiers to and from the United 
States. 



470 MIDDLESEX 

JACOB DALLENBECK.— A stranger in a strange land, unused to 
the customs of his adopted country and with scant knowledge of its 
language, Jacob Dallenbeck was heavily handicapped when he left his 
native land to make a new home in the United States, yet, with the 
quiet perseverance and determination for which his countrymen are 
noted, he has made good and today is one of the recognized business 
men of the community where he lives. 

Jacob Dallenbeck was born in Switzerland, June lo, 1866, the son 
of Ulrich and Parana (Bernhard) Dallenbeck. They lived on a farm 
which the father tilled, and the boy learned farming as he grew up, 
attending the common school until, when of suitable age, he entered 
the army, serving for ten years, though that is not the full length of 
service required of each man in Switzerland. 

For the past seventeen years Mr. Dallenbeck has been a farmer in 
the Milltown section of Middlesex county. New Jersey, and during part 
of the time has been engaged in the sand business which he now operates 
and has owned for the last four years. Mr. Dallenbeck and his family 
are members of the Protestant church of that town. He is not allied 
with either of the leading political parties, preferring to be liberal in his 
views and uninfluenced in his choice. 

While in France, Jacob Dallenbeck was married, May 30, 1897, to 
Alice Tometo, born April 8, 1869. She was the daughter of Thomas and 
Margaret (Spcher) Tometo, both natives of Switzerland. Of this mar- 
riage six children were born: Fred, Alice, Walter, Claria, Jacob, and 
Alma. The family home is on Riva avenue, in Milltown. 



HOWARD CHARLES ANDERSEN is a native of Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey, the son of Frederick Bernhard and Elizabeth (Peterson) 
Andersen. Frederick B. Andersen, born in Norway in i860, came to 
Perth Amboy a boy of sixteen and has ever since been a resident of 
the city, a carpenter and building contractor. He married, in Perth 
Amboy, Elizabeth Peterson, who died in 1900. They were the parents 
of eight children, all born in Perth Amboy : Anna, who married M. 
Strieker of Woodbridge, New Jersey; Edward, a railroad contractor 
of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada ; Louise, married D. Wynans, of Matawan, 
New Jersey; Dora, married Henry Anderson of Woodbridge, New 
Jersey ; Henry, a machinist of Newark, New Jersey ; Howard Charles, 
of further mention ; William, a confectioner of Newark, New Jersey ; and 
Edna, who resides at Scranton, Pennsylvania. 

Howard Charles Andersen was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
November 3, 1892, and has always made that city his home. He was 
educated in the public schools, finishing with grammar school at the 
age of fourteen. When fifteen years of age he began his connection 
with the automobile business as a machinist and became so proficient 
and capable that on April 19, 1920, he was appointed manager of the 
Robert Treat Garage. Later he entered the employ of the Castle's Ice 
Cream Company, Inc., of Perth Amboy. 

In 1914 Mr. Andersen enlisted in the 12th Company, Canadian 



BIOGRAPHICAL 471 

Mounted Rifles. Later he was transferred to the American Expedition- 
ary Forces and he became sergeant in the Air Service. He is a member 
of the Danish Lutheran church ; in politics he is a Republican. 

Mr. Andersen married, June 30, 1920, Blanche Riveley, born in Tot- 
tenville, Staten Island, New York, daughter of Louis and Martha Anna 
Riveley. 



JOSEPH WINIGER.— For nearly a quarter of a century, Joseph 
Winiger has conducted a livery business in Metuchen, New Jersey, a 
community in which his nearly sixty years have been spent, his father, 
John Winiger, having been a small farmer of Metuchen. 

Joseph Winiger was born in Metuchen, New Jersey, November 23, 
1862, and there attended public schools. Twelve years of his life prior 
to 1898 were spent in the employ of the Lehigh Valley railroad and the 
Public Service Corporation, he establishing a livery business in Metuchen 
in 1898. That business has since been his sole activity, and although the 
coming of the automobile has changed its character somewhat, he is 
still its successful owner and manager. He is an Independent in politics, 
and a member of the Reformed church of Metuchen. 

Mr. Winiger married, December 22, 1885, Elizabeth Brackett, born 
June 2, 1865, daughter of Henry and Maria Brackett, of Brockton, 
Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Winiger are the parents of six children; 
Louisa, born May 7, 1887; Joseph, born September 27, 1888, married 
Harriet Ackley; Nettie, born January 11, 1891, married W. Edwards, 
now deceased; Herbert, born December 19, 1892, died January 13, 1919, 

married Jessie , and left a son, Herbert ; Julia, born December 13, 

1894; Lloyd, born December 11, 1897. 



MATHIAS TEN EYCK.— All his life a farmer of Raritan township, 
Middlesex county. New Jersey, Mr. Ten Eyck has at the present time 
the largest farm in the township, and is the largest landowner in the 
Metuchen district. He is a son of John V. and Mary J. (Honeymon) 
Ten Eyck, his father also a farmer and landowner. Mr. Ten Eyck is 
a member of Oak Tree Presbyterian Church, and in politics is a 
Republican. 

Mr. Ten Eyck married, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1889, Ida Ben- 
nett, daughter of George W. and Mary E. (Smith) Bennett. The Smiths 
come from an old family of Galveston, Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Ten Eyck 
are the parents of two sons : Harry H. ; and Edward M., who married, in 
Rockaway, New Jersey, Lillian B. Yetter, of Rockaway. 



JOHN PENNY, a long time farmer of Middlesex county. New 
Jersey, now deceased, was born in Somerset county. New Jersey, Decem- 
ber 12, 1830, died at his farm in the town of Rahway, Middlesex county, 
May 15, 1913, son of Ezra and Nettie Ann (Covert) Penny, his father 
a farmer of Somerset county. 

John Penny was educated in the public schools, and early in life 
became a practical farmer, an occupation he followed very successfully 



472 



MIDDLESEX 



all his life. He became the owner of a good farm in Rahway, upon 
which he was living at the time of his death. That farm, bought in 1871, 
is yet the home of Mrs. John Penny, his widow, and its present owner. 
In politics Mr. Penny was a Democrat, and in religious faith a member 
of the Rahway Methodist Episcopal Church. He was an honorable, 
hard-working man, whose years, eighty-three, were well spent. 

John Penny married, December 8, 1856, Catherine Davis, born Feb- 
ruary 27, 1840, daughter of William G. and Sarah (Van Ness) Davis. 
Mrs. Davis survives her husband and continues her residence at the old 
farm, which has been her home for half a century (1871-1921). Mr. 
and Mrs. Penny were the parents of a large family: i. Ezra, born 
November i, 1858, died November 8, 1913. 2. Silas, born February 15, 
i860, married Rose Fox, and has two children : Howard, born December 
25, 1898, and Clarence, born April 11, 1911. 3. Mary Ella, born August 
2, 1863, died March 7, 1881. 4. Anna Elizabeth, born October 21, 1871, 
married Carl Hanson, and has six children: Clinton, John, Carl, Kate, 
Hance, and Anna. 5. John B., born September 27, 1875, married Hattie 
Dayton. 



OTTO WILLIAM LINDBERU. — Une ot the most prominent and 
influential citizens of the town of South River, New Jersey, is Otto Wil- 
liam Lindberg, who since taking up his residence in this community, has 
interested himself in all that makes for the welfare and advancement 
of South River. 

Otto William Lindberg was* born in Sweden, July 29, 1868, the son 
of John and Anna (Swanson) Lindberg. John Lindberg was a sea 
captain for many years and owned several vessels. The boy Otto was 
brought by his parents to this country in 1880, and upon landing in 
Boston remained there for several years, where he attended the local 
public schools, after which he served an apprenticeship to the copper- 
smith's trade. He is now engaged in filling large plumbing contracts 
for the government. 

Mr. Lindberg is the oldest member of the Board of Public Works 
of the borough of South River, and is vice-president and manager of a 
newly formed corporation, The Deerland Company, Northwest Florida. 
He affiliates with the Masons, having attained to the thirty-second 
degree, and also fraternizes with the Improved Order of Red Men and 
with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge. In religion 
he is an Episcopalian and attends the church of that denomination in this 
community. 

On June 7, 1896, Mr. Lindberg was united in marriage with Margaret 
Mary Wright, daughter of the late Silas and Emma (Britton) Wright, 
of New Brunswick, New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Lindberg are the par- 
ents of one child, Margaret Emma, born March 28, 1910. Mrs. Lindberg 
has always taken an active part in the affairs of South River, being 
president of the Woman's Club, and member of the Chamber of Com- 
merce of this place. She is past matron of Ruth Chapter, No. 12, Order 
of the Eastern Star of the State of New Jersey. That she is certainly 




(£m^A 




BIOGRAPHICAL 473 

fulfilling her position as helpmate to her husband is proven by the fact 
that she has met with great success in her management of the Wash- 
ington Hotel, which her husband owns but has been unable to care for 
owing to his extensive contracting business. 



PAUL CHESTER KEMENY, numbered among the promising 
young attorneys of Perth Amboy, is a man who is making a name for 
himself in the public life of this community, and who has already won 
the regard of his brethren of the profession, who accord him full recog- 
nition. 

Mr. Kemeny was born in Nagy Leta, Hungary, July 10, 1897, the 
son of Louis and Vilma Kemeny. Louis Kemeny was born in Hungary, 
and came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in 1900, where he has since been 
engaged in the jewelry business ; he is mentioned elsewhere in this work. 
The boy, Paul Chester, was brought by his parents to this country when 
he was very small, and upon settling in Perth Amboy attended the public 
schools of that place, graduating from the Perth Amboy High School 
in 1914. He then entered Rutgers College, matriculating with the class 
of 1918, and having in the meantime determined to adopt the law as a 
profession he entered the New Jersey Law School and won the degree 
of Bachelor of Laws in 1920. Mr. Kemeny served his clerkship and 
studied law in the office of his brother, George Kemeny, and when the 
latter sailed for France with the American Expeditionary Forces, Paul 
C. completed his clerkship in the law office of Senator Thomas Brown. 
Throughout his school and college courses he had proved himself an in- 
telligent and painstaking student, and at the close came to the opening 
of his career fully equipped both with natural gifts and a training that 
was the result of long and conscientious eflfort. Immediately after gradu- 
ating from the New Jersey Law School he passed his bar examinations 
and came to New Brunswick, where he established himself in the practice 
of his chosen profession. He opened an office at No. loi Albany street, 
and this has been his headquarters ever since. During the World War 
he enlisted in the United States army, but was unassigned, and was 
honorably discharged, December 7, 1918. He affiliates with the Benevo- 
lent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge No. 784. Mr. Kemeny is 
unmarried. 



HARRY LYON WOLFF. — The significance to the public of every 
form of useful activity is a matter of profound interest, but when a man 
of force and initiative definitely and directly bends his energies toward 
the upbuilding of the community in which he lives, the people owe him 
a large measure of respect. Harry Lyon Wolff, of Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, although still a young man, has by his own efforts placed himself 
among the foremost men of the city. 

Mr. Wolff's family comes from the famous old Russian city of Riga, 
where he himself was born, August 15, 1882. His father, William Wolff, 
born in Russia, came to this country while a young man, bringing 
his wife and young children with him. He went immediately to New 



474 



MIDDLESEX 



Brunswick, New Jersey, where he established a home for his little family, 
and after patient application and untiring industry achieved gratifying 
success as a wholesale butcher. His wife, Fannie (Schuss) Wolff, was 
also born in Russia. She died in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in Septem- 
ber, 1917, at the age of sixty-five years. Mr. Wolff died in 1921. They 
were the parents of six children, all of whom are now living in Middlesex 
county, New Jersey: Lena, wife of J. H. Friedman, residing in New 
Brunswick ; Rose, wife of Samuel Mandel ; Harry Lyon, of whom ex- 
tended mention follows ; Ada, wife of Harry Brower ; Anna, wife of Max 
Gibson ; and Rae, wife of Samuel Tucker ; all but the eldest being resi- 
dents of Perth Amboy. 

Harry Lyon Wolff was eight years old when he came with his parents 
to America. He received his education in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
mostly under the care of private teachers. He was quick to learn, and at 
an age when most lads are entering high school he was making a start in 
the world of business. When only fourteen years old he made his first 
venture in the marketing business, in New Brunswick, under the firm 
name of Wolff & Friedman, and two years later the ambitious firm opened 
a branch market on the corner of State and Center streets, Perth Amboy. 
At the age of eighteen, the young man made a radical change in his line 
of business, entering a field of effort that appealed not only to the prac- 
tical but to the idealistic side of his nature. The city was enjoying a 
period of great prosperity and rapid growth, and residences, business 
locations, and all kinds of real estate were in great demand. Mr. Wolff 
entered this field and found broad scope for his energies. At twenty-one 
years of age he was the largest operator in real estate in the city. In 
1906 he went to New York City, where he engaged in the same line of 
business, remaining in that city for ten years. He then returned to Perth 
Amboy and formed the Maple Realty Company, in which he is now 
president, dealing in real estate investments, and in many cases handling 
the construction operations on real estate in which they are interested. 
Mr. Wolff, in association with Max Gibian, built the Perth Amboy 
Garage, but his most important interest is Aversel Park, of which he is 
the builder. There $500,000 has been expended, and men who are con- 
sidered authorities in real estate say that a population of ten thousand 
people may confidently be expected to gather there within the next 
decade. 

Mr. Wolff is exceedingly fond of music, and devotes considerable time 
to it, but he finds it impossible to separate entirely his recreation and 
his business, for his keenest delight, and the pursuit in which he finds 
most genuine pleasure, is the building up of communities — the creating 
of residences and charming landscape effects where before were only 
barren wastes. Mr. Wolff is an attendant at Beth Mordecai Synagogue, 
is socially popular, and is interested individually, as well as in a business 
way, in every public movement that tends toward progress. 



THEODORE EMIL ANDERSON.— The story of Theodore Emil 
Anderson's life is the story of a self-made man. In the busy life of Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, he is a well known figure. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 475 

He was born in Christiansand, Norway, February 9, 1877. His father 
was August Anderson, an upright, industrious man, a ship's carpenter 
by trade. He was born in Sweden, and came to America in 1884 to pro- 
vide a better home and better opportunities for his little family. They 
located in Tottenville, New York, but remained there for only one year, 
going then to Perth Amboy, New Jersey. There the father died when 
the boy, Theodore E., was fourteen years of age. August Anderson 
married Ingeborg Jorgenson, who was born in Norway, and died in Perth 
Amboy at the age of seventy-two years. They were the parents of five 
children: Andrew, Theodore Emil, Magnus, Ella, now Mrs. Thomas 
Olesen, all of the above being residents of Perth Amboy ; and William, 
who died in infancy. 

Theodore Emil Anderson came to America at the age of seven years, 
and received nearly all his education in the public schools on this side 
the water. He attended the Perth Amboy schools until he was six- 
teen years of age, when he entered the employ of the S. S. White Dental 
Works, of that city, where he remained for one year. He then worked 
as clerk in a grocery store for four years. At the age of twenty-one, he 
began work for the United States Express Company. At twenty-five 
he determined to make a start in life for himself. Knowing the city thor- 
oughly, and seeing the possibilities in the express business in a growing 
city, he started along that line. Beginning in a small way, he has in- 
creased his business and enlarged its scope until now he handles a large 
share of the express business of Perth Amboy and vicinity, besides con- 
ducting a well equipped garage. His location at No. 49 Smith street is 
an advantageous one, and with the assistance of his son he covers a 
wide field of useful activity. 

Mr. Anderson does not allow business to absorb all his interest. He 
is always well informed on the topics of the day, especially matters of 
broad or National import. He is a Republican by political choice, but 
has always declined office. In his recreations he is apt to choose active 
out-of-doors sports, being especially fond of horses. At one time he was 
chief of the Perth Amboy Fire Department, and then he owned some of 
the finest horses in this section. He is a member of the Raritan Yacht 
Club, and of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 

Mr. Anderson married, in Perth Amboy, Rosette Seguine, daughter 
of Alexander and Celia Seguine. Mr. Seguine was connected with the 
custom house, furnishing his own power boat. Both Mrs. Anderson's 
parents lived and died in Perth Amboy, and this is her birthplace. Mr. 
and Mrs. Anderson have three children: Gladys, born in 1899; Lester, 
born in 1901, who is associated with his father in business ; and Eleanore, 
born in 1907. The family are members of the Baptist church, and active 
in all its social and benevolent organizations. 



LEO KAHN, one of the best known jewelers of New Brunswick, 
New Jersey, was born in Riga, Latvia, Russia, May 20, 1887, a son of 
Hyman and Rebecca (Feldman) Kahn. The elder Mr. Kahn was also 
born in Riga, where the family is a prominent one. He was a prosperous 



476 



MIDDLESEX 



lumber merchant of that city, came to America, retired from business, 
and died in Cleveland, Ohio, October 6, 1912, at the age of sixty-five 
years. His wife now resides with her son Leo. They have seven other 
children now living : David, Edward, Isadore, Charlotta, Henrietta, Rose 
and Jennie. • 

Leo Kahn received his education in the schools of his native country ; 
then at sixteen years of age came to the United States, locating in Erie, 
Pennsylvania. There he entered the employ of his brother, David, who 
is one of the old established jewelers of that city. Continuing with him 
for five years, the young man then went to Irvin, Pennsylvania, with a 
jewelry firm there. In 1914 he made the change which is proving so 
materially to his own advantage, coming to New Brunswick. Here he 
bought out the Printz Jewelry Company and started in business at the 
corner of Neilson and Albany streets, which has come to be a recognized 
center of fine jewelry effectively displayed. Mr. Kahn has trebled the 
stock of jewelry handled, and more than trebled the volume of trade. 
He is already a leader in this line in New Brunswick. Still a young man, 
and with the best years of life yet before him, he bids fair to place the 
stamp of his individuality on the business world of Middlesex county. 
Mr. Kahn is a member of the Board of Trade of New Brunswick, and is 
widely known fraternally. He is a member of the Benevolent and Pro- 
tective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Loyal Order of 
Moose, the Young Men's Christian Association, and the Young Men's 
Hebrew Association. He attends the services of Temple Ansch Emeth. 
In his leisure time, Mr. Kahn indulges his taste for music, to which art 
he is devoted. He is also an enthusiast in out-door sports. 

Mr. Kahn married, in New York City, August 24, 1914, Fannie Lapi- 
dus, who was born in New York, and died in New Brunswick, New 
Jersey, February 9, 1920. She left a little daughter, Irma, born August 
21, 1915- 

LOUIS KEMENY, Perth Amboy's most prominent jeweler and a 
man highly respected for his substantial and public-spirited citizenship, 
is a native of Hungary, his birth having occurred in the city of Solmos 
in the county of Ungfvar, March 10, 1870. He is a son of William and 
Marion (Berkowitz) Kemeny, of Hungary, the former being a wealthy 
farmer who carried on general agricultural operations on a large scale 
in the vicinity of Solmos in which he employed several thousand hands 
and two hundred teams of horses. He and his wife, who both lived and 
died in their native land, were the parents of three children, as follows: 
Gedeon, who died at the age of twenty-six years ; Ethel, who became the 
wife of Nandor Scilagyi, a school director in Hungary; and Louis, with 
whose career we are here engaged. 

Louis Kemeny passed his childhood and young manhood in his native 
region, and attended as a child the local educational institutions. It was 
his father's original intention that he should follow in his steps and 
become an agriculturist, and with this end in view he entered the Agri- 
cultural College in Ungvar, from which he graduated in 1891. He then 



BIOGRAPHICAL 477 

served in the i6th Regiment of Austrian and Hungarian Cavalry for one 
year, during which time, being of an enterprising nature, his attention 
and ambition was turned toward the great republic of the West, where 
he believed great opportunities lay. In 1900, when twenty-nine years of 
age, he came to the United States and after spending one year in New 
York City came to Middlesex county, New Jersey, and settled in Perth 
Amboy and established himself in his present business. His first store 
was situated on State street, but in 1913 he removed to No. 112 Smith 
street, but his business continued to grow until it became too large to 
be transacted there, so he removed to his present fine store at Nos. 
117 and 119 Smith street. This store is now the best appointed and 
carries the largest stock of any establishment of its kind in Middlesex 
county, and the business is still developing rapidly. Mr. Keroeny has 
always taken an active and intelligent part in the conduct of local affairs, 
and is prominent in several fraternal orders and clubs in the city, notably 
the Masonic order, in which he has attained the thirty-second degree. 
He is affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Royal 
Arch Masons; Royal and Select Masters; Knights Templar; Ancient 
Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; and the Sovereign Princes 
of the Royal Secret. Besides these Masonic bodies, he is a member of 
the local lodge. Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the 
Perth Amboy Progress Club. Mr. Kemeny attends the Temple Beth 
Morchi in Perth Amboy. In his early youth he was devoted to the 
sport of hunting, but of recent years has given this up to a certain extent 
and now takes a keen interest in the modern development of dramatic 
art. He is a Republican in politics. 

Louis Kemeny married (first) 1894, Vilma Berger, (second) 1899, 
before coming to this country, Sidonie Altman, a native of Austria. Mr. 
Kemeny had one child by his first wife, and two by his second wife, born 
in Hungary, as follows: i. George, born September 22, 1895, now a 
practicing attorney in Perth Amboy; during the World War he entered 
the United States army and served with the 311th Infantry Regiment 
of the 78th Division, being attached to the headquarters company; he 
served in France during the closing episodes of the campaign, and upon 
the signing of the armistice entered the University of Paris, where he 
continued the legal studies he had already commenced in the United 
States ; in July, 1919, he returned to this country and is now established 
in Perth Amboy in the practice of his chosen profession with offices 
in the Raritan building. 2. Paul Chester, now a practicing lawyer in 
New Brunswick, New Jersey. 3. Mitzie, born February 3, 1900, now 
resides with her parents. None of Mr. Kemeny's children are married 
and the entire family make their home at No. 152 High street, Perth 
Amboy. 

In the conduct of his most successful business, Mr. Kemeny is sec- 
onded by the work of several capable assistants, the chief of whom is 
Mr. Herman Lieberman who, like his chief is a native of Europe, having 
been born in Austria, August 22, 1885. Mr. Lieberman came to the 
United States, September 24, 191 7, and after residing in New York City 
for three months, came to Perth Amboy and entered directly into his 



478 MIDDLESEX 

association with Mr. Kemeny. He married Dora Kessler, of New York 
City, and they are the parents of one child, Leonard S., born June 29, 
1917. Mr. Kemeny's second assistant is Mr. W. Edward Roberts, a 
native of Wales, born December 13, 1892. He came to the United 
States in 1913, and married Minnie A. Pheil, of Perth Amboy. 

HENRY MORAFF.— The family of which Henry Moraff is a mem- 
ber is an old one in the city of Odessa, Russia, where they have lived for 
several generations, some of the men being prominent in military affairs 
and some of them engaged in the legal profession. 

Henry Moraff was born in Odessa, Russia, February 12, 1877. His 
parents were Meyer and Sarah (Jacob) Moraff, natives of Odessa, the 
former having been a successful lawyer there. He came to the United 
States in 1891, bringing his wife and children with him, and settled in 
New York City, where he continued to live until his death in 1915, at 
the age of seventy-eight years. His widow, Mrs. Sarah (Jacob) Moraff, 
is still living at her home in New York. She and her husband had seven 
children : Israel, Isaac, Morris, Henry, Irving, Francis, Dorothy ; all are 
now living in New York City with the exception of Henry Moraff, who 
lives in New Brunswick. 

When in 1891, Henry Moraff landed in this country, he was only four- 
teen years old, but he found employment in a dry goods store in New 
York where he received a salary of three dollars a week. About twenty 
years later Mr. Moraff went to Jackson, Michigan, where he opened a 
gentleman's furnishing store in 1912. During the time he lived there he 
held the office of trustee of the Synagogue for five years. Coming East 
again, Mr. Moraff became interested in New Brunswick, New Jersey, 
entering into business in that city. He opened a clothing store at No. 
349 George street, in September, 1919, and gave it the name of "Henry's 
Clothing Shop." It has proved to be a successful venture, Mr. Moraff 
having made many friends in his new location. 

When the Rotary Club was organized in New Brunswick, Henry 
Moraff was one of the charter members of it; he is also active in the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and in the local Board of 
Trade ; he attends the Temple, and is much interested in the Young 
Men's Hebrew Association, of which he is a member. During his boy- 
hood, Henry Moraff was particularly interested in bicycle riding, and 
as a member of the Lincoln Wheelmen 'won many medals in competition 
affairs. When this club was organized, Mr. Moraff was one of the 
charter members. He has always been fond of all out-door exercise, at 
present his chief pleasure being to take long trips in his automobile, 
sometimes covering five hundred miles a day. 

In New York City, October 2, 1904, Henry Moraff married Belle 
Levy, daughter of Morris and Rose Levy, formerly residents of New 
York City, where their daughter Belle was born. They are both de- 
ceased. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Moraff have one child, Richard J., born in 
New York City, July 8, 1905. Their home is at No. 227 Power street, 
New Brunswick. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 479 

SAMUEL BELIKOVE, who was a prominent and well known mer- 
chant of Perth Amboy, where he was engaged in the wholesale produce 
business until January i, 1921, and then retired, was a native of Russia, 
born December i, 1866, died May 17, 1921. He was the son of 
Philip and Fannie (Zolotoroff) Belikove. The elder Mr. Belikove was 
born in Russia, and for many years was engaged in cattle raising. He 
married Fannie Zolotoroff, now living in Perth Amboy, having come 
from Russia fifteen years ago. They were the parents of one child, 
Samuel, mentioned below. 

Samuel Belikove was educated in the schools of his native place, 
and at the age of twenty-three years set sail for this country. Upon 
landing in New York City he came direct to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
where in 1894 he established himself in the grocery and fruit business 
at No. 409 State street, later moving to No. 452 State street. His business 
rapidly and consistently developed until it became the largest of its 
kind in the community. He affiliated with the Foresters of America, 
the Hebrew Progressive Association, and the Loyal Association. 

On June 11, 1894, Mr. Belikove was united in marriage with Dora 
Weinblatt, who died March 20, 1918, and they were the parents of four 
children : Philip I., now engaged in the auto business in Perth Amboy ; 
Emily, born August 13, 1900; Ralph, born March i, 1906; Sidney, born 
August 25, 1913. The family home is at No. 99 Lewis street, Perth 
Amboy. Mr. Belikove found his chief recreation in motoring. 



SAMUEL GINDIN. — There is very properly full praise in this 
country and time for the man who has started at the bottom of the 
ladder and by means of his own efforts made a way to prominence in 
the business world. New Jersey has its share of such men and to this 
list may be added the name of Samuel Gindin. Real estate is the line 
of business in which Mr. Gindin has made his success. 

Samuel Gindin was born in Russia, October 17, 1882, the son of 
Leon and Anna Gindin. His father, Leon Gindin, died in Russia, but 
his mother resides with him. To Mr. and Mrs. Gindin were born seven 
children, of whom there are but three living: Samuel, of further men- 
tion ; Celia, who married Barnard Kahn, of New Brunswick, New Jersey ; 
Anna, who married Harry Sullivan, of New Brunswick. 

The education of Samuel Gindin was obtained in the public schools 
of his native place, and here he remained until he was twenty years of 
age, when he came to the United States. He located first in Philadelphia 
and here engaged in the carpenter's trade, having served his apprentice- 
ship in his native place. Four years later, in 1906, he came to New 
Brunswick and established himself in the real estate business at his 
present location, No. 41 Paterson street. The position which he occu- 
pies represents the reward of unremitting labor and a fixed determina- 
tion to achieve a responsible place, while, in his advancement, he has 
used the most upright methods. 

Mr. Gindin has no taste for political life, never sought public office, 
and clings closely to business. He is affiliated with Mt. Zion Lodge, 



48o MIDDLESEX 

No. 135, Free and Accepted Masons, the Improved Order of Red Men, 
and the Young Men's Christian Association. He also holds membership 
in the Craftsmen's Club, of New Brunswick. 

On November 28, 191 1, Samuel Gindin was united in marriage with 
Lillian Shanholtz, daughter of the late Joseph Shanholtz. Joseph Shan- 
holtz was a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and died in New Bruns- 
wick, in 1920, at the age of fifty-six. Mrs. Shanholtz resides with her 
daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Gindin are the parents of three children: 
Irving, born September 16, 1915; Russell, born October 28, 1917; and 
Jerome, born in April, 1920. Mr. Gindin is a popular and highly-regarded 
member of the community and active in the advancement of the inter- 
ests of New Brunswick. He finds his chief recreation in motoring. 



VICTOR PETER CHRISTOFFERSON.— Among the representa- 
tive citizens of Perth Amboy perhaps there is no man who stands out 
more prominently than Victor Peter Christofferson, who has ever been 
a conspicuous factor in everything pertaining to civic betterment. 

Waldamer Christofferson, father of Victor Peter Christofferson, was 
born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and there learned and worked at his 
profession of landscape gardening until he came with his family to this 
country, settling first in Bangor, Maine, and then for the last twenty 
years of his life he worked at his profession in Plainfield, New Jersey. 
He married Mary Hansen, a native of Copenhagen, and they became the 
parents of six children, of which number four are still living: Victor 
Peter, of further mention ; May, widow of William R. Harsell ; Cornelia, 
a resident of Philadelphia ; Nellie, wife of William Herren, of Philadel- 
phia. 

Victor Peter Christofferson was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, 
July 4, 1872, and was brought by his parents to this country when a 
baby. He attended the schools' of Bangor, Maine, and Plainfield, New 
Jersey. From 1904 until 1917 he was in business in Perth Amboy as 
an electrical engineer, having chosen that profession for his special line 
of work. At present he is connected with the Manufacturers' Liability 
Insurance Company, Jersey City. Politically Mr. Christofiferson is a 
Republican,, giving to public affairs the interest and attention demanded 
of every good citizen, but taking no active part in the affairs of the 
organization. He was the first secretary of the Board of Trade of Perth 
Amboy, was the first incorporator of the Home for the Aged of Mid- 
dlesex County, and was one of the originators of the Community Market 
in Perth Amboy, being chairman of the first committee. It is also 
interesting to note here that Perth Amboy was the first place in the 
United States to start a "Safe and Sane Fourth of July," and Mr. Chris- 
tofferson claims the honor of being the first agitator of that. He is 
affiliated with various associations. He served as secretary of the Em- 
ploying Builders' Association of New Jersey for fourteen years. 

Mr. Christofferson married (first) in June, 1901, Katherine Fisher, 
who died in 1912, leaving no issue. He married (second) January 3, 
1914, Edith M. Frey, daughter of the late Orin C. Frey, of Perth Amboy. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 481 

Mr. and Mrs. Christoflferson are the parents of one child, Victor O. W., 
born March 19, 191 5. 

We have not said that Mr. Christofferson is a good citizen for that 
fact is self-evident. He is without doubt one of the most prominent 
men of the region, widely recognized as a charitable and conscientious 
worker and a man of the highest ideals. 



AMBROSE KLAUSER, one time proprietor of the South River 
Hotel and for many years a well known figure in business circles here, 
was born in Germany, December 6, 1839, ^^^ ^^^^ June 17, 1905. He 
was educated in his native land, and on completing his studies became a 
cabinet maker, which trade he followed for many years. In 1863 he 
came to this country, and nine years later purchased the South River 
Hotel, continuing to manage it until his death in 1905, when his wife 
became his successor and the business passed entirely into her hands, 
since which time Mrs. Klauser has done much in the development of 
this enterprise. 

But it was not only in his particular business that Mr. Klauser 
expended his time and energy. On the contrary, there was no one more 
interested in the welfare and advancement of the community's affairs 
than he, and as a staunch Republican he always took the active interest 
in political life that is demanded of every good citizen. In religion he 
was a Roman Catholic and attended Our Ladies of Victory Church of 
this denomination at South River. 

On April i, 1869, at New Brunswick, New Jersey, Ambrose Klauser 
was united in marriage with Pauline Mark; she was also a native of 
Germany, her birth having occurred there October 26, 1848. Mr. and 
Mrs. Klauser were the parents of five children : Amelia, born December 
14, 1870, married Elward Serviss, who died January 31, 191 1; Anna M., 
born October 5, 1872, married A. W. Bissett, and they are the parents 
of one child, Julia Elizabeth ; Caroline, born January 20, 1874, married 
Foreman Bissett, to whom she has borne three children; Susy, bom 
May 18, 1876, died April 8, 1915; Elizabeth, born March 17, 1884, mar- 
ried Raymond D. Booraem, to whom she has borne two children : Ray- 
mond and Warren. 



SAMUEL SEIDEN, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, is filling a 
very practical place in the life of the city, in the conducting of one of 
the cleanest and pleasantest restaurants in this part of the State. 

Mr. Seiden was born in Austria, September 15, 1883, and is a son of 
Mandel and Sarah Seiden, both born in Austria. Mandel Seiden is 
now a resident of New York City, and is a prosperous manufacturer of 
neckwear, having a modern plant on the corner of Broadway and Ninth 
street. His wife died in the old country when the children were young. 
They had six children,, all now living in America, and all married; 
Louis, Frank, Helen, Samuel, Eva and David. By a later marriage Mr. 
Seiden has three sons : Abe, Carl and Harry. 

Mid-Sl 



482 MIDDLESEX 

Samuel Seiden attended school in his native country until he was 
fifteen years of age, when he came to America and located in New York 
City. There he worked in restaurants as a boss waiter, then as steward, 
then as manager. He followed along this line in New York for eighteen 
years, and became widely known in this business. During all this time 
his ambition was pointing toward a future of independence, when he 
should turn his experience and ability entirely to his own profit. In 
1918, he made the start, coming to New Brunswick, New Jersey, where 
he established a restaurant, located at No. 86 Albany street. He made 
the place so attractive, and keeps it so neat and clean that success is 
rewarding his endeavors in generous measure. In addition to the regular 
restaurant trade, Mr. Seiden has developed a considerable business in 
catering. This branch of his establishment is constantly growing, and 
promises even greater success in the future. Mr. Seiden is active in 
various interests outside the business to which the greater part of his 
time is devoted. He is a member of the New Brunswick Board of 
Trade, a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and of the Young 
Men's Christian Association. He worships at the Jewish Synagogue. 

On February 24, 191 1, Mr. Seiden married, in New York City, Bessie 
Isabella Rosen, who was born in Roumania. Her father died in the 
old country, but her mother, Esther Rosen, now makes her home with 
Mr. and Mrs. Seiden. 



LEO S. LOWENKOPF.— In November, 1897, Samuel and Lena 
(Schoen) Lowenkopf left their native land, Hungary, Europe, and with 
their infant son, their first born, came to the United States, making 
their home for seven years in New York City. They then moved to 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where the father died, in October, 1918, aged 
fifty-two. He was engaged as a butcher for a long time, but during 
the last eight years of his life kept a hotel in Keasbey, New Jersey. 
Children : Leo S., of further mention ; Jacob, engaged with his brother ; 
Gertrude and Theresa, yet school girls. 

Leo S. Lowenkopf was born in Hungary, August 18, 1897, and three 
months later was brought by his parents to the United States. New 
York City was the family home until 1904, when the family removed 
to Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Here he completed his elementary edu- 
cation, finishing in grammar school in 191 1, and high school in 1915. He 
spent one year at Rutgers College, New Brunswick, New Jersey, then 
entered the New Jersey Law School at Newark, and three years later, 
in June, 1920, was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He 
was admitted to the New Jersey bar as an attorney in December, 1920, 
arid on January i, 1921, began practice in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
with offices at No. 224 Smith street, in the Dana building. 

During the World War, 1917-18, he served on the Legal Advisory 
Board for the Metuchen district, and rendered other service. He is a 
member of the Phi Epsilon Pi, a college fraternity, and also the Lambda 
Alpha Phi, a legal fraternity, and the Benevolent and Protective Order 
of Elks. He is a devotee of all out-of-door athletics, his own specialties 



BIOGRAPHICAL 483 

being running and high jumping. In 1915 he was the East Jersey High 
School high jump champion, and in 1920 won the same honor in the 
New Jersey Young Men's Hebrew Association competition. He also 
won the broad jump championship of the Young Men's Hebrew Asso- 
ciation in that year. 



JACOB SMERLING. — From far away Russia came Jacob Smerling 
when but fifteen, and in the land of freedom and opportunity he has 
improved the advantages offered, and since 1907 has been engaged in 
mercantile business in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He is a son of Chanon 
Smerling, born in and yet living in Russia, a lumber dealer, and his 
wife, Sarah (Smulak) Smerling, also living in Russia. They were the 
parents of seven children, all living in the United States except one who 
remains in Russia with his parents. Of the other six children three are 
in Pennsylvania, one in Michigan, one in New York, the other in Perth 
Amboy, and all are married. 

Jacob Smerling was born in Russia, and there passed fifteen years of 
his life prior to coming to the United States. He remained in New York 
City for some time after coming to this country, and in the city night 
schools acquired the English language and an English education. Dur- 
ing those years he was employed in selling goods on the installment 
plan, being his own employer, for during his entire life in the United 
States he has worked on his own account. In 1907 he closed out his 
New York ventures and located in Perth Amboy, establishing with his 
limited capital a small tobacco and confectionery store at No. 327 
State street. For nine years he remained at that location, and by energy 
and thrift made the store pay. He increased his lines and built up a 
good patronage that continued loyal to the little shop that served them 
so well. In 1916 he moved to his present store. No. 148 Smith street, 
changing his line with his location, and now deals entirely in musical 
instruments, including phonographs and accessories. He is a member 
of Beth Mordecai Congregation, Perth Amboy, is an independent in 
politics, and a member of several local societies, Brith Abraham, Zion 
and Loyal Association. 

Mr. Smerling married, in New York City, July, 1900, Sarah Levine, 
born in Russia, where both her parents died. 



FRANK STAS, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in choosing the line 
of business in which to make his own strike for success in America, 
placed himself where he is able to be of great service to his countrymen 
who come to our shores. In his steamship ticket agency, and also in 
his city office as notary public, many come to him who are glad to find 
this common bond. 

Joseph Stas, father of Frank Stas, was born in Czechoslovakia, and 
died in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, at the age of sixty-nine years, Febru- 
ary II, 1919. His mother, Anna (Kokoska) Stas, also died in Perth 
Amboy, January 25, 1895, at the age of forty-one years. Joseph and 
Anna (Kokoska) Stas were the parents of eleven children, three of 



484 MIDDLESEX 

whom are still living: Theresa, wife of Emerick Karas, residing in 
Budapest ; Frank, of Perth Amboy, of whom extended mention follows ; 
and Josephine, who lives in New York City. 

Frank Stas was born in Budapest, July 17, 1878. He received his 
education in that city and learned, in part, the trade of machinist. He 
came to America with his mother when he was fifteen years of age, 
and was soon foreman of the lighterage department of the American 
Smelting and Refining Company. In 1900 he returned again to his 
trade of machinist, his natural mechanical ability qualifying him for work 
in that line, with the training he had received in the old country. He 
remained with the American Smelting and Refining Company, in their 
machine shop, of which he was foreman for some time. 

Having won the confidence and respect of the people of Perth Amboy, 
Mr. Stas was becoming known in political circles. He was elected notary 
public and later, in connection with the duties of this office, he estab- 
lished an agency for the handling of steamship tickets. This business 
has developed until, with his duties as notary public, his time is fully 
absorbed during business hours. Mr. Stas is interested in broad public 
activities outside his business. He is a faithful worker in the Repub- 
lican party, which nominated him for alderman in 1914. He is now a 
member of the Water Board. He is a director of the Raritan Trust 
Company and North Amboy Building and Loan Association. He is a 
member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Improved 
Order of Red Men, and is a chief in the Haymakers' Association. But 
his greatest interest lies in those organizations through which his fellow- 
countrymen, uniting to find mutual help in the new country, learn the 
principles of Democracy. He is supreme secretary of the Slovak Gym- 
nastic Union Sokol (Falcon); is a member of the Slovak National Soci- 
ety, and national treasurer of the Slovak League of America. He is also 
founder of the Slovak Roman Catholic church in Perth Amboy, and one 
of its first trustees. As relaxation from these multiplied activities, Mr. 
Stas indulges, occasionally, in hunting and fishing. 

Mr. Stas married, in Perth Amboy, May 28, 1901, Anna Balak, 
daughter of John and Elizabeth Balak. She was born in Slovakia; her 
father died in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, but her mother survives him, 
and makes her home with the daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Stas have four 
children: Anna, born November 17, 1902; Frances, born August 7, 1903; 
Milan, born December 7, 1908 ; and Edward H., born October 5, 1910. 



FREDERICK CHRISTIAN CHRISTENSEN.— From the sturdy 
blood of Northern Europe come many of the upright, hard working 
Americans, who help constantly to renew the life and vitality of the 
Nation. Frederick Christian Christensen is a man still in the prime of 
life, who, coming from Denmark, has made a substantial success in the 
country of his adoption in constructive lines which make for the pros- 
perity of the community. 

Mr. Christensen is a son of Jens Peter Christensen, who was born 
and died in Denmark. He lived to the age of eighty years. He was a 



BIOGRAPHICAL 485 

carpenter, as was his father, Christian Jensen. Mr. Christensen's mother 
was Karen Marie (Andreasen) Christensen. She also was born and 
died in Denmark, having lived until nearly eighty years of age. They 
were the parents of ten children, of whom seven are living: Frederick 
Christian, of whom extended mention follows; Sophia, Peter, Julius, 
Christina, Christian, and Viggo. The eldest is the only one who left 
Denmark. 

Frederick Christian Christensen was born in Udby Lundley Station, 
Denmark, September 27, 1862. There he attended school, and later 
began to work with his father, learning the trade of carpenter. He per- 
fected himself in his trade in Copenhageii, remain,ing there and continu- 
ing to work along the same line for seven years. He next spent six 
months in Hamburg, Germany. In the year 1888 he came to America, 
bringing his wife and eldest child, Ellen Mary. He located in Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, and began working at his trade as journeyman 
carpenter. He continued working thus, and by industry and economy 
laid up a little capital. In 1902 he went into business on his own account. 
He has been successful from the first, and is now doing business under 
the name of The Fred Christensen Construction Company, Incorporated, 
at No. 218 Madison avenue, Perth Amboy. He handles large contracts 
in a workmanlike manner, and no bit of construction is too small for 
his careful attention. Among the many important buildings erected 
by The Fred Christensen Construction Company may be mentioned: 
School No. 9, Perth Amboy, and Nos. 10 and 11, Woodbridge ; remodelled 
Knights of Columbus building on High street, Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Christensen takes a keen interest in all the activities of public 
life. In political affiliation he is a Republican. He is a member of the 
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and a member and active worker in 
those societies which lend a helping hand to his countrymen who come 
seeking a home and livelihood in this country. These are the Danish 
Brotherhood, the Danish Relief Association, the Danish Hundred Men 
Society, and the Danish Singing Society, Frem. He also serves as 
secretary of the Building Trades Association of Perth Amboy, having 
formerly served as president of that body. The family are members of 
the Danish Lutheran church. 

Mr. Christensen married Ellen Margaret Dagmar Hansen, who was 
born in Denmark. Both her parents died there. Their four children 
are as follows: i. Ellen Mary, wife of Edward J. Koster, of Metuchen, 
New Jersey. 2. John C, associated with his father in business, secretary 
of the company ; he saw eighteen months service in France, during the 
World War, in the Air Squadron, and at the time of his discharge was 
first class sergeant of the 469th Air Squadron; he is a member of the 
Masonic order. 3. James Andrew, enlisted as a private in the service 
of the government during the World War, and at the time of his dis- 
charge was inspector of gas at a camp near Baltimore, Maryland; he 
is a member of the Masonic order. 4. Caroline Sophia, twin of James 
Andrew, wife of John Young Hunter, of Perth Amboy. 



486 MIDDLESEX 

FRITZ JAHNKE. — Among the well known business men of Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, the name of Fritz Jahnke deserves conspicuous 
mention for the energetic part he has taken in its commercial life, where, 
as proprietor of the Standard Garage, he has won well merited success. 
Mr. Jahnke is a native of Bremen, Germany, born June 19, 1888, a son 
of Carl and Emma Jahnke. The elder Mr. Jahnke was born in Berlin, 
Germany, and has long been engaged in the hotel business in that city, 
where he is well and favorably known. He and his wife are the parents 
of three children, as follows: Agnes, who became the wife of Herman 
Scholtz, of Bremen; Margaret, who became the wife of Adolph Beyer, 
of Berlin ; and Fritz, of this sketch. 

As a child Mr. Jahnke attended the schools of his native land, and 
afterwards learned the trade of machinist there, gaining unusual pro- 
ficiency in the craft for one of his age. He was only twenty years old 
when he determined upon the step of leaving his home and seeking his 
own fortune in the New World. Accordingly, he came directly to the 
United States and went to Buffalo, New York, where he found employ- 
ment in his trade, remaining about twelve months. Being a skilled 
machinist he had no difficulty in finding work, and his next step was 
to return to the East, where the next four years were spent in Jersey 
City, New Jersey, and New York. Coming to Perth Amboy, he spent 
a similar period in the same line of work, and in 1917 opened a garage 
on Smith street and prospered greatly from the start. In the month of 
May, 1919, he removed to his present location at No. 361 New Bruns- 
wick avenue, where the Standard Garage is now numbered among the 
best known and most largely patronized establishments in the neigh- 
borhood. The success of Mr. Jahnke has been due entirely to his ener- 
getic and intelligent conduct of the business he has built up, and equally 
to his good reputation for honesty and good service that he has won. 
He wholly merits the esteem and confidence of his fellow-citizens, which 
have been accorded him in large measure ; as he is yet a young man the 
notable success he has already won can be confidently counted upon as 
but a prophesy of a still greater achievement for the future. Mr. Jahnke 
has participated actively in the social and fraternal life of the community 
where he dwells, and is affiliated with the Order of Owls. 

Fritz Jahnke was united in marriage, September 30, 1909, in Ger- 
many, with Emma Schultz, a native of that country, a daughter of Emil 
and Emilia Schultz. Mr. and Mrs. Jahnke are the parents of one child, 
Vernon, bom March 5, 191 1. 



MARTIN AMARESCU since childhood has been interested in the 
violin and has made a thorough study of the instrument. Upon reaching 
manhood he began to manufacture this musical instrument, which has 
resulted in his having attained considerable fame as a violin maker. 

Martin Amarescu was born in Roumania, February 18, 1883, the 
son of John and Catherine (Whitman) Amarescu. After receiving a 
common school education he came to this country and located in South 
River, New Jersey, where he has established himself as a barber, devoting 



BIOGRAPHICAL 487 

all his spare time to the manufacture of violins. Active in his business 
relations, with a ready courtesy and sympathy for all, he commands the 
esteem of the entire community. In his religious affiliations Mr. Ama- 
rescu is a Presbyterian ; and he is a member of the Improved Order of 
Red Men. 

On February 8, 1906, Mr. Amarescu was united in marriage with 
Julia Korporetch, a native of Slavonia, her birth having occurred there, 
April 8, 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Amarescu are the parents of the following 
children : Martin, born August 10, 1907 ; and Mary, born February 2, 
1909. Mr. Amarescu is devoted to his home and finds his greatest pleas- 
ure in the circle of his own fireside. The family home is on Main street, 
Mr. Amarescu having purchased this home in 1916. 



PHILIP SISKIND. — Among the successful business men of Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, there is none better deserving of mention than 
Philip Siskind, who in spite of difficulties and obstacles of all kinds has 
worked his way from the humblest of positions to the prominent place 
he now occupies in the community. Mr. Siskind may truly be called 
a self-made man in the best sense of the term, for all that he has and 
is has been the result of his own unswerving efforts, efforts that were 
continued through years when circumstances were such as to daunt 
most men and turn them from their objects. 

Philip Siskind was born September 10, 1873, in Maxtavo, near Janavo, 
Russia, of Jewish parents, and as a child met with the various difficulties 
which the ruling class in that country placed in the way of his oppressed 
people. His education, in both Hebrew and Russian, was obtained 
through the offices of private teachers, and upon completing his studies 
he was taken by his father into the latter's wood and lumber business. 
He remained in partnership with the elder man until his death two 
years later, and then for three years longer he conducted it by himself. 
He found, however, that competition with larger concerns in the same 
region resulted in a steady decrease of his trade, and he eventually 
abandoned it and secured a position with a very large concern worth a 
quarter of a million, engaged in the same line. He won the regard and 
affection of the superintendent, who personally taught him all the details 
of the business and imported to him all his knowledge. The young man 
proved an apt pupil, and in the five years during which he was connected 
with the concern managed by dint of the greatest industry and thrift 
to save up a considerable sum of money. In one of the slack seasons he 
returned to his home to visit his mother and there found that his eldest 
sister was engaged to a young man of fine character who had won the 
entire respect and approval of the young lady's family. She was short 
of funds, however, and to make up the deficiency Mr. Siskind made 
her a present of his hard earned savings. At the same time he deter- 
mined to leave his native land and journey to the United States, of the 
fame of which he had continually heard as a land where all men were 
free and equal and which, as he has himself expressed it, drew him 
like magic. 



488 MIDDLESEX 

He set sail for the land of his desires, August i, 1893, and landed in 
New York harbor in due course and in good health and spirits, and was 
met by a cousin who displayed great friendliness and aided him in secur- 
ing a position. He received at first only eight dollars a month in wages, 
but his industry and intelligence gained him promotion, and three months 
later his salary had been doubled. About this time he was married, and 
with the assistance of his wife, he engaged in business on his own 
account. In this venture, however, he was unsuccessful and nine 
months later was obliged to close up his store, having lost his entire 
capital. With the most praiseworthy courage, Mr. Siskind determined 
to start again on the humblest scale and came to Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, where he secured a temporary position at nine dollars a week. 
He worked at this employment for about seven months and then once 
more started an enterprise of his own as a dealer in clothing, which he 
sold on the installment plan. This time his affairs prospered and he 
soon became well known in the town of Perth Amboy on account of 
his friendly and cheerful disposition and the strict honesty with which 
he conducted all his transactions. On January i, 1900, he opened a 
store on State street and here he continued his clothing business with a 
marked degree of success for about eighteen months. By that time his 
trade had increased so greatly that he began negotiations for a larger 
store and soon began the construction of his present place of business 
at Nos. 324 and 326 State street, a modern, well equipped building, 
which was successfully opened in October, 1902. 

It was about this time that Mr. Siskind's greatest misfortune occurred 
in the shape of a severe sickness which nearly proved his death. He 
first noticed its approach by the symptoms of great nervousness and 
severe colds which, as he was at that time working day and night, grew 
constantly worse. He consulted a number of specialists, but received 
no benefit, and his trouble was brought to a climax by a business trip 
taken in most inclement weather to Staten Island. He returned from 
this very ill and was carried from his carriage to his house in a state 
of paralysis which continued uninterruptedly for seven months. During 
this time the splendid devotion of his wife saved the situation as well 
as his life. She was indefatigable in caring for him, and at the same 
time attended to the store and outside business and altogether proved 
herself a woman of the noblest character and great resources. Mr. 
Siskind's condition grew steadily worse and at length, on the eve of 
Easter, 1903, he became so desperately ill that Mrs. Siskind had to 
hurry for medical aid in the emergency. She was unable to find a 
doctor for some time, but eventually she secured Dr. Stafford and he 
hurried to the bedside, only to find a man of whose life he nearly 
despaired. A medicine prescribed by him proved to be unobtainable, 
but Mr. Siskind fell into a deep sleep which continued the remainder 
of the night. He recalls vividly to this day that during that sleep he 
dreamed a curious dream in which his father appeared to him and 
brewed him some medicine which he drank and which brought him 
relief. Nevertheless, when the doctor visited him the following morn- 
ing he was so weak that it required electric tests to discover life and 



BIOGRAPHICAL • 4S9 

even these were for a time unavailing. Finally, however, the physician 
concluded that life was yet present, and as the disease was broken, 
it required only great care and constant nursing from that time on to 
insure his recovery. That he recovered at all appears to be due about 
equally to Mr. Siskind's great natural strength and to the devotion of 
his brave wife, whose attentions never flagged. Mr. Siskind eventually 
went back to work, although for some time he was obliged to get about 
on crutches and later with a cane, but in course of time his cure was 
complete and today he is as well as ever. His pleasant relations with 
his friends and patrons were resumed, and he is undoubtedly at present 
one of the most popular and successful merchants of the city, enjoying 
a reputation for integrity and honesty second to none and reaping in 
full measure the results of his virtues. He is a member of Shary Telfilah 
Temple and order Sons of Zion, being a trustee of the former and the 
presiding officer of the latter. He is also a member of the Fraternal 
Order of Eagles and of the Order of Owls. 

Philip Siskind was united in marriage, April 3, 1897, in New York 
City, with Rachel Weiner, a daughter of Benjamin and Tema Weiner, 
of that city. He and his wife are the parents of one daughter, Sarah, 
born February 5, 1909, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

Mr. Siskind has been a frequent contributor to the local newspapers, 
some of his articles attracting considerable attention, especially one on 
woman's suffrage and one predicting in 1914 a general European war. 
Mr. Siskind has made it his policy to please his customers, and his 
advice to all men is characteristic of his own cheerful and optimistic 
nature. To all men he says: "Be happy, do not lose confidence, never 
say I am lost ; approach everybody with a smile ; don't lose self respect ; 
honor everybody and love your neighbor as yourself." 



HARRY WOLF GREENSPAN.— Brought by his parents to the 
United States when a boy of six years, Mr. Greenspan, now a substantial 
resident of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and established in the grocery 
business at No. 265 Smith street, has but a dim personal knowledge of 
any other land than this. He is a man of energy, has prospered through 
his own efforts and enterprise, and fairly won his way to success. 

Harry Wolf Greenspan was born in Russia, the son of Philip and 
Rebecca (Uterman) Greenspan, who are both residents of New York 
City. Harry W. Greenspan, upon being brought to this country by 
his parents, attended the public schools of New York City until he was 
fourteen years of age, when he entered the business world in the capacity 
of grocery clerk in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where he remained until 
he was twenty years old. He then went into business on his own 
account and established himself in the grocery business at No. 265 
Smith street, and has continued with success in this ever since. In the 
affairs of the community he holds an intense interest, but has never 
entered politics. He is a member of the Young Men's Hebrew Associa- 
tion, and is also a member of the Jewish Synagogue. 

Mr. Greenspan married May Spewack, September 15, 1920. In busi- 



490 MIDDLESEX 

ness activities and in his life as a citizen, Harry Wolf Greenspan has made 
himself one of the men who count in his community, and everything 
indicates that the years to come will bring him larger opportunities of 
service resulting in successes more noteworthy and more fruitful than 
those of the past. 

TYCHO THORVALD FILSKOV.— With a number of brothers 
and sisters residing in Denmark, and with his mother, Agatha Filskov, 
still living at her home in that country, Tycho Thorvald Filskov is the 
only member of a large family of children to come to the United States. 
The father, Johannes Filskov, was the proprietor of a general store in 
his home town in Denmark, where he died many years ago. He and his 
wife were the parents of nine children : Johanne, a school teacher in 
Denmark ; Alfred, a minister ; Elisabeth ; Lorenz ; Johannes, president of 
a bank in Denmark ; Christine ; Axel, a steamship engineer ; Tycho, the 
editor of a newspaper ; and Tycho Thorvald, of further mention. 

Tycho Thorvald Filskov received an excellent education in his native 
land, first in the public schools and later in the University of Copenhagen, 
from which he graduated when twenty-one years old. Coming to this 
country almost immediately after his graduation, Tycho Thorvald Fils- 
kov landed in New York City, in 1892, and for some time was located 
there. In 1894 he went to Jersey City, where he was employed with the 
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, remaining with them until 1896, 
then, returning to New York City, he was engaged in several different 
engineering concerns for a number of years, eventually coming to South 
Amboy to accept a position with the Raritan River Railroad Company 
as chief engineer. This was in 1914 and two years later he was appointed 
superintendent of the railroad, still serving as its chief engineer. Mr. 
Filskov afterwards became a director of the company, and is still holding 
this office with them. 

In addition to his business interests, Mr. Filskov is a lover of out- 
of-door amusements, driving his own automobile being his favorite form 
of recreation. He and his family are all members of the Presbyterian 
church. 

Tycho Thorvald Filskov married, in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1894, 
Marie Holm, a native of Denmark, where her father and mother were 
born and where they died. Mr. and Mrs. Filskov have had two children, 
both now living: i. Harold, born August 13, 1896, a graduate of Ste- 
vens Institute of Technology at Hoboken, in the class of 191 8, receiving 
the degree of mechanical engineer; he is employed in the office of the 
Raritan River Railroad Company with his father, as assistant engineer. 
2. Alfred, born June 11, 1898, a graduate of Stevens Institute, class of 
1919 ; he is in the office of a consulting engineer in Newark, New Jersey. 
The family home is at No. 302 Main street. South Amboy. 



JACOB GOLDBERGER.— In that part of Hungary now the inde- 
pendent State of Czecho Slovakia, Samuel Aaron Goldberger was living 
at the time of the birth of his son Jacob, now a successful business man 



BIOGRAPHICAL 491 

of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Samuel A. Goldberger was a merchant 
and a land owner in his native land, and served his years of enforced 
military duty in the Hungarian army, his branch the infantry. He mar- 
ried Jennie Klein, and later they came to the United States, he engaging 
in business in New York City as a merchant. After his retirement, he 
moved to Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

Jacob Goldberger was born December 13, 1861, in Tuchrina, Czecho 
Slovakia (formerly Hungary), Europe, and there passed the first sev- 
enteen years of his life. He was educated in private schools and advanced 
so rapidly that at the age of thirteen he was himself a teacher, tutoring 
children. At the age of sixteen he was engaged in clerical work in 
Miskolcz, Hungary, there continuing until August, 1878, when a flood 
devastated that section and swept away all his possessions. He then 
returned to the parental home, but not long afterward came to the United 
States, sailing from Hull, England, on the steamship "Queen Ann," 
arriving at Castle Garden in New York Harbor, November 13, 1878. 
His first year in New York was employed in serving a newspaper route, 
after which he learned a trade at which he was employed six years. 
Afterward he was engaged with a wholesale produce house in Hudson 
street. New York, until March 12, 1888 (the period of the great blizzard 
in New York City), when he removed to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, that 
city ever since having been his home. 

After locating in Perth Amboy, he opened a grocery store with a 
foreign exchange department, at the southwest corner of High street 
and DeKalb avenue (the site now occupied by the Standard Underground 
Cable Company), his brother, Max Goldberger, being his business part- 
ner. For three years they continued at the original stand, then erected 
a three-story brick building at the corner of State and Washington 
streets, where they continued the same lines until 1905, when the brothers 
dissolved partnership and divided the business, Jacob taking the foreign 
exchange and steamship ticket brokerage business and continuing at the 
old stand, State and Washington streets. He is duly authorized to con- 
duct a banking business under the laws of the State of New Jersey, and 
successfully conducts a banking department in connection with foreign 
exchange and steamship tickets. He conducts a general business in the 
sale of steamship and railroad tickets, purchase and sale of foreign money, 
making remittances to all parts of the world, issuing letters of credit and 
travelers' checks. He is agent for all companies of the Mediterranean 
and Continental Conferences and negotiates a general business along 
these lines. He is also a director of the Perth Amboy Trust Company, 
and has other business interests. 

In politics Mr. Goldberger is a Republican. In religion, he with his 
family worships with the Congregation Beth Mordecai, of which he 
was one of the founders, first vice-president, and now a trustee. He is 
afiSliated with Lawrence Lodge, No. 62, Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows; United Hebrew Lodge; has been treasurer of the Order of 
Brith Abraham; director of Young Men's Hebrew Association; and 
member of Young Men's Christian Association. His clubs are the 
Progress and Republican, of Perth Amboy. 



492 MIDDLESEX 

Mr. Goldberger married, in New York City, December 2, 1888, Jennie 
Fried, daughter of Leopold and Hannah Fried. Mr. and Mrs. Goldberger 
are the parents of five children : Morris L., born October i, 1889; Hannah 
Sarah, born December 25, 1890, married Maurice P. Rosenberg; Dorothy, 
born August 23, 1892, married Joseph Goodman ; Bernard, born June i, 
1896; Regina Hilda, born August 2, 1904. 

SIDNEY JACOBSON, proprietor of the Hub Clothing Store, and 
one of the successful merchants of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, was born 
October 10, 1890, in Russia, and is a son of Ireen and Sarah (Novoi) 
Jacobson, who were likewise natives of that country. The elder Mr. 
Jacobson was engaged in the business of lumber transportation for 
many years, and died at his home in Russia at the age of sixty-two years. 
He and his wife had the following children : Nathan ; Samuel, who now 
resides in Perth Amboy; Leo, also of that city; Sidney, with whose 
career we are here concerned; Becky, who became the wife of Morris 
Wilkin, of Perth Amboy ; Rose, who makes her home in Perth Amboy ; 
Solomon, who also resides there. After the death of her husband, Mrs. 
Jacobson left Russia, came with her family of children to the United 
States and settled in Perth Amboy, where she still resides. 

The first thirteen years of Sidney Jacobson's life were passed in 
Russia, and there he gained his early education, but he was still a boy 
when the family removed to this country after his father's death, and 
when the new home was made in Perth Amboy he continued his studies, 
attending night school in New York City. His brother, Nathan Jacob- 
son, started a clothing store in the neighborhood, and the lad worked for 
him as a clerk for eight years, and during that time gained a very com- 
plete knowledge of the business. He was then offered an excellent 
position with the Hub Clothing Store, which he accepted. For two years 
he acted as manager of that thriving establishment, and on February 24, 
1915, purchased the business and as its proprietor continued his personal 
supervision thereof. Since becoming its owner, Mr. Jacobson has more 
than doubled the size of the store and greatly enlarged its stock and 
equipment. In 1919 he purchased a store adjacent to his own and thus 
increased his space to a degree that was more commensurate with his 
developing business. Yet more recently he opened a branch estab- 
lishment at Nos. 84 and 86 Main street, Woodbridge, New Jersey, 
which has already developed a prosperous trade in that community. 
Mr. Jacobson has always interested himself in the general life of his 
adopted community, and is a member of the local branches of the Royal 
Arcanum and the Order of Maccabees. 

Sidney Jacobson was united in marriage, October 10, 1915, in Brook- 
lyn, New York, with Anna Finkel, a native of New York City, a daughter 
of Hyman and Esther Finkel, the former deceased and the latter still 
a resident of that place. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson are the parents of two 
children, as follows : Mortimer, born November 1, 1916, and Adele, born 
November 5, 1920. He resides at No. 150 State street, Perth Amboy. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 493 

AUGUST ROHDE.— A prominent figure in the life of Sayreville, 
New Jersey, is August Rohde, who since coming to the community in 
1881 has always espoused and given earnest support to all movements 
calculated to advance its welfare. 

August Rohde was born June 10, 1861, in Germany, the son of 
Charles and Annie (Young) Rohde. When a young man he came to 
Sayreville, and in 1890 purchased the Peoples' Hotel, which he has 
continued to manage ever since. Mr. Rohde is also owner and manager 
of the Arctic ice plant in New Brunswick. The success which has 
attended his efforts has been self-made in the truest sense of the word, 
the result of his own indefatigable effort and his own unfailing belief 
in his ability to succeed. In politics he is a staunch Democrat, and takes 
an active part in the affairs of the organization, serving at the present 
time (1920), as chairman of the township committee and president of the 
Board of Health. Mr. Rohde is also a director of the South River Bank. 
He is well known in fraternal circles, being a member of St. Stephen's 
Lodge, No. 63, Free and Accepted Masons; the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows ; and New Brunswick Lodge, Benevolent and Protective 
Order of Elks. His religious affiliations are with the Presbyterians. 

On July 24, 1887, Mr. Rohde was united in marriage with Margaret 
Houlthausen, a native of New York City, born April 28, 1868. Mr. and 
Mrs. Rohde are the parents of four children : William, born December 8, 
1890; Anna, born June 14, 1894; Richard, born July 21, 1896; Nina, born 
July 31, 1899. 



GEORGE SIMON. — Automobile owners in the vicinity are becom- 
ing well acquainted with George Simon's garage, on New Brunswick 
avenue, Perth Amboy. Mr. Simon is a genial, alert man of business, and 
skilled in handling the automobile work. Although only comparatively 
recently in this line of business, he is already winning success. 

Mr. Simon's father was born in Austria, and came to America when 
a young man. He is now a resident of Fords, New Jersey, having 
retired from the milk business, in which he has spent practically all his 
life. His wife, Annie (Ondrick) Simon, was also born in Austria-Hun- 
gary, and died in Fords, at the age of sixty-two years. They were the 
parents of seven children, all of whom are living in Perth Amboy or 
Fords except Lizzie. They are as follows: Mary, George, Bertha, 
Lizzie, Alice, Annie, Joseph. 

George Simon was born in Austria-Hungary, March i, 1882. He 
came to America alone, in 1907, to join his father, who had made the 
change two years previously. Mr. Simon worked for a time as a 
grocery clerk, but not caring for the business obtained work on the 
wrecking train. This work he followed for some years, and in 1918 
branched out and established a business venture of his own. This is 
proving a decided success, as all who see the young man in his 
garage at No. 567 New Brunswick avenue will acknowledge. Mr. 
Simon is well fitted for the work and is meeting the needs of a wide range 
of people. 

Mr. Simon married, in Fords, New Jersey, September 14, 1902, Annie 



494 MIDDLESEX 

Woga, who was born in Austria-Hungary. Her tather was born and 
died there. Her mother was also born there; she survives him, still 
residing there. Mr. and Mrs. Simon are the parents of seven children, 
but one died in infancy. Those living are : Juhus, born in 1903 ; John, 
born in 1905 ; Alice, born in 1907 ; Alexander, born in 1910 ; Steve, born 
in 1913; and William, born in 1916. The family are members of the 
Greek Catholic church. 



HARRY S. EISNER. — There is still alive in the world the spirit 
that founded in the Western Hemisphere a government where men 
might find independence of speech and action, and this is exemplified 
in Harry S. Eisner, who left Russia for America at the age of seventeen 
to join his brothers and sister. 

Isaac Moses Eisner, father of Harry S. Eisner, was born, and is now 
living in Russia. He is a scholarly man and a successful school teacher. 
He married Sarah Trachefsky, also a Russian by birth, who died in 
Russia in February, 1904, at the age of fifty-six years. They were the 
parents of eight children, all of whom are now living. 

Harry S. Eisner was born in Russia, March 11, 1889. He received a 
thorough education there, completing the high school course. Coming 
to America when seventeen, he located directly in Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, and took a position in one of the factories. Knowing himself 
capable of better things, he took the first opportunity that offered in 
the business world, becoming salesman and collector for the Singer 
Sewing Machine Company, throughout Middlesex county. He followed 
this business for nine years, winning valuable experience, and by indus- 
try and economy accumulating a small capital. In 191 6 he established 
a wholesale confectionery and stationery business. He had formed a 
wide business acquaintance, and with his natural business ability suc- 
cess was merely a matter of time, and the venture promised well from 
the start. Then came the world appeal to American manhood, and Mr. 
Eisner was one of the first to respond. He gave up the business into 
which he had put all his hopes for the future, and enlisted for the cause 
which demanded America's best. Fortunately he returned, and un- 
daunted by the first loss, he began again, under the name of the Lor- 
raine Sweets Company, along the same line of business. His friends 
look with gratification upon the promising new start. His war record, 
in outline, comprises his enlistment in 1918 in the United States army. 
He was in the service nine months, serving in the infantry at Camp 
Dix, then was transferred to the Emplacement Camp, Lee, Virginia. He 
returned on January 11, 1919, and established his present business. 

Mr. Eisner is a member of the American Legion, Post No. 45; the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Perth Amboy Lodge, No. 784; 
the Young Men's Hebrew Association, the Young Men's Christian 
Association, and the Hebrew Progressive Association. 

Mr. Eisner married, October 26, 1919, Elizabeth, daughter of Solomon 
and Sarah Papov. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents 
now reside in Dorchester, Massachusetts. On August 18, 1920, they 
became the proud parents of a daughter, Bemice Roberta. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 495 

MICHAEL ZYLKA.— The life story of Michael Zylka, of Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, is an interesting one which had its beginning in 
Galicia, Europe, more than half a century ago. He came to the United 
States a stranger, learned the language perfectly, absorbed American 
ways, and after many years of work and thrift can view with satisfaction 
the results he has attained. He is a prosperous undertaker of Perth 
Amboy, doing business in his own building, and is a substantial citizen. 
He is a son of John and Theodosia (Bajko) Zylka, both of whom were 
born, spent their lives and died in Galicia. They were the parents of 
ten children, Mary, Marko, and Tekla yet living in Galicia, Simon in 
New York City, and Michael in Perth Amboy. 

Michael Zylka was born in Galicia, September 28, 1869, and there 
spent the years of his minority. In 1891 he came to the United States 
and made his way to McKeesport, Western Pennsylvania. From there 
he went to Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, where he worked in the Westing- 
house shops for two years, also studying and mastering the English 
tongue without a teacher. In 1897 he came to Elizabeth, New Jersey, 
and three years later went with the Singer Sewing Machine Company, 
remaining six years. He then took up the undertaking business, studied 
embalming, and on April 17, 1905, opened an undertaking establishment 
at No. 531 State street, Perth Amboy, later moving to No. 526 State 
street, and in 191 2, to his present location. No. 511 State street; he also 
owns the adjoining property. No. 513. He has a well improved plant 
with modern equipment. For two terms Mr. Zylka served as a member 
of the Perth Amboy Board of Health, and since 191 1 has been a member 
of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a member of 
the Greek Catholic church, and of the Roman Catholic societies. 

Mr. Zylka married, in Elizabeth, May 24, 1900, Rose Gadek, born in 
Galicia, her parents both dying there before their daughter's marriage. 
Mr. and Mrs. Zylka are the parents of eight children : William, died aged 
eighteen years ; John, died aged four years ; Olga, now a high school 
student; Irene, now a grammar school student; Stephania, in grammar 
school ; Daisy, in intermediate grade ; Antone, in intermediate grade ; 
baby, died in infancy. 



JENS TOFTE HANSEN, a successful merchant of Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey, where he is engaged in business as a clothier and haber- 
dasher, is a native of Denmark. His father, Hans Hansen, was born in 
Denmark, and his mother, Mette Christina (Tofte) Hansen, was a native 
of Copenhagen. To Mr. and Mrs. Hansen were born six children : Chris- 
tian, deceased ; Ellen, Petrea, Carl ; Jens Tofte, of further mention ; and 
Johannes. 

Jens Tofte Hansen, son of Hans and Mette Christina (Tofte) Hansen, 
was born in Denmark, July 18, 1863. He obtained his education in the 
public schools of his native place, and then worked on his father's farm 
for a few years. In 1888, at the age of twenty-five years, he set sail 
for America, and upon landing in New York went immediately to 
Omaha, Nebraska, where he remained until 1890, when he came to 



496 MIDDLESEX 

Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and secured employment as a clerk in a 
local grocery store. Two years later he became clerk for Louis Briegs, 
clothier, and was with this firm for twelve years, but desirous of estab- 
lishing in this line of business he opened a small clothing store at No. 
308 State street, later moving to No. 73 Smith street, then to No. 109 
Smith street, and in 1915 came to his present location. No. 183 Smith 
street. It has been due exclusively to his own efforts that his business 
has grown to its present large proportions, and he is looked upon by 
his associates and fellow-citizens as a most capable business man and 
substantial merchant. He is a member of the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, and in religion is a Lutheran. 

Mr. Hansen married (first) July 4, 1888, Methea Madsen, a native of 
Esbjerg, Denmark. Mrs. Hansen died in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
May 10, 1894. To Mr. and Mrs. Hansen were born three children : Chris- 
tina Tofte, wife of Frank Van Pelt, of Tottenville ; Johanna Tofte, wife 
of Olaf Neilsen, of Perth Amboy ; Ellen Tofte, wife of Carl Carlson, of 
Perth Amboy. Mr. Hansen married (second) March 21, 1896, Anna 
Jensen, of Perth Amboy, who died June 20, 1918. Mr. and Mrs. Hansen 
were the parents of four children: Emmanuel, who during the World 
War was a member of the 29th Division of the 104th Supply Train, drove 
a truck for eleven months in France, and is now associated with his 
father in business ; Peter, associated with his father ; Mary, wife of Hugo 
Kahree, of Perth Amboy; Wesley Von Qualen, an electrician of Perth 
Amboy. 

WILLIAM TESTA.— When a lad of fifteen, William Testa of Perth 
Amboy, but a native son of Italy, came to the United States and in course 
of time established a business in Perth Amboy. When the World War 
engulfed the United States in 1917, and the opportunity came for military 
service, he enlisted, virtually sacrificing the business he had built up 
so carefully and laboriously. But he served his adopted country over- 
seas and returned in safety, and again began the work of building up 
a business of his own. He has succeeded very well, made many friends 
and "Billy's Tire Shop" is well known, well patronized and well liked 
by its many patrons. He is a son of Emidas Testa, born in Italy, now 
living in his native land, a blacksmith by trade. Emidas Testa married 
Julia Grilli, yet living in Italy, and they were the parents of five children : 
William, of further mention ; Pasqualina, living in Italy ; Menica ; Sisto, 
a fine mechanic associated with his brother William ; and Settineo, resid- 
ing in Italy ; the children are all unmarried save William. 

William Testa was born in Force, Italy, June 29, 1889, and there 
attended school until he was fifteen years of age, when he came to the 
United States, finding a home and employment in New Castle, Pennsyl- 
vania, where for a year he worked in a box factory, going thence 
to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he spent two years with the 
Quaker City Rubber Company, manufacturers and dealers in rubber, 
engine room supplies, hose, packings, tires, etc. There he obtained his 
knowledge of the rubber business, and after two years in New Brunswick, 



BIOGRAPHICAL 497 

New Jersey, where he gained an expert knowledge of vulcanizing and 
other features of the rubber business, he opened a shop under his own 
name in Perth Amboy. That was in 1914, and until his entrance into 
the United States army in 191 7 he diligently applied himself to the 
upbuilding of the business. When he enlisted, he turned it over to 
others ; was sent overseas with the 87th Division, American Expedition- 
ary Forces, and served until the armistice was signed. He returned home 
with an honorable discharge from the United States army, and at once 
resumed business at No. 148 New Brunswick avenue, Perth Amboy, his 
place known as "Billy's Tire Shop." 

Mr. Testa is a member of the Raritan Yacht Club, and St. Peter's 
Roman Catholic Church. He married, August 6, 1919, in Perth Amboy, 
Lulu Ricci, born in Perth Amboy, daughter of Elesis Ricci, a famous 
sculptor of New York City, and his wife, Rosa (Lund) Ricci. 



PHILLIP BORAK is among those of foreign birth who have become 
prominent business men in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and he has always 
based his business principles and actions upon strict adherence to the 
rules that govern industry, and strict integrity. His enterprise and pro- 
gressive spirit have made him a typical American in every sense of the 
word, and he well deserves mention in a work treating of the business 
life and substantial development of this community. 

Israel Borak, father of Phillip Borak, was born in Russia, came to 
this country when a young man and settled in Perth Amboy, where for 
a number of years previous to his death, which occurred November 24, 
1919, he carried on a successful dry goods business. He married Ida 
Magaram, a Russian by birth, and they were the parents of the following 
children: i. Annie, who is the wife of Hyman Weeden. 2. Jennie, who 
is the wife of Hyman Greenspan. 3. Monte, mentioned elsewhere in this 
work. 4. Phillip, of further mention. 5. Samuel, of further mention. 
6. Bessie, unmarried, resides at home. 

Phillip Borak, son of Israel and Ida (Magaram) Borak, was born 
in Russia, in 1883, and when he was twelve years old came to this 
country with his mother, his brother Samuel, and his sister Bessie. Upon 
landing in New York they came immediately to Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, where they have ever since resided. Phillip Borak assisted in 
the support of the family, and for a time sold merchandise throughout 
Middlesex county. At the age of sixteen he secured work with A. Belaf- 
sky, with whom he remained for a time, but being a young man of 
serious ambition he was eager to establish himself in business, so with 
what little capital he had secured he started a wholesale and retail 
meat and produce business at the corner of Broad and Division streets, 
Perth Amboy, and in 1908 moved to his present location. No. 269 Smith 
street, where he carries on a successful enterprise at the present time, 
his genius for business manifesting itself unmistakably. Mr. Borak 
is also interested in the real estate business and much of his time is spent 
along this line, his brother Samuel being most concerned in the manage- 
ment of the meat market. Mr. Borak joined Raritan Lodge, No. 61, Free 



498 MIDDLESEX 

and Accepted Masons, in 1914. Since then he has also become affiliated 
with Chapter, No. 41, Royal Arch Masons; Council, Royal and Select 
Masters; Commandery, Knights Templar; Valley of Jersey City Con- 
sistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite ; and the Ancient Arabic Order 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Benevolent 
and Protective Order of Elks and of the Independent Order of Brith 
Abraham. 

Mr. Borak married, February 6, 1910, Jennie Tierstein, a native of 
Brooklyn, New York, and they have two children : Sylvia, born January 
14, 191 1 ; Regina, born August 21, 1917. 

With his aptness and adaptability, Phillip Borak has placed himself 
among the representative business men of the community, and his repu- 
tation as a man of talent and integrity has already gone abroad, he being 
considered a leader among the younger generation of business men 
today in and around Perth Amboy. 

Samuel Borak, son of Israel and Ida (Magaram) Borak, was born in 
Russia, December 11, 1889. He came to this country with his mother, 
brother and sister, when he was but seven years of age. After receiving 
an education in the public schools in Perth Amboy, he became associated 
with his brother Phillip in the wholesale and retail meat business. He 
is prominent in Masonic circles, having attained to the thirty-second 
degree, is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and 
was one of the organizers of the Young Men's Hebrew Association of 
Perth Amboy. He married Molly Florence Roth, a native of Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, and they have one child, Helen Sarah, born March 
23, 1918. 



LOUIS BRIEGS, at the age of fourteen, alone and without friends, 
came from his home in Germany to seek his fortune in a strange land 
among a strange people. This was in 1866, and fourteen years later 
(1880) he made Perth Amboy, New Jersey, his home and business head- 
quarters. Eight years later he erected the building which he now occu- 
pies with his tailoring establishment, the largest in Middlesex county. 
Louis Briegs is a son of Karl Briegs, who lived and died in Germany, 
a tailor, as was his father and grandfather for several generations. Karl 
Briegs married Theresa Ingber, who also lived and died in Germany. 
They were the parents of three children : Bernhardt, who died during the 
Franco-Prussian War of 1870; Louis, of further mention; Ida, now 
widow of A. Sutter, who resides in Brooklyn, with three children. 

Louis Briegs was born in Germany, November 29, 1848, now, at the 
age of seventy-two, is an honored resident and merchant of Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey. He remained in his native land until 1862, then came to the 
United States, finding a home in Brooklyn, New York, with his uncle, 
Julius Briegs. There he learned the tailor's trade and for six years 
followed that occupation in Brooklyn, New York, prior to moving to 
Keyport, New Jersey, where he was employed as cutter in a clothing 
factory, and in 1874 he started in business for himself in partnership with 
L. Conover. In 1880 he located in Perth Amboy and opened a tailoring 



BIOGRAPHICAL 499 

establishment, which has grown to vast proportions under his manage- 
ment during the forty years that the Briegs establishment has been a 
Perth Amboy institution. His present residence, located at No. 89 
Market street, was erected by Louis Briegs in 1900. In political faith 
Mr. Briegs is a Republican, his religious belief Presbyterian. He is a 
member of the New Jersey Club, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
Free and Accepted Masons, a Knight Templar and Shriner, Knights of 
Pythias, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. 

Mr. Briegs married, in Perth Amboy, April 15, 1882, Rosa Hauser, 
born in Jersey City, daughter of Frederick and Rosina Hauser. Mr. and 
Mrs. Briegs are the parents of two sons : Fred A., and Harold, both born 
in Perth Amboy. 



JACOB ASTRIN, proprietor of the large wholesale tobacco and 
confectionery business at No. 221 New Brunswick avenue, Perth Amboy, 
and a prominent citizen of the community, is a native of Russia, born in 
the town of Semiovonka, December 27, 1887, a son of Nathan and 
Rhoda (Yahudin) Astrin, old and esteemed residents of that place. The 
elder Mr. Astrin passed his entire life in Russia, and was engaged in 
the grocery business in Semiovonka, his death occurring there when his 
son Jacob was a youth. He and his wife became the parents of seven 
children, two of whom are deceased. Of the five now living, three 
daughters, Fannie, Helen and Lena, reside in Russia, while the two sons, 
Jacob and an elder brother David, make their home in this country. 

After the father's death Jacob Astrin, then nineteen years of age, 
came with his mother and brother David to the United States, the latter 
taking up his abode in Bayonne, New Jersey, where he is now engaged 
in the real estate business. Mrs. Astrin and Jacob, however, came to 
Perth Amboy, where the youth attended school for a time in order to 
complete his education begun in Russia, and then secured a position in 
the handkerchief factory of H. Rosenthal & Company of Perth Amboy. 
He worked for one year with this concern and learned the details of the 
industry, but being of a strongly independent and enterprising turn of 
mind, he then gave up his position, determined to engage in business on 
his own account. Mr. Astrin was only twenty-one years of age when he 
established his present industrial enterprise, his place of business be- 
ing located on Fayette street, but in spite of his youth he displayed marked 
ability as an organizer and business man and his venture prospered 
highly. In 1917 Mr. Astrin removed to his present establishment at 
No. 221 New Brunswick avenue and there the business has continued 
to increase until it is now one of the important industrial enterprises 
of Perth Amboy and carries on a large trade in this locality. Its success 
has been wholly due to the capable management of Mr. Astrin who has 
devoted himself to its development with industry and zeal. He is a man 
who is not afraid of work and well earns the respect and confidence he 
has won in the community, where he is justly known as a self-made man. 
Taking a keen interest in the general welfare of the city, Mr. Astrin 
prefers to remain independent in politics instead of affiliating himself 



SOO MIDDLESEX 

with any political party, but is a member of four fraternal organizations, 
namely, the Order of Owls, Brith Abraham, Zionists and Independents. 
He attends Shaary Tfilloh Synagogue, and is an active and respected 
member of the congregation. 

Jacob Astrin was united in marriage, February 4, 1912, in Perth 
Amboy, with Rebecca Treegoob, like himself a native of Russia, bom in 
1889, a daughter of Wolf and Martha Flora (Mazer) Treegoob. Mrs. 
Astrin came with her parents to the United States as a child and resided 
with them up to the time of her marriage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
in which city they still make their home. 



MAX ZUCKER, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, was born in Austria, 
May 24, 1884. His father, Arthur E. Zucker, was born in Austria, there 
lived and there died in 1904, aged fifty-eight years, a wholesale flour 
and feed dealer. His mother. Pearl Zucker, died when her son Max 
was two years of age. They were the parents of seven children : Rose, 
wife of N. Lenz, of Passaic, New Jersey ; Bessie, wife of I. Landau, of 
Passaic ; Morris, died in Newark, leaving a family ; Isidore, residing in 
Passaic; Emil, residing in Newark; Samuel, residing in Pawtucket, 
Rhode Island; and Max, of further mention. 

Max Zucker spent the first fourteen years of his life in Austria. He 
then came to the United States, unaccompanied by others of his family, 
and found a home in Newark, New Jersey. For two years he was em- 
ployed in a wholesale store in Newark and during that time he attended 
public night schools. He then established in business in Perth Amboy, 
New Jersey, at the corner of State and Commerce streets, and in 1904 
moved to No. 223 Smith street. In 1919 he moved to his present resi- 
dence. No. 125 Kearny avenue. He is a member of the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks, the Young Men's Christian Association, and 
of the congregation Beth Mordecai. 

Max Zucker married, in Perth Amboy, May 26, 1906, Henrietta 
Spitzer, born in New York City, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Spitzer, 
of Perth Amboy. Mr. and Mrs. Zucker are the parents of a son, Arthur, 
born September 10, 1908. 



GUSTAVUS GUNTHER, when a boy of six years, was brought 
from Germany to the United States by his parents, Frederick and Pauline 
(Fischer) Gunther, and during the seventy years which have since inter- 
vened Middlesex county, New Jersey, has been his home. He was still 
a mmor. when in 1862 he enlisted in the Union army, and he has never 
since failed in loyalty to the land which received him as a child and gave 
him the opportunity to develop his manhood. When Frederick Gunther 
with his family came to the United States in 1850, he settled in Middle- 
sex county. New Jersey, and became the owner of a farm near Metuchen, 
upon which he resided until his death. That farm has never passed out 
of the family and is now owned by Henry Gunther, a son of Frederick 
Gunther, the original Gunther owner. In Germany, Frederick Gunther 
was a cashier in the government Dostoffice. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 5°! 

Gustavus Gunther was born in Germany, March 7, 1844, and there 
his first six years were passed. He attended the public schools in the 
vicinity of his father's farm near Metuchen. He early became his 
father's farm assistant, and when the time came to choose an occupation 
for himeslf he decided to continue a farmer. The outbreak of the Civil 
War in 1861 stirred his ardor, and in 1862, at the age of eighteen years, 
he enlisted in the Union army for one year. He served out his term of 
enlistment, was honorably discharged at its expiration, and returned to 
the farm. There he lived the quiet, contented life of a farmer, prospered, 
and reared a family. Finally the years grew heavy, and in 1920 he 
sold his farm and is residing with his son on Magnolia street, Highland 
Park. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, an inde- 
pendent in politics, and a member of the Reformed church. 

Mr. Gunther married, in Stelton, New Jersey, November 20, 1880, 
Sarah E. Langstaff, born August 28, 1846, daughter of Augustus A. 
and Rebecca (Fitz Randolph) Langstaff, her father a farmer. Mr. and 
Mrs. Gunther have three children : Laura, married William Christ ; 
Charles R., married Tillie Everett, six children; Juliet, married Albert 
Lewis, two children. 



LEONARD ZAREMBA. — Coming to America, a stranger in a 
strange land, at the age of fourteen years, Leonard Zaremba has risen 
from the foot of the ladder and become one of the substantial citizens 
of Perth Amboy. 

John Zaremba, father of Leonard Zaremba, was born in Slovakia, 
but now lives in Perth Amboy, having retired from active work. His 
mother, Mary (Stas) Zaremba, was also born in Slovakia; she died 
March 22, 191 5, in Perth Amboy, at the advanced age of seventy-eight 
years. They were the parents of six children, of whom four are living: 
John, who lives in Plainfield, New Jersey; Frank, a resident of Perth 
Amboy; Tessie, who is the wife of Steve Romance, of Perth Amboy; 
and Leonard, of whom further. 

Leonard Zaremba, son of John and Mary (Stas) Zaremba, was born 
in Slovakia, February 6, 1878. He lived there until fourteen years of age, 
and attended school, then came to America with his father, mother, 
and sister Tessie. The family came direct to Perth Amboy, where the 
boy obtained work as a water boy with the Valentine Brick Company. 
He remained in their employ for eleven months, then for three years 
worked around at different shops in Perth Amboy, most of that time 
with the Staten Island Terra Cotta Company, then went to the American 
Smelting and Refining Company. He was first an ordinary workman for 
about two years, then was made weigher, and finally scale tester. He 
remained with this company until 1905, but since then has been in 
business for himself. Since 1905 his home has been at No. 362 Imslee 
street. 

Mr. Zaremba has long been a citizen of his adopted country, and 
votes the Republican ticket. He is fond of all outdoor sports, and 
indulges in a fishing trip when occasional opportunity offers. 



502 



MIDDLESEX 



Mr. Zaremba married, on April 23, 1901, Anna Danielak, who was 
born in Slovakia, March 23, 1880. She came to New York City with two 
sisters when quite young, and lived there until 1901, when she came to 
Perth Amboy. Both her parents died in Slovakia. Mr. and Mrs. Za- 
remba are the parents of five children : Leonard, Jr., born August 7, 1904; 
Joseph, born August 4, 1906, died November 15, 1907; Anna R., born 
November i, 1908; Olga, born September 25, 1913, died April 2, 1917; 
and Albert John, born May 13, 1920. The family are devout members 
of the Roman Catholic church. 



SAMUEL HYMAN SIEGEL, D. D. S. — Filled with ambitious ideas 
of the future and with a determination to make use of the many oppor- 
tunities held out to the immigrant who desires to improve himself, 
Samuel Hyman Siegel arrived in the United States, May 20, 1904, a 
lonely lad who had left home and kindred to seek his fortune in the 
New World, so full of promise. 

Samuel H. Siegel was born in Wilkowischky, Russia, now Lithuania, 
April 25, 1885. His parents, Kasriel and Mary Siegel, who are the par- 
ents of two other sons, one of whom, Maurice Siegel, is a practicing 
dentist in New Jersey, and three daughters, two of whom are living in 
Brooklyn, New York, and the oldest in South Africa, were occupied with 
gardening and farming in Wilkowischky. The income from this not 
being sufficient for the upkeep of the family, Samuel H., the second 
in order of birth of the children (his sister Sara being the oldest), at 
the age of twelve, secured work after school hours in a girls' Hebrew 
school as assistant teacher, the money thus earned being spent partly to 
pay for his clothes, the remainder being contributed to the family purse. 
He graduated from a Russian public and high school, and also received a 
thorough knowledge in Hebrew and Talmud, and a good knowledge of 
the German language and its literature, teaching both Hebrew and Ger- 
man in the school above mentioned. After taking up his residence in 
this country, he became a naturalized citizen, and acquired the English 
language by attendance at the public evening school. He then entered 
the Baron De Hirsch Trade School, for a two years' course in electricity, 
from which he graduated, and then worked as an electrician, preparing 
himself after working hours for matriculation in college. After a short 
period of time he passed the Regents' examination, equivalent to a high 
school education, and entered the New York College of Dentistry, where 
he passed all three years with honor, and graduated in 191 1. He at 
once applied for and obtained from the State Board of Dentistry licenses 
to enable him to practice his profession in both New York and New 
Jersey. At the time of his study at the New York College of Dentistry, 
he was assisting in the publication of a Jewish monthly called "The 
Future." He was also one of the organizers of the Hebrew Dramatic 
League in New York City, from which league developed many known 
Jewish actors on the Jewish and English stage; he was very active 
therein, and participated in performances during the first years of its 
existence. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 503 

Dr. Siegel engaged actively in the practice of his profession in Brook- 
lyn, New York, from the time of his graduation until September, 1917, 
when he removed to New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he opened 
an office at No. 119 Albany street, corner of George street, remaining 
there up to the present time (1920). He is a surgeon dentist, is thor- 
oughly equipped in office appointments, progressive and up-to-date in 
everything pertaining to his profession, and is in receipt of a large and 
constantly increasing clientele. In addition to his professional duties, 
he is interested in financial affairs, and is connected with the National 
Bank of New Brunswick and with the New Brunswick Trust Company. 
He has also contributed various articles on dental topics to dental mag- 
azines, namely : "The Dental Digest" and "The Dental Outlook," which 
have been read with great interest, also the "Dental Cosmos." Dr. 
Siegel is a member of the Hebrew Synagogue, the Allied Dental Soci- 
eties of New York, the Improved Order of Red Men, and the Workmen 
Circle. 

Dr. Siegel married, in Brooklyn, New York, December 12, 1910, 
Yetta Abrams, born in Russia, and they are the parents of three chil- 
dren: Vivian, born August 3, 1914; Alma, born July 21, 1917; and 
Eleanor, born September 7, 1918. They reside at No. 115 First avenue. 
Highland Park, the property being purchased by Dr. Siegel in March, 
1920. 



JOSEPH GREINER, who owns and conducts the handsome barber 
shop at No. 185A Smith Street, Perth Amboy, is one of those solid, 
practical Americans who are Americans by choice rather than by the 
accident of circumstance. 

His aged father, now eighty years old, was born in Bavaria, and 
later removed to Alsace. He was a farmer all his life, and several 
years ago retired to a well earned and much needed rest. During the 
recent war, however, he was compelled to work for two brothers. He 
still lives in Alsace. He married Katherine Thomann, and they were 
the parents of fourteen children, of whom three now live in America: 
Peter, a barber, of Woodbridge, New Jersey; Joseph, of whom further 
mention follows; and Louise, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, and 
is the wife of William Wengatz. The mother is still living and in good 
health at the age of seventy-nine. 

Joseph Greiner was born March 9, 1869, in Dornach, Alsace, now 
Dornach-Mulhouse. He remained at home until nineteen years of 
age, receiving a good education. Striking out for himself at that age, 
he went to France, where he lived for two years, following the trade of 
barber. The appeal of the New World struck him with great force, and 
others of the younger members of his family shared his enthusiasm. So 
with two brothers, Louis and Eugene, and a sister, Katherine, he came 
to America. At first they all located in Woodbridge, New Jersey, where 
Joseph remained for eighteen months, working at his trade. On July 5, 
1892. he removed to Perth Amboy and opened a barber shop at No. 
2oq Smith street. He remained at this location for seven years, win- 



504 MIDDLESEX 

ning the confidence and respect of the members of the best families of 
the city. He next removed to No. 175 Smith street, where he remained 
for sixteen years. In 1916 he removed to his present fine location at 
No. 185A Smith street, and now has a splendidly equipped shop, with six 
chairs, which is conceded to be the best patronized barber shop in Middle- 
sex county. On the side, he has charge of the building in which his place 
of business is located, acting as agent; Outside the business world, Mr. 
Greiner has varied interests. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum, 
the Knights of the Golden Eagle, and the Improved Order of Red Men. 
He is a Republican in political affiliation. 

Mr. Greiner married (first) Emma Josephine Hirner, who was born 
in the famous old city of Stuttgart, Germany ; she died May 4, 1912, in 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Their children are: Emma Josephine, born 
October 20, 1893, wife of Ira L. Grouse; Sophie Katherine, born August 
13, 1895; Lillian Pauline, born August 17, 1897, now the wife of Harold 
Gordon Lawton, of Morristown, New Jersey; Joseph Nicholas, born 
May 21, 1902; and Sarah Catherine, born October 11, 1910. Mr. Greiner 
married (second) Mary Cremer, who was born in Cologne. 



WILLIAM G. PRILL.— The Prills came to Middlesex county in 
1886 and located in South River, where Frederick Prill, father of William 
G. Prill, was employed as a brickmaker until 1920, when he retired and 
moved to Milltown, where he now resides. His wife, Julia (Seaman) 
Prill, died in Milltown, New Jersey, February 12, 1912, 

William G. Prill was born in Germany, December 3, 1881, and there 
spent his early childhood, the family coming to South River, New Jersey, 
in 1886. He attended public schools, and early learned the confec- 
tioner's trade with an expert candy maker of Plainfield, New Jersey. He 
opened his own candy store in South River in 1899, he then being but 
eighteen years of age. He operated that store successfully until 1910, 
then moved to Milltown and there opened a confectionery store for the 
sale of the candies and sweets which he manufa'ctured in his own plant. 
He is succeeding in his business undertaking and is one of the prosper- 
ous merchants of his town. He has an expert knowledge of the manu- 
facturing department of his business, also a fine business judgment 
which never fails him. His store is at No. 452 Main street, Milltown, 
New Jersey. 



SOL RUBENSTEIN.— This branch of a well known family came to 
the United States from Poland, Europe, where both Isaac and Amelia 
(Freyer) Rubenstein, parents of Sol Rubenstein, of Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, were both born. They were married in Poland and there lived 
until 1866, when they came to the United States, landing in New York 
City. There Isaac Rubenstein conducted a dry goods business until 
1891, when he moved to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, there continuing 
in business until his retirement, when he returned to New York City, 
his present home (1921). His wife died in New York, October 4, 1886, 
aged forty-two, the mother of five children, as follows : Samson, engaged 



BIOGRAPHICAL 505 

in t!h<: printing and stationery business in New York City ; flattie, wife 
of Emanuel Goldberg, of New York City ; Jennie, wife of M. Roseman, 
of New York City; Sol, of further mention; Flora, wife of M. Seamon, 
of Elmira, New York. 

Sol Rubenstein was born in New York City, July 22, 1872, and until 
sixteen years of age attended the public schools. In 1888 he became his 
father's assistant in the dry goods business, and for five years continued 
under his capable father's business training. In 1892 they came to Perth 
Amboy, New Jersey, and established a store at No. 99 Smith street for 
the sale of gentlemen's furnishing goods, trading under the firm name, 
Isaac Rubenstein. In 1895 they moved the business to State street, 
where for seven years the business was successfully conducted under the 
same firm name. In 1902 Isaac Rubenstein retired and returned to New 
York City, and Sol Rubenstein opened a store under his own name at 
No. "jj Smith street. In 1907 he moved his business to its present loca- 
tion. No. 135 Smith street, where he conducts a prosperous business 
in gentlemen's furnishing goods exclusively, his the largest store of its 
kind in the city. He is a director of the Perth Amboy Building and Loan 
Association, member of the Masonic order, the Benevolent and Protec- 
tive Order of Elks, Young Men's Christian Association, Beth Mordecai 
Congregation, and is treasurer of the Progress Club. He is a man well 
and favorably known among his townsmen and ranks with the efficient 
business men who are upholding the business integrity and fame of 
Perth Amboy. 

Mr. Rubenstein married, in Perth Amboy, Adele Strieker, born in 
Bohemia, Europe, daughter of Marcus and Barbara Strieker, her parents 
both deceased, and sister of Joseph E. Strieker, prosecuting attorney of 
Middlesex county, New Jersey. 



ABRAHAM SISKIND, upon arriving at legal age, left his home and 
native Russia to come to the United States, the land of freedom and 
promise. Sixteen years have since elapsed and he has so well improved 
the advantages offered that he is one of the prosperous merchants of 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He is a son of Nathan Siskind, who died 
in Mackstowe, Russia, having there spent his entire seventy years of 
life, and there his widow yet lives, aged sixty-eight. He was engaged in 
the lumber business all his active years. They were the parents of 
seven children, of whom Abraham and Rosa (Mrs. J. Samach, of New 
York City) are in the United States; Sarah (Mrs. Gilbert), is in Lon- 
don, England ; the others are living in Russia. 

Abraham Siskind was born in Mackstowe, Russia, July 25, 1873, and 
there grew to man's estate. After his school years he began working 
with his father in the lumber business, continuing until 1904 when, 
having gained his majority, he came to the United States, making the 
long journey and voyage alone. He came direct to Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, but later went as far West as Chicago, Illinois, where for eight 
months he was in the employ of his uncle, a junk dealer. The young 
man then returned to Perth Amboy and established an instalment busi- 



5o6 MIDDLESEX 

ness under his own name. He dealt in wearing apparel and was quite 
successful, continuing until 191 1, when he opened his present store at 
No. 310 State street. There he carries a full line of ladies' and children's 
wearing apparel, and caters to a large trade, his business having steadily- 
increased in volume from its opening in 191 1. He is a member of Zion- 
ists Church and congregation, and of the Hebrew Progressive Asso- 
ciation. 

Mr. Siskind married, in New York City, April 25, 1906, Lena Siskind, 
also born in Mackstowe, Russia, and of the same family. Her parents 
were land holders in Russia, and there both died. Mr. and Mrs. Siskind 
are the parents of three children, all born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey : 
Anna, born March 29, 1907; Eleanor, born February 27, 191 1; Nathan, 
born February 17, 1914. 



FRANK BECZA. — The oldest hotel in Milltown, is the Middlesex 
Hotel on Main street, its proprietor for the last six years having been 
Frank Becza, who purchased the place in 1914, running it very success- 
fully, assisted by his wife. Mr. Becza's death having occurred in the 
early part of 1920, his widow became the owner and proprietress 
and is carrying on the business equally well. The parents of Frank 
Becza were George and Mary (Simon) Becza, both born in Austria. The 
father was a farmer, and brought up his son to assist on the farm. 

Frank Becza was born in Austria, September 24, 1872, and died in 
Milltown, April 13, 1920. During his childhood in Austria he received 
the customary education given in the common schools there. After 
coming to this country he entered into the hotel business and was 
engaged in it at the time of his death. Lodges and clubs did not interest 
Mr. Becza, but he was an upholder of the principles of the Republican 
party, and was a member of the Roman Catholic church, as are also his 
wife and children. Mr. Becza was also connected with the Milltown 
National Bank. 

Frank Becza was married in South River, New Jersey, November 
15, 1899, to Mary Sentill, born in Austria, August 18, 1878. Her parents 
were John and Teresa (Budnar) Sentill, both being Austrians by birth. 
Of this marriage five children, all natives of Milltown, were born : Marie, 
born October 27, 1900; Emma, born April 15, 1904; Julius, born, March 
4, 1906; Ella, born August 8, 191 1 ; Steven, born November 14, 1913. 



MARTIN BARTOS was born in Bohemia, August 15, 1867. He 
received his education in that country, remaining there until fifteen years 
of age. 

Martin Bartos, father of our subject, was born in Bohemia, and died 
there when the boy was only nine years old. His mother came to 
America, leaving him with friends in his native land; he joined her 
later. The elder Martin was a skillful tailor, and also acted as sexton 
for a Roman Catholic church for twenty-nine years. He died at the 
age of forty-five. He married Frances Parik, who was born in Bohemia, 
December 24, 1827, and died in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, August 6, 



BIOGRAPHICAL 507 

191 5. They had seven children: Emily, who died in Brooklyn, New 
York, at the age of fifty years; Frances, the wife of Anton Jiranek, of 
Brooklyn; Antonia, a widow, who resides at Perth Amboy; Sophia, 
Emily, and Annie, all of whom died in infancy ; and Martin, of further 
mention. 

Martin Bartos learned the tailor's trade, which his father had fol- 
lowed, in Bohemia, but upon arriving in America he became a cigar- 
maker. This trade he followed for six years, then came to Perth Amboy 
and joined his brother-in-law in the liquor business, their location being 
at No. 299 New Brunswick avenue. 

Mr. Bartos' favorite recreations are hunting and fishing, and he takes 
a three days' hunting trip every season. He is a member of the Benevo- 
lent and Protective Order of Elks ; and of the Foresters of America, 
belonging to a New York City lodge. 

Mr. Bartos marred Mary Zatloukal, who was born in Moravia. Their 
son, Joseph, was born in Perth Amboy, and now conducts an express 
business in that city. He was with the American Expeditionary Forces 
in France during the recent World War. 



ABRAHAM ONIKELSKY, one of the principal wholesale produce 
merchants in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, was born in Poland, November 
14, 1870. 

Jacob Onikelsky, father of Abraham Onikelsky, was born in Poland, 
and came to America when a very young man, coming direct to Trenton, 
New Jersey, where he remained during his lifetime. He was a jewelry 
merchant all his life, and a highly-respected citizen. He died in 1903, 
at the age of fifty-two years. His wife, Ida, survives him, still living 
in Trenton, at the age of seventy years. They were the parents of six 
children, all of whom are living : Abraham, of further mention ; Harry, 
Samuel, Isaac, Morris, and Fannie. All are in business. 

Abraham Onikelsky lived in Poland until he was thirteen years old, 
receiving his education there. Coming to America at that age, he at once 
went to Trenton, remaining there until 1906, and being engaged in the 
produce business. In 1906 he sold his store at Trenton, and coming to 
Perth Amboy, embarked in the wholesale produce business. Possessed 
of excellent judgment and good business ability, Mr. Onikelsky has made 
a marked success in his chosen line, and handles a large share of the 
wholesale produce business in this vicinity. 

In political convictions, Mr. Onikelsky is a Democrat. He is a mem- 
ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Foresters of 
America. He is interested in all public affairs, and does all in his power 
to forward any cause which advances the public good. 

Mr. Onikelsky married, in November, 1891, in Trenton, Bessie 
Fishtel, who was born in Poland, and came to America with her mother 
when very young to join her father who had just preceded them. Mrs. 
Onikelsky is a daughter of the late Max Fishtel, of Trenton, who 
became very wealthy before he died. 

Mr. and Mrs. Onikelsky are the parents of seven children, all living: 
Solomon R., who is proprietor of the Madison Hotel in Perth Amboy, 



5o8 MIDDLESEX 

and is also the proprietor of two very successful motion picture theatres 
in South Amboy and South River; David, who is associated with his 
father in business; Serena, the wife of Harry Robinson, of Trenton; 
Isadore, in the wholesale produce business in Perth Amboy; Ethel, 
living at home ; Samuel, a graduate of the Perth Amboy High School, in 
the class of. 1919; and Julia, living at home. The family are devoted 
attendants of the Synagogue. 

JOHN RYMSHA. — All honorable success is based upon a definite 
aim in life and the persistency of purpose which enables one to perse- 
vere in a given course regardless of difficulties, obstacles and discour- 
agements. There are many self-made men in America whose life record 
proves this fact, and among them is John Rymsha, president of Rymsha 
& Company, Incorporated, dealers in coal, wood and ice, with office 
and yard at No. 989 State street, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

John Rymsha is a son of John and Louisa Rymsha, his father for many 
years a farmer in Poland. To Mr. and Mrs. Rymsha were born ten 
children, of which number only four are living : Michael, still resides in 
Poland ; Simon, a resident of Poland ; Julia, wife of Peter Cheraskawick, 
of Freeland, Pennsylvania ; John, the youngest child, of further mention. 

John Rymsha was born in Poland, July, 1869, and attended the 
schools of his native place until he was twelve years of age, when he 
set sail for America, and upon landing in New York City went imme- 
diately to Hazelton, Pennsylvania, where he worked in the mines for a 
short time, subsequently becoming clerk in a grocery store in Freeland, 
Pennsylvania. In May, 1897, he came to Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 
and secured employment in Goldberger Brothers' Grocery Store, remain- 
ing with this concern for three years, then holding different positions 
with different concerns. In 1913 he established himself in the ice busi- 
ness in Woodbridge, but after a year and one-half he returned to Perth 
Amboy and transferred the business to its present location at No. 989 
State street, where he also deals in coal and wood under the firm name 
of Rymsha & Company, Incorporated. Hand and hand with the devel- 
opment of this profitable business, Mr. Rymsha is carrying along plans 
for its perpetuation, and two of his sons are being trained in its every 
detail. The success which has come to him has been fairly earned and 
achieved through his own force of character, perseverance, indomitable 
will and business genius. He affiliates with the Benevolent and Protec- 
tive Order of Elks, Independent Order of Foresters of America, and the 
Improved Order of Red Men. His hobby for a number of years was 
fishing, but it is now chicken raising. 

On May 6, 1896, Mr. Rymsha was united in marriage with Johanna 
Spier, a native of Eckley, Pennsylvania, and the daughter of the late 
Vincent and Marcella (Turezin) Spier, the latter a resident of Freeland, 
Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Rymsha are the parents of three children : 
Alvin J., born March 29, 1897, now associated with his father in business ; 
Leon, born May 6, 1903, associated with his father; Bernard Vincent, 
born June 22, 1905, a student in the public schools of Perth Amboy. The 
family home is in Sewaren, New Jersey. 



BIOGRAPHICAL 509 

ANTON MASSOPUST.— There is always particular interest attach- 
ing to the life of a man who has turned the tide of success and has shown 
his ability to cope with others in the daily struggle to reach the coveted 
goal. It is not necessary that the man who achieves this success be 
made of sterner material than his fellowmen, but there are certain indis- 
pensible characteristics that contribute to the prosperity of the individ- 
ual ; these are : enterprise, determination, and the ability to recognize 
and improve opportunities. These qualities are elements in the character 
of Anton Massopust, of the firm of Massopust Brothers & Company, 
real estate dealers, at No. 692 State street, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

Joseph Massopust, father of Anton Massopust, was born in Austria, 
and died in Perth Amboy in 1906 at the age of sixty-nine years. He came 
with his family to this country in 1885, from which time until his death 
he resided in Perth Amboy, engaged in the wine business. He mar- 
ried Barbara Preissler, an Austrian by birth, and they were the parents 
of eleven children, of whom the following are residents of this city: 
Joseph ; William ; Anton, mentioned below ; and Mary, now the wife of 
A. Sieboth. Mrs. Massopust passed away in 1892, aged fifty-five years. 

Anton Massopust, son of Joseph and Barbara (Preissler) Massopust, 
was born in Austria, November i, 1874, and when he was eleven years 
old he was brought by his parents to the United States. Upon landing 
in this country, they came to Perth Amboy, and the lad further pursued 
his studies in the public schools of the city until 1889, when at the age 
of fifteen he entered into active life, his first employment being in a 
brick factory. His next position was as clerk in a grocery store, where 
he remained for two years. Mr. Massopust was a young man of great 
ambition and did not find himself content while employed by 
other men, continually desiring to embark on an enterprise of his 
own, and this he found possible in 1905, when he organized the real 
estate firm of Massopust Brothers & Company, at No. 692 State street, 
Perth Amboy. In manner quiet, but forceful, his close application to 
business has been his dominant trait, the result of the organization being 
largely due to his tenacity of purpose and rare energy. Besides holding 
the office of president of the Massopust Realty Company, Mr. Massopust 
is director of the Raritan Trust Company, and the North Amboy Build- 
ing and Loan Association, his thorough business qualifications being 
recognized and in great demand on boards of directors. 

He ever manifests that lively interest in everything relating to the 
public welfare, and his adherence to principle is inflexible and unwaver- 
ing, his readiness to take the initiative being strikingly shown when he 
came forward but a youth to begin his career in the business arena. 
Mr. Massopust is a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, and affiliates 
with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He was united in 
marriage with Mary Wabersich, October 10, 1908. 



HERMAN ELLIS. — Working his way up by indefatigable industry 
and genuine worth, Herman Ellis, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, has 
risen in the business world from a peddler's cart to a position of dignity, 
commanding the respect of all with whom he comes in contact. 



5IO MIDDLESEX 

Hef-man Ellis was born in Russia, in 1865. His father, Daniel Ellis, 
was born in Russia, and there died ; he was in the metal business. His 
mother, Judith, was also a native of Russia. They were the parents of 
twelve children, only two of whom are now living: Herman, of further 
mention ; and Rosie, wife of H. Fingard, of Winnipeg, Manitoba. 

Mr. Ellis came to this country at the age of twenty-eight years, and 
located in New York City. He began at the- foot of the ladder, starting 
with a peddler's cart. But the young man was ambitious ; his goal was 
nothing short of success. He was handicapped at first with lack of 
familiarity with the language and customs of the people with whom he 
dealt, but with never-failing courtesy, and strict honesty, he won friends 
and a footing in the business world. He worked for six years in New 
York City, then came to. Perth Amboy. Here he continued peddling, 
but not being content to stay down, he gradually handled more and 
more business, and by economy, industry and foresight, he accumulated 
considerable capital. Then, nineteen years ago, he took up the whole- 
sale iron and metal business and also real estate. Since that time he 
has forged rapidly forward to success, and now conducts the largest 
business in his line in Middlesex county. 

But Mr. Ellis is not wholly the business man. Winning his own way, 
he has not forgotten to lend a hand to other men who are still struggling. 
He makes a special point of looking out for his countrymen when they 
come to our shores, and helping them, not only to financial independence, 
but to a true understanding of American principles and ideals. He is a 
member of every Jewish society and lodge in the city, and is particularly 
active in the work of such societies as carry out his individual idea of 
helpfulness and charity. He is also a member of the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks, and of the Woodmen of the World. He 
served one term as health commissioner, and is a director of the South 
Amboy Trust Company, and the Matawan Bank. 

Mr. Ellis married Freida Kravitz, and they are the parents of three 
children, all living: Sophia, wife of Leo Feldman, of Perth Amboy; 
Bessie, wife of Harry Marks, of New Brunswick, New Jersey ; and Sadie, 
who resides at home. The family are devout attendants upon the rites 
of the synagogue. 



MONTE BORAK. — A man of merit, who owes his position in 
business circles and public life mainly to his own efforts, and whose 
career is certainly worthy of biographic honors, is Monte Borak, owner 
and manager of a department store which is located at No. 275 Smith 
street, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. 

Monte Borak, son of Israel T. and Ida (Magaram) Borak, was born 
in Russia, January 21, 1881, and attended the public schools of his native 
place until he was fourteen years of age, when he emigrated to this 
country, and immediately commenced selling merchandise throughout 
Middlesex county, working in this capacity for three years. He then 
entered a brass factory in New York City, and at the end of one year, 
opened a restaurant in Long Branch, later returning to Perth Amboy and 



BIOGRAPHICAL 5" 

accepting the position of manager of Wedeen's Department Store, where 
he remained for fifteen years. On February i6, 1918, Mr. Borak left this 
concern and started to supply factories with general merchandise, open- 
ing his present store at No. 275 Smith street, May 21, 1919. Mr. Borak 
is in the best sense of the term "a self-made man." Beginning when but 
a youth in a strange city, he has made his way up the ladder of success 
to the present position which he holds today, which is that of a sub- 
stantial citizen of the community. Mr. Borak and his brothers are con- 
nected with the real estate business in Perth Amboy to a large extent. 
He is also in the importing and exporting business with South American 
countries, and contemplates making a trip to South America to complete 
arrangements ; he will open an office in New York City at No. 104 East 
Seventeenth street. 

Mr. Borak is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks, the Young Men's Hebrew Association, and a few other orders. 
What time he can spare from his ever-increasing business demands he 
spends much of in the open, being particularly fond of fishing and auto- 
mobiling. 

Monte Borak married. May 7, 1901, Lizzie Charnes, a native of 
Russia, and daughter of the late Herman and Annie Charnes, of Lake- 
wood, New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Borak are the parents of two children: 
Hyman, born August 17, 1902; and Mollie, born January 6, 1909. 

The years that Mr. Borak has spent in Perth Amboy have been years 
of arduous devotion to promoting his business interests, and as a man 
whose business capacity is of the highest order, he stands as a valued 
citizen, using his talents and his opportunities to the utmost to promote 
the welfare of his adopted city. 



LOUIS PAVLOVSKY, one of the most successful merchants of 
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where he is the proprietor of a very large 
and prosperous meat market and an influential citizen of the community, 
is a native of Russia, his birth occurring in that country in the village 
of Zmerinka, in the year 1883. 

Louis Pavlovsky is a son of Peter R. and Bessie (Flushman) Pav- 
lovsky, also natives of Russia. The elder Mr. Pavlovsky came to the 
United States as a young man, and after residing at West Hoboken, 
New Jersey, for some time, came to Middlesex county and settled at 
Perth Amboy. Here he established himself in the butcher business, 
opening a store at No. 359 State street, but is now living retired from 
active life at the age of sixty years, contenting himself with caring for 
his personal holdings in real estate, which are considerable. He and his 
wife are the parents of three children, as follows: Louis, of further 
mention; Ida, who became the wife of Henry E. Jacobs, of Brooklyn, 
New York, where he is engaged in the drug business, and to whom she 
has borne three children ; and Abraham, who resides at Perth Amboy. 

Louis Pavlovsky passed the years of his childhood in his native land, 
and it was there that he received the elementary portion of his education, 
attending for that purpose the local schools. He was thirteen years 



512 MIDDLESEX 

of age when he accompanied his parents and the other children on their 
long journey from Russia to the United States, and after arriving in 
this country, lived for a year at West Hoboken, New Jersey. There he 
continued his education at the public schools, but when fourteen years 
old, he and the whole family removed to Perth Amboy, where they have 
continued to reside ever since. When his father opened the old meat 
market, at No. 359 State street, the lad began to work there, and served 
a sort of apprenticeship, in which he learned the details of the business. 
The establishment was continued at its original location for twenty-three 
years and was then moved to its present location at No. 316 State street, 
where it has remained ever since, a period of fifteen years. After the 
retirement of the elder Mr. Pavlovsky, Louis Pavlovsky took over the 
management of the concern and is still the active head of the business. 
He possesses an unusual business ability, with good Judgment and fore- 
sight, and under his capable direction it has grown to its present large 
proportions and come to be one of the largest establishments of its kind 
in the neighborhood. Taking example from his father, Mr. Pavlovsky 
has interested himself in local real estate, and has become the owner of 
much valuable property in and about Perth Amboy, realizing fully that 
in so flourishing a community, and with a steadily increasing population, 
the values are obliged to rise. He is also active in social circles, and 
is a member of several fraternal orders, including the Royal Arcanum 
and the Sons of Zion. He attends the synagogue of Shari Tafilo at Perth 
Amboy. 

Louis Pavlovsky was united in marriage, July 8, 1906, in New York 
City, with Rose Abramson, like himself a native of Russia, her birth 
occurring in the city of Kovno, and a daughter of Harry and Minnie 
Abramson. Harry Abramson is a rabbi of the synagogue at West 
Hoboken, where he and his family reside. Mr. and Mrs. Pavlovsky are 
the parents of three children, as follows: MoUie B., born April 26, 1907; 
Elias, born October 26, 1908; and David, born December 31, 1909. 



KEVER MEYER. — The enterprising spirit so characteristic of for- 
eign born men in this country is manifest in Kever Meyer, who has 
improved his opportunities and by indefatigable energy has worked his 
way upward to a position among the successful men of Raritan township, 
Middlesex county, where he is now engaged in agricultural pursuits and 
in conducting a house which is open during the summer season for the 
reception of those who seek pleasure and recreation in the country and 
at the sea shore. His activity along these lines has brought to him 
richly merited prosperity, and he is justly regarded as one of the leading 
men of his community. 

Kever Meyer is a native of Austria, born October 8, 1866, son of 
Henry and Diana Meyer, the former of whom also devoted his attention 
to the tilling of the soil, the son following in his footsteps. Kever Meyer 
emigrated to this country and located in the vicinity of Rahway, New 
Jersey, where he purchased a farm consisting of sixty-four acres in the 
year 1904, which he has since brought to a high state of perfection, the 



BIOGRAPHICAL 513 

ground yielding bounteous return in the shape of crops of various kinds 
as the result of his wisely expended efforts. His produce, of high quality, 
is easily disposed of in the markets of the vicinity, and command good 
prices. Mr. Meyer is Jewish in his religious faith, contributing of his 
time and means to the church which he attends ; in politics the candidates 
of the Republican party receive from him his loyal support. 

Mr. Meyer married, December 5, 1894, in Newark, New Jersey, Anna 
Greantall, daughter of Harry Greantall. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer became 
the parents of three children, as follows: i. Celia, born October 21, 
i8g6, became the wife of Morris Robinowitz, and they are the parents of 
one child, Sydney. 2. Jacob, born March 26, iSgiS. 3. Harry, born 
October 14, 1912. 



JENS PETER KNUDSON.— When Hans Knudson, with his wife, 
Carrie Sophia (Hansen) Knudson, came from their native Denmark to 
the United States in 1872, they settled on a farm in Raritan township, 
Middlesex county. New Jersey, and there their son, Jens Peter Knudson, 
was born, April 24, 1873. The lad grew up on the farm, was educated 
in the district school, and early became his father's farm assistant. He 
remained at the home farm until 1907, when he bought his present farm, 
which lies within a mile of Metuchen. In 191 5 he established a retail 
milk business and has since conducted both farm and business. He has 
been successful both as a farmer and business man and is one of the 
substantial men of his community. He is a Republican in politics, is 
affiliated with Metuchen Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and with the 
Royal Arcanum. 

Mr. Knudson married, November 26, 1903, in Raritan township, Lily 
Cook, born September 10, 1873, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, daughter 
of George T. and Anna E. (Townley) Cook, of New Jersey birth. Mr. 
and Mrs. Knudson are the parents of four children : Lillian Marie, born 
November 2, 1904; Irving P., born August 29, 1906; George Theodore, 
born May 13, 1908; Richard Frank, born January 15, 1912. 



CHARLES BURGER, now a prosperous farmer of Piscataway town- 
ship, Middlesex county. New Jersey, was born in Germany, October 17, 
1883, son of Nicholas and Margaret (Webber) Burger. The first twenty- 
eight years of his life Mr. Burger spent in his native land, there obtaining 
good education and becoming a skilled painter and decorator. In 191 1 
he came to the United States, bought the Graham farm in Piscataway 
township, and there has spent the last ten years as a farmer. In politics 
he is an Independent, and in religious faith a Lutheran. 

Mr. Burger married, in Germany, January 6, 1902, Elizabeth Stein- 
metz, born in Germany, October 6, 1885, daughter of John and Dorothy 
(Deman) Steinmetz. Mr. and Mrs. Burger are the parents of six chil- 
dren: I. Elizabeth, born October 3, 1903. 2. Carl, born June 22, 1906. 
3. Nicholas, born February i, 1910. 4. John, born September 9, 191 5. 
5. Emma, born August 9, 1917. 6. Helen, born December 9, 1919. 

Mid-33 



514 



MIDDLESEX 



JOHN HENRY WITTNEBERT.— The first of the Wittnebert fam- 
ily of whom there is definite information is Ernest Wittnebert, who lived 
in Germany, a farmer, and there was twice married. By his first mar- 
riage he had three children, John Henry, Bernard and Casper, and by his 
second marriage he had Louis, Andrew, Christian, Godleib, August, 
Amelia and Hannah. Ernest Wittnebert came to the United States 
at about the same time his sons and daughters did (about 1850), and 
bought land with them in Middlesex county. New Jersey, near Metuchen. 

The first two sons of Ernest Wittnebert to come to the United States 
were Bernard and Casper, who arrived in New York City about 1848. 
In 1850 John Henry Wittnebert came with his half-brothers and sisters, 
children of Ernest Wittnebert by his second wife. He joined his broth- 
ers, Bernard and Casper, in New York City, and for a time worked there, 
but later, becoming dissatisfied with city life, they moved to New Jersey, 
locating in different small towns and on farms in Middlesex county, 
near Metuchen. Since that time that locality has been the principal 
seat of the Wittneberts, who are now numbered among the large and 
substantial families of that section. Their principal occupation has been 
farming, but whatever the occupation, they prospered and are highly 
respected. Strong in their regard for the land that gave their father a 
home and opportunity, the members of the present generation have 
proved their citizenship in every way, and during the World War, 
1917-18, several wore the khaki and all responded readily to the demands 
of the various campaigns and drives. 

John Henry Wittnebert and his wife, Anna, were the parents of 
seven children, all born at the home farm near Metuchen, Middlesex 
county, New Jersey: i. Henry F., a farmer at Metuchen, married 
Emma Smith, of Pennsylvania, and they have two children: Louis H. 
and Florence. 2. Bernard, a butcher of Metuchen, married Ella C. Gib- 
son, of Rahway, New Jersey, and they have a daughter, Grace. 3. Otto, 
a farmer of Metuchen, living at the home of his brother, Henry F. 4. 
Jennie, married J. F. Simmons, a baker of Perth Amboy, and they are 
the parents of four children: Julius, Jeannette, Robert, and William 
Simmons. Charles, Everett, and Edward Wittnebert, the three other 
children of John Henry and Anna Wittnebert, died young. 



HARRY GOLDBERG.— The conservation of odds and ends of 
manufactured goods, the turning of what would otherwise be wasted into 
new channels of usefulness, is a worthy industry. Harry Goldberg, 
in the wholesale junk business which he conducts in Perth Amboy, New 
Jersey, exemplifies the thrift which the American people as a mass 
learned only through the exigencies of a great and bitter war. 

Mr. Goldberg came from Russia alone, with little more than his two 
hands and his undaunted courage, to make his way to success in the 
country of his choice. Both his parents were born and died in Russia. 
The young man came directly to Perth Amboy, and immediately turned 
to the work that came to hand. He established a little business as 
huckster of vegetables, putting all his energy and business ability into 



BIOGRAPHICAL 515 

this small beginning. This was in 1905, and his first location was 
at No. 406 Washington street. He removed to his present location in 
1916, after he had won some measure of success. Gradually he changed 
the nature of his business, taking up the handling of junk as opportunity- 
offered, and for some time past has devoted all his time to this work 
of retrieving useful material from the discard. He is advantageously 
situated at the intersection of New Brunswick avenue with the Lehigh 
Valley railway tracks. 

Mr. Goldberg has become a thorough-going American citizen, never 
failing to exercise his franchise, and voting always for the best man, 
regardless of party. He is a member of the United Hebrew Lodge, No. 
502, Independent Order Brith Abraham. 

Mr. Goldberg married, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Jennie Daitz, 
also a native of Russia, who, like himself, came to this country alone to 
seek her livelihood. They are the parents of three children, all living: 
Abraham Paul, born March 15, 1907; Fannie, born July i, 1909, and 
Nathan, born in 191 2. The family worship with the Congregation Sharai 
Tefiloh. 



MAX S. BERNSTEIN.— The business men of a village, town or 
city are the men to whom the residents of the place look to for supplying 
their daily needs, and therefore they are the men upon whom reliance 
must be placed, men of good judgment and reliable actions, progressive 
and enterprising, and among this number is to be found Max S. Bern- 
stein, proprietor of a general store in Lincoln, Middlesex county. New 
Jersey, the recipient of an excellent patronage. 

Max S. Bernstein is a native of Russia, born in the year 1877, a son 
of Samuel and Sarah (Leviett) Bernstein, also natives of Russia. The 
common schools of his native country furnished him with a practical 
education, and later, having decided that the opportunities for a business 
career were better in the New World than the Old, he emigrated to the 
United States and took up his residence in the State of New Jersey, 
town of Lincoln, where in 1903 he embarked in business on his own 
account, opening a general store, of which he has been the proprietor 
ever since, and during the years that have intervened he has built it up 
largely, adding thereto as his means allowed, and by his courteous treat- 
ment of customers, his efforts to furnish them with the best merchandise 
at the lowest possible figure, he has retained his old trade and gained 
a considerable new one. He is a member of the Jewish church, Jewish 
Society, and casts his vote for the candidates of the Republican party. 

Mr. Bernstein married, in New York City, Mary Leff, born in Aus- 
tria, who was brought by her parents, Samuel and Rosa (Waller) Leff, 
to this country when a child. Mr. and Mrs. Bernstein are the parents of 
eight children, as follows : Harry, Theodore, Nathan, Charles, Abraham, 
Esther, Anna, and Lillian. 



ADDENDA-INDEX 



ADDENDA 

Madsen, pp. 43, 44 — Ingfred T. Madsen is a director of the City National Bank. 

Sorensen, pp. 206, 207 — Jens M. Sorensen is a charter member, and for several years 
has been the president, of the Perth Amboy Rifle Association, which is a branch of 
the National Rifle Association, and is also active in the shooting matches. At the 
present time (1921) he is the holder for this section of the State of a record of 
sixteen successive bullseyes on 500 yards ; no other Rifleshot has ever shot more 
than eleven successive bullseyes on 500 yards in Middlesex county. 

Wilson, pp. 273, 274 — Raymond P. Wilson is also a member of Palestine Lodge, No. 
Ill, Free and Accepted Masons. 



INDEX 



Ainscow, A. Roy, 376 

Evan, 375 

George W., 375 

George W., Jr., 376 

Virgie R., 376 

William, 375 
Allgair, Ethel, 326 

George, 326 

William A., 326 
Alpern, Isaac, 465 

Jacob, 46s 

Lena P., 466 
Amarescu, John, 486 

Julia, 487 

Martin, 486 
Ames, Helen, 131 

Oliver B., 131 

William T., 130 

William T., Jr., 130 
Andersen, Blanche, 471 

Frederick B., 470 

Howard C, 470 
Anderson, August, 475 

Edith E., 284 

George, 283 

Henry F., 283 

Lester, 475 

Raymond R., 283, 284 

Rosette, 47s 

Theodore E., 474. 475 
Anness, Charles, iiS 

Frederick F., iiS 

Mina D., 116 
Anton, Florence, 308 

George, 307 

George, Jr., 307, 308 
Apgar, Emma, 439 

George L, Jr., 439 

Jennie M., 373 



John P., 373. 439 

Willard N., 373 
Applegate, Grover T., 102 

Grover T., Dr., 102 

Sarah, 103 
Astrin, Jacob, 499 

Nathan, 499 

Rebecca, 500 
Atkinson, Condit S., 31 

Frank A., 31 

Frank S., 32 

Mary J., 32 
Axen, Henry C, 248 

John H., 248 

Meta M., 249 

Minnie K., 249 

Baldwin, Caroline, 162 

Chauncey C, 161, 162 

Matilde W., 162 

Perry C, Rev., 161 
Banker, Frederick W., 262 

John, 261, 262 

Lizzie C, 262 

William J., Jr., 261, 262 
Barger, Florence L., 314 

Martin J., 314 

Walter, 314 
Barnekow, Charles W., 272 

Charles W., Jr., 272 

Emma, 272 

Kiell v., 272 
Barny, Emelie, 57 

Jacob F., 57 

William F., Rev., 57 
Barr, John W., 46 

Marie, 46 

Oscar O., Prof., 46 
Barron, Eliza C, 132 



520 



MIDDLESEX 



Ellis, 132 

John, 133 

John E., 133 

Joseph, 132 

Samuel, 132 

Thomas, 132 
Bartos, Martin, 506 

Martin, Jr., 506 

Mary, 507 
Barwis, Ada I., 342 

Alfred C, 342 

Horace E., 342 
Becker, Anna, 381 

John H., 380 
Becza, Frank, 506 

George, 506 

Mary, 506 
Beldon, Harry F., 238 

Heber C, 238 

Viola, 238 
Belikove, Dora, 479 

Philip, 479 

Philip I., 479 

Samuel, 479 
Bergen, Addison, 248 

Cecilia A., 248 

Leroy J., 247, 248 
Bernstein, Mary, 515 

Max S., 51S 

Samuel, 515 
Berry, James E., 27, 29 

John 27 

Nathaniel, 27 

Nathaniel, Capt., 27 

Virginia, 30 

William H., 27, 30 
Bickford, Caroline, 315 

Harry T., 314, 315 

Samuel M., 314 

William M., 314 
Bilyeu, Adeline, 391 

Truman W., 391 

William, 391 
Black, C. Howard, 188 

Jennie P., 188 

Thomas, 187 

William H., 187 
Blaum, Emma, 378 

Gustav, 378 

Sebastian, 378 
Bloomfield, Catherine Van M., 217 

Charles A., 218 

Ezekiel, 214 

Henry, 214 

Howard W., 219 

Joseph, 215 

Joseph, Gov., 214, 215 

Mary, 2ig 



Moses, Dr., 215 

Samuel, Dr., 218 

Smith, 217 

Thomas, 214 

William, 217 
Blue, Isaac N., 197 

Isaac N., Jr., 197 

Mary E., 198 
Booream (Van Boerum) 

Barbara, 349 

Charles Van L., 349 

Hendrick, 349 

Hendrick W., 349 

John Van L., 349 

Nicholas, 349 
Borak, Israel, 497 

Israel T., 510 

Jennie, 498 

Lizzie, 511 

Molly F., 498 

Monte, 510 

Phillip, 497 

Samuel, 498 
Bowers, Albert H., 180 

Amelia, 181 

Charles, 180 

Thomas, 180 
Boyd, Alice, 40 

Arthur H., 40 

Elmer B., 40 

Emily D., 40 

Hugh, 39 

William B., 40 
Bradley, Julia B., 74 

Perry W., ^z 

William P., 73, 74 

William P., Jr., 74 
Brady, Edward A., 158, 159 

Mary A. R., 159 

Patrick, 159 
Braidwood, Chester A., 91 

Ernest S., 91 

James L., 90, 91 

John, 90 

Leslie L., 91 

Sarah A., 91 
Brass, Emil E., 306 

Ewald, 306 

Margaret, 306 
Breckenridge, Amanda G., 408 

John A., 408 

John E., 407, 408 
Brewster, Ada L., 131 

George, 131, 132 

George Y., 132 

Samuel B., 131 

Timothy, 132 
Briegs, Karl, 498 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



521 



Louis, 498 

Rosa, 499 
Brindle, J. Milton, 168, 169 

John L., 168 

Margaret, 169 
Brooks, Henry, 331 

Lulu P., 332 

William H., 331 
Brown, Alice L., 440 

Daniel B. M., 356 

Ernest R., Rev., 440 

Esther M., 117 

Frederick L., Dr., 116, 117 

George E., 356 

James, 116 

John B. J., 440 

Mary E., 356 

Timothy H., 356 
Bruck, Joseph, 404 

Maurice S., 404 

Stella, 405 
Bruns, Charles H., 298 

Frederick, 298 

Mabel C, 298 
Brunskin, Abraham, 231 

Philip H., 231 

Rose I., 232 
Buckley, John J., 199 

Michael, 199 

Nellie C., 199 
Bunten, Annie, 301 

George R., 300 

George R., Jr., 300, 301 

Margaret, 301 

William R., 301 
Burger, Charles, 513 

Elizabeth, 513 

Gustave, 311 

Joseph, 311 

Nicholas, 513 

Stephana, 312 
Burlew, Fountain, Dr., 33, 34 

Herbert H., 34 

Louise, 34 
Burlock, Catherine C, 412 

Harry, 412 

Horace V., 412 

Samuel DeF., 412 

Samuel S., 411, 412 
Butterworth, Clark A., 327 

Mary, 327 

Thomas, 327 

Campbell, Bertha M., 185 
Charles A., 184 
Charles A. (2), 184, 185 
Charles A. (3), 185 
Ellis A., 450 



Eva L., 451 

John H., 184, 450 

William K., 451 
Carman, Albert S., 182 

George E., 182 

Mary E., 182 

Melancthon, 181 

William, 181 

William, Jr., 182 
Carmichael, Edna, 283 

George R., 282, 283 

Thomas W., 282 
Chase, Daniel C, 220 

Holden T., 220 

Joseph, 220 

Phoebe, 220 

Stephen, 220 
Chidsey, Francis A., 185 

Mary M., 185 
Christensen, Anna, 128 

Arnold, 128 

Carl C, 127 

Christian, 127 

Ellen M. D., 485 

Frederick C, 484, 483 

James A., 485 

Jens P., 484 

John C, 485 

Nels, 128 

Walter, 128 
Christie, Charles, 16 

Isabella, 17 

Samuel M., 16 
Christofferson, Edith M., 480 

Katherine, 480 

Victor P., 480 

Waldamer, 480 
Clark, Adolph C, 50 

Adolphus, so 

Anna, loi 

Edward E., 275 

Eugene M., 105 

Florence, 276 

Frances M., 51 

John C, loi 

John J., loi 

John J., Jr., lOI 

Mary E., 51 

Matilda C, 106 

Owen, 275 

Rose M., 102 

William T., 105 
Clausen, Bertha, 193 

Michael, 193 

Peter M., 193 
Clayton, Arthur A., 99 

Bertram S., 99 



522 



MIDDLESEX 



Daniel W., 98 

Katie J., 99 
Clemensen, Helen I., 296 

Soren, 295 

William P., 295 
Clevenger, James L. (J. Logan), 144 

Jane L., 14S 

John A., 144 
Clinton, Elmer V., 191 

George A., 191 

George DeW., 191 

Mary, 191 

William, 191 
Coakley, John J., 156 

Kathryn M., 157 

Leo J., 156 
Coan, John A., 138 

Nellie A., 138 

Patrick J., 138 
Coates, George, 289 

George B., 290 

George H., 289 

Henrietta, 289 
Comings, George T., 84 

Harry E., 84 

Sarah, 84 
Compton, Charles, 379 

Emma, 264 

Ephraim, 379 

James A., 264 

James L., 264 

Joel, 379 

Phoebe, 379 
Connolly, Andrew, 316 

Anna W., 317 

Frank A., 316 

Michael H., 316 
Cooper, Edward W., 398 

Frank, 398 

Jane W., 398 
Cottrell, Garrett, 415 

James, 415 

Judson G., Dr., 415, 416 

Louisa, 415 

William H., 415 
Cronk, Edwin L, Dr., 107 

Lyman, 107 

Mary L-, 107 
Crouse, Ira R., 304, 305 

Laura L., 30S 

Lawrence, 305 

William H., 304 
Crowell, Jennie W., 322 

Reginald B., 322 

William A., 322 

William E., 322 
Culp, Calvin B., 47 

Cordie J., Rev., 46, 47 

Florence M., 47 



Cunnius, Calvin, 443 

Calvin C, Jr., 380 

John M., 443 

Mary D., 444 

Mary R., 380 
Cutter, Ephraim, 413, 414 

Hampton, 244, 245 

Hampton (2), 246 

Kelsey, 245 

Mary, 414 

Mary R., 246 

Richard, 244, 245, 414 

Samuel, 245 

Sarah R., 246 

William, 245, 414 

William H., 246 

Daire, Almira, 72 

Armand P., 69, 70 

Charles M., 72 

Francis, 72 
Dallenbeck, Alice, 470 

Jacob, 470 

Ulrich, 470 
Daly, Mary R., 214 

Peter F., 211 

Timothy E., 211 
Danberry, Julia, 324 

William D., 324 

William F., 324 
Davison, Benjamin D., 166, 167 

Cora M., 167 

Roscoe G. (R. Glenn), 166, 167 
Dawson, Hugh, 230 

John, 230 

Julia M., 231 
Dayton, Amy B., 460 

John H., 460 

Spencer, 460 
Demarest, Catharine L., S 

David, 222 

David D., Rev., 5 

Elizabeth B., 223 

M. Irving, 222 

William H., 222 

William H. S.. Rev., 5 
Deter, Anna, 356 

Anthony, 355 

Arthur A., 355 
DeVoe, Frederick W., 163 

George W., 163 

Marion, 163 
Dey, Asa, 12 

Martha J., 13 

William S., 12, 13 
Dill, Colby, 445 

Elsie, 446 

Joshua M., 445 
Dolan, James, 319 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



523 



Rose, 319 

Thomas F., 319 
Donovan, Dennis, 372 

Dennis F., 371, 372 

Helen G., yj2 
Dorsey, Edward J., 80 

Ethel, 81 

Frank, 80, 81 

Thomas, 80 
Drake, Charles, 388 

David F., 388 

Edward, 388 

Francis, Sir, 388 

William W., 388 
DuBois, Jean, 444 

Jean C, 445 

Mattie, 445 

Philippe H., 444 
Dunham, Arthur H., 260 

Charles H., Dr., 129, 130 

Edmund, 129, 130 

Emma L., 130 

Hezekiah, 260 

Joseph T., 130 

Margaret, 261 
Dunigan, Anna B., 457 

Bernard, 437, 456 

Bernard J., 437 

George, 457 

Jane M., 457 

John M., 437 

Julia, 437 

Julia A., 438 

Morris P., 437 

Thomas F., 456 
Dunn, Ella T., 467 

Louis C, 466 

Walter G., 466 

Edgar, Albert, 400, 441 
Albert C, 400 
Bertha B., 49 
Cecilia R., 393 
Charles S., 400 
Frances E, 400. 442 
Freeman, 392 
Harriett B., 407 
low R., 392 

J. Blanchard, Col., 406, 407 
James A., 48 
John B., 406 
Joseph, 48 
Joseph H., 49 
Milton A., 441 
Nellie G., 442 
Thomas, 400, 406 
William, 406 
William, Maj., 406 



Eisner, Elizabeth, 494 

Harry S., 494 

Isaac M., 494 
Ellis, Daniel, 510 

Freida, 510 

Herman, 509, S'O 
English, David C„ 83 

David C, Dr., 82, 83 

Grenfell H. B., 84 

Susan C, 84 
Ensign, Everett C, 171, 172 

Everett M., 172 

Helen V., 173 

Ida, 172 

Isaac, 172 

James, 172 

Moses, 172 

Ralph W., 173 

Samuel E., 172 
Erickson, Benjamin W., 79, 80 

Charles, 79 

Charlotte E., 80 
Eulner, Elmer H., Dr., 149 

Herman, 149 

Katherine, 150 

Simon, 149 

Fagan, Frances, 399 

James, 337 

James L., Dr., 336, 337 

John, ^n, 399 

Lillian, 337 

Richard J., 399 
Faulkingham, James H., 361 

Lucy M., 361 

Ralph J., Dr., 361 
Feaster, Anna E., 299 

John, 299 

Joseph J., 299 
Fee, Cora F., 139 

John, 139 

John, Hon., 139 
Filskov, Alfred, 490 

Harold, 490 

Johannes, 490 

Marie, 490 

Tycho T., 490 
P'itz Randolph, Alexander, 364 

Anna, 387 

Anna M., 290 

Asa, 386 

Asher, 290 

Edward, 386 

Elkanah, 364 

Everts, 290 

Ida, 387 

Jessie, 365 

John B., 36s 



524 



MIDDLESEX 



Orson W., 365 

Reune, 386 
Flanagan, Harold S., Dr., 72 

John P., 72 

Mary, 72 
Flavell, Grace M., 266 

Thomas, 265 

Walter, 265 

Walter B., 265, 266 
Fleming, Asher K., 268, 269 

John K., 269 

Nellie L., 269 
Fox, Alvin B., 258, 259 

Frederick F., 259 

Marjorie M., 260 
Franke, Essie H., 61 

Jay B., 60, 61 

Ludlow G., 60 
Fraser, Caleb D., 393 

Edwin G., 394 

Margaret, 394 

William, 393 
Furkay, Anna, 384 

John, 384 

Joseph A., 384 

Mae E., 385 

Galbraith, Martin, 379 

Martin, Jr., 379 

Mary, 379 
Galvin, Richard J., 150 

Richard J., Jr., 150 

Rose, 151 
Gannon, Bernard M., 41 1 

Catherine, 411 

John, 411 
Garretson, Donald C, 321 

Elizabeth M., 321 

Ferd, 320, 321 

Henry S., 376 

James, 376 

Lily E., 377 

Samuel, 321 

Thomas A., 321 

William V., 321 
Gebhardt, Anthony J., 354 

Raymond A., 354 

Susie A., 354 
Gerity, Andrew, 363 

Anna F., 364 

James P., 363 
Gibian, Anna, 314 

Max, 313 

Solomon, 313 
Giddes, Albert C, 205 

Catherine F., 206 

Joel C, 20s 
Giles, Albert M., 371 



Benjamin H., 371 

Benjamin S., 371 

Charles W., 371 

Harry R., 371 

Jennie, 371 

Nelson M., 371 
Gilfillan, Ann, 436 

Joseph, 436 

William A., Rev., 436 
Gillis, Alexander, 277, 410 

George E., 277 

Laura, 411 

May, 278 

Victor H., 410 
Gindin, Leon, 479 

Lillian, 480 

Samuel, 479 
Glidden, John, 452 

Martha A. H., 452 

Samuel G., Capt., 452 
Goldberg, Harry, 514 

Jennie, 515 
Goldberger, Bernard, 492 

Jacob, 490, 491 

Jennie, 492 

Morris L., 492 

Samuel A., 490 
Gordon, Caroline H., 327 

Francis H., 326, 327 

James H., 326 
Gorsline, Helen, 294 

Peter, 293 

Ralph Van M., 293, 294 
Gowen, Helen, 279 

Henry H., 279 

William E., 279 
Graffam, Clement, 388 

Phinney E., 388 

Ruthetta, 388 
Graham, Ada, 255 

Arthur E., 254 

James, 254 

John H., 254 
Grant, Caroline R., 453 

Frederic F., 453 

Philander S., 453 
Gray, Alvah, 390 

Mary E., 391 

Ranee H., 390 
Greenspan, Anna, 362 

Beatrice, 362 

Frances, 362 

Harry W., 489 

Hyman, 361 

Isadore, 361, 362 

Jacob, 361 

Jennie, 362 

May, 489 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



525 



Philip, 361, 489 

Samuel, 361 
Greiner, Emma J., 504 

Joseph, 503 

Mary, 504 
Greisen, Hans, 270 

Ingvard, 270 

Signa, 271 
Griggs, Benjamin S., 328 

Eugene S., Dr., 328 

Gertrude V., 329 
Griswold, Isabella L., 237 

James E., 237 

James P., 236 

Lloyd C, 238 

William H., 236, 237 
Gross, Aaron, 424 

Bertha, 424 

Nathan, 424 
Gruessner, Alexander, 92- 

Anthony, Dr., 91, 92 

Esther, 93 

Jacob J., 91 

Serena, 91 
Gunther, Charles R., 501 

Frederick, 396, 500 

Gustavus, SCO, 501 

Henry, 396, 397 

Josephine, 397 

Sarah E., 501 
Gutmann, Benjamin, Dr., ill 

Jacob, III 

Marie L., 112 

Hagerty, Patrick, 343 

Rose N., 343 

Thomas H., 343 
Hamley, Arthur J., 380 

Esther M., 380 

Joseph, 380 
Hansen, Abel, 95 

Anna, 496 

Caroline, 96 

Christian, 440 

Emmanuel, 496 

Hans, 495 

Hans C, 95 

Hans M. K., 440 

Jens T., 495 

Mabel P., 440 

Methea, 496 

Peter, 496 

Wesley V. Q., 496 
Harkins, Anna, 446 

Claude W., 446 

Hugh, 446 

Oscar B., 446 

Robert A., 446 



Harned, J. Edward, 408 

Mabel E., 409 
Samuel P., Dr., 408 

William, 408 
Hayes, Edmund A., 347 

Edward R., 347 

Jane L., 347 
Heil, Edward J., 458 

Edward J., Jr., 459 

Henry, 458 

Rose P., 459 
Helm, Plorence M., 353 

Jabez H., 352, 353 

John A., 353 
Hendricks, Pay, 250 

John, 249 

Peter H. S., 249 
Hermann, Bridget, 425 

Joseph A., 426 

Matthew A., 424, 425 

Matthias, 425 
Hicks, Edward W., 54, 55 

Helen A., 55 

John, 54 

Joseph D., 5S 
Hingher, Charles H., 189 

Edna C, 189 

Edward, 189 
Hoagland, Alice E., 160 

B. W., Dr., 159 

Christopher, 41 

Irving, 41 

John C, 41 

Mary, 41 

Nathan, 159 
Hoffman, Prank, 113 

Harold G., 112, 113 

Lillie M., 113 
Hollander, Andrew, 297 

Andrew C, 298 

Lewis, 297 

Martha G., 297 
Holman, Chester R., 22 

Ralph T., 22 

Ruth C, 23 
Hommann, Alice P., 14 

Bessie A. E. E., 14 

Charles C, 13, 14 

Charles C, Jr., 14 

John C, 13 

William, 13 
Hope, Eugene W., 366, 367 

Flora M., 367 

Luther M., 3,67 
Houghton, Dennis, 334, 335 

Edward J., 334. 335 
James, 334, 335 
James M., 318 



526 



MIDDLESEX 



James M., Dr., ji8, 319 

Katherine, 333 

Martha, 318 

Mary A., 335 
Howell, Alice I., 206 

Amelia, 26 

Benjamin F., 25 

Edmund, 25 

Edward A., 206 

Floid T., 206 

George W., 258 

Petrea J., 142 

Priscilla, 258 

Raymond DeW., 141, 142 

William G., 258 

William N., 141 
Hoy, Margaret M., 318 

William, 317 

William D., 317 
Hoyler, Fritz W., 148 

John M., 148 

Lena F., 149 
Hullfish, Giles H., 366 

Harvey Le R., 366 

Mary C, 366 
Hulse, Henry S., 270 

Henry S., Jr., 269, 270 

Marie E., 270 

Sylvester, 269 
Hults, Charles V., Dr., 119, 120 

Eugene A., Dr., 119 

Marion L., 120 
Hunt, Garfield A., 433 

Mansfield, 433 

Margaret, 434 

Ingling, Donald T., 12 

George C., 11, 12 

George W., 12 

Gertrude F., 12 

William H., 12 
Intemann, John C, 355 

John H., Dr., 354, 355 

Margaret E., 35S 
Iredell, Albert W., Dr., 124 

Bessie, 124 

Harvey, Dr., 123, 124 

John B., 123 

Mary E., 124 

Russell W., 124 

Jacobson, Anna, 492 

Ireen, 492 

Sidney, 492 
Jahnke, Carl, 486 

Emma, 486 

Fritz, 486 
Janeway, Jacob J., Col., 463 



Lila, 464 

Lucius P., 463, 464 
Jaques, Charlotte L., 33 

John L., 33 

Milton R., 33 

Samuel, 33 

William C, 32, 33 
Jensen, Fred, 399 
Johansen, Julius, 462 

Peter, 462 

Peter A., 462 

Mary L., 463 

Wilson, 463 
Johnson, Abraham, 459 

Alfred B., 35, 36 

Anna A., 267 

Asa, Rev., 24 

Benjamin, 266 

Cathaline V., 36 

Christian, 266 

Clara, 25 

Edward P., Rev., 24 

Elizabeth D., 229 

James, 459 

Jeremiah, 459 

Johanna M., 460 

Leslie P., 35, 36 

Lloyd P., 459 

Robert, 459 

Robert W., 228 

Robert W., Jr., 228 

Thomas, 459 
Jones, Allen N., 52 

Carrie L., 52 

John W., 51 

William N., Rev., 51 

Kaczmarek, Frank, 394 

Mary, 394 

Stanley F., 394, 395 
Kahn, Fannie, 476 

Hyman, 475 

Leo, 47S, 476 
Kalteissen, Flora, 320 

Klemmer, 320 

Peter, 320 
Karkus, Golda, 292 

Jacob S., 292, 293 

Meyer, 292 
Karshmer, Louis P., Dr., 349, 350 

Morris, 350 

Rose, 350 
Kaufmann, David J., 106 

Israel, 106 

Lena, 106 
Keenen, Jeremiah M., 403 

Joseph J., 403 

Mary F., 404 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



527 



Kelly, Bessie M., 450 

Christian L., 449 

Edward M., 286 

John W., 286 

Margaret J., 287 

William C, 449 
Kemeny, George, 477 

Louis, 473, 476 

Paul C, 473 

Sidonie, 477 

Vilma, 473, 477 

William, 476 
Kenah, James J., 395 

Mary A., 396 

Patrick F., 395 

Thomas, 395 
Kennedy, Alice, 309 

John. 309 

Margaret A., 309 

Patrick N., 308, 309 
Kent, Ann E., 339 

Clayton, 339 

David, 339 

Edwin v., 338, 339 

John v., 339 

Phineas, 339 

Stephen, 338, 339 

William, 339 
Kenyon, D. C, 435 

Mary J., 436 

Rensselaer C, 435, 436 
Kerr, Abraham S., 160 

Alfred T., 267, 268 

Carrie, 268 

Dorothy I., 161 

Solomon, 161 

Thomas, 267 
Keyes, Andrew, 401 

Mary A., 401 

William, 401 
Kiessling, Anna E., 399 

Frank W., 399 

Joseph C, 399 
Kilmer, Annie E., 97 

Charles, 96 

Frederick B., 96 
Kinney, C. Spencer, Dr., 154 

Martha E., IS4 

Selden T., Dr., 154 

T. W., IS4 
Kinsey, Bertha M., 273 

Henry W., 272 

Howard W., 272, 273 
Kirkpatrick, Bessie M., 254 

David, 338 

Ethel B., 338 
John B., 253 
John B., Jr., 253 
John P., 338 



Klauser, Ambrose, 481 

Pauline, 481 
Klein, Abraham, 207 

Agnes, 129 

Esther, 208 

Henry G., 291, 292 

Jacob M., 128 

Joseph L., 207 

Kate W., 292 

Martin, 291 

Max, 128 

Peter F., 292 
Knox, Anna M., 22 

Cornelius Van S., Lieut., 22 

John P., Rev., 21 

William W., Rev., 20, 21 
Knudson, Hans, 513 

Jens P., S13 

Lily, S13 
.Kolb, Louis, 412 
Kreyling, Arthur L., Rev., 151 

Christian, 151 

Florence S., 152 
Kuhlthau, Conrad, 386 

Henry, 385 

Mamie, 386 
Kuntz, Abraham M., 183 

Charles, 183 

Edith, 183 

Henry, 183 

Isaac, 183 

Lake, David C, 346 

Earl, 346 

Jessie, 346 
Larson, Jennie, 224 

Morgan F., 223 

Peter, 223 
Lawson, Frank J., 388, 389 

Peter, 389 

Rachel, 389 
Lederer, David J., 432 

George W., 432 

Henrietta, 433 

Henry A., 432 

Julius, 432 

Marie, 432 

Max M., 433 

Samuel, 431 

Samuel M., 432 
Leisen, Frank J., 201 

Frank J., Jr., 2or 

John H., 201, 202 

Margaret E., 202 

Winifred, 202 
Leon, Albert, 309, 310 

Marcus, 309 

Marcus L., 310 

Regina, 310 



528 



MIDDLESEX 



Levy, Arthur, 312 

Fannie, 312 

Max, 312 
Liddle, Anna L., 168 

Arthur M., 168 

Clarence M., 168 

Ellen, 382 

James P., 382 

Joshua, 168, 382 

Joshua, Jr., 168 
Lindberg, John, 472 

Margaret M., 472 

Otto W., 472 
Linden, Frances, 340 

Jacob, 340 

Mortimer H., Dr., 340 
Lindley, Luke D., 246, 247 

Mary E., 247 

Samuel S., 247 
Littell, Florence M., 334 

Frederick M., 334 

Howard D., 334 
Loblein, Eldon L., Dr., 134 

Eldon L., Jr., 134 

Helen M., 13s 
Logan, Matilda C, 274 

Maxwell, 274 

Percival W., 274 
London, Bertha, 97 

Solomon B., 97 

William, Dr., 97 
Long, Albert, 108 

Emilie S., 109 

Herbert J., 108 
Love, Anna H., 175 

Gregory W., 175 

John H., 174 

Victor N., 175 

William S., 174 
Lowenkopf, Lena, 482 

Leo S., 482 

Samuel, 482 
Lufburrow, Egbert F., 192 

Olive B., 192 

Robert A., 192 
Lund, Grace L., 15 

John L., Dr., 15 

Niels, 15 
Lyon, Adrian, 59 

Cornelia, 60 

William L., 59 
Lyons, C. Raymond, 81, 82 

Catherine, 82 

Elizabeth, 300 

James J., 82 

Patrick J., 300 

Thomas, 300 



MacDowall, Elda L., 141 

John L., Dr., 140, 141 

Robert J., 141 
McAlinden, Ethel, 94 

Merritt, 93 

Merritt J., 93 
McCutcheon, Catherine, 381 

John, 381 

Patrick F., 381 
McDonald, Andrew, 152 

Harry W., 152 

Harry W., Jr., Dr., 152 

Margaret, 152 
McKiernan, Daniel, 451 

Marie C, 452 

Robert L., Dr., 451 
McLaughlin, Charles A., 345 

George S., Dr., 345 

Margaret C, 346 
McNally, Benjamin, 302 

Benjamin T., 301, 302 

Theresia, 302 
*Madsen, Ingfred T., 43 

Laurids, 43 

Lela M., 44 
Maher, Edward, 290 

James H., 290, 291 

Katherine G., 291 
Maier, Anna, 374 

Joseph, 374 

Joseph M., 374 
Mann, Almerien, 179 

Anna L., 179 

M. Burr, 178, 179 
March, Alfred S., 75 

Anna E., 75 

Joseph H., 75 
Mark, Bernard, 358 

Clara, 358 

Joseph, 357, 358 
Mason, Elias S., 344 

John, 344 

Mary F., 344 

Mattie A., 344 

Nellie, 345 

Robert P., 344 
Massopust, Anton, 509 

Joseph, 509 

Mary, 509 
Medinets, Abraham, 42 

Harry S., 42 

Lenore, 43 
Meinzer, Elizabeth, 48 

Louis F., 47 

Martin S., Dr., 47 
Melick, Edith J., 406 

Edwin W., 406 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



529 



Joel, 40s 

Willard P., 40s 
Merchant, Alexander, 255 

Alexander, Jr., 255 

Margaret B., 256 

William A., 256 
Merckens, August, 312 

Theodore H., 312, 313 

William, 312 
Messinger, Leon, 422 

Samuel, Dr., 422, 423 

Sonja, 423 
Mettler, Enoch, 61 

Gertrude Van P., 61 

Helen, 62 

John W., 61, 62 

Thomas H., 62 

William E., 61 
Meyer, Anna, 513 

Henry, 512 

Kever, 512 
Meyers, Gulielma, 279 

Henry R. B., 278 

Marion H., 278 
Miller, Bertha F., 148 

George J., 147 

Julius, 147 
Monaghan, Catherine, 431 

Francis A., 431 

James, 431 
Monigan, Agnes R., 244 

John J., 244 
Montalvo, Gertrude, 282 

Ramon, 281 

Ramon, Jr., 281 
Moore, Alice C, 58 

Bertha M., 178 

Edward C, 58 

Ellis F., 177 

Ira C, 58 

Kittie D., 58 

Lawrence, 177 

Raymond R., 176, 177 
Moraff, Belle, 478 

Henry, 478 

Meyer, 478 
Morgenson, James, 52 

Laura E., S3 

Leland, 53 

Olaf J., 52 
Morrison, Daniel, 23, 164 

George R., 109, no 

James A., 109, 164 

John J., 23 

Mary H., 24 

Rebecca H., 109 

Rebecca H. J., 164 



Morrissy, Anna, 303 

Nicholas, 302 

Nicholas A., 302 
Mount, Joseph B., 167 

Margaret, 167 

William E., 167 
Mullen, Eugene J., 233 

Helen C, 233 

Owen, 233 
Munoz, Anna D., 336 

Antonio F., 335 

Antonio F., Jr., 335, 336 

Nafey, Charles, 196 

Herbert W., Dr., 196 

Mary B., 197 
Neer, Anne E., 227 

Charles, 226 

Frank, 226 

Mary E., 227 
Newman, Anna L., 3Si 

Frank E. J., 351 

Frank R., 350 

Harry S. A., 351 

Joseph J., 351 

Raymond L. R., 351 

William McK., 351 
Noe, Annie E., 375 

David O., 374 

Edward V., 375 

James E., 374 

O'Grady, John A., Msgr., 420 
Olesen, Irene M., 239 

Ole N., 239 

Ole N., Jr., 238, 239 
Oliver, Charles A., Sr., 239 

Charles A., Jr., 240 

Francis M., 239 

Harry Van C, 240 

Sarah A., 240 
Olmstead, Daniel P., 175, 176 

Frances, 176 

Myron B., 176 
Olsen, Axel S., 185 

Ellen, i86 

Frances L., 88 

John W., 120, 121 

Lauritz, 88 

Lauritz C, 120 

Mathilda J., 121 

Peter C, 88 

Thomas F., 185 
Onikelsky, Abraham, 507 

Bessie, 507 

David, 508 

Isadore, 508 

Jacob, 507 



530 



MIDDLESEX 



Samuel, 508 

Solomon R., 507 
Osborn, Leo C, 385 

Mae C, 38s 

Peter C, 38S 
Outcalt, Frederick R., 447 

John v., 447 

Leila M., 447 
Overton, Frank B., 304 

Henrietta M., 304 

William W., 304 

Palisi, Amelia, 360 

Marino, 359 

Marino V., Jr., 359 
Parker, Alice F., 37 

Henry G., 37 

James, 160 

James, Jr., 160 

Nellie G., 38 

William, 37 

William F., 38 
Parrish, Herbert, Rev., 42 

Isaac H., 42 

Mary S. R., 42 
Paulus, Anna, 230 

John, 229 

John, Jr., 229 

Minnie, 230 
'Pavlovsky, Louis, 511 

Peter R., 511 

Rose, 512 
Peck, Egbert S., 121 

Frederick C, 122 

Henrietta H., 122 

Louis T., 122 

Silliman, 121 
Peins, Anna, 377 

Frederick B., 377 

Henry, 377 
Penny, Catherine, 472 

Ezra, 471 

John, 471 

John B., 472 

Silas, 472 
Perrine, Edna M., 171 

Enoch, 171 

Henri, 170 

Henry, 170 

John, 170 

Joseph M., 170, 171 

Thomas E., 171 
Perry, Jesse L., 333 

John, 332 

Minnie, 333 

Spencer, 332 

Spencer B., 333 
Peters, Carl J., 201 



John, 200 

John J., 200 

Rachel, 201 
Peterson, Charley M., 341 

Marie M., 342 

Martin, 341 
Pfeiffer, Clifford O., 173 

Edward A., 173 

J. Spencer, 173 

John, 173 

Mary E., 173 
Pickersgill, Eli, Rev., 182 

Harold E., 182 

Margaret J., 183 

Richard H., 182 
Pollak, Charles, 435 

Laura, 43s 

Michael, 434, 43s 
Posner, Bertha, 284 

Isaac, 284 

Louis, 284 
Potter, Edgar, 236 

Ellis, 203 

Frederick J., 235, 236 

Frederick J., Jr., 236 

James B., Lieut., 30 

James H., 236 

Jennie, 30, 204 

Lewis C, 203, 204 

Lewis E., 30, 203, 204 

Mary J., 236 

Orrin J., 235 

Raymond A., 236 

Reuben, 203 

Willard P., 236 
Power, Anna, 400 

James B., 399, 400 

John, 399 
Prall, Cornelius, 232 

Emily, 232 

Isaac, 232 

James P., 232 

William H., 233 
Preacher, David C, 186 

David C. (2), 186 

David C. (3), 187 

Janet Y. D., 187 
Preger, J. Milton, 104 

Louis, 104 

Sarah, 104 
Prill, Frederick, 504 

Julia, 504 

William G., 504 

Quackenbush, Allen P., 409 

Annie G., 410 

Walter G., 409 
Quinn, Florence E., 383 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



531 



John J., 383 
Terence, 383 

Ramsay. Hugh, 76 

Marie E. S., -n 

William E., Dr., 76 
Randolph, Abel R, 147 

Fanny F., 20 

James F., 19 

Margaret E., 147 

Samuel, 147 

Theodore F., 19, 20 
Rankin, Alexander M., 188 

Christian, 189 

Collin D., 189 

William J., 188 
Raritan Trust Co., 454 
JRatliff, John, 117 

Leonard M., 117 

Lulu, 118 
Raven, Anton A., 8 

Anton A., Jr., 9 

Elizabeth G., 8 

John H., Rev., 7, 8 
Reed, Donald W., no 

Helen M., in 

James, no 
Reeve, Alfred W., 233, 234 

Elizabeth H., 235 

Elwood J., 234 

Joseph, 234 
Reusch, Catherine, 180 

Conrad, 179 

Paul, 179 

Paul E., 180 
Reynolds, Charles, 279 

Cora M., 281 

George F., 279, 280 
Rice, Eliza W., 417 

James K., Hon., 417 

Lawrence E., 311 

Nathan, 417 
Richardson, Frederick F., 73 

Helen M., 73 

William, Ti 
Riddle, Jacob, 351 

Matilda, 352 

Thomas H., 351 
Riddlestorffer, Sidney, 454 
Rinehart, Anna, 457 

Francis J., 4S8 

George, 457, 4S8 

John, 458 

John H., 457 

Sylvester, 458 
Robins, Mary, 324 

Nathan, 323 

Nathan, Jr., ^Z 



Rocks, Annie A., 469 

Patrick J., 468 

Patrick J., Jr., 468 
Roessler, Elizabeth, 140 

Franz, 139, 140 

Fritz, 139 
Rohde, August, 493 

Charles, 493 

Margaret, 493 
Ross, Laura W., 191 

Miles, 190 

Millard F., 190 

Millard F., Jr., 190 
Rossi, Agnes G., 87 

Auguste J., 8s, 86 

James C, 85 

Louis M., 86 

Mildred L., 86 
Rowley, Augusta C, 387 

Lizzie, 387 

Nathan, 387 

Piatt J., 387 
Rubenstein, Adele, 505 

Isaac, 504 

Sol, 504, SOS 
Ruckle, Catherine, 296 

William H., 296 

William H., Jr., 296 
Rule, George, 123 

George B., 123 

Rachel A., 123 
Runyon, Edna M., 390 

Eugene, 389 

George D., 44, 45 

Harry H., 4S 

John, 44, I2S 

Katherine E., 127 

Lewis P., 45 

Mabel, 390 

Melvenia, 45 

Oscar, 389 

Russell E., 389. 390 

Vincent, 45, 125 

Walter G., 389," 39° 

Walter P., 124, 12s 

Walter P., Jr., 127 
Ryan, Alice E., 429 

Catherine, 42i8 

Elizabeth, 430 

Helen, 429 

John F., 429 
Lawrence C, 430 

Mary, 430 

Patrick J., 428 

Patrick L., 427 

Richard T., Rev., 429 

William A., 429 
Rymsha, Alvin J., 508 



532 



MIDDLESEX 



Johanna, 508 
John, S08 
John, Jr., 508 
Leon, 508 

Scanlon, James, 392 

John, 392 

Katharine, 392 
Schaefer, Charles M., 353 

Elizabeth, 353 

Henry C, 353 
Schanck, Elizabeth M., 31 

Henry, 30 

Keortenus H., 30 

Peter V., 30 

Sarah G., 31 

Thomas E., 30 
Schenck, Charles A., 303 

Clifford E., 469 

George A., 469 

Henry V. V., 303 

John H., 469 

Lillian R., 469 

Nellie L., 304 
Schlesinger, Henry, 256 

Rae, 257 

William, 256 
Schneider, Ethel M., loi 

Frederick C, 99, 100 

George, 99 
Schonceit, Bessie E., 235 

Charles, 235 

Meyer, 235 
Schrimpf, Adam, 68 

Henry W., 68 

Herbert C, 69 

Josephine, 69 
Schwartz, Herman, 413 

Malvina, 413 

Philip L., Dr., 412, 413 
Scott, Austin, Dr., 6 
Scully, Thomas J., 460 
Seaman, Catherine A., 146 

Clara, 359 

Frederick, 359 

John, 146 

John F., 146 

Ralph E., 359 
Sebolt, Conrad, 285 

John, 28s 

Nellie, 286 
Sedam, Amelia M., 53 

Charles W., 53 

Charles W., Jr., 53 

Olga D., 54 

Ryke R., 53 

Walter C, S3. 54 
Segoine, Harold R., 103 



Margaret E., 104 

William, 103 
Segrave, Christopher, 343 

John, 342, 343 

Mary, 343 

Robert, 342 
Seiden, Bessie L, 482 

Mandel, 481 

Samuel, 481, 482 
Serviss, David, 112 

Mary, 112 

Richard, 112 
Sexton, James A., 331 

Joe A., 329 

Lucretia, 330 

William, 329, 331 
Shapiro, Elias, Dr., 440, 441 

Hannah, 440 

Israel, 440 
Shull, Elias, 89 

John v., 90 

Laura C, 90 

Samuel E., 89 
Siegel, Isadore, Dr., 155 

Jeanette, 156 

Kasriel, 502 

Moses, 15s 

Samuel H., Dr., 502 

Yetta, 503 
Silence, Jane, 366 

William A., 365 

William A., Jr., 365 
Simmen, Charles R., 224 

Ella, 224 

Jennie W., 170 

Julius T., 169 

Theodore, 169, 224 
Simon, Annie, 493 

George, 493 
Siskind, Abraham, 505 

Lena, 506 

Philip, 487 

Nathan, 505 

Rachel, 489 
Slobodien, Benjamin F., Dr., 322, 323 

Morris, 322 

Sophia, 322 
Slugg, Clarence H., 462 

Margaret J., 462 

Morris L., 462 

Thomas L., 461 
Smerling, Chanon, 483 

Jacob, 483 

Sarah, 483 
Smith, Anna P., 155 

Bertram B., Dr., 88, 89 

Catherine F., 27 

Charles R., 155 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



533 



Edythe A., 89 

Elisa, 241 

Forrest L., 143 

Hans C, 240 

Hans C, Jr., 240 

Harvey I., 251 

Hazel A., 253 

Ida M., 363 

James A., 143 

James B., 363 

Jeannette, 144 

John C, 88, 89 

John S., 26 

John v., Dr., 26 

Lauritz W., 442 

Maren, 442 

Norman H., 251, 252 

Peter, 442 

William M., 363 
Snedeker, Charles D., 118 

Cornelius, 118 

Jan, 118 

Mary, 119 
Solmson, Robert J., 165 
Somogyi, Allie M., 368 

Michael, 368 

Stephen F., 368 
*Sorenson, Jens M., 206, 207 

Olga, 207 

Peter T., 206 
Sosin, Jacob, 250 

Louis Y., 250 

Rachel, 250 
Space, Edward W., 263 

George A., 263 

George N., 263 

Jane M., 264 
Spinelli, Mary E., 358 

Michael, 358 

Michael C, 358 
Spruance, Annie M., 369 

Frederick D., 369 

John B., 369 
Stas, Anna, 484 

Frank, 483, 4-84 

Joseph, 483 
Staudt, August K., 157 

Conrad, 157 

Katherine P., 157 
Steinfeld, Benjamin, 312 

Jack, 312 

Lottie, 312 
Stelle, Augustus, 370 

Isaac, 370 

Julia R., 370 

Maria, 370 

Spencer C, 370 



Stephenson, Abraham W., 243 

Georgianna, 244 

Harold P., 244 

Richard C, 243 
Stern, Arthur, 257 

Belle, 257 

Simon, 257 
Steuerwald, Charles, 56 

Charles L., s6 

Ethel J., 57 
Stotesbury, Frances L., 468 

Robert H., 467, 468 

Robert L., 467 
Streitwolf, August, 153 

August C, 153 

Edna E., IS3 
Stremlau, Charles, 9 

Emil, 9 

Violet M., 10 
Strong, Alan H., 19 

Edward W., 19 

Harriet A., 19 

John, 18 

Joseph, 19 

Joseph, Rev., 19 

Theodore, 19 

Woodbridge, 18, 19 
Sutliff, Charles J., 348 

Edward A., 348 

John, 348 

John, Jr., 347, 348 

John F., 348 

Joseph M., 348 

Mary A., 348 
Suydam, Abram, 198 

John L., Dr., 198 

Mary E., 198 
Swales, James, 333 

Ruth, 334 

Thomas, 333 

Ten Eyck, Edward M., 471 

Harry H., 471 

Ida, 471 

John v., 471 

Mathias, 471 
Terhune, Albert, 315 

Albert H., 315 
Testa, Emidas, 496 

Lulu, 497 

William, 496 
Thompson, Charles S., Dr., 94 

Harriet M., 94 

Robert, 94 
Thorn, Ada, 134 

Charles H., 133 

George W., 133 



534 



MIDDLESEX 



Tindell, Annie, 85 


Viehmann, Anthony, 447 


Charles E., 85 


George A., 447, 448 


Edward, 85 


Mary, 449 


Tombs, Helen, 452 


Voorhees (Van Voorhees-van voor Hees ) 


William H., 453 


Abraham, 78, 166 


William H., Jr., 453 


Abraham L., 78 


Toms, Joseph, 467 


Adelaide B., 79 


Sarah E. M., 467 


Albert, ^^ 


Sarah J., 467 


Charles H., 225 


Toolan, Elizabeth, 38 


Clifford I., IT, 79 


John, 38 


Coerte A., "77 


John E., 38, 39 


David, 22s 


Turner, George S., 65 


Florence M., 166 


Henry, 64 


Howard C, Dr., 165, 166 


Henry J., 65 


Isaac, 225 


John E., 65 


Isaac L., 78 


John S., 64 


Ira C, 225 


Sarah J., 65 


Jan L., 22s 




Louis A., 225 


Unkel, Anna, 363 


Lucas, 78 


Rudolph, 362 


Lucas S., IT, 22s 


Theodore, 362 


May, 226 


Urbanski, Agnes, 307 


Steven C, 77, 225 


Francis X., 307 




Matthew F., Dr., 306, 307 


Waldron, Carrie, 382 




Peter, 381 


Valentine, Edwin W., 204, 205 


William P., 381, 382 


Emma E., 205 


Walker, Joseph F., 195 


Frank R., 135, 137 


Mary H., 196 


Grace E., 137 


Tesscier, 195 


James, 10, 135, 204 


Wall, Elizabeth H., s 


James R. (Ross), 135, 136 


Garret, 3 


Mulford D., 10, 13s 


James, 3 


Rachel V., 11 


John P., 3, 4 


Van Blarcom, Cornelius H., 63 


Michael, 4 


E. Viola, 64 


Patrick, 3 


Harold, Maj., 63 


Richard, 3 


Van Cleef, Abraham, 142 


Susanna, 4 


Annie, 143 


Waller, Elwood E., 241 


James H., 143 


Elwood E., Jr., 242 


Peter A., 143 


Francina C, 242 


Schuyler C, 142, 143 


William, 241 


Van Nuis, Blanche M., 439 


William E., 241 


Emma, 261 


Warner, Arthur E., 401, 402 


Lyle, 261 


Edward P., 401 


Percy L., 261 


Nellie B., 403 


William, Jr., 438 


Watson, Asher D., 67 


William M., 438 


Beulah F., 66 


Van Siclen, Phoebe E., 165 


Frank E., 65 


William, 165 


Franklin L., 66, 67 


Van Syckle, Frank H., 455 


Russell E., 6s 


Peter H., 4SS 


Sarah E., 65 


Van Wyck, Catherine, 398 


Weaver, Madeline R., 384 


William H., 397, 398 


W. Guy, 383 


Z. B., 398 


W. Guy, Jr., 383 


Vandenbergh, Mary E., 464 


Weber, John F., Dr., 145 


Robert M., 464 


Rebecca, 146 


Robert R., 464 


William A., 145 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



535 



Wcdeen, Esther B., 434 

Hyman, 434 

Ida B., 294 

Louis O., 294 

Nathan, 434 

William, Dr., 294, 295 
Weida, Francis, 59 

Harry W., 59 

Lydia E., S9 
Wester, John N., 325 

Magdalena, 325 

Mathilda, 325 

Neils, 325 
Wheatley, Amos, 227 

Isaac, 227 

Mary A., 228 
White, John J., 276 

Mary, 95 

Mary M., 276 

Patrick, 94 

Raymond P., 276 

Richard P., 94 
Whitfield, Jacob H., 288 

Julia A., 288 

Samuel, 288 

William H., 288 
Whitney, Charles E., 331 

Ruth J., 331 

William O., 331 
Wilentz, David T., 107, 108 

Lena, 108 

Nathan, 107 
Williams, Alene M., 263 

David J., 262, 263 

John R., 262 

Marie A., 263 
Willis, Henry B., 17 

Jane V., 17 

Ralph, Rev., 17 

W. Spader, 17 
Wilson, Charles E., 273 

Lillian M., 274 
♦Raymond P., 273 

Thomas, 34 

Wilhelmina, 35 

William C, 34, 35 
Winiger, Elizabeth, 471 

John, 471 

Joseph, 471 



Wittnebert, Anna, 514 

Bernard, 514 

Ernest, 514 

Henry P., 514 

John H., 514 

Otto, 514 
Wolff, Fannie, 474 

Harry L., inz, 474 

William, 473 
Wood, Adda B., 397 

Bernice E., 203 

Bessie C, 360 

Chester W., 287 

Emma F., 288 

George R., 360 

George W., 360 

Harley I., 397 

Joseph, 202 

Leslie T., 202, 203 

Samuel F., 397 

W. A., Rev., 203 

Walker K., 288 

William P., 287 
Woodbridge Leader, The, 430 
Woodruff, Helen M., 271 

Hiram W., 271 

William E., 271 
Wrage, Charles G., 372 

Emma, 373 

Henry, 372 
Wright, Anna M., 114 

Joseph B., 114 

Lester C, 114 

Samuel G., 114 

Sarah, 115 

Zaremba, Anna, 502 

John, SOI 

Leonard, 501 
Zerfing, Aaron, 357 

Henry P., Dr., 356, 357 

Sallie A., 357 
Zucker, Arthur E., 500 

Henrietta, 500 

Max, 500 
Zylka, John, 495 

Michael, 495 

Rose, 495 



T>^*«^5#1S