USA > New Jersey > Essex County > Newark > Biographical and genealogical history of the city of Newark and Essex County, New Jersey, V. 2 > Part 18
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JOSEPH HENSLER,
president of the Hensler Brewing Com- pany, of Newark, was born in the ortschaft of Gutenstein, in the oberamt Moeskirch, near the Baden sea in the kingdom of Ba- den, Germany, February 2, 1830, and is a son of Bonifatz and Catherine (Blender) Hensler. His father was educated in the common schools of his native town and there learned the brewer's trade, which he
followed as a life work. He was a just and conscientious man in all life's relations, and was charitable, giving freely of his means to the needy. He held membership in the Roman Catholic church.
In 1854 he decided to come to America and with his family, consisting of himself and six children, he crossed the Atlantic, arriving at New York on the 26th of Oc- tober, 1854, after a voyage of thirty-four days. Locating in Newark with his family, he spent the remainder of his days in this city, his death occurring in September, 1874. He was twice married. His first wife died in the fatherland in October, 1834, at the age of thirty-one years, her birth having occurred in 1803. Her chil- dren were Theresa, wife of John Bell; Jo- seph; Mathias, who married and had two children, but he and his family are all now deceased; John, who married Catherine Kaiser, and both died, leaving three chil- dren, Elizabeth, John and George; and Jo- hanna, wife of John Baumgartner, by whom she has four children,-Joseph, John, Elizabeth and Annie. After the death of his first wife Bonifatz Hensler married Theresa Knittel, who died Decem- ber 6, 1837, leaving one son, Adolph, who came with his father to America.
Joseph Hensler acquired his education in the schools of his native land, and on lay- ing aside his text-books began learning the brewer's trade with his father. When he had attained to man's estate, he was drafted into the military service of his country as an infantryman and continued in the army until the expiration of his reg- ular term. Accompanying his father on the emigration to America, he located in Newark and entered the employ of Herman and Adolph Schalk, by whom he was em-
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ployed as a journeyman. By perseverance, industry and economy he was at length en- abled to begin business on his own account, in November, 1858, and formed a partner- ship with his brother-in-law, George Lo- renz, opening a brewery on a part of the site which is now occupied by his extensive plant. They were successful in the new enterprise, and the partnership was con- tinued until 1866, when it was dissolved by mutual consent, Mr. Hensler buying out his brother-in-law's interest. He has since carried on operations alone and has met with most gratifying results. In 1891 he admitted his two sons to a partnership and the Joseph Hensler Brewing Company was incorporated with our subject as president, Adolph F. Hensler as vice-president, and Joseph Hensler, Jr., as financial secretary. The plant has been enlarged from time to time to meet the requirements of the con- stantly increasing trade and now ranks among the largest of the kind in the city. .
Mr. Hensler was married November 4, 1858, to Magdalena, widow of David Jac- quilliard, and a daughter of George Adam and Margaretta (Burger) Reis. They now have two children: Joseph, who married Amelia Rohrig, daughter of Charles Roh- rig, and has one son, George Arthur; and Adolph F., who married Josephine Ender- son, daughter of James Enderson. Their children are Richard and Robert, pupils in the high school of Newark; Edward, Gil- bert and Belle. By her first marriage Mrs. Hensler had two children: Sophia, wife of Jacob Kaiser, of Newark, by whom she has seven children,-Jacob, Andrew, John, Nicholas, Martin, Elizabeth and Annie; and Lena, wife of John Fauwald, by whom she has one son, George.
Mr. Hensler is a member in good stand-
ing in Schiller Lodge, No. 66, A. F. & A. M., of Newark; in politics is a Democrat, and in religious faith is a Roman Catholic.
THE TAYLOR FAMILY.
Every man who induces another to settle in the Oranges adds just that much to the wealth of the whole community. When it is considered that the combined efforts of Abraham C. and Ira M. Taylor- father and son-in this direction extend over a period of more than sixty years, it is safe to say that they have added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the wealth of the Oranges. Both are natives of Essex county and are identified by marriage with some of the old- est families in this vicinity. William Tay- lor, the American progenitor of this branch of the Taylor family, was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Eccles) Taylor, of Randall's Town, near Belfast, Ireland. Jacob was a linen manufacturer, a native of Scotland, the family being all stanch Scotch Presby- terians.
William Taylor, son of Jacob, was a mill- wright. He came to this country soon after 1800, in company with Deacon John Nichol, one of the pillars of the Brick church, East Orange. William Taylor set- tled in Bloomfield, where he married Ger- trude, daughter of Colonel Thomas Cad- mus, of that place, a descendant of one of the old Holland families who settled in east New Jersey. The house in which Colonel Cadmus lived, on Washington street, Bloomfield, was built by his ancestors about 1672. This house is mentioned in the history of Bloomfield as Washington's headquarters.
Abraham Cadmus Taylor, son of Will-
ii-9
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iam and Gertrude (Cadmus) Taylor, was born in Bloomfield, New Jersey, March 9, 1812, and died in East Orange, December 17, 1883. He lived with his uncle, Abra- ham Cadmus, from an early age until the latter's death, and inherited most of his property. His grandfather, Colonel Thom- as Cadmus, served with 'distinction in the war of the Revolution and enjoyed the per- sonal friendship of General Washington, who presented him with a sword, the bro- ken parts of which are still in the family. At the age of eighteen years Abraham C. Taylor came to Orange, where he spent the remainder of his life. He kept a country store for some years and subsequently es- tablished a large clothing business in Mo- bile, Alabama, under the firm name of Tay- lor & Dickinson. Mr. Taylor remained north, attending to the buying, manufac- turing, etc., while his partner attended to the southern branch of the business. He discontinued the business just before the panic of 1857 and thereby escaped financial disaster.
Mr. Taylor was among the first of the old residents to appreciate the possibilities of Orange as a place of suburban residence, and, with wise forethought, he purchased large tracts of land in Orange and Mont- clair. His first home property was located on Main, Baldwin and Harrison streets. He afterward purchased several acres on Wash- ington street and built for himself a new house, in which he lived and died. He di- vided this property into building lots, and opened William street through the prop- erty, from Prospect to Washington streets, and made other necessary improvements. Among other properties he developed the Uzal Dodd tract at Doddtown; he also opened New street to Orange. He did not
wait for others to develop their property in order that he might reap the benefit, but with a worthy public spirit he spent his money freely in improving all his property, while many of his neighbors profited there- by. He was a whole-souled, enterprising business man, with large ideas which he was capable of carrying out. He was a leader in politics, although, with a single exception, he invariably declined to accept office. He worked earnestly for his friends, and whoever was fortunate enough to se- cure his influence was almost certain of an election. He managed all his own affairs with consummate ability, exercising wis -. dom and forethought in all his transactions. Though not a member of any church he led an exemplary life, and in all his intercourse with his fellow men endeavored to conform to the Golden Rule. He had large busi- ness interests and was connected with vari- ous organizations. He was a director in the Orange Savings Bank, and in the Essex County Mutual Insurance Company.
Mr. Taylor married Elizabeth Simmons Condit, daughter of Samuel Wheeler and Sarah (Brundage) Condit, residents of what is now West Orange. Samuel Wheeler Condit was the son of Joel and Sarah (Wheeler) Condit. Joel served in the war of the Revolution. He was the son of Daniel, son of Samuel, the Newark ances- tor of the family. The children of Abraham Cadmus Taylor and his wife, Elizabeth, were : Mary C .; Harriet, who married Sam- uel G. Van Auken; William A., born No- vember 17, 1840, and died January 9, 1856; Elizabeth, who married Marcus A. Gould, and is a practicing physician of the new school; Gertrude, who resides in Washing- ton, D. C .; Ira M .; Samuel M., and Caro- line died in infancy.
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Ira M. Taylor, sixth child of Abraham Cadmus and Elizabeth (Condit) Taylor, was born in Orange, or what is now East Orange, October 31, 1846. He was sent to the best private schools in Orange, among these being the well known institution of Mr. Adams. Mr. Taylor's first bus- iness experience was in New York city, where he was first engaged in mercantile affairs and afterward in the manufacturing business. He was for some time connected with the Paragon Manufacturing Com- pany, which made the first paragon um- brella frames in this country. After his father's death Mr. Taylor returned to East Orange to assume charge of the estate, which for a time required his undivided at- tention. In the settlement of his father's affairs he was gradually drawn into the real- estate business and began operations for himself and others. His pleasing and cour- teous manners drew people to him, and without any special effort on his part busi- ness increased. Strangers, as well as his personal friends, found that they could al- ways rely on his representations, that he had no personal ends to serve. His aim has been to please the buyer as well as the owner of the property, and he has never failed to state the true conditions as to health, drainage, etc., even though it might be to the detriment of the owner and at a personal sacrifice of his own interests. His methods, which were actuated by a consci- entious regard for the public welfare and for the good of his patrons, have yielded their legitimate fruits, and a large number of the most desirable class of business men have been induced to settle in the Oranges and build for themselves fine residences. These in turn have induced others to locate here, who invariably commend Mr. Taylor
as the best man to conduct negotiations. The fact of his individual success and pros- perity is the best evidence of what he has ac- complished in the development of the Or- anges, and through his efforts hundreds of thousands of dollars have been added to the wealth of his native town, and without any pretense or assumption on his part he has proved one of the greatest of public bene- factors. His conscientious regard for the truth, his honesty and perfectly fair deal- ings with all, have won him the confidence and support of both buyers and sellers of property.
It was Mr. Taylor's reputation for honor- able dealing, as well as his good judgment and strict impartiality, that led the projec- tors of the New Orange Industrial Associa- tion to make him their representative and manager for this district for the greatest real-estate enterprise ever attempted in this country, viz., the purchase and immediate development of nineteen hundred acres of land lying between Millburn and Roselle and the immediate outlay of millions of dol- lars for improvements, etc. Mr. Taylor was one of the commissioners appointed to widen and straighten Second river in that part of the Doddtown district formerly known as Rattlesnake Plains. He organ- ized and is secretary of the Penn Bluff Brick and Tile Company, an enterprising and suc- cessful corporation. He served on a com- mission for opening new streets in East Or- ange. Mr. Taylor is thoroughly domestic in his tastes and habits and has no interest whatever in club life. He is a member of Brick church and was formerly secretary and treasurer of the Sunday-school.
Mr. Taylor married Kate N. Seymour. of New York city, and they have one child. Catharine.
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GEORGE E. MEAD.
The progenitor of the Mead family in America was Peter Mead, who came from Holland to this country about the year 1730 and settled in what was then known as Mead's Basin, now Mountain View, Passaic county, New Jersey. John A., son of Peter, came to "Dutch Lane," in Caldwell town- ship, and here reared a number of children, including John and Aaron.
John (2d) was born in "Dutch Lane" on the Ist of November, 1769, and spent his boyhood days in the usual way, farming and attending such schools as were provid- ed in those days. He married Miss Sarah Dodd, daughter of Captain Caleb Dodd, of Caldwell, and they had eight children.
Allen C. Mead, son of John (2d), was born on the 21st of April, 1805, and passed his entire life in Caldwell township, most of the time being occupied in following the shoemaker's trade. The last few years were spent in farming, in which he met with marked success. He married Lucretia Dayton, of Basking Ridge, daughter of John Dayton, who was an uncle of William L. Dayton, one of New Jersey's most dis- tinguished citizens. He was a supporter of church interests, a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, and in his political faith was a stanch Democrat, being an in- fluential resident of his home city. He was a member of the old muster, was a fifer and a drummer, and his sons are all gifted with the talent of music. Mrs. Mead was a lov- ing wife and good mother, and her life was one of useful endeavor and Christian forti- tude. She was called to her eternal rest on August 27, 1893, being survived by her husband until February 26, 1895. Of their six children, George E. is the subject of this
sketch; Sarah E. became the wife of George Canfield; Joel D., born August 18, 1832, was postmaster for a term at Cald- well and also held town offices; James R., born July 17, 1834, was postmaster at Han- over for thirty years; John Milton, born May 1, 1837, was postmaster one term at Caldwell; and Emily A., born October 28, 1838, was the youngest.
Mr. George E. Mead was born on the 12th of August, 1828, and after attending the public schools learned the carriage- making trade at Morristown, New Jersey, and followed the same for about ten years, at the end of which period he engaged in general merchandizing at Pine Brook, Morris county, New Jersey, continuing in that line of enterprise with marked success for twenty-six years. He then purchased his father's farm, taking up his residence thereon, and from time to time has added to it until he is now enjoying a comfortable competency and is one of the most pros- perous agriculturists of Essex county. Commencing in 1856 he was postmaster for twenty-five years at Pine Brook, filling the office with great credit under both Repub- lican and Democratic administrations; he himself has always been a Democrat.
Socially Mr. Mead is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and in his religious be- lief he is an adherent of the Presbyterian church of Caldwell. He is a public-spirited citizen and is deeply interested in the edu- cational advancement of the county.
On the 5th of November, 1851, Mr. Mead was united in marriage with Miss Sarah A. Van Ness, daughter of Peter Van Ness, of Pine Brook, Morris county, New Jersey. The latter was a farmer and a sup- porter of the Methodist church. He mar- ried Miss Mary Peer, of Fairfield, Essex
.
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county, who also was a member of the Methodist church. Mr. George E. Mead and wife have the following named chil- dren: Caroline H. is the wife of Henry C. Lewis, and has three children,-Sarah M., Irvin R. and Alice C .; Alice L., the wife of Edward M. Young; Mary Lucretia, who married Wilbur B. Gould; and Henry C., an officer in the state penitentiary, who was formerly associated with his father in the mercantile business. He married Miss Charlotte Kent, and they have had two children : Allen K., who died October 25, 1897, at the age of eight years; and Ida K.
JOHN B. WALLACE,
of the firm of Wallace & Company, manu- facturers of structural and ornamental slate work, in Newark, was born in the town of Clough Jorden, in the county of Tipperary, Ireland, January 1, 1874, and is the son of Wellington and Catherine (Lewis) Wal- lace, both of Irish parentage.
The father received a common-school ed- ucation and chose as his life work the till- ing of the soil. In 1882 he came to Amer- ica to seek a broader field for his labor, reaching Philadelphia in March of that year. He was accompanied by his family, consisting of wife and three children,- John B., Esther and Catherine. He did not remain in Pennsylvania, however, but took up his residence in Toronto, Canada, where his two sons, Richard and Jeremiah, had located some time previously, and were en- gaged in business. Both parents are still residents of that city and are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. The family of this worthy couple numbered twelve children, as follows : Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Blackwell, a
resident of Montreal, Canada, by whom she had six children; Jeremiah, who is con- nected with the Bank of Commerce of To- ronto, and resides there with his wife and three children; Richard, who is engaged in contracting and building in Toronto, where he lives with his wife and three children; William, a member of the police force of Toronto, who is married and has one child; Rachel, wife of James Brown, of Toronto, by whom she has three children; Welling- ton, Jr., cashier in the Home and Loan Sav- ings Institution in Toronto, who is married and has two children; Kathleen, a profes- sional nurse, now following her chosen life work in the Empire state; Esther, wife of Martin Kellough, a resident of East Orange; Matilda, who is living with her parents in Toronto; James, who came to East Orange and lives with his sister; John B. of this review; Sarah, who died in Ire- land when about twenty years of age; be- sides two who died in early childhood in the same country.
John B. Wallace acquired his education in the public schools of Toronto, and when in his early 'teens began to earn his own livelihood. Since that time he has depend- ed entirely upon his own efforts, so that whatever he has achieved in life results from his earnest labors and perseverance. In 1890 he went to Brooklyn, where he found em- ployment in the slate-working business. He applied himself earnestly and closely to the duties entrusted to his care, and as time progressed thoroughly mastered the busi- ness in all its departments. He then re- solved to carry on the enterprise on his own account, and in 1894 embarked in business at Roseville, where he has met with good success in his undertakings, building up an excellent trade. He has executed the slate
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and mantel work on a number of the public buildings in Newark and Bloomfield, and in 1896 the firm of which he is a member did the work in the Pennsylvania Railroad depot at Elizabeth, and in the new Turn Verein Hall and the Krueger Auditorium at Elizabeth. In 1895 they established their present place of business on Warren street, Newark, and in this locality they have se- cured a good business among the best class of patrons. Thoroughly understanding the work in all its departments, and meeting fully every obligation imposed by the terms of the contract, he gives full satisfaction to his many patrons, and has gained their con- fidence and regard.
Mr. Wallace is a member of the Roseville Methodist Episcopal church and of the Young Men's Christian Association, of Newark, and takes an active part in church and benevolent work, doing all in his power to advance the cause of humanity.
JEREMIAH P. BALL,
butcher, East Orange, New Jersey, is one of the representative business men and re- spected citizens of this place, belonging to a family long resident of New Jersey. He was born in Newark, this state, March 28, 1833, and is a son of Archibald and Sarah Gibbs (Price) Ball, both natives of Essex county.
George Ball, the grandfather of Jeremiah P., was born and passed his whole life in Essex county, where he was well known as a man of industry and honest worth. By trade he was a blacksmith. Of his family only three sons-Stephen, Edward and Archibald-are known to survive. Archi- bald Ball, like his father before him, was born and passed his life in Essex county.
He died in Elizabeth. By occupation he was a morocco dresser. On the maternal side also the ancestors of our subject were among the primitive settlers of New Jersey, the time of their location here being pre- vious to the Revolutionary war. Repre- sentatives of the family were participants in that war. Jeremiah Price, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was a prominent official in the town of Elizabeth. For a period of forty-one years he was constable and deputy sheriff at that place. He died there at an advanced age. To Archibald Ball and wife were born six children, as follows: Martha C., deceased wife of Will- iam Meeker; Jeremiah P .; George M., de- ceased, and his wife, Sarah Moore- house, were the parents of three chil- dren,-Martha, Jessie and Charlotte; Maria D., wife of John Cary, New York, has two children,-Myrtie and Harriet; Sarah E., a resident of Vineland, New Jer- sey; and Henry C., deceased, who married Rebecca Leipsey and had a family of two children,-Irwin, who resides in New York, and Harry, of Newark.
Jeremiah P. Ball removed to Orange, New Jersey, with his parents in 1841, when eight years of age. He received a limited education in the public schools of this place, attending school until he was ten. At that early age he entered upon anapprenticeship to the trade of shoemaker in the shop of Peter Campbell, located at what was called Doddtown, between Orange and Bloom- field. Mr. Campbell died before young Ball had completed his apprenticeship. He, however, continued work at the trade until 1856. That year he engaged in the butcher business, which he has since continued and in which he has had a fairly prosperous career.
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Mr. Ball was married in East Orange, December 27, 1854, to Miss Lydia M. Washburn, daughter of Silas and Lydia (Baldwin) Washburn; and their union has been blessed in the birth of two children, namely : Stephen C., who married While- mina Bodner and has one child, Dorothy; and David W., who married Elsie Mc- Chesney.
Politically, Mr. Ball is in accord with the Republican party and is enthusiastic in the support of the same. Before the organiza- tion of this party he was a Whig. He has several times been elected to the office of justice of the peace. His family attend worship at the Second Presbyterian church of East Orange.
HENRY W. HERBERT.
Henry William Herbert was born in London on the 7th of April, 1807, a year which has been made famous by giving America her Longfellow and her Willis. Until the age of twelve Master Henry was taken charge of by tutors in his father's house, which, in those days especially, was a general resort for parliamentary wits and distinguished scholars. On entering his 'teens, Henry was sent to Dr. Hooker's academy at Brighton, on the Sussex coast.
In April, 1820, commencing his four- teenth year, he was entered at Eton, where his happy powers of analysis, or of synthe- sis, astonished his professors. He made such remarkable progress that in 1825 his father sent him to Caius College, Cam- bridge, and in the class of 1829-30 he was graduated.
While at Cambridge the society of the youthful Herbert was eagerly sought after by more wealthy commoners; and, as he
was especially anxious to associate with them, he gradually formed some very ex- pensive habits. One of the best things Herbert did while at Cambridge was to join a troop of Cambridgeshire yeomanry cav- alry, a full squadron of which was occa- sionally "camped out" on the routes be- tween Cambridge and Huntingdon, Peter- borough, Lynn and Norwich, as the differ- ent counties might invite each other's mem- bers. By the knowledge of equestrian and field movements thus acquired Herbert was subsequently enabled to give us those fine descriptions of Roman battles, sieges, and campaigns, which Herbert's delighted read- ers find in "The Captains of the Old World," or in "The Roman Republic," and " which he intended to havecontinued. While at college Herbert had rapidly acquired a restless and reckless way of living, and his parents could exercise little or no control over him. He plunged deeper and deeper into debt on coming of age. He went to Brussels and afterward to Paris; but neith- er the continent nor Europe itself was large enough for his peculiar ideas; nothing short of "a boundless continent," like that of America, seemed worthy of his notice.
Herbert landed in this country about No- vember, 1831, and the few hundred pounds having been soon expended he was com- pelled to turn his attention to business. He readily obtained an engagement as a teach- er of Greek in the Rev. R. Townsend Hud- dart's classical and fashionable school, which at that time was in Beaver street, near Broadway, and gave perfect satisfac- tion for eight years. In 1834, Mr. Her- bert's first historical novel, "The Brothers, a Tale of the Fronde," was published by the Harpers, and was favorably received by the public. From 1833 to 1836, he was more
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