History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 129

Author: Snell, James P; Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1140

USA > New Jersey > Sussex County > History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 129
USA > New Jersey > Warren County > History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 129

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Israel, son of Dr. Isaac Harris, born in 1770, was graduated at Princeton College and studied law with Gen. Frederick Frelinghuysen at Millstone, in Somer- set Co., N. J. He subsequently turned his attention to business pursuits, and became the possessor of sev- eral hundred acres of land in Hillsborough township, Somerset Co., and valuable personal property. Hle resided for a time at Middlebrook, and spent the lat- ter part of his life at Somerville, where he died, in June, 1816. In early manhood he took an active part in politics as a member of the old Federal party, and had influence in political circles. He served one term as sherifl' of Somerset County. Had he followed his profession, his energy and talent could not have failed to give him rank with the most prominent lawyers of his time. His wife was Aletta, daughter of Hendrick Schenek, who was one of the founders of the Dutch Reformed Church at Millstone, N. J., in 1766, and whose ancestors were of Dutch origin. She died Aug. 9, 1840, in her eighty-fourth year of age. Their children are Dr. Henry S .; Margaret, who became the wife of Abraham O. Voorhees, merchant, of New Brunswick ; and Gertrude F. Ilarris.

Dr. Henry S. Harris, born at Weston, Franklin township, Somerset Co., Dee. 6, 1795, is at the time of writing this sketch in the eighty-fifth year of his age. Hle has lived nearly one-half the time since his pative State was first set foot upon by the white man, and is able now to portray in striking contrast the present with three-quarters of a century ago, marking the changes and the introduction of machinery to lessen labor of almost every kind, to sce schools, churches, and colleges built up and the forest give place to highly-cultivated and produc- tive fields. Ilis early eduention was confined to the common school of his native place. At the age of fourteen he began the study of the classics at the Somerville Academy, in which he became quite pro- ficient during three years of incessant study. At the age of seventeen he began the study of medicine

518

WARREN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Henry L'thames

with his cousin, Dr. Henry Vanderveer, a prominent physician of Bedminster township, and continued his studies for four years, after which he attended a course of medieal lectures in Philadelphia. He passed his examination before the medieal board of Middle- sex County, and in 1818 settled in practice at Milford, Hunterdon Co., N. J., where he remained for seven years. He was subsequently in practice at Marlbor- ough, Monmouth Co., for four years, and in Bedmin- ster for the same length of time. He then settled in Allamuchy, Warren Co., where he successfully practiced his profession until 1871, when his age prevented him from the further active duties of his profession, and he removed to Belvidere, where he resides in 1880.

As a physician, Dr. Harris has ever been known as skillful, prompt, intelligent, and well read in medi- cine, and his counsel has been regarded by the medi- eal fraternity as safe and judicious in complicated eases. For a quarter of a century or more he at- tended his patients on horseback, and it may be truthfully said of him that the needy, when no money compensation could be expected, always received his care and treatment as well as the most opulent fami-

lies. He was esteemed for his urbanity of manners, for his kindness of heart and sympathy for those afflicted by disease, and especially for his leniency to his hosts of debtors, many of whom never in any way compensated him for his serviees. In Dr. Harris young physicians always found a friend and adviser in times of necessity, and all classes of society learned to esteem him for his manly and Christian virtues. During his entire practice of fifty years his success in obstetrics was almost unprecedented, as during that long period he never lost a case.

Dr. Harris has ever been interested in all questions of local and State legislation, and, following in the line of his aneestors, he is a Republican, having for- merly been a member of the old Whig party. He was one of the founders of the Hunterdon County Medieal Society, and was for many years a member of it. Upon his retirement from praetiee he became a member of the Warren County Medieal Society. His wife, Amelia, is a daughter of Edward Stout and granddaughter of Moses Stout, who married a sister of John llart, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. She was born May 4, 1801. Their children are Israel, cashier of the Belvidere National

519

THE MEDICAL PROFESSION OF WARREN COUNTY.

Bank, one of whose sons, Henry S. Harris, graduated at Princeton in the class of '70, is a lawyer at Belvi- dere, and was elected to Congress in the fall of 1880; Catharine L .; Henry Vanderveer, deceased ; IIen- rietta T .; Gertrude Frelinghuysen, wife of John Brookfield, of Belvidere; Emma R., dercased ; Fran- ces Eureka, deceased, who was the wife of J. Flavel McGee, a lawyer of Jersey City.

WILLIAM P. VAIL was born in Morris County in 1803. Ilis early life was passed on his father's farm, and his education derived from the common schools of his neighborhood. He began the study of medi- cine with his brother Charles. He attended medical lectures at Rutgers College, and was licensed by the State Medical Society at the same session with the late Dr. David MI. Sayre, -in June, 1828. He came to Johnsonsburg and took charge of Dr. Byington's practice during the winter of 1828-29, after which time he became his partner, so continuing until 1831, when he settled at Paulina. In 1838 he removed to Stroudsburg, but returned to Johnsonsburg in 1847. He resided there nearly thirty years, when he relin- omnished the practice of medicine. His residence is now near Newark, N. J.

As a practitioner he was conservative and success- ful. Noted for his extended researches in general and local history, well versed in theology, an elder of the ; Presbyterian Church of the Yellow Frame, and an ardent advocate of temperance, his deafness and par- tial loss of sight do not prevent him, in the decline of life, from still taking a lively interest in whatever is for the good of men.

THEODORE CRANE is a son of Ross and Margaret (Shafer) Crane, and was born at Hackettstown, N. J., Dee. 5, 1829. His father, Ross Crane, was a native of Westfield, N. J., and one of the early prominent residents of Hackettstown. He was a skillful mill- wright, and followed that pursuit for a number of years. Ile also engaged in the mercantile business at Hackettstown for many years, and owned and operated a flouring-mill there. He was appointed by the Leg- islature as a director of the Belvidere Bank, and filled that position for a long time. In all the walks of life he sustained the character of an upright man, valu- able citizen, and consistent Christian, and enjoyed the respect and esteem of the community in which he dwelt. Ile was a liberal contributor to the various benevolent and philanthropie enterprises of his day, and a prominent member of the Presbyterian Church of Hackettstown, of which he was one of the trustees. He died in 1857, at the age of seventy-onc.

Dr. Crane, after a preliminary educational training at the Hackettstown Academy, entered Princeton Col- lege in 1847, and was graduated from that institution in the class of 1850. He soon after commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Lewis C. Cook, of Haek- ettstown, and subsequently studied with Drs. Du Bois and Crane, of New Utrecht, L. I. He attended a full course of lectures at the College of Physicians and

Surgeons, in New York City, and was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1855. llc at once established himself at Hackettstown, where he is still in active and successful practice. He enjoys

Theo Crane. M. A

the reputation of an upright and honorable man, and of a skillful and intelligent physician, and is uni- formly respected in the locality in which he resides. He is a member of the State and County Medical So- cieties, and of the Presbyterian Church of Hacketts- town. Though a Democrat in politics, he has never been au aspirant after place, but has filled the im- portant position of freeholder for two years. He has also been one of the town trustees of Hackettstown Academy. He was married, in 1858, to Emma E., daughter of James Shotwell, of Hackettstown, and has seven children living.

JOHN S. Cook is the fifth son of Dr. Silas C. Cook, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this work. lle was born at Stewartsville, N. J., on June 19, 1827, and after a preliminary academic training at Hack- ettstown, N. J., entered Lafayette College, Easton, l'a., in 1843. In 1846 he entered the senior class of Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., whence he was graduated in 1847.

Soon after graduation Dr. Cook commenced the study of medicine at Easton, Pa., with his father, with whom he remained three years. During this period he attended two courses of lectures at the Med- ical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, and was graduated from that insti- tution with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1850.

520

WARREN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

He at once entered upon the practice of his profession at Hackettstown, N. J., where he has since remained, a portion of the time being in partnership with his brother, the late Dr. Lewis C. Cook.

Dr. Cook is the oldest practicing physician of Hackettstown, and enjoys a large and remunerative practice. He is recognized as an intelligent and able practitioner, of good judgment, careful in diagnosis, and skillful in the application of remedies to meet the requirements of his cases. He justly holds high rank in his profession, is a member of the county and State medical associations, and was president of the latter in 1879. His address on "The Problem of Life," de- livered at the session of the State association in that year, was recognized by his professional brethren as an able and valuable paper, and was printed in pam- phlet form for distribution.

As a man and a citizen Dr. Cook enjoys the respect and esteem of many friends. He has never been an aspirant after political place, thongh identified with the Republican party. He is genial in manner, liberal in his views and with his means, in active sympathy with all movements of a progressive or elevating char- acter, and a leading spirit in the social fabric of which he forms a part.

Dr. Cook was married, in 1855, to Georgiana, daughter of Richard and Mary A. Lewis, of Worth- ington, Ohio, and has had eight children, of whom seven are living,-namely, Helen B., Richard L., Silas C., John C., Mary, William F., and Catharine P. George died in infancy.

LEWIS MACKEY OSMUN is the third son of Joseph and Elizabeth M. Osmnn, and was born in Independ- ence township, Warren Co., N. J., on the second day of November, 1835. In the spring of 1848 his parents moved to Prince William Co., Va., where they con- tinued their former avocation of farming, the subject of this sketch diligently assisting them in all that per- tained to the labor of the farm. In the mean time he attended an academic course of instruction at Ma- nassas Junction, after which he entered Columbia Col- lege, in Washington, D. C., where he took a partial course and commenced the study of medicine with his uncle, L. C. Osmun, M.D., in his adopted county, in the year 1856. After a due course of study with his nnele he entered the National Medical College, a department of Columbia College, Washington, D. C., and after taking two full courses of lectures he grad- uated, in the spring of 1860. He soon after came North and located at Bushkill, Pike Co., Pa., where he continued three years in an active practice, when, feeling a strong desire, in common with so many young surgeons of the North, to render all the as- sistance possible in putting down the late Rebellion, he offered his services to the War Department at Washington, and was immediately assigned to a po- sition as assistant surgeon at Methodist Church Hos- pital, Alexandria, Va. After remaining here about four months he was transferred to Emery Hospital, Washington City, D. C., where he rendered very ef- fective service until August, 1865, when he again came North, located at Phillipsburg, Warren Co.,

S. M. Osman

521

THE MEDICAL PROFESSION OF WARREN COUNTY.

N. J., and there he still continues in a large and lu- crative practice of medicine and surgery. The latter branch he has made a specialty from the first, and is at the present time surgeon for the Central Railroad of' New Jersey, as well as the Morris and Essex di- vision of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad at this place. His success as a surgeon is undoubted. His treatment of a case is conservative rather than radical, and the best results follow nearly all of his operations. His rank as a surgeon for the past fifteen years has placed him among the leading medical men of this portion of the State. He is highly appreciated by his fellow-practitioners in medicine, and is a working member of the District Medieal Society for the county of Warren. His generosity is of the first order, giving freely of his means to every humane and worthy purpose. Hle is firm in his decisions, but kindness and benevolence are seen in all his actions, especially among the poorer class of his patrons.

Through careful and close attention to business he has accumulated a competeney. He is a thinker, and not afraid to express his opinions at all times. At present he is a member of the school board of Phillipsburg, and is deeply interested in the cause of education. No man in his profession enjoys a joke better than he; and he can be found, when business permits, at the different entertainments in the town, laughing and joking with all with whom he comes in contact. With all classes he is a general favorite, and particularly so with the children, who are always happy to gain his friendship. He has never married.

SAMUEL S. CLARK was born at Flemington, Hun- terdon Co., N. J., Nov. 8, 1825 .* He is a son of the Rov. John F. Clark, and a grandson of the Rev. Jo- seph Clark, D.D. The latter served during the Rev- olution on Washington's statf. Gen. John Maxwell, of Revolutionary memory, was Dr. Clark's great- unele. Samuel S. received his preparatory education at the school of the Rev. fohu Vanderveer, of Easton, and in 18-41 was admitted to Lafayette College. Atter remaining there two years he entered the junior class at Princeton, and was graduated in 1845. In 1848 he was graduated from the Medical Department of the University of New York, and the same year es- tablished himself in practice at Belvidere, N. J. fat first in partnership with his uncle, Dr. W. P. Clark, which continued until the latter's death ), where he still resides and practices his profession. He is a member of the American Medical Association, and of the New Jersey State and Warren County Medical So- cieties, joining the latter in 1849, and was its presi- dent in 1865. In 1879 he was appointed by Governor MeClellan one of the managers of the State Lunatic Asylum, at Morris Plains, In 1854 he married Jane

C., daughter of James C. Kennedy, M.D., of Warren County.

JOHN COFFE JOHNSON, son of William HI. and Anna M. Johnson, was born at Lewisburg, Wantage township, Sussex Co., N. J., Oct. 21, 1828. In 1830 his father removed to Newton, where John C. spent his youth, and at the schools of which place he re- ceived his education. In April, 1846, he entered the office of the late Dr. J. R. Stuart, of Newton; at- tended two courses of lectures at the College of Phy- sicians and Surgeons at New York, receiving his diploma in March, 1850. June 3, 1850, he settled at Blairstown, and immediately commenced the practice of medicine, which he has continued through all the intervening years. He married, in January, 1862, Miss Ann L. Howell, of Blairstown, and has had one child, a daughter. Dr. Johnson joined the District Medical Society for Warren County in 1852, and has held various official stations in the same, being at the present time a member of its historical committee. He is a member and a fellow of the Medical Society of New Jersey, having served as its president in 1867. The doctor's contributions to medical literature are to be found in the published transactions of the State Medical Society, and as one of the historical committee of the medical society of this eounty he has gathered, compiled, and written much that will be of inealeulable value to the profession in the future.

JOHN D. MILLS was located for a time near Wal- nut Valley, in the township of Blairstown, probably from 1844 to 1847, when he removed to Stanhope, where he practiced for many years. As a practitioner he was noted for his frequent and great use of vene- section as compared with the present ideas of thera- penties. He seemed to use it very successfully in an epidemie of scarlet fever, probably of a congestive character with brain complication. He still resides at Stanhope, but is not in practice.

JOHN ALBRIGHT practiced medicine at Paulina from 1837 to 1855. He was a native of Madison, Morris Co., N. J., where his father was a merchant. He was very successful and had a large practice. His mind was intuitive, which, coupled with industry and promptness, gave him the confidence of his pa- trons. But the toils of his extensive ride were too great for his strength, and he retired from practice in 1855. He removed to his old home in Madison, and has since been engaged in business in New York.

RICHARD PATTON COOKE, a native of Freling- huysen township, this county, and a graduate of the University of New York, practiced a few months at. Hope, Warren Co., but, as the labors of a country physician were not congenial to his tastes, he resumed the practice of dentistry, and has for a long time en- joyed a lucrative business of that kind in the city of New York.t

. A typographical error in the recently-published " History of llunter- don and Somerset Counties" makes Dr. Clark's birth occur In IN-15. It shonkl road 1825.

+ Dr. J. ( . Johnson's notes.

522

WARREN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

PHILIP F. BRAKELEY, son of Matthias Brakeley and Huldah Howell, of Trenton, N. J., was born in Greenwich (now Lopatcong) township, July 10, 1819. His paternal ancestors came from Holland, and those of his mother from England. As a lad he worked on a farm and attended the public schools. He was edu- cated at Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., and received the degree of A.M. from his Alma Mater, in 1865; studied medicine at Easton with Dr. John P. B. Sloan, and was graduated at the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania in March, 1842. Immediately after graduation he commenced the practice of his profession at Waymart, Wayne Co., Pa., and pursued an active practice for three years. In May, 1845, he removed to Belvidere, succeeding to the practice of the late George Green, M.D., where he continues to this time.

Dr. Brakeley has always taken an active interest in the affairs of the County and State Medical Societies, having been secretary of the former for thirty-five consecutive years ; he has also frequently represented these societies as a delegate in the American Medi- cal Association. He was appointed examining sur- geon for pensions in 1862, which office lie now holds. He has always taken an active interest in the affairs of the town, having been a member of the Council and treasurer. He was president of the Belvidere and Delaware Water Gap Railroad when that road was transferred to the Belvidere Delaware Railroad. He is a warm friend to the cause of education, and for several years has been chairman of the board of trustees of the public schools. For the last twenty years Dr. Brakeley has been the very efficient secre- tary of the Warren County Bible Society, as well as a member of the executive committee; the society at its semi-centennial anniversary, in 1876, by vote, made him life director of the American Bible Society. He married, May 10, 1847, Sarah D. Sherrerd, only daughter of the late John M. Sherrerd, Esq. Two children were born of this union, a son and a daughter, the former dying in early infancy.

As a medical practitioner, Dr. Brakeley is an acute observer, a patient student, and a conscientious, faith- ful physician. He is a lover of natural history, par- ticularly of entomology, and has given considerable attention to the investigation of scientific subjects.

JOHN HENRY GRIFFITH, son of James V. and Sarah P. (Wooley) Griffith, of Monmouth Co., N. J., and of Welsh and English descent, was born at Walu's Mills, in the county named, July 3, 1842. He attended the common schools, the Hightstown Classical Insti- tute, and Pennington Seminary; worked on a farm until eighteen years of age, taught school some seven years, and commenced the study of the science of medicine with Dr. Charles Bartolette, of Milford, N. J. After the death of the last-mentioned physi- cian he continued his studies with Dr. George T. Ribble. In the winters of 1866-67 and 1867-68 he at- tended lectures at Bellevue Hospital Medical College,

New York. He was graduated March 12, 1870, at Jefferson Medical College. His first and only loca- tion has been Phillipsburg, from 1870 to the present time. He is a member of the District Medical So- ciety of Warren County, of which he is the reporter, succeeding Dr. Johnson in that office ; has also been a delegate to the State Medical Society. The doctor is a popular practitioner and an indefatigable worker, attending his large practice in the city wholly on foot. He takes a lively interest in the science to which he has devoted his life, and has devoted considerable effort to rescuing from oblivion the memories of some of the early and later physicians of his vicinage.

MILTON N. ARMSTRONG was born in Frelinghuysen township, Warren Co., N. J., on Dec. 26, 1848. His parents' names were David Hunt and Mary Ann (Albertson) Armstrong. He pursued his academical studies at Charlotteville, N. Y., and at Chester and Schooley's Mountain, N. J. He began the study of medicine in 1870, and chose Dr. John C. Johnson for his preceptor. After studying at Albany and New York he graduated from the Medical Department of the University of the City of New York in February, 1875, and settled at Blairstown, N. J., July 15th of the same year, where he still remains.

JOSEPH HEDGES, a son of the late W. W. Hedges, of Chester, Morris Co., settled at Hope about 1844. He was popular and successful. After three or four years he removed to Stanhope, and there practiced for a long period, but subsequently removed to New- ark, N. J., where he now resides. He is the origi- nator of the " Hedges medicines" which have been sold through the stores for some years past.

DR. PERRY was at Hope after Dr. Hedges. He married a daughter of Edward H. Swayze, Esq., and -in a short time removed West. He was an eccentric man, but gave good satisfaction to many patrons.

DANIEL L. DUNCAN, a native of Orange Co., N. Y., was a medical student of Dr. J. Linn Allen, then practicing at Branchville, Sussex Co. Dr. Duncan located at Hope in the autumn of 1849, and remained three years; moved successively to Delaware, to Jer- sey City, then back to Hope; was for a short period a surgeon in the volunteer service during the late civil war; after the war located at Newton, soon after prac- ticed in New York City, but is again practicing in Newton.

HENRY HULSHIIZER, a member of the numerous Hulshizer family of Greenwich, Warren Co., was a student of P. F. Hulshizer, of Stewartsville; was graduated at Philadelphia Medical College in 1855; was at Stanhope two years; removed to Marksboro' in 1858; came to Ilope in 1861. He was there ten years, until April, 1871. He is now located at Port Oram, Morris Co. He is a good practitioner. He married, in 1861, Adelaide Wildrick.

ROBERT M. REA, son of the late Dr. William Rea, of Hackettstown, practiced for about a year at Hope. lle subsequently went to Georgia, then returned to

Cdwow At Bieber

EDWIN HENRY BIEBER, M. D., was born at Kutztown, Berks Co., Pa , on May 18, 1826. The family was one of the old pioneer families of that county, and has been represented there for several generations. llis father was Daniel and his mother Anna (Ileist) Bieber. His grandfather, John Bieber, was a farmer for many years in Maxntawny township, Berks Co., and died there at the age of ninety-six. Daniel Bieber was a man of plain habits, and a merchant at Kutztown for many years. Ile was identified with the Old-Line Whig party, and al- though that party was largely in the minority, Mr. Bie- ber being one of only sixteen Whigs residing at Kutz- town, he was nevertheless chosen at different times chief burgess of the town. Ile ran for the Assembly several times and was defeated. He died in June, 1872, nged seventy-six ; his wife died in 1830.

Dr. Bieber passed the early years of his life at home attending the Franklin Academy, under the tutorship of Alexander Ramsey. At the age of nineteen he was graduated, and soon after commenced the study of med- icine with Dr. William S. Bieber, of Kutztown. Sub- sequently ho attended two courses of lectures at tho Med- ical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, whence he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, April 8, 1848.

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History of Sussex and Warren counties, New Jersey, with Illustration and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 129

Author: Snell, James P; Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1140

Author: Snell, James P; Clayton, W. W. (W. Woodford)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1140