USA > New Jersey > New Jersey's first citizens and state guide, Vol. II, 1919-1920 > Part 52
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RICHARD STOCKTON-Trenton, ("Ivy Tower.")-Broker. (Photograph published in Vol. 1, 1917). Born in Princeton, on June 4, 1858; son of John Potter and Sara (Marks) Stockton ; married at St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 19, 1887, to Clemence E. Finch, daughter of George Ralsey and Mary (Chapman) Fincli, of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Children : Richard, Jr. (q.v.). Major U. S. Army, born in Rotter- dam, Holland, January 9, 1888; George Finch, born in Princeton, May 27, 1890, (died November 11, 1891) ; Jack Potter, born Prince- ton September 29, 1891; Violet, born Spring Lake, August 5, 1894; Ellen Rosemary, born Trenton. February 26, 1900.
Richard Stockton is of a family that has been famous for many gener- ations in American annals, representatives of each generation in this country filling State and other important offices, as they also did abroad. He is the fifth Richard of his line. The third Richard, who was his great grandfather, was one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, the fourth Richard was known as "The Duke." His grandfather, Robert Field Stockton, was the famous Commodore of the early history of the United States Navy, first Governor (Military) of the Territory of Cali- fornia, United States Senator from New Jersey and one of the first promo- ters of railroad building in the State. John Potter Stockton, his father, was United States Senator from New Jersey, United States Minister to Italy and for many years Attorney General of New Jersey.
Mr. Stockton's education was acquired at Young's School and at Col- umbia College in Washington, D. C. In 1873, while his father was in the United States Senate, he served as his father's secretary at Washington. In 1876-1877, he entered the Navy Department. In 1886, he was appointed Counsul of the United States to Rotterdam, Holland, and two years later he was made Charge d'Affaires at the Hague, Holland. Three of the later years he served in the Attorney General's office under his father and Sam- uel H. Grey, who succeeded him. He became a member of the firm of Taylor, Smith & Hard, members of the New York Stock Exchange, in which busi- ness he is still engaged.
Mr. Stockton has found time, amid all these engagements, to dabble in literature; and, in 1895, with his story entitled "From the Grasp of a Title," won the first prize in a literary contest conducted under the auspices of the New York "Illustrative American." He developed the first "dollar gas" company in New Jersey, in 1900; and in 1907 was appointed by Gov. Stokes as a Delegate, on behalf of New Jersey, to the Fourth of July re- union at Jamestown, Va., of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declara- tion of Independence. In 1879, he was awarded a Congressional gold medal for life saving on the Jersey coast. He was made Treasurer of the "Ameri- can Cross of Honor" in 1909, and Vice President in 1912, which office he still holds. Mr. Stockton is a direct descendant on his mother's side, of
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Major Harry H. Marks, to whom was awarded-in recognition of services rendered-the Southern Cross of Honor. In 1914 this award passed to Mr. Stockton through lineal descent.
Mr. Stockton was appointed Commissioner of Charities and Correc- tions of the State of New Jersey in 1915, and served as a Delegate to the National Democratic Convention that in 1916 put President Wilson in re- nomination.
He was also named as a member of the Selective Draft Board in Tren- ton, and became the President of the combined board of the City; after which he was appointed to represent the Alien Property Custodian, upon various Boards of Directors of certain enemy owned concerns.
Mr. Stockton is a member of the Metropolitan Club (Washington, D. C.), Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pa.), The Calumet Club (New York), Nassau (Princeton, N. J.), and of the Lotus and Trenton Country Clubs of Trenton, the Union Society of the Civil War, the Military Order of America, the Society of the Sons of the Revolution and the Rotary National Association.
RICHARD STOCKTON, Jr .- Bordentown .- Writer ; Soldier. (Photograph published in Vol. 1, 1917). Born in Rotterdam, Hol- land, on January 9th, 18SS; son of Richard (q. v.) and Clemence E. Finch) Stockton ; married at Camden, on July 24th, 1907, to Helen Beryl Gove.
Children : Richard Finch, born September 23, 1908; Jack Potter, born March 22, 1910; Robert Field, born October 14, 1915 : Helen Clemence Carolyn, born January 15, 1917.
Richard Stockton, Jr., inherits the militant spirit that had already made previous generations of the Stocktons famous in the American annals of war ; and, besides being a soldier himself, has won distinction as a writer on military topics. In 1911 he was made Instructor in Military Science at the Bordentown Military Institute and was in charge of that work until in 1917 he was called into active service as a Major of infantry, Officers Reserve Corps U. S. Army at the Officers Reserve Camp at Fort Meyer.
Several of his essays on military topics have won awards from the Military Service Institution of the United States. He was three times- and with one exception, is the only officer who has won it three times- the gold medalist of the Institution (1912/15-'16). He won the award in 1912 for an essay on the manner in which service with the colors may be combined with a period of service as a reservist so as to create a de- pendable reserve for the first line. He won the award in 1915 for an essay entitled, "A Logical Program for Military Legislation," in which, in opposition to the view held by the late Brigadier General Sadler, he advo- cated absolute federal control of all troops intended for national defense and the abolition of the State National Guard System. Another award came to him in 1916 for an essay entitled "What Have We Learned ?" pointing out the military lessons the United States should take from the European War and from the national mobilization on the Mexican border in 1916. He
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was also Reeve Memorial Prize Essayist at the Institution in 1915 with his essay on "Military Training, Valuable and Valueless." The boards of award, in each case where the award went to Major Stockton, consisted of entirely different officers. He was the associate editor of "American Defense" (a New York City monthly) in 1916, being at the time a mem- ber of the Board of Trustees of the American Defense Society; and in 1917 he was editor-in-chief of "The Book of the Services." In 1915 he was appointed by the War Department as a member of the Board that prepared the "Manual for Officers of the Organized Militia and Volunteers of the United States." He has also written articles for "Collier's Weekly," the "North American Review," the "Youth's Companion" and the "In- fantry Journal," and has lectured frequently on military topics. He is author of the beeks "Peace Insurance," "Troops on Riot Duty" and "the Guardman's Handbook," all of which are well known to military men.
Major Stockton began his military career as a private in company A Corps of Cadets N. G. N. J. in September, 1901; and when he was dis- charged, by graduation from the Military Institute in September, 1905, he was Cadet 2nd Lieutenant of Co. A of the Cadets. His first commission was as 2nd Lieutenant, 3rd N. J. Infantry. He afterwards was attached to the 2nd Infantry and had risen in May of 1911 to be Captain of Co. E. Later he was Regimental Quartermaster of the 2nd Infantry, and afterwards was Inspector of small arms practice of the same regiment. He resigned in 1916 to accept the new commission as Major of Infantry in the Officers Re- serve Corps, U. S. Army.
Major Stockton qualified as an expert rifleman 1910-1915 both in- clusive, as a long distance expert rifleman and was coach of the B. M. I. rifle team. In that year and 1914 the Military Institute team were the official military school champions of the United States. In 1916 he repre- sented a New York Defense Committee as inspector of troops, on the Mexican Border, and at the re-inauguration of President Wilson in 1917, he was on the personal staff of Maj. Gen. H. L. Scott, who was Grand Marshal of the Inaugural Parade.
A unique distinction was conferred when in 1914 Gov. Fielder, at the Little White House at Sea Girt, presented him with the American Cross of Honor on behalf of the Board of Governors of the Order, for valor in at- tempting the rescue of a drowning man. In the following year at Sea Girt he plunged into the surf, clad in full uniform, heavy marching shoes, leather puttees and all, to the assistance of persons carried out to sea. He was himself swept by the tide for almost a mile; and, in the water for more than an hour, would have been drowned if a rescue boat had not reached him in the nick of time.
Major Stockton commanded a battalion of the 317th Infantry, 80th Division, at Camp Less, Va., from August 27, 1917, to May, 191S on which date he sailed with his battalion for France. Landing at Brest, he pro- ceeded to Calais where the regiment received British equipment and was attached to the British Army. From there they went into training areas, and were held in reserve in the rear of the line for the German drive expected at that time. Early in July they were moved to Doullens, Somme, where the regiment was attached to the New Zealand Division, British Army, and was in action at Gommecourt, Hebuterne, Serre, Sailly-
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au-Bois and surrounding territory during July and August, 1918. Late in August the regiment was hurriedly withdrawn from the British sector and rushed over to the American, where it was in reserve, with the balance of the 80th Division in the St. Mihiel Drive.
About October 1, 1918, Brigadier General O. B. Rosenbaum, ap- pointed Major Stockton to be Commandant of Schools at the Casual Of- ficers Depot, Blois, and on December 1, 1918, Brigadier General Richard Coulter, the new Commanding Officer, appointed him Adjudant of that depot, which post he held until his return to this country.
Major Stockton returned to the United States February 9, 1919, and was placed on duty as Assistant to the Troop Movement Officer, Port of Debarkation, Hoboken, New Jersey, where he was stationed at this writing.
Major Stockton is a member of the Army and Navy Club and also the New Jersey State Rifle Association (Sea Girt), the Society of Colonial Wars, the Society of the Sons of the Revolution the Society of the War of 1812, the Military Order of Foreign Wars, the Union Society of the Civil War, the United Military Order of America, the National Security League, the American Defense Society and the Army League.
WILLIAM OSBORN STODDARD - Madison, (37 Crescent Road.)-Author. (Photograph published in Vol. 1. 1917.) Born at Homer, N. Y., on September 24, 1835; son of Prentice S. and Sarah A. (Osborn) Stoddard ; married in 1873, to Susan E. Cooper, of New York (deceased).
Children : William O., Jr.
W. O. Stoddard wrote the first editorial that presented the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for President of the United States, and was Secretary to President Lincoln from 1861 to 1864. From then until 1866, he was United States Marshal to Arkansas ; and has since held office occasionally under the New York City Government. For the rest, he has been engaged in railway. telegraphic and other business enterprises, in newspaper work and in authorship.
Mr. Stoddard was educated at the University of Rochester, graduating in 1858 with the A. B. degree and receiving in 1861 the A. M. degree. His editorial espousal of Lincoln's nomination appeared in the "Central Illinois Gazette," in May, 1859, and a little later in the same month he had an article of the same tenor in McElrath's "New York Century." He served three months in the first company of Volunteers sworn in, in 1861.
Mr. Stoddard's books are "Scanderoon" (Verse) (1870), "Verses of Many Days" (1875). "The Heart of It" (1880), "Esan Hardery" (1881), "Dab Kinzer" (1881), "Wrecked" (1882), "The Quartette" (1882), "Sal- tillo Boys" (1883). "Among the Lakes" (1884). "Life of Abraham Lincoln" (1884), "Winter Fun" (1885). "The Volcano Under the City" (1885). "The Talking Leaves" (1885). "Two Arrows" (1886), "Chuck Purdy" (1887), "The Captain's Boat" (18SS). "Lives of the Presidents" (10 vols, 1888-'89), "Crowded Out O'Crofield" (1890). "The Red Mustang" (1890), "Miss
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Eaton's Romance" (1890), "The White House in War Time" (1890), "Gid Granger" (1890), "Little Smoke" (1891), "Table Talk of Lincoln" (1892), "Men of Business" (1892), "Battle of New York" (1892), "The White Cave" (1893). "Guert Ten Eyck" (1893). "On the Old Frontier" (1893), "Chris the Model Maker" (1894), "The Partners" (1895), "Chumley's Past" (1895), "The Windfall" (1896), "The Swordmaker's Son" (1896), "Walled In" (1897), "Lost Gold of the Montezumas" (1897), "The Red Patriot" (1897). "The Whistle Dispatch Boat" (1898), "First Cruiser Out" (1898), "Success Against Odds" (1898), "With the Black Prince" (1898), "The Young Financier" 1899), "Running the Cuban Blockade" (1899), "Lincoln at Work" (1899), "Ulric the Jarl" (1899), "Ned, Son of Webb" (1900), "The Noank's Log" (1900). "Montanve" (1901), "Jack Morgan" (1901), "Boys of Bunker Academy" (1902), "Voyage of the Charlemangne" (1902), "Errand Boy of Andrew Jackson" (1902), "Ahead of the Army" (1902), "The Spy at Yorktown" (1903), "The Fight for the Valley" (1904), "Long Bridge Boys" (1904), "The Boy Lincoln" (1905), "Dan. Monroe" (1905), "Two Cadets With Washington" (1906) and "In the Open" (1908).
Mr. Stoddard is a member of the G. A. R., the Society of the Genesee, the Union Society of the Civil War. etc.
Mr. Stoddards son, William O .. Jr., who also resides in Madison, is. like his father, an author.
BENJAMIN L. STOWE-Jersey City, (94 Fulton Ave. ) -Manu- facturer. (Photograph published in Vol. 1, 1917.) Born in Mil- ford, Conn., February 18, 1848; son of Frederick and Lois (Som- ers) Stowe; married on January 17. 1884, to Helen J. Baulch, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth A. Baulch, of New York City, (died January 18, 1916.)
Children : Helen Lois, born April 26. 1900.
Benjamin L. Stowe is President of the Eureka Fire Hose Manufactur- ing Company. He served for two years on the Jersey City Board of Education, and his wide reading made him an exceptionally valuable member of it. For six years he was President of the Board of Trustees of the Jersey City Free Public Library, and he has also been President of the Jersey City Board of Trade.
Mr. Stowe was one of the founders-in 1875-of the Eureka Fire Hose Manufacturing Company ; and until he became the Company's President in 1997. he managed its factories and invented most of the special products, machinery and appliances of that company.
Records published by the City of Boston state that an ancestor of Mr. Stowe's who came to America in 1634, "was probably the first gram- mar school principal." His great grandfather and grandfather participated in the War of the Revolution; his father served in the War of 1812, and three older brothers were in the Union Army during the War for the Union.
He was educated in the common schools of Connecticut, and from 1871
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spent more than three years in Europe. He later lived in New York and Brooklyn until he became a resident of Jersey City in 1892.
Mr. Stowe is a Vice President of the Greenville Banking & Trust Com- pany and of the Claremont Bank, and is a member of the Union League, the Jersey City, the Carteret and Down Town Clubs of Jersey City.
He is a member of the Sons of the Revolution, the Society of the War of 1812 and a member of the Society of Colonial Wars.
EDWARD STRATEMEYER-Newark, (171 N. Seventh Street.) -Author and Editor. (Photograph published in Vol. 1, 1917.) Born in Elizabeth, October 4, 1862; son of Henry J. and Anna (Siegel) Stratemeyer; married March 25, 1891, to Magdalene Baker Van Camp, of Newark.
Children : Mrs. Russell Vroom Adams; Edna Camilla.
Mr. Stratemeyer was educated in the public schools of Elizabeth. He was valedictorian of his High School class and supplemented this by two years study under a private tutor. He early exhibited a tendency towards literary work. editing and printing an amateur story paper at the age of sixteen. He had just completed his studies when he became a writer for "Golden Days" of Philadelphia and "The Golden Argosy" of New York, penning for these two publications about twenty long serials.
His first venture in New York City was as Assistant Editor of "The Young American," a semi-school journal. Later he was taken into the em- ployment of Street & Smith, publishers of story periodicals, and soon be- came the editor of "Good News," a weekly for boys and girls, to which he contributed numerous serials and also a department about "Boys at Work." Later still he became associate editor of "Young People of America." He began injecting new ideas into the juvenile publication business, and it was through him that the publication of "Bright Days," at first a monthly and then a weekly, was entered upon-with marked success.
His first juvenile volume was issued under the title of "Richard Dare's Venture," and this was followed by a score of other books for boys dealing with every-day life in the country, in the city, and in the West. The Span- ish-American War afforded the background for a run of soldier and sailor stories that enlarged his popularity enormously, one book, "Under Dewey at Manilla," running through twenty-two editions. Under his own name and his noms-de-plume, "Captain Ralph Bonehill" and "Arthur M. Win- field," he has produced a number of series that have had large circulations, the total of the volumes in the "Rover Boys Series" mounting to nearly three millions. In addition to works of this class, Mr. Stratemeyer has written "American Boys' Life of William Mckinley" and "American Boys' Life of Theodore Roosevelt," and also an extra long story entitled, "De- fending His Flag," a true-to-life picture of life in the Union and the Con- federate armies during our great Civil War.
As a small boy Mr. Stratemeyer was a great admirer of the works of the late William T. Adams ("Oliver Optic") and Horatio Alger, Jr .. but he never dreamed that the time was coming when he would take up the un-
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finished manuscripts of those authors, yet such was the case. In later years he finished "Oliver Optic's" "Au Undivided Union," and also com- pleted several volumes by Mr. Alger, with whom he had been well ac- quainted.
About ten years ago Mr. Stratemeyer's stories became so popular that numerous publishing houses requested him to furnish them with material for book publication. To write any such number of volumes was for Mr. Stratemeyer out of the question, and, as a result, he founded the Stratemey- er Literary Syndicate in New York, designed to meet the demands for fic- tion for younger readers. This syndicate handles the products of many well- known writers of that class of literature. All the stories which are handled are subject to Mr. Stratemeyer's personal supervision. Up to this date the syndicate has furnished about four hundred books to nine leading publish- ing houses. The syndicate books are, of course, not to be confounded with Mr. Stratemeyer's own works, which now number over one hundred titles.
Mr. Stratemeyer is a member of the Authors League of America, the New Jersey Historical Society, the National Geographic Society, the Wood- craft League, and is also an active member of the Roseville Athletic Asso- ciation. He spends all his spare time in traveling, having made two trips to the Pacific Coast and numerous trips into Canada and along the Atlantic seaboard.
Among the books written by Mr. Stratemeyer are: "Old Glory Series" (1898-1903), "Soldiers of Fortune Series" (1900-1907), "Dave Porter Series" (1905-1917), "Frontier Series" (1903-1907), "Boy Hunters Series" (1906-1910), "Rover Boys Series" (1898-1917), "Putnam Hall Series" (1906- 1911). "Stratemeyer Popular Series" (1895-1910), "Colonial Series" (1901- 1906), and "Mexican War Series" (1903-1908).
ARTHUR C. STRATFORD-Jersey City, (33 Gifford Ave.) -Manufacturer. Born at Jersey City, N. J., June 5, 1SS0; son of George and Delphine Antoinette (Chazotte) Stratford ; mar- ried at Jersey City, N. J., June 19, 1907, to Helen Lockwood, daughter of Frederick Meeker and Emma (Ritter) Lockwood.
Children : Helen Lockwood, born May 13, 1909.
Arthur C. Stratford is descended from an old English family which, according to Almon's Peerage, dates back to three hundred years before the Norman Conquest. His mother, Delphine Antoinette Chazotte, is descended of French ancestry.
In his early life, he attended Hasbrouck Institute and on graduating in 1898, entered Columbia College in New York City, which he attended for four years, graduating in 1902. George Stratford, father of the sub- ject, died in April, 1902, and Arthur C. Stratford went immediately from college into the business of the George Stratford Oakum Co., in which he became Director and Secretary, holding the office of Secretary until 1907, when his brother, Herbert R. Stratford, then President of the company, died. Arthur C. Stratford succeeded him in the presidency of the com- pany, a position which he has held since. In 1916, Mr. Stratford was Vice
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President of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the National Association of Manufacturers. He was one of the organizers. in 1911, of the Citizens Federation of Hudson County, and a trustee three years. He was formerly a member of the Signal Corps, N. G. N. J., and in 1911, a member of the Hudson County Elisor Grand Jury.
Besides being President of the George Stratford Oakum Co., and of the Stratford Paper Co., he is treasurer of the Bayside Realty Company, a director of the New Jersey Title Guarantee & Trust Company, and the Rock Plaster Manufacturing Company, as well as Executor of the Estate - of George Stratford.
Mr. Stratford has always been active in public and civic affairs in Hudson county, and during the war, was appointed Federal Food Ad- ministrator of Hudson county. He is a member of the Council of Christ Hospital of Jersey City, a trustee of the Children's Friend Society, and a member of the United States Chamber of Commerce. From 1911 to 1913, he served as President of the Jersey City Board of Trade, and during the years 1911-12-13, was trustee of the New Jersey State Cham- ber of Commerce, being one of its organizers. He is also a member of the Vestry of St. Johns P. E. Church of Jersey City.
He is a member of the Calumet Club, the Delta Kappa Epsilon Club and the Columbia University Club, all of New York. He is also a mem- ber of the Carteret Club, Down Town Club, and Rotary Club of Jersey City, as well as Essex County Country Club of West Orange and Baltusrol Golf Club.
His business address is 160 Cornelison Ave., Jersey City, N. J.
THEODORE STRONG-New Brunswick, ("Stronghold")-Law- yer. (Photograph published in Vol. 1, 1917.) Born at New Bruns- wick, January 15, 1863 ; third son of Judge Woodbridge and Har- riet A. (Hartwell ) Strong ; married on March 21, 1900, to Cornelia Livingston Van Rensselaer, of the Albany branch of that family and a descendant of a long line of patroons of that name and of Philip Livingston, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Inde- pendence.
Children : Theodore; Cornelia Livingston Van Rensselaer ; Kath- erine Van Rensselaer ; Stephen Van Rensselaer ; Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge ; John Van Rensselaer : Robert Livingston.
Theodore Strong is decended from Elder John Strong, who came from England and settled at Dorchester, Mass., in 1630. His family were prom- inent in the early history of New England. Among his ancestors were Governors Dudley of Massachusetts, Brenton of Rhode Island and Leete of Connecticut. His immediate branch of the family severed its con- nection with New England life when his grandfather, Theodore Strong, a celebrated mathematician, was appointed Professor of Mathematics of Hamilton College from which he was subsequently called to fill a similar position at Rutgers College.
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Mr. Strong received his education in Rutgers College Grammar School and Rutgers College, graduating from the latter institution in the class of 1883. He studied law with the firm of Woodbridge Strong & Sons, and was admitted to the Bar as an attorney in June, 1886, and as a coun- selor in June, 1889. On the dissolution of the firm of Woodbridge Strong & Sons, when his father was appointed Judge, he formed a co-part- nership with his brother, Alan II. Strong.
Mr. Strong was elected State Senator in 1900 and in 1903 was ap- pointed a member of the State Board of Assessors, serving two terms and becoming its President. He became very active in politics early in life ; served two terms as member of the Republican State Committee, also served on its executive committee and was a member of the coterie of Re- publican State Leaders once known as "The Big Four."
Upon the appointment of his brother, Alan H. Strong, to be General Attorney for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and his removal to Phila- delphia, Senator Strong succeeded to his position as Solicitor for the Com- pany in New Jersey, and thereupon wholly withdrew from politics and has since devoted himself to the practice of his profession.
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