Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 165

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354

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Mr. MacNeil married Miss Alice Trow, daughter of William and Jane Trow, of Pough- keepsie, and they have one son. They are prominent members of the Presbyterian Church of Matteawan, and take a generous interest in all progressive movements in the locality. Although he is a Republican in principle, Mr. MacNeil has never taken any part in political work or aspired to office. He is active in many non-political enterprises, however, and is a member of Poughkeepsie Lodge No. 266,

F. & A. M., of Hudson River Lodge, K. of P., and of the Nineteenth Separate Company of Poughkeepsie, in which he won an elegant gold medal presented by the State for long and faithful service, the records placing him twentieth in rank among 13,000 men. He has also been a member of the National Guard for thirty-four years, and was in the volunteer service during the Civil war.

W ILLIAM C. CRAMER. The subject of this personal history is a resident of the town of Red Hook, Dutchess county, where he is successfully carrying on a boot and shoe store, and is well esteemed as a man of industry and enterprise, besides being a worthy citizen and having to his credit an unblemished war record. He was born in the town of Red Hook, May 11, 1844, and is a son of Henry A. and Catherine (Waldorf) Cramer, who were the parents of five children, the others being: Balinda, John V. R., George H. and James. The father was a son of George Cramer, and was a prosperous farmer and carpenter of Red Hook.

The maternal grandfather of our subject, John Waldorf, was born and educated in Red Hook town, where he later followed the occu- pation of a farmer, owning and conducting the large and well-stocked farm which had be- longed to his father, who had erected the com- modious and substantial stone house that is still standing. The place comprised 500 acres of valuable land, and thereon John Waldorf reared his family of seven children, namely: David, Christopher, John, William, Catherine, Maria and Betsey. In that old house Mrs. Cramer was born and spent her early girlhood, being educated at the schools of the neighborhood.

In his boyhood William C. Cramer also drew his education from the common schools of the town of Red Hook, and on laying aside his text books assisted in the cultivation and improvement of the home farm until the break- ing out of the Civil war in 1861, when he en- listed in the 91st N, Y. V. I., and remained in the service until after the surrender of Gen. Lee at Appomatox. He participated in vari- ous engagements, and signalized himself by bravery and fidelity to duty, receiving the ap- proval of his officers and the warin friendship of his comrades. After the close of the war he went to the oil fields of Pennsylvania, where he remained for some time, and then conducted a

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

general trucking business in New York City for a while. After disposing of that, however, he returned to Red Hook.

On August 28, 1868, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Cramer and Miss Isabella D. Barringer, daughter of Robert Barringer, of Red Hook, and to them was born a daughter, Ida L., who died at the age of six years. After his marriage, our subject learned the cooper's trade, at which he worked until 1888, when he established his present boot and shoe business at Red Hook, and this venture has proved very successful.

Mr. Cramer is quite prominently identified with the Odd Fellows Society, belonging to Christian Lodge, in which he has served as past grand and passed through all the chairs; is also a member of Jazar Encampment, of Rhinebeck, Dutchess county; and the Odd Fellows Mutual Benefit Association. He now affiliates with Armstrong Post, G. A. R., of Rhinebeck, but was formerly a member of Ward B. Bennett Post, of Tarrytown, West- chester Co., N. Y. He is a public-spirited, progressive man, and takes an active interest in the welfare of his town and county.

H ENRY D. CYPHER, who is engaged in general farming at Poughquag, town of Beekman, Dutchess county, is looked upon as a useful and honorable citizen, who has the best interests of the county at heart, and does all in his power to advance its welfare. Of Holland ancestry, his birth occurred at Pough- quag, December 18, 1836, and there almost his entire life has been passed.

Thomas Cypher, his grandfather, was a native of Westchester county, and when a young man came to Beekman town, locating on Clapp Hill, where he engaged in farming on rented land. His political support was given the Whig party. He wedded Mary Hillaker, by whom he had seven children, all now deceased: John, Deborah, Thomas, David, William, Mary and one daughter, who died in childhood.

On Clapp Hill, William Cypher, the father of our subject, was born in 1806, and in the common schools of Beekman town he secured his education. When he had reached matur- ity he was united in marriage with Emily Armstrong, a native of Connecticut, after which he purchased a small farm at Pough- quag, which he operated for one year, and

then removed to the town of Pawling. Dutch- ess county, where he followed the same occu- pation until called from this life February 2, 1849. Like his father he was a Whig in politics. In his family were these children: Henry D., of this sketch; George and Elisha, deceased; and two sons, who died in infancy.

The early school days of Henry D. Cypher were passed at Poughquag, and after the death of his father he, with the other members of the family, returned to that place, being at the time thirteen years of age. In 1851 he began clerking for James A. Vanderburg, at Pough- quag, which position he held for one year, and in 1853 went to New York City, where he was employed in a grocery store for the same length of time. Returning to his native place, he learned the carpenter's trade with Henry Armstrong, which he followed for eight years.

In the town of Beekman, July 1, 1863, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Cypher and Miss Maria Noxon, daughter of Elmer R. Noxon, and they became the parents of four children: Lavert, of Brooklyn, who married Mr. Devine, by whom she has one daughter; George; Emily, wife of Fred Coleman, of Dover town, Dutchess county, by whom she has two children-Delmer Clayton and Ann Dutcher; and Robert.

Until 1871 Mr. Cypher carried on agricult- ural pursuits in the western part of the town of Beekman, after which he removed to his present farm at Poughquag, which was cleared by Mrs. Cypher's great-grandfather Noxon, and has since devoted his attention to its culti- vation and improvement. His ballot is cast in support of the men and measures of the Re- publican party. He has been assessor of his town, and is still acceptably filling the offices of commissioner of highways and justice of the peace. His career has been one of the strictest integrity and honor.

C HARLES F. WANZER, a wealthy busi- ness man of Matteawan, Dutchess county, and the proprietor of one of the oldest grocer- ies in that town, was born January 29, 1828, on the "Wheelocke Farm" near Garrison, Putnam Co., N. Y. His grandfather, Abraham Wanzer, married Lydia Beers, and their son, Floyd, our subject's father, was a well-known farmer of Putnam county. He married Jane Foster, daughter of Joseph Foster, a soldier of the Revolutionary war, and had five children,

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of whom the first two died in infancy. The others are Charles F., Elizabeth and Colista Jane.

Charles F. Wanzer attended the district schools near his home during boyhood, and spent much of his time in working upon his father's farm. At the age of twenty-one he left home to make his own way in the world, and coming to Matteawan he worked for sev- eral years at various employments, as oppor- tunity favored him. In 1854 he became a clerk in the grocery store then belonging to Jacob Palmer, and after the death of the latter in 1856 he conducted the business for his widow for one year. He then purchased the store, and for thirty-eight years has continued the business at the old location. His success is a result of untiring industry, and although he is an ardent Republican, he has invariably de- clined when urged to accept nomination for office, because he could not see his way clear to attend to his own affairs and at the same time meet satisfactorily the demands which official position would bring. He is interested in various lines of business, having a large amount of money invested in real estate in the village, and he has been for many years a member of the Board of Trade and the Mer- chants Protective Association. He is also a stockholder in the First National Bank of Fishkill Landing. Being an enthusiastic hunter, Mr. Wanzer spends considerable time during the duck-shooting season in hunting this most palatable fowl. He is an unerring marksman, and woe betide the unlucky bird upon which he sets his "weather eye," for its doom is sealed.

R OBERT JOHNSTON. Among the most prominent of the early residents of Lake Mahopac, Putnam county, was Robert John- ston, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He came to this country from Ireland in early manhood, and engaged in mercantile business, first in New York City, and later in Putnam county, where he became a leader in political as well as in commercial circles. He was an influential Democrat, and served as county judge, member of the State Senate, and member of the Council of Appointment and Revision. He was married after coming to the United States, and reared a family of six children :

One son, William H. Johnston (our subject's father ), and five daughters, one 58

of whom became the grandmother of Chaun- cey M. Depew.

William H. Johnston followed farming and spent his life at Lake Mahopac, his native place. Like his father, he was an active and influential worker in the Democratic party, and he held the offices of sheriff and surrogate of Putnam county. His death occurred in 1828, but his wife. Susan Van Wyck, lived to the age of ninety-eight years, passing to her eternal reward in 1885; she was born in the town of .East Fishkill, Dutchess county, in the house now occupied by our subject, the old home of her family. Her grandfather, Will- iam Van Wyck, a native of Dutchess county, was a farmer there. He had four sons: Will- iam, a politician of note, and a Congressman from his district, was a farmer by occupation, first in his native place and later in Virginia; Theodorus is mentioned below; Samuel was a lawyer in New York City; and John followed farming near the old home. Theodorus Van- Wyck (Mrs. Johnston's father) married Miss Young, of Westchester county, N. Y., and settled at the homestead, where they reared a family of six children: Two sons Theodorus and William-who both followed agriculture in their native town, and four daughters-Mar- tha, Susan, Sarah and Ann.

Robert Johnston, our subject, was born at Lake Mahopac, November 24, 1824, the second of the three children of his parents, and is now the only surviving member of the family. The eldest, Sarah, never married, and the youngest died in infancy. When Robert was five years old he came to his mother's old home, and has lived there ever since. He owns an estate of about 300 acres, and is en- gaged in general farming, also giving consider- able attention to horticulture. An intelligent, progressive man, he is highly esteemed among his neighbors. In politics he was originally a Whig, voting for Henry Clay, and on the or- ganization of the Republican party he gave it his allegiance.

E DWARD L. RYMPH, a retired farmer and fruit raiser of Poughkeepsie, Dutch- ess county, was born in the town of Hyde Park, Dutchess county, March 29, IS31.

James Rymph, grandfather of our subject, was born in Holland, came to America when a young man and settled on a farm in Hyde Park, where he built his own house in the wil-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

dern s, married, and reared a family of ses - cral children. John Rymph, one of these, was reared on the farm, and boated on the Iludson river. He was united in marriage with Miss Wynche Hasbrouck, who was born in Ulster county, in the town of New Paltz. October 21, 1787. They were married Feb- ruary 11, 1808. She was a descendant of the old Hasbrouck family of New Paltz. Mr. and Mrs. Rymph settled down on the farm, and the following children were born to them: Mariah, born November 4, 1808,. married Abram S. Du Bois, a farmer in the town of Lloyd, Ulster county; James, born May 28, 1810, was a farmer in Dutchess county; Mar- garet, born May 28, 1812, married Benjamin L. Ilasbrouck, a farmer of Ulster county; Sarah, born October 1, 1814, married Joseph Chambers, of Ulster county; William H., born October 4, 1816, was a farmer in the town of Clinton ; Rachel B., born April 12, 1819, mar- ried John V. Schryver, a farmer of Hyde Park; John, Jr., born June 19, 1822, was a farmer; George, born April 7, 1824, followed farming in Cister county; David H., born July 22, 1827. is still living, unmarried; Susan A., born September 20, 1829, died unmarried: Edward L. is our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Rymph were members of the Reformed Church. He died on the old farm.

Edward L. Rymph remained on the old homestead during his early life, and attended the district schools. In 1860 he married Miss Jane ES. Palmer, who was born in Clintondale, Ulster county. She was a daughter of Harvey Palmer, a farmer and merchant of the same place, who came of English ancestors. Three children were born to our subject and his wife: Henry L. and Edwin II. (twins), and Mary E. Henry L. married Miss Smalley, and is farm- ing in Ponghkeepsie; Edwin H. died in infancy; Mary E. married Carl C. Todd, a farmer in the town of Hyde Park. Shortly after his marriage our subject went to Poughkeepsie, where he engaged in the photograph business for some time. Mrs. Rymph died March 24, 1864, and our subject went to the South and was with the construction corps in the Civil war, building bridges, etc., for one year. He then returned and bought a farm in New Paltz, on which he lived for two years, and then sold it. Coming to Dutchess county, he lived in Poughkeepsie for a year, later moving to Hyde Park and residing there for four years. In the spring of 1875 Mr. Rymph came to Pough-

keepsic again, erected three fine buildings and has since resided here.

On October 24, 1866, our subject married Miss Martha A. Roosa, who was born in the town of Rochester, Ulster county, January 9, 1838. Her first husband was George Kelder, by whom she had one child, Simon J., who married Miss Jennie Sutton, of Newburgh. Jacob B. Roosa, Mrs. Rymph's father, was born in Rochester, April 27, 1810, and was married to Miss Nancy Anderson, of the same place. Two children were born to them: Elizabeth, November 27, 1831, married James J. Shurter, a farmer in Rochester; and Martha A., the wife of our subject. Mr. Roosa was a Democrat, and he and his wife were members of the Methodist Church. He died in 1874. his wife in 1844. Simon Roosa, the grand- father, was born on the homestead in Roches- ter, and followed farming. He was in the war of 1812. The great-grandfather, Jacob Roosa, was the original settler on the farm in Roches- ter. He came of Holland stock. James An- derson, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Rymph, was a farmer in Rochester, and mar- ried Miss Martha Merrit, of Marlborough. The Andersons were of English ancestry.

Our subject and his second wife had one child, William, born February 18, 1876, and died in April, 1876. Mr. Rymph has a farm of sixty-five acres on which he formerly raised fruit, but he is now living a retired life. In politics he is affiliated with the Republican party. He and his wife both attend the Meth- odist Church. Mr. Rymph is an energetic citizen, and has identified himself with many progressive movements.

E DWARD ENGLEHARDT. The subject of this sketch was born in the city of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, December 16, 1861. He attended school for a time at Lex- ington, Greene county, and at the Eastman Night School, but his opportunities were lim- ited, and most of his education was acquired by private study. He has always been a constant reader and is a well-informed young man.

Our subject's first employment was with Alexander Ross at the age of thirteen years. One day when coming through the railroad yards he was run over and lost his right leg. Upon his recovery he again worked for Mr. Ross, remaining with him until nineteen years

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old. He then secured the position of flagman on the Hudson River railroad, which he re- tained for five months, and then went to work at Poughkeepsie making boxes. He kept at that for a year, and then learned the coopering trade, working for Atto Faust, for whom he worked as a journeymen until 1885. He next went into the saloon business for a year, but returned to his trade and was employed by James Buckhurst until 1891, when he went to Sing Sing as a keeper, being appointed to that position by Governor Flower. He resigned July 22, 1892, and came to Poughkeepsie and again worked for Mr. Buckhurst. In the fall of 1893 he was elected supervisor of the First ward for two years. He was chairman of the printer's committee, member of the committee on coroners and accounts and on committee on public institutions in the session of 1894. He held other positions of trust and responsi- bility. He was janitor of the board of sup- plies for one session, and has filled the office of county sealer for two successive terms. He has taken an active part in politics, and is a leader among the people of his ward.

In March, 1880, Mr. Englehardt was mar- ried to Miss Rosanna Kirby, of Poughkeepsie, and the following children were born to them: Carrie died at the age of three years; Lucy, Elizabeth, George, Augusta, Gertrude, Ed- mond. Our subject is a member of the Cath- olic Benevolent Legion and, with his wife, is a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

Christian Englehardt, father of our subject, was born in Denmark in 1814, and came to America and engaged for a time in the cooper business in New York City, then went to Albany. He came to Poughkeepsie upward of fifty years ago, and worked as journeyman cooper for Sleight & Paulding, who started their shop in 1847, and with whom he has been ever since. He was married in Germany, and the following children were born to them: Charles, living in Elizabeth, N. J .; Martha, who became the wife of Mathew Benhordt, of Poughkeepsie: Henry lives in Prattsville; Mary married Jacob Benhordt; Christian resides in Poughkeepsie; Elizabeth is the wife of Charles Adams, of Poughkeepsie: Alma married John Decker, and lives in Poughkeepsie; William, who lives in Poughkeepsie; Abram; George, de- ceased; and Edward. Christian Englehardt is one of the oldest citizens of Poughkeepsie. He is a Democrat, and a member of the German Lutheran Church.

JACOB SCHRAUTH, a retired merchant of Poughkeepsie and one of its most popular German citizens, was born at Kreuznach, in the Rhine Province, April 18, 1834, a son of John and Margaret 'Wcyell) Schrauth, the former of whom was also born in Kreuznach, the latter in Waluff on the Rhine, Prussia.

John Schrauth, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was a hotel-keeper at Kreuznach, of which place he was a native. He married, and to the union was born a large family of children. Their son, John, father of our sub- ject, was also a hotel-keeper, and in connec- tion with it followed the occupation of a farm- er. In 1816, for his second wife, he married, Margaret Wcyell, and they became the parents of eight children, as follows: Jacob, Laura, Kate, Minnie, Julia, Louis, Eliza and Benia. Of these, Louis is a resident of Boston, and Eliza is the widow of Conrad Lembke, former- ly a saloon-keeper in Highland. Our subject's parents spent their entire lives in their native land, where the father died in 1875 and the mother in 1885. They were members of the Lutheran Church.

Jacob Schrauth lived in his native town until twenty years of age. during which time he learned the cooper's trade. In 1854 he came to America, landing in New York City where he remained three years, and there learned the trade of a baker. In 1857 he came to Poughkeepsie, and for six years was employed as a baker by Robert High, the three following years working for P. S. Rowland. In 1866 Mr. Schrauth went into business for himself, renting a building at No. 153 Main street. In the following two years he made many improvements in the place and expanded his business by the introduction of ice-creamn. confectionery. ete., carrying on two stores with all modern improvements, doing, in fact, an extensive trade. On May 1, 1897, his sons Edward L. and William H. purchased the business of their father, forming a co-part- nership under the name of J. Schrauth's Sons. Being brought up under their father's careful training, they are well fitted to succeed him, and a successful future is predicted for them, especially if they follow in the footsteps of their predecessor, who is known to be an en- terprising, progressive man, keeping abreast of the times, thoroughly understanding his busi- ness, courteous and obliging, and not only se- curing the best class of customers, but know- ing how to retain them.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In 1860 Jacob Schrauth was married to Miss Kate Schneider, who was born at Kaiser- slautern, Bavaria, Germany, and seven chil- dren have blessed this union: Charles, en- gaged in the confectionery business at Union- hill, N. Y .; one who died in infancy; Minnie, who married William H. Frank, a brewer at Poughkeepsie; Edward L., of the firm of J. Schrauth's Sons; Kate, married to William La Paugh, of the firm of La Paugh & Son, in Poughkeepsie; William II., of the firm of J. Schrauth's Sons, and Cora, at home. Charles married Barbara Seifts, an orphan, and they had three children Charles, Katie and Louis: Edward L. married Josephine C. Beigle, daughter of the late Leonard Beigle; William H. wedded Matilda Seeholtzer, daughter of Berthold Seeholtzer, and they have one child -Edna. Edward L. and William H. are both members of Fallkill Lodge No. 297. 1. O. O. F., and the former is also identified with the Phoenix Hose Co .. Poughkeepsie.

Our subject and his amiable wife are con- sistent members of the German Lutheran Church, in the work of which they are always ready to assist. I In his political views he is a Republican, and for two years was a member of the board of water works of Poughkeepsie. Like most Germans, he is a lover of music, and for twelve years was president of the Ger- man Singing Society. He is a member of Adler Lodge No. 388, 1. O. O. F.

D AVID V. HAGGERTY, the leading florist of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, was born in that city August 3, 1867, and although still a young man has shown more than average business ability, which has enabled him to push forward the enterprise begun by his father to a wonderful degree of success.

The Haggerty family is of Irish descent. The father of our subject, James Haggerty, was born in Brooksborough, Ireland. His father was a native of that place also, where he carried on farming or gardening. He had a family of six children, as follows: James; William, a farmer in Rhinebeck: Thomas, a florist in New York City; Jennie and Sarah, deceased; Mary, living in New York City. The family came to the United States and set- tled in Rhinebeck, where the father died.

James Haggerty had but meagre advan- tages for an education in his native country, but after coming to America he improved every

opportunity to store his mind with useful knowledge. He was naturally gifted with a fine intellect, and was a great reader of all kinds of literature, but more especially of such as bore upon the vocation he adopted, that of a florist. During his life he kept well-posted on all topics relating to this branch of garden- ing, and was among the most progressive men in his business.

Mr. Haggerty's first employment was on the Ellerslie farin, which is now owned by Governor Morton, where he worked for Mr. James. He then went to Newburgh and was in the employ of Mr. Bridgman, who subse- quently placed him in his large florist estab- lishment in New York City. There he remained until removing to Poughkeepsie and going into business for himself. He first built a small greenhouse just south of the old reser- voir on South Clinton street, which was the first of the kind in the city. From there he moved to No. 181 Main street, where he built a greenhouse and also carried on a seed store, then bought the property at No. 381 on the same street, and erected the large and commo- dious building which he afterward occupied. In 1867 he bought the T. H. Leggett property of ten acres near Poughkeepsie, to which he added from time to time until it comprised thirty acres. On this he built an extensive greenhouse covering two acres, the largest probably in the county, and here carried on a most flourishing business until his death, which event took place December 17, 1881. He was a man of great energy and unflagging industry. He was successful in almost everything he at- tempted, and accumulated a comfortable for- tune. In his political views he was a Repub- lican, but never took an active interest in public affairs other than that which every good citizen should. Both he and his wife belonged to the Methodist Church, and were members of the choir. He was for many years one of the most prominent members of the New York Horti- cultural Society, and served one term as its president. In all the relations of life he was generous, kind and helpful, and stood high both among his associates in business and in social circles. He was married to Miss Rebecca Vail Hyde, daughter of Liberty Hyde, of Pleasant Valley. Five children were born of this union: William, deceased; John, David Vail, Susanna and Margaret.

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 165

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354