Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 49

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

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While clerking at Wappingers Falls Mr.

M. FLashe

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Lasher met Miss Almira J. Hermance, who was visiting a cousin there, and on January 19, 1870, they were united in marriage. They be- gan their domestic life in Poughkeepsie, where were born to them two sons: Claude, a member of the firm of Lansing & Lasher, real estate and insurance; and Frank H. Mr. Lasher was a conscientious, earnest Christian, a trus- tee of the Baptist Church of Poughkeepsie, and an active worker in the Young Men's Christian Association. His benevolence was unostentatious and genuine, and there is noth- ing in the story of his life to show that he ever, for a moment, sought to compass a given end for the purpose of exalting himself, as he was a man of retiring disposition and averse to making any show. He was a member of the Amrita Club, and as a man held the honor and esteem of all classes of people.

Richard M. Hermance, the father of Mrs. Lasher, was born at Clifton Park, Saratoga Co., N. Y., June 3, 1817, and was the son of Cornelius and Anna (Westfall) Hermance, the former a native of Red Hook, Dutchess county, and the latter of Claverack, Columbia Co., N. Y. For many years her father carried on farming in Saratoga county, and, on disposing of his land, went into the foundry business, manufacturing stoves and plows at Stillwater, Saratoga county; he patented many articles, among which was the low reservoir used on cooking stoves. He wedded Emeline Du Bois, daughter of Richard Du Bois of Round Lake, Saratoga county, and they became the parents of six children, namely: Almira J .; Theodore; Albert; George C .; Mary; and Emma J., wife of Henry Richmond. The mother of this fam- ily died in 1886.

0 BED W. VINCENT (deceased). The Vincent family, which is one of the oldest and most prominent in Dutchess county, is of English origin, the ancestors of the sub- ject of this sketch having come to America at a very early date. settling as pioneer farmers in the town of Unionvale.

Isaac Vincent, our subject's grandfather, was a farmer and merchant in Unionvale, and his son, David D. Vincent, the father of our subject, followed the same pursuits, in which he proved an unusually successful business man. He was always a Republican, and took great interest in local politics, holding various offices, including that of supervisor. He mar-

ried Phoebe Preston, whose ancestors were leading farmers in the town of Dover, where he died in IS88. He and his wife had three children: Isaac, who was a farmer and store- keeper at the Clove, and died in 1889; Martha (deceased,, who married Stephen Moore; and Obed W., who died July 14, 1892.

Our subject was reared by an aunt on a farm at Chestnut Ridge, and was married April 15. 1880, to Miss Mary Ella Vincent, a grand- daughter of Jonathan Vincent. Her father, John W. Vincent, was born in the town of Unionvale, and was a school teacher in early life, later removing to Poughkeepsie and be- coming an influential politician. He was county clerk and justice of the peace for a number of years, and was otherwise prominent in political affairs; he died in 1881. He at- tended the M. E. Church, and was interested in various progressive movements. He married Rhoda Butler, who was born at Chestnut Ridge, and is still living. This family is of English descent. Her father, Peter L. Butler, was a well-known farmer in the town of Dover. Of the four children born to John and Rhoda Vincent our subject's wife was the eldest; Minnie married Charles Andrews, of Lagrange- ville; Walter, who married Julia O'Brien, is in business at the stock yards in Chicago; and . George E. resides with Mrs. Vincent.

After their marriage Obed Vincent and his wife lived at Chestnut Ridge with his aunt, where their only child, Hazel Blanche, was born. Mr. Vincent was a man of influence in his locality, a Republican in politics, and ably sustained the high reputation which was his birthright. Since his death Mrs. Vincent has managed the large fortune with great ability. In May, 1895, she bought a beautiful residence at Manchester Bridge, three miles from Pough- keepsie, where she now resides, her home be- ing the center of a refined and gracious hospitality.

W ILLIAM THOMSON, a wealthy retired merchant of New York City, now re- siding upon a fine estate near Rhinebeck, was born at No. 92 Watt street, New York, Sep- tember 11, 1836. His family had long been prominent in that city, and his father, William A. Thomson, was born there on Cedar street, May 29, 1808. He served during his life as president of the Mercantile Fire Insurance Co., also serving for many years as president of the

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

falo. This was in 1849, during the great epi- demic of Asiatic cholera that swept over almost the entire country. Buffalo was suffering from this dread disease, and while on the canal Mr. Howell was stricken with the scourge, and was laid out on the bank to die, whence he was taken to the hospital. Hundreds died of the disease; but Mr. Howell, after a long illness, finally recovered, and on gaining his strength started for New York; he, however, engaged again on the canal for a few months.

After some years he became interested in horses, and was superintendent of the Samuel Townsend stock farm in Niagara county, where he continued for nine years. In 1871 he came to Dutchess county, and for twenty years man- aged the large stock farm of Edwin Thorne, well known as Thorndale Stock Farm, located near Millbrook, Dutchess county. The horse department here has from 100 to 150 horses all the time. Since 1891 he has engaged in the hotel business, first at Hopewell Junction, and later in Arlington, at the edge of Pough- keepsie. Mr. Howell married Miss Sophia Barton, and they have become the parents of fourteen children, eleven of whom are living.

Frank Howell came with his parents to Dutchess county, where, surrounded by fast horses, he developed a taste for handling and breaking them, assisting his father in his work until he gradually learned by actual practice all the work of a practical trainer. He devel- oped unusual skill in his undertaking, and Mr. Thorne selected him as his trainer. Then. assisted by his former employer, he started out for himself, working his horses on the Pough- keepsie track. Mr. Thorne at one time owned the Poughkeepsie Driving Park, which Mr. Howell superintended until it was sold, in 1888, to the present owner, Jacob Ruppert. His training stables are finely equipped and conveniently located near the tracks. Among the horses he has driven or owned may be mentioned : Kate C., record 2:151; Elber. 2:154; Mithra, 2:17; Prince, 2:20]; Niel Whitbeck, 2:21 1 ; Carlton Chief, 2:211 ; Marks- man Maid, 2:211; Kentucky Blanch, 2:26; Edwin Thorne, 2:164; Daisy Dale, 2:19}; Oxford Chief, 2:221, and Miss Murray, 2:28.

On June 24, 1882, Mr. Howell was mar- ried to Miss Julia Webb, daughter of Edward and Lucy (Clarke) Webb, of English origin. Mr. Webb was a skilled florist and landscape gardener by occupation, and after selling out his business in England, came to America with

hi. family in 1864, making hu nome in Dutches. county where he -pert the remainder of his life He expired sudden ; from heart chease December 5 1992, but his wife stall survives. In their family of children were: Jonathan Edward. Jaha E. Marie C, and Louise A. To Mr. and Mrs. Frank Howell have been born the following children . Lucy Clarke: Julia Webb: Nelle Viall and Louise Webb. Mr. Howell is a very public-spirited man, and takes an active interest in all movements for the advancement of the community.

J OHN HAUPT, the proprietor of a well- known bakery situated at the corner of Church and Gate streets, Poughkeepsie, is one of the thrifty German-born citizens of the county. His present success is emphatically due to hard work and economy, and reflects great credit upon him.

Mr. Haupt was born August 24, 1645. at Gross-hen Zog, um Hessen, a son of Jacob Haupt, also a native of Germany, born in 1801. The father was the owner of a stone quarry, and was engaged all his life in the business of taking out rough building stone. He and his wife, Magdalena (Chink), both died about the year 1887. Of their ten children, nine grew to adult age: Barbara (the eldest : Mattice, now living in Germany; Agnes, who lives in New York City: Jacob, in Germany: Lizzie, in East New York; Mary, in Germany; Sybilla, in Brooklyn; Frank, whose whereabouts are not known: and John, our subject.

John Haupt came alone to America when a boy of thirteen years. He made his home with a sister in New York City for a short time in 1857, while looking for employment, and as he had already acquired a common-school edu- cation. he devoted his thoughts from that time to making his way in the business world, a sufficiently difficult task as it proved. He has always been engaged in the baker's trade, his first work being with a baker in Williamsburg at $3 per month, with whom he remained six months, and from that time was employed by various parties at increasing wages. working one year at one place for $5 per month. and six months at another for $7. He became third helper in a large establishment at $3 per week, and then going to New York secured a place as second hand at $4 a week. remaining during one winter. His next employer, Mr.

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Feltz, gave him $9 a week, and after seven months he entered the service of Mr. Rein- hardt at the corner of 11th avenue and 45th street, for $12 a week. Here he injured his eves so that he gave up the position in four months, and went to work in gth avenue for $9 a week. In December. 1865, he came to Poughkeepsie as head baker for Mr. Bice, at $12 a week and his board, and in July. 1866. he began to work for P. S. Rowland as a cake maker. With him he remained fourteen months, and then returned to New York as foreman for Mr. Doring at the corner of 3rd avenue and 46th street, at $15 a week and board; after three months, however, he went back to Poughkeepsie and worked for Charles Arras a little over a year. In 1869 he spent five months in Hoboken, N. J., as foreman for Mr. Weidner on First street, and then en- gaged in business for himself in East New York: but the venture proved unprofitable, and after five months he returned to Poughkeepsie and again worked for Charles Arras for six years. In August, 1876. he bought his present establishment of George Mallmann, and has successfully conducted same for over twenty years, building up a large and profitable trade.

On June 9, 1867. Mr. Ilaupt was married to Miss Barbara Bieber, daughter of John and Mary Bieber, highly respected residents of Poughkeepsie. Four children were born of this union: John, born September 26, 1868, is a clerk in his father's establishment; Rai- mund. born January 25. 1871, assists as a cake baker: Alfred E., born December 2, 1872, died at the age of sixteen; and George W., born July 26, 1879. is in school. The family attend the Lutheran Church, but Mrs. Haupt is an Episcopalian. Mr. Haupt has won the respect of the people wherever he is known, and is prominent among the self-made men of his locality. He has taken an active interest in politics, voting the Republican ticket as a rule, and in 1895 was elected supervisor of the Second ward. Socially, he is a member of the I. O. O. F.

G FORGE H. BONTECOU. The first an- cestor of the Bontecou family, of whom we have a definite account, was William Is- brand Bontekoe, who lived in the early part of the seventeenth century. In 1618 he was cap- tain of the . Nouvelle Hoorn. " a ship of 1. 110 tons burden, and a crew of 206 men, which in

that year set sail for the East Indies. He had touched at the uninhabited island of Mas- caruque and at Madagascar, and was nearing Batavia when a fire broke out in the vessel, and while making efforts to extinguish it he was deserted by sixty-six of his men, who es- caped in a shallop and a small skiff. He was unable to subdue the flames, and when they reached the magazine the ship was thrown into the air and totally destroyed, but Bontekoe in falling had the good fortune to grasp a spar. which supported him until he was picked up by the shallop. At another time, while in command of a ship of thirty-two guns, Bontekoe took part in the expedition in which Cornelius, with eight vessels, ravaged the coast of China.

Bontekoe wrote an account of his voyages, and the incidents referred to have been util- ized by Alexander Dumas in a story entitled "Bontekoe," the first in his volume- " Les Drames de la Mer." Unfortunately no known record exists relating to this man's ancestors or descendants, but his family was doubtless of Dutch or Flemish origin, and it is probable that one of his sons crossed the line and set- tled in France, where we next hear of the name in connection with the events attending the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, October 18, 1685. by which Louis XIV put an end to the exercise of Protestant forms of worship in France, and compelled all who would not adopt the Catholic faith to leave his realm. Among the refugees who fled to England at this time were Pierre Bontecou and his wife, Marguerite Collinot, and five children: Mar- guerite, Peter. Sara, Daniel and Susanne. Ac- cording to the ** Archives Nationales, " at Paris, they left the Isle of Ré in 1684 for " La Caro- line " [a general term used to designate the continent of North America]. Their residence had previously been in the city of La Rochelle. a place of great commercial importance and a stronghold of Protestantism. It is certain that one of the children, Daniel, was born there in 1681, and doubtless the others were natives of that place. Pierre Bontecou and his little family found refuge in England for a few years, but in 1689 they came to America and settled in New York City, where three children were born. Marie and Rachel (twins), July 21. 1690, and Timothy. June 17. 1693.

Timothy Bontecou, our subject's great- great-grandfather, no doubt spent his boyhood in New York, but in early manhood went to France to learn the silversmith's trade, and

Good Bontecou

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remained, it is supposed, about twenty years. We have no history of him during this period; but he was probably married in France, as his wife, Mary, died in New Haven, Conn., No- vember 5, 1735, at the age of thirty-three years, according to the inscription on her mon- ument in the old cemetery in that city. On September 29, 1736, he married his second wife, Mary Goodrich, daughter of David and Prudence (Churchill, Goodrich, of Wethers- field, Conn. His death occurred in New Haven, February 14, 1784, at the age of ninety. By his first marriage he had one son. Timothy, born in 1723, probably in France. There were five children by the second inar- riage: Peter, who was born in New Haven, 1738; Daniel, born 1739, died 1778; David, born 1742, died 1766; James, born 1743, died 1760; and a daughter, Mrs. Lathrop, of whom all trace is lost.

Peter Bontecou, the great-grandfather of our subject, was married November 14, 1762, by Rev. Chauncey Whittlesey, to Susanna Thomas, daughter of Jehiel and Mary Thomas, of New Haven. They had nine children, whose names, with dates of birth and death, are here given: Polly Augusta, August 13, 1763, died March 28, 1849: James, August 6, 1766, died July 12, 1806; David (1), August 23, 1767, died in 1767; David (2), September 9, 1768, died January 26, 1769; Susannah (1), 1769, died in infancy; Susannah (2), 1770, died De- cember 25, 1777: Peter, 1770, died June 12, 1794: Sarah, July 30, 1775, died January 9, 1861: and David (3). March 17, 1777, died May 5. 1854.

David Bontecou, the grandfather of our subject, was married October 1, 1769, to Pol- ly Clark, daughter of Samuel and Anna ( Haw- ley) Clark, and reared a family of eight chil- dren, of whom the first four were born at the old home of the family in New Haven, and the remaining four in Coeymans, N. Y. Their names with dates of birth are as follows: Peter, January 26, 1797; Elizabeth, October 14, 1798: Susannah, July 25, 1801; James Clark, July 11, 1803: Sarah, May 19, 1805; David, October 25, 1807; Samuel Stover, January 23, 1810, died July 11. 1812; and George, our subject's father.

George Bontecou was born June 23, 1812. He was married September 6, 1838, to Lydia Ann Whipple, who was born May 28, 1818, the daughter of William and Hannah (Adams) Whipple, of Troy. N. Y. She died in Troy,

February 20, 1864, and July 1, 1869. Mr. Bontecou married Margaret Dustin, daughter of Ananis and Margaret (Hunter) Dustin, of Waterford, Erie Co., Penn. The family moved from Troy, N. Y. to Vineland, N. J .. in 1866, and he died there August 7, 1893. There were ten children by his first marriage, their names with dates of birth being as fol- lows: Mary Hannah. August 19, 1839; Will- iam Whipple, August 17, 1841, died October 14, 1842; Susan, May 29, 1843: William Wright Whipple, June 19, 1845; Elijah Whip- ple, June 27, 1847; George Henry, May 17, 1849; Philip Dorlon, January 23, 1853; Abby Whipple, April 12, 1856; and Reed and Fran- cis (twins), December 20, 1858 (of whom the latter died July 24, 1859). By the second marriage there were two children: Lydia Ann, born April 5, 1870; and John, born February 20, 1876, and died April 4, 1879.

As will be seen by the above record, George Henry Bontecou, the subject proper of this sketch, is of the sixth generation in direct de- scent from the brave Huguenot pioneer, Pierre Bontecou. A native of Troy, N. Y., he was educated in the common schools there, and at the age of thirteen entered the employ of the New York Central & Hudson River railroad. In 1867 he went to Minnesota as an employe of the Southern Minnesota Railroad Co., and remained until 1872, when he became station agent at Dutchess Junction for the N. Y. C. R. R. and the N. D. & C. R. R. This posi- tion he has held ever since, his able manage- ment giving entire satisfaction to the compa- nies which he represents, and to the traveling public. For the last five years he has also been engaged in the manufacturing of common building brick for the New York market, his yards being located at Dutchess Junction. His excellent judgment in business affairs has made him a valued worker in different enterprises, among them the Matteawan Savings Bank, of which he is a trustee. His counsel is sought in political matters also, and he is secretary of the Republican committee of the town of Fish- kill, and was a delegate to the Republican State Convention at Saratoga in 1895. He is foreman of the Willar H. Mase Hook and Ladder Co., of Matteawan, also a member of the State Firemen's Association, and he is also secretary of the Matteawan Club. In the Masonic fraternity he is an active worker, be- I longing to Beacon Lodge No. 283, Highland Chapter of Newburg, Hudson Commandery.

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K. T. of Newburg, and Mecca Temple of New York City.

He has a pleasant home at Matteawan, and he and his wife (formerly Miss Emma Mase) are leading members of the M. E. Church, in which he holds the office of secretary of the board of trustees. They have had four chil- dren : George died at the age of fifteen; Howell is a student in the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania; Edna and Pierre are at home. Mrs. Bontecou is a daugh- ter of Sylvester H. and Almira (Cornwell) Mase, and a descendant of a family which has been distinguished in several generations for patriotism, her great-grandfather, Peter Mase, having been a soldier in the Revolutionary war, while her grandfather, Peter Mase, served in the war of 1812. Her father was second lieutenant in the 128th N. Y. V. 1. during the Civil war. Ile was one of the most prominent men of Matteawan, engaging in hat manufac- turing, in the dry-goods business, also in the wholesale and retail leather business, and he held the office of sheriff of Dutchess county for two terms.

CHARLES G. BAUMANN, a prominent sa- loon keeper of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, was born in that city November 23, 1863.

The home of his ancestors was in Waldurn Baden, Germany, where his father, John Bau- mann, was born March 16, 1812. The latter attended the school of his birthplace during boyhood, and later learned the shoemaker's trade, serving an apprenticeship of five years. He afterward traveled through Switzerland as a journeyman cobbler, and in 1853 came to America, where he followed his trade in Cin- cinnati, but shortly afterward returned to Poughkeepsie and engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigars in a wholesale way. He was cautions and conservative, and made a success of the enterprise, accumulating a fine property. An independent voter, he thought more of se- curing good men for office than of party ties, and he never sought political preferment for himself. He was a prominent member of the Church of the Nativity (Roman Catholic), and was a leader among the German-born popula- tion. In 1842 he was married in Germany to Eva Catharine Spieler, who died July 16, 1889. In the following year he disposed of his busi- ness, and on May 1, 1891, he, too, departed this

life. Of the nine children of this union five lived to adult age and four are still living: August; Josephine, the wife of Adam Messer- schmidt, of New York: Mary Louisa, the widow of Robert Farley; and Charles G., our subject.

Charles G. Baumann was educated in the German Catholic school at St. Michael, and attended the public schools for one year. He became familiar with both English and Ger- man, and has been quite a reader of current literature. After leaving school he tended bar for three years for Albert Von Der Linden, on Market street, and then took a similar posi- tion with Charles Matheis, at No. 116 Main street. On his employer's death six years later. Mr. Baumann continued the business for the widow for one year, and then on May 1, 1885, bought the business and the building. He has been the agent for Jacob Ruppert's beer for twelve years. As a business man he has been remarkably successful, and he takes a promi- nent part in various local movements, being a member of the Germania Singing Society, the Phoenix Hose Co., the Young American Hose Co. No. 6, the Veteran Fire Association, the Dutchess Social Club, and he is an honorary member of the Knights of St. George, and a charter member of the Elks. In religion he follows the faith of his father, and adheres to the Roman Catholic Church.

On October 8, 1889, Mr. Baumann married Miss Anna M. Haidlauf, the only child of Dr. John and Rosalie Marie Elizabeth Haidlauf, the former of whom (now deceased) was one of the leading German physicians of Pough- keepsie. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Bau- mann two children have come: Rosa Helena and Katie Josephine, the latter being now de- ceased.

L EWIS PINCKNEY, an industrious and progressive agriculturist of the town of Pawling, Dutchess county, was born January 1, 1851, in the town of Carmel, Putnam Co., N. Y., where his forefathers were among the most prominent of the early settlers. His grandfather, Gen. Stephen Pinckney, was a native of that place, and passed his life there in agricultural pursuits, to which, in later years, he added mercantile business. He held the rank of general in the militia of his day. and was a leader in many important local movements. His first wife, Miss Hill, died not long after their marriage, and he formed

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another matrimonial union, this time with Miss Ann Hager. Eight children were born to them: William; Ira, who never married; Mrs. Arabella Pircle; Mrs. Nancy Smith; Perry; Michael; Alva and Stephen. Most of the members of this family settled near the old home, and the others located at Norwalk, Con- necticut.

Perry Pinckney, our subject's father, was a carpenter by trade, but was also engaged at times in farming. He was an energetic man, successful in business, especially in early man- hood; a member of the Baptist Church and a leading supporter of the Democratic party. A large portion of his life was passed near Lake Mahopac and in his native town, but his last years were passed in Luddingtonville, where he died November 25, 1879. His wife, Eleanor Lockwood, daughter of Daniel Lock- wood, departed this life January 1, 1868. Of their seven children, six lived to maturity, namely: Sarah, who married Robert Lee; Lewis, our subject; Sophia, the wife of Walter Tompkins; James S., who resides west of Pawling; Lorainy, who is not married; and Carrie, the wife of John Pattison, of White Plains, New York.

The subject of our sketch received his edu- cation mainly in the district schools of the town of East Fishkill, and after his mother's death began working by the month for farmers in the locality during the summer season and attended school during the winter at Peekskill, Pawling and other places, obtaining as good schooling as the locality afforded notwithstand- ing many discouragements. He was employed at farm work until he was thirty-eight years old, working at Hurd's Corners for many years, with one winter in Scrub Oak Plains, one year in East Fishkill, one year with Jere- miah Mead, eight months with Albert Corbin, eight with Arnold Brothers, below Pawling, and then after a winter in Mr. Allen's school in that village he worked for Allen Light for a few months and for his father-in-law at Cold Spring for two years, returning again to Mr. Light's for a short time. His next employer was Theodore Wheeler, of Dover, with whom he stayed nine years and eight months, and he then went West, spending some months in Kansas and lowa. On his return in the fol- lowing spring he again engaged in farnı work, spending one year each with Mr. Ferguson, J. B. Dutcher, John Arnold and John L. Haynes. In 1890, after twenty-two years in all

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 49

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