USA > New York > Suffolk County > Portrait and biographical record of Suffolk county (Long Island) New York, Pt. 1 > Part 59
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sponsible office he has devoted much time. He lias been associated with the Southold Savings Bank for many years as one of its Directors, but in 1895 was elected its Second Vice-President.
The lady to whom Mr. Overton was married in 1872 was Miss Louise, daughter of Henry Fitz, of New York, a man of scientific attainments, who was engaged as a manufacturer of telescopes in the latter city. The two children of this union are Franklin F. and Julia F. In politics Mr. Overton is a true blue Republican, and is very much inter- ested in the success of his party. He is active and upright in every relation with his fellow-men, and has won for himself the confidence and good-will of all with whom he has been thrown in contact, and has long been considered one of the worthy citizens of his native place. In his religious ten- dencies he is liberal.
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G EORGE M. VAIL. We can hardly speak of Riverhead without suggesting the name of Mr. Vail to the mind of any one familiar with the personnel of its business interests. Born in this village August 26, 1859, our subject is a son of David F. Vail, who was also a native of Riverhead, born July 29, 1821. The paternal grandfather, Gamaliel Vail, was born here in 1797, and followed the water in early life, but later be- came a showman, and travelled through the Unit- ed States and Canada exhibiting wax figures. In this business he accumulated considerable money, with which he bought a vessel and became an ex- tensive dealer in wood, supplying the Vanderbilt shops. Still later he was engaged in the fruit and vegetable business. He died in 1886 in the house where David F. Vail now lives. He had several brothers, of whom Silas was a vessel owner during the War of 1812, Jasper, who was first a sea cap- tain and then a storekeeper, located three miles east of Riverhead, later was proprietor of a hotel in this village, where he died. Charles, a carpenter by trade, built the house where David F. Vail now resides, and became quite well-to-do by his marriage with a German lady of means
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from Paterson, N. J. His son James is now a merchant in this village.
The great-grandfather of our subject, Peter Vail, was born in Connecticut and removed to this county. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and was highly regarded in his time. A brother of his was long the keeper of a lighthouse on the north side of the Sound. The Vails were of Welsh origin, and first settled in Connecticut, but later, with the Griffings and the Jaggers, be- came the first settlers in Riverhead, and owned all that part of the village east of Griffing Avenue. This estate has been in the possession of the fam- ily ever since and on a portion of it the subject of this sketch and his father are now living.
The grandmother of our subject, and the moth- er of David F. Vail, was Harriet Wells, a daughter of Nathaniel Wells, and a member of one of the old Long Island families. She died five or six years after the death of her husband, at the age of eighty-seven. David F. Vail, as stated above, was an only son, but had four sisters. Anna married William Webb, a liveryman at Greenport, and both are now deceased; they left two children. who are living at Greenport. Matilda mar- ried John Wood, a merchant at Sayville, who was County Clerk for six years and a man much es- teemed in his time. She is now a widow, living at Sayville; her son Joseph is a lawyer, and James is a banker in Wall Street. Sarah, another sister. married Richard Benjamin, a ship carpenter at Greenport; both are now deceased, and their son. Richard, lives at the old homestead in Greenport. Henrietta married Samuel Green, a merchant of Sayville, and also interested in the Menhaden fisheries; both are dead and left one son, Isaac, an architect at Sayville.
David F. Vail, the father of our subject, had meager educational advantages in early life, but was a man of force and character. While still young he went on the water with his father, and when twenty-one started a small store, having but a few hundred dollars at the time. A whole- sale grocery in New York started him for $1,000. He did an extensive business, added dry goods. and built up a store that became the leading es- tablishment in Riverhead. In addition hie owned
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a vessel and did considerable business in shipping goods belonging to others. He went to Provi- dence and made a contract with one of the large calico mills for all their remnants, out of which he made much money. He then made investments in the Menhaden fish oil business, which proved very profitable and in which he is still interested. The business is now managed by Thomas J. East- man, who was for thirty years his foreman and is now his partner.
At one time Mr. Vail was United States Asses- sor of income tax during the existence of that law. In politics he was first a Whig and later became a Republican. , He is now living a retired life in this village. In 1841 he married Betsy Penny, daughter of Henry T. Penny, an ex-Sheriff of this county. Her mother was a Griffing, of the old and well known family of that name. She died in 1869, leaving the following named children: Henry F. was a soldier in the late war, and died in 1892, leaving a wife and four children; Polly G. married William H. Clark, who is connected with the Pittsburg, Columbus, Cincinnati & Chi- cago Railroad, and has her home in Chicago; Elizabeth married William Sweezy, who is a part- ner with the Perkins Brothers in this village; Har- rison O. married Anna Carman of Riverhead and is a traveling salesman from Philadelphia; David is a job printer in Brooklyn, and married Alma Gildersleeve of Riverhead; George M. is the sub- ject of this sketch, and Charles D. is in the hotel business. The father is a Mason, having risen to the Royal Arch Degrees. He has for twenty years been Treasurer of the Suffolk County Mu- tual Benefit Association, one of the leading insti- titions of its kind in the state. After the death of his first wife and the marriage of all his children, he married Huldah G. Penny, and they had one child, but it died when at the age of ten years.
George M. Vail, the subject of this sketch, at- tended the seminary at East Hampton and East- man's Business College at Poughkeepsie. He started out in the lumber business with his broth- er-in-law, 11. H. Corwin, and no lumber firm in Riverhead has developed a more satisfactory or permanent trade. They have reached out beyond Riverhead and have a branch at Southampton,
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incorporated as the Hampton Lumber Company, of which he is President. He is the owner of the music hall in Riverhead, which he bought from his father. He is a Trustee in the Riverhead Savings Bank, Director of the Suffolk County National Bank, and a Director of the Suffolk County Mutual Benefit Society. He is a Trustee in the Methodist Church, and for ten years has been See- retary of the Jamesport Camp Meeting Associa- tion. He is Past Grand of the local Odd Fellows. In addition to his many interests on Long Island, he lias much valuable property in Chicago. In October, 1879, he married M. Althea Terrell, a daughter of Allen T. Terrell, whose history is found in this work. They have no children.
S AMUEL HARMON TUTHILL. Many vi the most prominent residents of East Mari- on have been born and reared within its lim- its. In them we find men of loyalty, enterprise and ambition. The island has its full quota of vigor- ous, thorough-going, prosperous men, whose popularity is based upon their social qualities and their well known integrity and enterprise. None of them is more popular than Samuel Harmon Tuthill, whose activity as a farmer and fisherman is well known.
The parents of our subject, Capt. Samuel Har- mon and Esther (Baker) Tuthill, were natives of East Marion and Amagansett, respectively. After marriage they settled in the former village where. during the early part of his career, Mr. Tuthill followed the sea in the coasting trade. Later he was engaged in farming in East Marion, where his death occurred March 11, 1879. Mrs. Tuthill fol- lowed him to the grave April 24, 1887. To their marriage was born a family of six children, two of whom died when quite young. The others were Jonathan T .; Mary Ann, who married James F. Webb and died in Greenport, L. I .; Samuel Har- mon, and Esther E., who is the wife of George E. U'dell, of East Marion.
The subject of this notice was born at East Mar- ion, L. I., July 30, 1843, and in this village he se-
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cured a fair education. All his life he has been a resident of this place and as a consequence much of his interest is centered in and around it. When starting out to fight life's battles for himself he first began by following the sea, and became mate of a vessel engaged in the coasting and fishing trade. This he continued for about fifteen years, but since then has been engaged in farming in connection with fishing.
December 26, 1867, in the village of Noank, Conn., Mr. Tuthill married Miss Adelaide E. Brown, a native of that place, and the daughter of Capt. George C. and Eliza (Wheeler) Brown. This union has resulted in the birth of two chil- dren, only one now living, George H., whose birth occurred June 13, 1873. The elder, Samuel H .. died in infancy. For a period of fifteen years Mr. Tuthill has filled the office of Assessor and during that time discharged its duties in a most satisfac- tory manner. He takes an active part in all local affairs of moment, and is a wide-awake, upright citizen. Politically he is a Republican and an ear- nest believer in the principles of his party. He and his wife have been members of the Baptist Church for many years and are active workers in the same. They have the esteem and respect of all with whom they come in contact.
C APT. WILLIAM LEWIS JACKSON, who was one of the highly esteemed resi- dents of Huntington, was born May: 16, 1807, and died May 1, 1893. He was a son of John Jackson, of Goshen, Orange County. this State. He spent his boyhood days in his na- tive place and attended school at Florida, a village a few miles distant from his home, where the school facilities were considered superior. On reaching manhood he learned the clothier's trade at Chester, finishing at Otisville, but the trade fell into disfavor about that time and he decided to abandon it. Through the persuasion of Captain Terbell he decided to go to sea, and made his first voyage about 1831, continuing a seafaring life until 1849. Though he had no friends who could !
help toward his advancement, by his own ability and merit he won the final promotion to captain.
In 1849 Captain Jackson sailed for California, and he bid fair to become a wealthy trader, carry- ing merchandise from New Holland. His bright prospects were obscured, however, by an attack of sickness, and his physician advised him to leave the sea on account of the deleterious effect of the climate. On leaving the high seas he went to Canandaigua, where he remained from 1850 to 1857. The following nine years he spent in Mt. Hope, coming thence to Huntington, where he passed the remainder of his life. While a citi- zen of this place he enjoyed the confidence that a man whose moral principles and aim are high always receives from his fellow-citizens. Many offices were conferred upon him. He was a sup- porter of the Democratic party, and his first vote was cast for General Jackson. He was a devout believer in the Presbyterian creed and did his share toward the financial support of that denom- ination.
Captain Jackson married Miss Eleanor E. Bou- ton July 3, 1839. Mrs. Jackson, who was born February 16, 1816, was a descendant of John Bouton, who came to America in 1635 from Eng- land, where the Bouton family had been for some seventy years. They were originally Huguenots, but fled from France about 1565 during the reli- gious wars. The family has furnished many il- lustrious names to the history of its native and adopted countries. Mrs. Jackson had two grand- fathers and three great-grandfathers in the Revo- lutionary War.
We quote this obituary notice from one of the home journals, as it offers most reliable data touching the life history of our subject: "The death of Capt. William L. Jackson on May I re- calls the fact that he was one of the first white men to effect a landing on Japanese territory and that he accomplished this feat five years be- fore Commodore Perry's famous expedition. Captain Jackson was born at Chester. For years he was in command of various whaling vessels which sailed from the port at New Bedford, and it was while in command of the Inez' that his visit to Japan was made, which was the subject of
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GEORGE M. HOWELL.
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much newspaper comment at that time. The New York Heraldl' of April 27, 1848, prints an extract from the 'Polynesian Publication' at Honolulu which says: 'About the last of April the "Inez' passed through the Straits of Matsu, Japan, and anchored. The Japanese appeared friendly, but wished Captain Jackson to leave . the island. They offered no violence, but in- quired if he wanted food or water. Captain Jackson, as an excuse for landing, said he was in want of food. They gave him rice, cider and come vegetables. He lay at anchor three days at Nippon and took a small whale. Captain Jackson went on shore every day, visited one of their temples and endeavored to trade with them. but could not induce them to receive anything. nor would they give him anything but food and water. They asked for the name of the ship and nation, but would not take this information on American paper. desiring Captain Jackson to write on their own paper with a hair peneil. Cap- tain Jackson was fortunate in being permitted to land, a privilege rarely, if ever, accorded at Nippon.'"
Upon his retirement from a seafaring life in 1840 Captain Jackson settled in Canandaigua, where he was made one of the Trustees of the town. He remained there until 1857, when he removed to Mt. Hope. There he was Justice of the Peace, and from that place removed in 1868 to Huntington, L. I., where he spent the re- mainder of his life. He was a man of marked in- telligence and a keen observer, and his diary in which his reception by the Japanese is described is highly interesting.
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G EORGE MILLER HOWELL. Among the prominent citizens of the town of Southold we wish to make special mention of Mr. Howell, who is a native of Long Island, having been born here July 19, 1830. He is the son of John and Eliza ( Miller) Howell, also born on this island, as were his paternal grandfather and great-grandfather, who also bore the given name
of John. The latter kept a tavern in the town of Southampton during the Revolutionary War. Al- though the family has no record, yet it is believed that several generations of the Howells had been born on the island previous to that time.
The father of our subject came to this locality aboat 1835 and immediately took possession of the property which is now one of the valuable tracts in this neighborhood. He called this place his home until 1883, when he took possession of the place which is now occupied by his son. George M. The latter lias five brothers and sisters, name- ly: Mary, Mrs. A. T. Moder; Betsey, now the wife of J. F. Youngs; Frances, who married George W. Corwin; John M. and Caroline, now deceased. The father of this household was a Major in the militia, and our subject has in his possession both his commission and discharge. In politics he was in early life a Whig, but on the organization of the Republican party thereafter supported its candidates. He followed the voca- tion of a farmer all his days, and during his long life on the island made many friends among its best residents.
George M., of this history, has spent his entire life on the farm where he now makes his home. He first attended the district school and later sup- plemented the knowledge gained therein by a course in the Southold Academy. He was trained to a full knowledge of agricultural pursuits and has always made this his business. The property which he owns is forty acres in extent, well im- proved with good buildings and kept under ad- vanced cultivation.
Mr. Howell was married May 17, 1869. to Miss Mary H. Goldsmith, daughter of Jeremiah Gold- smith, a member of one of the old and honored families of Long Island. Mrs. Howell died March 4. 1883, after having become the mother of seven children. Eliza is residing at Greenport. this county: Helen is a teacher of biology in the Brookline High School, near Boston, Mass .: Lil- lie M. is a trained nurse and has a position in the Children's Hospital at Boston: Mary is a teacher of physiology in the Cambridge School: John is attending college at Claverack, N. Y., and Roy and Eleanor G. are at home.
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In August, 1887, Mr. Howell was married to his present wife, Sarah L. Jewett, formerly a resi- dent of New York City. She is an intelligent lady and is well suited to be the companion of her worthy husband. Our subject is a Republican in politics and takes great interest in the triumphs of his party, although he could never be considered a seeker after official positions. He is a very busy man and gives his attention principally to looking after his own affairs. He has acquired a compe- tence and influence in the community by his na- tive characteristics of industry and perseverance in whatever he undertakes.
H ON. JOSEPH NIMMO, Jr., of Hunting- ton, was born in this town, being a son of Rev. Joseph and Hannah (Dickson) Nin- mo, both of whom were natives of Norfolk, Va. Under the tutorship of his father, a Presbyterian clergyman, he was fitted for college, and later pursued a collegiate course in the University of the City of New York, where he became a mem- ber of the Zeta Psi fraternity. Prior to and dur- ing his course in the university he studied naval architecture and civil engineering. After his graduation in June, 1853, he entered at once upon the practice of the profession of civil engineer. His first engagement was upon the Lebanon Springs Railroad, of which Moses Tilden, a brother of Hon. Samuel J. Tilden, was President. Subsequently he was engaged for several years as a civil engineer upon the construction of rail- roads in Iowa.
Owing to an impairment of health Mr. Nimmo returned to New York, and from 1860 until 1863 was employed in teaching mathematics in the Cooper Institute. At the same time he carried on professional work as a civil engineer at Flush- ing, where he resided for a number of years. The late Peter Cooper, by whom the Cooper Institute was founded, remained his warm friend. In 1864, in obedience to an order of the Treasury Depart- ment, he was selected by Simeon Draper, then Collector of Customs at New York, as a special
agent for the purpose of establishing the new method of admeasuring vessels for tonnage, un- der the act of July 6, 1864. In this capacity he prepared the regulations of the Treasury Depart- ment upon the subject of tonnage admeasure- ment, and for the purpose of introducing the new method visited almost every port in the United States.
In 1868 Mr. Nimmo was appointed Chief of the Division of Tonnage of the Treasury Depart- mient, and while acting in that capacity prepared three special reports to Congress entitled respec- tively, "The Shipbuilding Interests of the United States," "The Decadence of American Shipping" and "The Practical Workings of Maritime Reci- procity." These reports were called out by the discussion of the Alabama Claims in Congress and the question which arose in 1870 as to the ad- mission of foreign-built vessels to the privileges of American registry, and were quoted and high- ly commended by Senator Sumner, of Massachu- setts, then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In these reports Mr. Nim- mo set forth the nature and extent of the dam- age done to the maritime interests of the country by Confederate privateers and the inestimable im- portance of the service rendered by our merchant marine and by the private ship-building and ma- rine engine-building establishments of the coun- try during the war. He opposed the proposed change in our navigation laws allowing foreign- built vessels to wear the American flag and car- nestly advocated the protection of American ship- building and shipping interests. Subsequently he held the office of Supervising Inspector-Gen- eral of Steam Vessels until he was elected. in 1873, Secretary of the newly-formed Select Com- mittee of the Senate on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard, of which committee Hon. Wil- liam Windom, subsequently Secretary of the Treasury, was Chairman.
After the committee had rendered its report the Internal Commerce Division of the Bureau of Statistics was created through the efforts of that committee, and upon the unanimous recom- mendation of its members Mr. Nimmo was ap- pointed Chief of the new division by Secretary
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Bristow. Subsequently, in 1878, he was promot- ed by Secretary Sherman to the position of Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, by which change the duty devolved upon him of preparing annual re- ports to Congress, both in regard to the internal and foreign commerce of the United States. His various reports upon these subjects are well known throughout the country.
In reply to inquiries of the House of Represent- atives and the Senate, Mr. Nimmo also prepared special reports, which embrace a wide range of inquiry and of investigation. Among them may be mentioned "The Proposed American Inter- Oceanic Ship Canal," "The Railroad Problem," "Duties Imposed by France, Germany and Mex- ico on Manufactures of the United States and of Great Britain," "Comparative Rates of Wages in the United States and in Foreign Countries," "Comparative Duties and the Relations of the Treasury Department to Tariff Legislation." "Commerce Between the United States and Mex- ico," "The Exportation of American Hog Prod- ucts," "The Reciprocity of Transportation Facili- ties Between the United States and Canada," "The Operations of the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883," and "The Improvement of the Harbor of Galveston." His article in "Capital and Labor" on "The Establishment of a Department of Man- ufactures" and that in the "North American Re- view" of June, 1883, on "American Manufactures" attracted much attention. In 1871 le devised a system of sewerage and street improvements for the city of Washington, and the Board of Public Works thereupon tendered to him the position of Chief Engineer of the District of Columbia, which offer he declined.
June 1, 1885, Mr. Nimmo retired from public office, having, as a Republican, earnestly opposed the election of Mr. Cleveland to the Presidency. Since his retirement from office at Washington lie has spent much time in travel and has devoted himself mainly to literary work. For about six months during the years of 1890 and 1891 he served the Department of Agriculture as a spe- cialist in regard to irrigation, and in this capacity visited Montana, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, and reported upon
the condition of irrigation works in those States. In 1893 hie delivered an address before the World's Congress at Chicago on "The American Railroad System" and the following year deliv- cred an address at Chautauqua, N. Y., on "The Agricultural Interests of the State of New York." His published writings since 1885 on agriculture. the tariff question, the railroad problem, the Mor- mon question, the labor question, the Nicaragua Canal, and on various economic and commercial questions constitute a volume of considerable size.
In 1889 Mr. Nimmo was elected a member of the Board of Education of Huntington, which po- sition he resigned a year later. In 1894 the de- gree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon him by his alma mater, the University of the City of New York, and in the year 1895 he was elected a Councillor of the Long Island Historical Soci- cty. In all his labors he has been impelled by a desire to advance the welfare of the country. Keen in thought. prompt and sagacious in ac- tion, tenacious in purpose, it is not strange that with these qualities he has been enabled to gain personal success, and, better than that. to become by his public work a benefactor of his race.
J OSEPH E. PHILLIPS, who is a member of one of the old families of the island and is one of the prominent citizens of Speonk. was born in this village May 10, 1831, and is tlie sole survivor of the six children of Joseph and Rosetta (Benjamin) Phillips. His grandfather. Joseph Phillips, was the son of one of three brothers who owned an immense tract of land through this section; this large property has since been divided into small segments, and a great portion has passed into other hands.
The father of our subject was born in Speonk about 1805, and at a very early age was orphaned by the death of his parents. He made agricul- ture his life occupation, and this calling he fol- lowed until advancing age rendered manual la- bors impossible. His death occurred in 18yo,
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