The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 69

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114

USA > New York > Kings County > Brooklyn > The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I > Part 69

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

But it is in the present Fifteenth and Sixteenth wards, that we find the streets designated by historical names. Lorimer commemorates the middle name of John and James Lorimer Graham, two famous land- jobbers there in '36. Ewen street was named after Daniel Ewen, city surveyor, residing in New York, who surveyed both the old and new village. Graham avenue still flatters the above named Grahams. Smith street commemorated Morgan L. Smith, and Bushwick avenue was the boundary between Williamsburgh and Bushwick. N. Second street was extended on the map of the new village to Bushwick. Powers street, in the present Fifteenth ward, was named after William P. Powers, a clerk in the office of John L. Graham, who was made nominal proprietor of 939 lots for the con- venience of their sale and conveyance to purchasers; also of several other parcels of land. He appears on the record as the greatest land-jobber of the period. While, however, profits belonged to others, the respon- sibilities and losses were sometimes fathered on him. But he has always borne the character of an upright, honest and cultured gentleman. Ainslie street was named after James Ainslie, Esq., who for many years administered local justice in Williamsburgh. Devoe street represented the Devoes, who owned a block or two of land adjoining North Second street on the South side, and whose home was in Bushwick-and not Frederick Devoe, whose farm was on the East

River shore. Going north of North Second street, or the old Jamaica Turnpike, the first street parallel to it is Conselyea street, whose eastern portion runs through the farm late of Andrew J. Conselyea, and about an acre of land of William J. Conselyea his brother; hence the name ; Skillman street, now Skillman avenue to distinguish it from Skillman street in old Brooklyn, derived its name from John Skillman, Senior, who lived and died on the same farm, at or near the pres- ent residence of Charles M. Church, son-in-law to John Skillman. Jackson street was probably named from Daniel Jackson, who, in connection with Gra- ham and Reuben Withers, had some landed interests in Williamsburgh. Withers street was named after Reuben Withers, late proprietor of the Houston street Ferry. Frost street was named from Edmund Frost, who was associated with Handy, Sinclair and Butler in a tract of land in the Fourteenth Ward. Richardson street was named for Lemuel Richardson, whose worthy name is elsewhere mentioned as one of the pioneers in building up Williamsburgh. Sanford street (chang- ed to Bayard) was in honor of Edward Sanford, a distinguished lawyer associated with John L. Graham in many real-estate transactions. His name had been applied to a street in the Seventh Ward, Brooklyn : hence the change. The substituted name was pro- bably taken from the name of a street in the city of New York.

Going south from Grand street Remsen street was named after Abraham A. Remsen, who owned land at its junction with Union Avenue. There is another Remsen street near the City Hall, old Brooklyn, and the name of the E. D. street was changed to Maujer street in respect to Daniel Maujer, Esq., who, about the time, represented the Fifteenth Ward as Alder- man.

Nicholas Wyckoff, the late worthy President of the First National Bank, has his name perpetuated, in Wyckoff street. Stagg street, with its homely name, has doubtless out-lived its patron, who is probably known to but few, if any, of the existing citizens. Scholes street represents the family of James Scholes, dec., late of what is now the 19th Ward. Meserole avenue was named from the Abraham Meserole through whose farm it ran; and not from Abraham Meserole, husband of Maria Miller of the present Thirteenth Ward. Johnson street, or avenue, commemorates the memory of the late General Jeremiah Johnson. Boerum street was named from old Jacob Boerum, who had a farm of 58 acres within the limits of the present Sixteenth Ward, Brook- lyn. This farm was the subject of the great Cleveland law suit.

Mc Kibben street was named after John S. Mckibben, who caused a map of a part of the Jacob Boerum farm, as the land of Mckibben and Nichols, to be made and filed. Siegel street, which (on changing the name of duplicate streets in Williamsburgh by the Common

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Council of Brooklyn) superseded Marshall street, was in honor of General Siegel of the late war.

Moore street was named for the late Thomas C. Moore, a manufacturer of wire sieves and netting, who owned lands in that neighborhood. Varette street was named from Lewis F. Varette, a land speculator, who operated on the sale of village lots there and else- where.

Cooke street was probably named from an old resi- dent near the Cross-Roads. Debevoise street (covering a part of the old Brooklyn and Newtown turnpike, by the Cross-Roads) was named from Charles Debevoise, who lived on Flushing avenue, near the western terminus of this street.

The custom of perpetuating the names of the oldest inhabitants by those of streets is more marked in the old City of Brooklyn than in Williamsburgh. In the latter place many whose names are thus perpetuated were really residents of the City of New York, and only interested in Williamsburgh, as speculators.

Trustees of the Village of Williamsburgh .- 1827. Noah Waterbury, Pres ; Abraham Meserolc, Sec .; Peter C. Cornell ; Thos. T. Morrell (son of Thos. and bro. of John M.); John Miller (had a small farm of about 11 acres, below South 2d and South 4th, from the East River to near 10th street, and a large family); Lewis Sanford, Treas .; J. Brush, Coll'r; Daniel S. Griswold, Vill. Counsel; David Dunham, Clerk.

1828. James M. Halsey, Pres .; John Henry (rope- maker, and owner of lands between 2d and 4th streets); John Luther; James Ainslie (for many years Justice of Peace); Samuel D. Mills (milkman); J. Brush, Collector; W. C. Townsend, Clerk ; Abraham Meserole, Treas.

1829. Same board-except John Morrell (with his brother, Thomas T., real-estate dealer; also grocery busi- ness, conspicuous in early village affairs; was father of Francis V. and Thos. I., who carried on, for many years, the builders' hardware business, being prede- cessors of existing firm of C. H. Tiebout & Sons), vice Ainslie, and John Devoe (son of Frederick D., whose farm was between South 4th and South 6th streets, East River and 7th street), vice Sam. E. Mills; John Devoe; P. C. Cornell, Clerk; Riley Clark, Treas.

1830. Edmund Frost, Pres. (lumber dealer, and inter- ested in lots in N. W. part of village, in company with Butler O'Handy & Sinclair); Lemuel Richardson (gro- cer; afterwards manufacturer of locks and builders' hardware, corner Houston and Norfolk streets, New York, of which the business of H. C. Richardson, decd., 59 Grand st., was a branch. Was a careful bus- iness man, of excellent judgment, and sterling qualities; was about the only citizen who survived the land-job- bing speculators of the village, without becoming bank- rupt, which gave him a high position in the com- munity); John Eddy; Jacob Berry (owner of Berry farm, father of Abraham J. B., the first Mayor of the subsequent city of W .- of Richard B.,

cashier of Tradesmen's Bk., N. Y.,-of Evander B. and of a dau. who m. Geo. Bell, of N. Y.); James Ainslie; Peter Way, Clerk; John Luther, Treas .; P. P. Schenck, Coll'r.

1831. Edmund Frost, Pres .; Lemuel Richardson ; Sam. D. Mills; and James Ainslie; Geo. W. Pittman (cordage mf'r); Chas. H. Davis, Clerk ; John Luther, Treas .; P. P. Schenck, Coll.

1832. James M. Halsey, Pres .; John Luther; John Henry; John Morrell; Richard Churchward; Jacob Berry, Treas .; P. P. Schenck, Clerk; W. J. Fish, Clerk, part of year.

1833. Edmund Frost, Pres .; Lemuel Richardson; Jas. Ainslie; John Morrell; Wm. Leaycraft (son of Rich. L. of N. Y .; father of Wm. H. L., and Mrs. Demas Strong; was a J. of P., and had an office with Justice Leonard T. Coles, in old Trustees Hall, 1st St.) ; John L. Gra- ham, Vill. Counsel (figured largely in land-jobbing, became bankrupt 1837-40); Jacob Berry, Treas .; P. P. Schenck, Clerk.

1834. Edmund Frost, Pres .; Lemuel Richardson; Wm. Leaycraft; John Luther; John Eddy; P. P. Schenck, Clerk; J. L. Graham, Counsel; Lewis Sanford, Coll.

1835. (Most of the 15th and 16th Wards, of present City of B., added to the village; number of Trustees increased to nine).

1836. Wm. Leaycraft, Pres .; Daniel Wood (carpenter and wood-turner); Edwin Ferry (grocer); Jas. Guild (hotel-keeper, cor. No. 6th and 1st sts., and was a noted miniature painter); Robert B. Dikeman (rope-maker, and brother of late IIon. John Dikeman); James Ains- lie; Henry Cooke; T. B. Clarke (segar mfr.); Rich. Leaycraft, Treas .; Alanson Ackerly, Coll.

1837. Edmund Frost, Pres .; John Morrell; John Skill- man (owner of a large farm in present 15th Ward; was father-in-law of Chas. M. Church, Esq., who resides at old Skillman homestead, cor. Lorimer and No. 2d sts .; also had sons John and Joseph S., still living); Abm. Meserole; John Snyder (undertaker in 15th Ward); Lemuel Richardson; Henry Cooke; Hiram Ross; Wmn. Leaycraft; P. P. Schenck; Joseph Conselyca, Treas .; Alanson Ackerly, Coll .; Ed. Sanford, Counsel.

1838. Edmund Frost, Prest .; John Skillman; John C. Minturn (distiller); Henry Cooke; John Wright (father of Mrs. Grahams Polly; a coppersmith in Cherry st., N. Y.); John Snyder; David Garrett (ropemaker and prominent in fire department); Wm. Wheaton (wheel- wright ); P. P. Schenck, Clerk; C. L. Cooke; Judge Jos. Conselyea, Treas .; Alanson Akerly, Coll. (restaurant, foot of Grand st., until very lately); Edward Sanford, Counsel (lost with the S. S. Arctic).

1839. John C. Minturn,* Pres .; John Skillman ;* C. L. Cooke;t David Garrett; Henry Meiggs (of So. Ameri- can R. R. fame);} John Cook (an Englishman, lawyer); Thos. J. Fenwick* (bookbinder, partner with one Fiori); Jas. D. Sparkmanį (cork infr., in Co. with Jas. L. Truslow; made a fortune; was at one time a

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

supervisor; became Pres. of Mfrs. Nat. Bank, which he caused to be rem. to the building of Brown Bros. & Co., Wall st., N. Y .; but complications in some new bus. ended in his bankruptcy, impair- ing, for a time, the standing of the Bank, which, by returning to W., with capital made good by stockholders, has since been prosperous. Mr. S. afterward became Pres. of Fireman's Fund Ins. Co., and d. a few yrs. since at Bordentown, N. J., at the old Joseph Bona- parte mansion). Eusebius Hopkins ;* Wm. Frisby ; J. J. Bennett ;*¿ Jacob Backus;} Alanson Ackerly;} Samuel Coxt (flour and feed, cor. 4th and So. 1st sts .; a careful bus. man); William Goldert (builder); Henry Payson, Clerk; John Titus, Treas .; Hiram Ross, Coll.

1840 .- Henry Meiggs, President ; William Lake, (dock builder and contractor); Wm. Golder ;* D. W. Van Cott* (milkman); Hiram Ross ; And. J. Consel- yea* (owned a forty-five acre farm in present Fifteenth Ward, partitioned 1853 among his heirs); Edward Neville* (kept K. Co. Hotel, corner of First and South Seventh streets-now occupied by W. City Fire Insur- ance Co.); John Titus* (merchant tailor, First, near Grand street); L. D. Cuddy ; | John Skillman ; John Cook ; | Eusebius Hopkins ; Col. Wm. Conselyca, Jr., Treasurer; Henry Payson, Clerk ; Alex. S. Tuttle, Collector (livery stable). 544 names on poll list this year.

1841 .- John C. Minturn, President; A. B. Van- Cott (jeweler); Jasper F. Cropsey (owned property in Grand, between Third and Fourth streets), refused to serve ; James Fiori (of Fenwick & F., bookbinders) ; L. D. Cuddy ; Wm. Richardson (son of Simon R., partner of Wm. Wall, cordage manufacturer); Peter V. Remsen (son of Abraham A., lawyer for many years in Williamsburg, noted for the elegance of his chirography and the skill and exactness of the law papers which he prepared); George Doyle (builder); Richard Berry ; Henry Meiggs ; Edmund Frost ; Noah Waterbury ; Henry Payson, Clerk; W. Conselyea, Jr., Treasurer ; W. D. Lowerre, Collector.

1842 .- John C. Minturn, President ; L. D. Cuddy ; Lemuel Richardson ; P. V. Remsen ; James Noble (coal); Robert Seeley (restaurant, South side of Grand street, near Ferry); Daniel D. Winant (billiard-table manufacturer, New York, School Trustee in Williams- burg for two or three years ; after the consolidation a member for some years of Brooklyn Board of Educa- tion); Marvin W. Fox (from Bozrah, Connecticut, teacher); Nathaniel Willett (enterprising builder- erected present Calvary P. E. Church and City Armory, and mason work of Christ's Church, on Bed- ford avenue; at one time owned Union Hall, corner of Clymer street and Division avenue); James N. Engel,

Treasurer (distiller, foot South Second street, mainly of burning fluid and camphene); W. D. Lowerre, Col- lector. No Counsel clected 1841 or '42 : A. D. Soper acted. 670 names on poll list.

1843 .- John C. Minturn, President; Lemuel Richard- son ; Peter V. Remsen ; M. W. Fox ; D. D. Winant ; Wm. Lake ; David Garrett ; Eusebius Hopkins ; W. D. Lowerre ; Henry Payson, Clerk; Richard Berry, Treas .; Jeremiah Meserole, Collector (saloon N. E. cor. Gd & 1st sts).

1844 .- Noah Waterbury, Pres .; Robert Sealy ; Benj. N. Disbrow (wholesale liquor, N. Y.); John A. Burdett (had ppy. interests in Gd. st., cor. 10th- still lives at Newtown, L. I., a garden farmer); Timo. Coffin (a native of Block Island; as a shipmas- ter followed the seas for many years; at length, settled on shore and run a freight-line of sailing vessels to Philadelphia and Baltimore ; some financial reverses came to him towards the close of his life. He became pres. of the Board in 1845 ; coll. of taxes in 1852 under the new city government; was a man of amiable temper, polished manners, and a kindly benevolent spirit, and an honorable, upright and honest man); Isaac Sherwood (a leather merchant of New York); A. P. Cummings (one of the proprietors of the N. Y. Observer, which, by his economy of expenditures, he made a financial success. He res. at cor. of So. 9th and 4th streets, where he had 24 lots of land, which passed to the hands of a Dr. Wade. The house has given place to stores, fronting on 4th st., and the other lots are now occup. by the res. and garden of Jost Moller, Esq., the sugar refiner, and that of Hon. Sigismond Kaufman); B. S. K. Richardson, Treas .; Grahams Polley (an extensive distiller, cor. of No. 4th and 1st sts, began life as a carman; rose to in- dependence; took a great interest in popular educa- tion and in charity to the poor); Alfred Curtis (a book-keeper, eldest son of Lemuel R., a stage proprie- tor ; was at one time in bus. with his father. He ran a line of stages in New York up to about the time of his death, which was sold to give place to street rail- roads for enough to give his family a competence. He served as village treasurer to acceptance. His wid., a sister of Andrew B. Hodges, still lives. A dau. m. Gen. Jeremiah V. Meserole, and another is now the wid. of the late Dr. John A. Brady); W. S. Wiggins, Coll. (Shoemaker, Ewen st.); Paul J. Fish, Con'l (lawyer in W. several years; came here in 1836 or 7; devoted his chief attention to real estate; was for a time Master in Chancery ; shifted his residence from W. to Water- town, N. Y .; came back; then lived in Plainfield, N. J .; finally died poor).

The Village Charter was this year amended and adopted, in which three trustees and one collector were chosen for each of the Districts.

1845 .- Timothy Coffin, Pres .; Thos. J. Van Zant (acquired a good cstate in umbrella bus. as partner of Alex. McDonald, in N. Y .; at this time was in

Five trustees (*) res. this year and their places were filled by special election ;# one (+) refused to serve.

Of above Board those marked * resigned before term expired ; Il elected at special electlon.

301

TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE.

coal bus. in W., at foot of So. 5th st .; a prominent member of the First Baptist Church; lacked the edu- cation and culture fitting one for public life); Jonathan Odell (merchant in New York; had quite a plot of land N. W. cor. of So. 8th and 2d sts., which he afterwards sold to Thomas Brewster and moved away); James Dobbins (rope-maker, employed some years by Schermerhorn, Bancker & Co.); John Hanford (hatter in Grand st., betw. 4th and 5th streets, was an excellent politician ; went to the legislature for several years ; and, though he failed in business, his compen- sation of $300 a session, as it was then, enabled him to live without employment for the balance of the year, with his wardrobe as if just taken out of a band-box); Grahams Polley ; David Lindsay (carpenter in the Third district, elected as a Democrat; with limited opportunities he was a man of practical good sense, and generally respected as honorable in his devotion to public interests ; became a Republican during the war; was father of David and George Lindsay, members of Assembly some two or three years); Isaiah Pittman (cordage mfr .; after selling out to Schermerhorn, Bancker & Co. the walk from 2nd to E. of 4th, betw. No. 3d and No. 4th sts., went to · Connecticut, where he died some years since); James M. Aymar (stationer and bookbinder, was elected J. of the P., and afterwards devoted his attention to the office during his term. He was a man of fair intelli- gence, but dogmatical in his opinions); B. S. K. Rich- ardson, Treas; C. Daniels, Coll .; Richard Walsh, Coll. (a respected citizen of the present 14th ward, coll. several years; by trade a shoemaker) ; Isaac Henderson, Coll. (afterwards interested in the N. Y. Evening Post, from which he accumulated quite a fortune, and is the owner now of the building 206 Broadway, New York, in which the paper is published) ; G. E. Baker, Coll .; Henry Baker, Clerk .; P. J. Fish, Counsel.

There were this yr. 856 names on poll list-but a large non-voting pop. was then in the village, as the State Census the next yr. gave vill. about 11,000 pop.

1846 .- David Lindsay, President; William Wall; Timothy Coffin; Thomas J. Van Zant; John Hanford; Eusebius Hopkins; James W.Stearns (milkman in North Fifth street); James M. Aymar; James Roper (a re- spectable builder) ; J. J. Snyder, Clerk ; B. S. K. Richardson, Treasurer; Levi Darbee, Collector (pro- prietor of the Williamsburgh Gazette, started by Adras- tus Fish, brother of Paul J. Fish, from 1835 to 1838, when it was transferred to Levi Darbee. It was con- tinued as a weekly journal till January, 1850, when it was changed to a daily, and so continued to the time of its suspension, on the consolidation of Williamsburgh and Brooklyn ; and it was superseded in the city pat- ronage by the Brooklyn Daily Times. Mr. Darbee was industrious, but lacked the breadth of enterprise and tact essential to maintain a new enterprise) ; R. Walsh, Collector; I. Henderson, Collector; Homer H.

Stewart, Esq., Corporation Counsel (a cousin of ex- Governor John W. Stewart, of Middlebury, Vermont, a graduate of Middlebury College, and a lawyer of good practice and ability. In some special matters his services were of special utility to the village); J. Quin, Street Inspector.

1847 .- Timothy Coffin, President ; William Wall ; Thomas J. Van Sant; William Lake ; James Gallau- dett (a shoemaker, afterwards a grocer in Grand street) ; Henry Aldworth (a coal-dealer at the foot of Grand street, noted for having written and pub- lished a book against the Bible, but was honest in his dealings); Stephen Waterman (member of the firm of Burr, Waterman & Co., manufacturers of pat- ent iron strapped blocks for ships; the business was prosecuted with a fair success and after the death of Mr. Waterman by his surviving partners); John H. Gaus (a baker, at 135 Ewen street); Charles W. Houghton (mahogany dealer in N. Y .; at one time Pres. of the late Farmers' and Citizens' Bank); George E. Baker, Clerk (continued in the office for three years; went to Washington and was for several years Private Secretary to Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Sec. of State; after- wards edited and published the specches of Mr. Seward -which had quite an extensive sale); Levi W. Ufford, Treas. (a respectable dry-goods merchant, in First street, and though, at one time, well off, after the burning of Central Hall, in Fifth street, which he owned and failed to have insured, he had adverse for- tune, and he died about a year since, in South Brook- lyn, quite poor; William H. Colyer, Coll. (printer and publisher; a relative, I believe, of the Harper Broth- ers); S. B. Terry, Coll .; D. Chichester, Street, Well and Pump Insp .; Rich. Walsh, Coll .; no Atty. or Counsel chosen.

1848 .- Noah Waterbury, Pres .; Wm. Wall; Stephen Waterman; Wm. H. Sweezey (from Newark, N. J., who returned there soon after his official term termi- nated; he was a substantial citizen); John S. Trott, Jr. (with his brother was a distiller; their business was afterwards removed to Cherry street, N. Y .; but John S. Trott dicd some years since and his brother con- tinued the business); Abraham D. Soper (an able law- yer who failed in retainers in cases of importance, by his almost constant practice in the Justice Courts ; he subsequently represented the town in the Legislature. In whatever he undertook, his practice was adroit and generally successful. He removed to W. Virginia and purchased a large tract of land, part of which he sold to some oil speculators, at prices that gave him a com- petence for the rest of his days; he became a member of the Constitutional Convention, that organized the new State of W. Va .; he was one or two years in the Legislature and then became a Circuit Judge, and rode his circuit, generally, on horseback, over the rough roads of the country, till he was over eighty years of age. There is no doubt but Judge Soper's influence

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

and labor in the State of his adoption, was beneficial and conservative and at the same time progressive. He was the father-in-law of Nicholson P. O'Brien, who for many years was his law partner in W .; also of Addison Diossy, a lawyer in N. Y. Two daughters accompanied him to W. Va., married and settled there; he had two sons, lawyers, one in practice here and one in W. Virginia); Henry McCaddin (an undertaker, whose business was the north side of Grand street, near First street); John H. Gans; Abel Smith (for sev- eral years Colonel of the 13th Reg. of the State Militia; he earried on a liquorice factory, on Devoe street near Lorimer. At the commencement of the war of the Rebellion, Col. Smith recruited a regi- ment in the N. part of the State, which he intended to accompany to the front. But, in taking the cars at Ballston, N. Y., he accidentally fell under the wheels and was killed); George Joy (stone cutter); W. H. Colyer, Richard Walsh, Stephen Ryder, Collectors; L. W. Ufford, Treus .; Geo. E. Baker, Clerk.

1849. Timothy Coffin, President ; Samuel M. Meeker (a lawyer, whose carefulness has realized a for- tune, became identified with the Williamsburgh Sav- ings Bank ; the Williamsburgh City Fire Insurance Company ; the First National Bank, and the Wil- liamsburgh Gas-Light Company, from the organiza- tions of each. In the current of a quiet life and quiet affairs, he has ever proved a safe counsellor, but has generally employed more positive lawyers, as counsel, to conduct his cases in the courts ; has nursed his pet institutions, in their infancy, and though avoiding any speculative risks, he has made them a marked success ; is now President of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank, whose deposits have increased since 1851, from noth- ing, to $21,000,000); Wm. Bunting (a paper commis- sion merchant, in New York) ; Francis V. Morrell (son of John Morrell, had a hardware store at the corner of First and North First streets, afterwards moved to the corner of First and Grand streets); John S. Trott, Jr .; Andrew B. Hodges (Secretary of the Williamsburgh Fire Insurance Company, afterwards name changed to the Citizens ; now having its principal office at 158 Broadway, N. Y.); Henry McCaddin ; C. W. Hough- ton; Anthony Walter (then proprietor of Union Hall, at the cor. of Meserole and Ewen Sts., now 16th ward; has since served a term as sheriff of Kings county, and one term as justice of peace); Oliver Leach (a butcher, at 105 South 4th St.); Henry E. Ripley, Coll. (a son of the Rev. Mr. Ripley, pastor of the Cong. church of Lebanon, Ct., came to W., and engaged in the lum- ber trade, foot of So. 4th st., with David Kilgour, as a partner ; his business was hardly successful ; but Mr. R. saved a high character for integrity, served as Collector, 1850 ; after the consolidation was a member of the Board of Assessors till age and infirmities admonished him to retire ; purchased a handsome farm at Huntington, L. I., on which he lives, in dignified

and peaceful retirement); R. Walsh, Coll .; Stephen Ryder, Coll .; Henry Payson, Treas .; Geo. E. Baker, Clerk.

1850 .- Edmund Driggs, Pres .; D. D. Winant; Sam- uel Groves (a native of Nova Scotia, followed the sea in boyhood ; early came to the U. S., and served in a privatecr from one of our Eastern cities, dur- ing the war of 1812 ; then came to N. Y., and sailed as master in merchant vessels for many years, and to all parts of the world ; his wife, whose character- istics were as singular as those distinguishing sailors from landsmen, accompanied him, in many of these voyages. Her kindness of heart endeared to her her hus- band's crews, and created in her an attachment to the sailor's home on the sea; when Capt. G. came to W. with an accumulation of of over $30,000 he abandoned the sea, and sought to follow the life of a retired gentle- man. But his habits of command stuck to him; and, sometimes in public affairs, acted out his old quarter-deck disregard of the opinions of others, which interfered with his influence in public life; he was always supposed to be the original figure, of " The meek man with the iron cane" in the conceit of a facetious club that styled itself the Great Northwestern Zephyr Association, that used to hold carnivals at the Neville's Hotel cor. of 1st and So. 7th st.); Horatio N. Fryatt (had a fertilizing chemical factory at the foot of Division avenue on the site of Moller, Sierck & Co's Sugar Refinery; he was in partnership with one Campbell); Chauncey A.Lay, book- keeper and supervisor for the Messrs. Kemp, Masons & Builders for many years; afterward Sup't, for Torence McGuiggin, Street Contractor; for several of the last years of his life he managed for his dau. in the Hoop skirt business in Grand street near Fifth; he accumula- ted, including the house he occupied, some $40,000, chiefly by careful investments in stocks); Daniel Reilly (liquor saloon); Harris Comstock (a measurer of Lum- ber); Thomas Green (a tanner-colored sheep-skins and morocco); Henry Oltmans (Grocery at the cor. of Mckibben st. and Graham avenue. In later years has been agent and surveyor for the Kings Co. Ins. Co .; is Trustee of the W. Savings Bank; is a German and always well esteemed); Henry E. Ripley, Coll .; James Murphy, Coll. (for many years a member of the Board of Education in Brooklyn, and commands the highest confidence of the people); John W. Braisted, Coll. (a Jeweler in Wyckoff st.); Henry Payson, Treas .; John Broach, Vill. Clerk (then Book-keeper with George W. Smith, popularly known as " Broom corn Smith," see biography following).

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The civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the county of Kings and the city of Brooklyn, N. Y., from 1683 to 1884 Volume I, Part 69

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1114

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed. cn; Brockett, L. P. (Linus Pierpont), 1820-1893; Proctor, L. B. (Lucien Brock), 1830-1900. 1n
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : W. W. Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1114