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 II, Part 49

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345

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 II > Part 49

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From that time on until 1863, Mr. Christian was employed by different firms in various branches of trade. September Ist, that year, he purchased the business of Hiram Travers, dealer in builders' materials, located on land owned by the Union Ferry Company, between Degraw and Sackett streets, Brooklyn, and five years later removed to his present loca- tion on Second street and Gowanus canal. He has been very successful, gradually increasing his trade, until he ranks with the leading dealers in his line in the city, employing a large number of men throughout the year.

In May, 1849, Mr. Christian married Elmira E. Stuart, a native of New York. They have resided in Brooklyn since the Spring of 1858, and have a home characterized by taste- fulness, elegance and comfort, at No. 251 President street.

Mr. Christian has been a member of the Masonic order since 1863, and has twice been master of his lodge. He is also a Knight Templar. For the past thirty-five years he has been connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for twenty-five years a member of the First Place Methodist Episcopal Church. He has held all of the various offices of the organization in turn, and has long been an earnest laborer in the Sunday-school cause, having been Superintendent of the First Place Methodist Episcopal Sunday-school three years.

Politically, Mr. Christian, a former Whig, bas been a re- publican since the organization of the party in 1856. Though not an office-seeker nor an active politician in the usual acceptation of the term, he takes a deep interest in all pub- lic affairs, desires the welfare of the whole people, and be- lieves it can be secured only by honest administration.

HORACE F. BURROUGHS (see portrait on following page), a successful and highly respectable business man of Brooklyn, was born in that city, Sept. 26th, 1828. His father, Thomas Burroughs, was born at Newtown, Queens county, L. I.

The subject of this sketch, having lost both of his parents when he was about four years of age, left Brooklyn when he was about six years old and went to reside on a farm at Quogue, in the town of South Hampton, L. I. Here he re- mained, attending school a portion of the time, until he was about sixteen years old. The young man conceived a great fondness for a seafaring life; accordingly, at the age of six-

teen, he shipped on board the bark Roanoke, then about sail- ing on a whaling voyage from Greenport, L. I., in 1844. It was a great undertaking for a boy of his age, but he courageously and determinedly encountered the dangers and privations of " a life on the ocean wave," and successfully made the voyage.

In their route, they stopped at the Azores, or Western Islands, Cape De Verde Islands, the Falkland Islands, off the coast of Patagonia, where the ship spent the season in catch- ing whales. On its return home, stopped at the Island of St. Helena.

This voyage occupied one year, and was highly success- ful. In 1845, he again shipped on board the Roanoke, on another whaling voyage, sailing from the same port.

The vessel doubled Cape Horn; sailed along the coast of Chili, stopping at the island of Juan Fernandez, famous as being the place of Alexander Selkirk's exile. From here the Roanoke sailed for the Sandwich Islands, where it remained two weeks, giving young Burroughs an opportunity to see much of those islands. Leaving there, the ship sailed for the coast of Kamtschatka, where was the principal whaling ground.

This was the extent of the voyage, the return home being over the same route. Reaching the Sandwich Islands, where they remained for a time, they then sailed for the Southern Pacific, stopping at many of its islands on the way. Again doubling Cape Horn, they pursued their way homewards, stopping at the Falkland Islands, Rio Janeiro and other ports, arriving safely at home in 1847, after an absence of two years.

Young Burroughs, it will thus be seen, spent three years in following the seas. Although it was a life of danger, adventure and hardship, it was one of interest and instruc- tion, imparting to him knowledge and experience of great practical value, which he could have learned in no other place or way.

The year after his return from his laet voyage (1847), he spent in coasting between New York and Charleston, S. C. New York and Philadelphia, and New York and Boston; so that really he spent about four years in a seafaring life.

Leaving this, he commenced the carpenter business, at which he worked four years in Brooklyn and Newtown. This brings his life down to the year 1852, when he began the business of dealing in building material. To this business he has successfully devoted the last thirty-one years of his life, and he is still successfully engaged in it. His present place of business is at Nos. 2-14 Taylor street, and at Kent avenue, near Hooker street, and junction of Grand street and Metropolitan avenue, Newtown Creek.

It will thus be seen that Mr. Burroughs conducts a large and extensive business concern, one of the most important in Brooklyn.

The profitable and honorable manner in which he conducts his business, together with his promptitude and reliability, identifies him in a commendable degree with the rapidly growing interests of Brooklyn.

Mr. Burroughs was married in 1852, to Ann Maria Van Nostrand, of Brooklyn. There have been born to this mar- riage four children-two sons and two daughters-to wit: William Van Nostrand, Horace Franklin, Mary Louisa and Adele.

He is not a politician in any sense of the word, but always votes for whom he considere the best man, making fitness for office, honor and integrity in a candidate of higher im- portance than the party he belongs to. Mr. Burroughs is an attendant of Plymouth church.

On the whole, few men in the city of Brooklyn attend

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

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Ho Burroughs

more closely to their own business than Mr. Burroughs. The results flowing from this industrious attention are suc- cess and prosperity.

JOHN MORTON .- William Morton (see portrait on opposite page), was one of two sons of a linen manufacturer of Ire- land, who came to America while yet young men. He lo- cated in Westchester county, N. Y., and there married Miss Chloe Teed, a native of the town of Somers. They had four children, one of whom was John Morton, the subject of this sketch, who was born in Somers, April 15th, 1814. When he was about four years old his father removed to Croton Landing, in the town of Cortlandt, where he for some years plied his trade of weaver, later buying a farm in that vicinity, on which he lived until 1847, when he died, his wife surviving him only five years.

During the earlier years of his boyhood young Morton assisted his father and attended the public school at Croton Landing. At the age of seventeen he entered the store of his brother, George Morton, at Croton Landing, as a clerk. Three years later he opened a store on his own account at the Furman dock, three miles above Croton Landing, where he remained in trade only about a year. In partnership with his brother, William Morton, he next established a store at Croton Landing, in which he a few years later bought his

brother's interest, continuing the business alone for about a year, when he sold ont the enterprise, and, buying a sloop engaged in the transportation of brick from Croton to New York and Brooklyn. In the course of time his business in- creased, necessitating the purchase of a second sloop, and in 1852 Mr. Morton removed to Brooklyn, and, in partnership with John Jones, entered upon the sale of builders' materials at the foot of Amity street. Continuing in the same line, in company with John M. Canda, in 1853 he removed his busi- ness to the foot of Pacific street.

In 1866, Messrs. Morton & Canda purchased the property on Carroll street and Gowanus canal, now owned by Messrs. Morton & Sons, and established a branch yard there under charge of Mr. Canda. In 1870, the entire business of the firm was removed to the last mentioned site, and, in 1872, Mr. Canda withdrew from the enterprise, and the firm of Morton & Canda was succeeded by that of John Morton & Son, by the admission of Mr. Albert Morton to a partnership with his father. In 1878, John C. Morton, a younger son of the senior member of the firm, became interested in the business, and the style of the firm has since been John Morton & Sons. This business, which Mr. Morton began on a limited scale, has grown to be one of the largest of its kind in the city.

Politically, Mr. Morton has been a life-long adherent to the principles of the Republican party, but he has never been in

ARCHITECTS, BUILDERS AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS.

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John Morton

any ordinary sense a politician. In 1846, he was married to Adaline E. Clark, of Croton, Westchester county, N. Y., who died in 1879. He has two sons and two daughters living, and the family are highly respected.

The largest dealers in building stone are GILL, BAIRD & Co. (see page 803, chapter on Manufactures), HENRY KEMP, H. S. CHRISTIAN, the BINDREM BROTHERS, and the GARITY BROTHERS. These are all in the East- ern District. There are, also, in South Brooklyn, BURNS & JOHNSON, E. & J. CONKLIN, CURRAN & COOPER, THOMAS H. DIXON, JAMES McDONALD, GEORGE SECKEY, JOHN W. MORAN, and JAMES McPHERSON. NICHOLAS RYAN, 1,557 Smith street, sand and gravel; established 1859, at present location.

Lumber Dealers .- Among the leading houses are: CROSS, AUSTIN & Co., CHARLES E. ROGERS & Co., THE WHITE, POTTER & PAIGE MANUFACTURING CO., OSCAR F. HAWLEY, R. G. PHELPS & Co. (both of Kent av- enue), BEERS & RESSIGUIE, ALEXANDER & ELLIS, CHARLES G. COVERT'S SONS, HALSTED BROTHERS, HARDY & VOORHEES, JAMES D. LEARY, JACOB T. E. LITCHFIELD & Co., ROBERT A. ROBERTSON & Co., JULIAN ROSS & SONS, JAMES WALL and ELBERT VENTY.

The Carpenters and Masons, who are also Builders, come next. "There were Kings before

Agamemnon," the poet tells us, and there were builders and masons and carpenters here when Brooklyn was yet a village, and they were considerably numerous in 1854, when the two cities were consolidated. Some of the most eminent of those who reared for themselves monuments in brick and mortar, in stone, in frame and lath and plaster, are gone to their rest, but a goodly number of the earlier representatives of the trade yet remain, though for the most part they have withdrawn from active participation in building, and in some cases, are busying themselves in dealing in real estate, either of their own or others' building.

Among those who have departed, we may name JACOB RAPELYE and the late DANIEL CHAUNCEY; and among the older living were Ex-Mayor BOOTH, JOHN FRENCH, MICHAEL CHAUNCEY, WILLIAM H. NOE, WIL- LIAM H. HAZZARD, THOMAS D. EADIE, and MAURICE FREEMAN (now Maurice Freeman's Sons, John J. & M. C., 286 and 288 Warren street, builders ; established, 1870, in Brooklyn, as Maurice Freeman & Son ; since changed to the above firm ; natives of Brook- lyn).

Of those now actually engaged in building operations, we may mention especially ELBERT SNEDEKER, BERN- ARD GALLAGHER, J. LINIKIN, JOHN D. ANDERSON, and GEORGE W. BROWN.

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

ELBERT SNEDEKER. - This gentleman is, by birth, a Long Islander, born in the town of Oyster Bay, April 16, 1836. He comes of an old Dutch family, whose descendants may be found at various points on the Island. His father was a far- mer, and intended his son for the same occupation. When the lad was thirteen, the family removed to the township of Flushing, where there were better educational advantages, which he supplemented by several terms at the Jamaica Academy. His education fitted him to enjoy a more active, adventurous life than a farm afforded, while his tastes natur- ally led him to a mechanical calling. Therefore, in his eighteenth year, he came to Brooklyn to learn the builders' trade, securing a position, and remaining for several years. During this time, he devoted his evenings and leisure hours to the study of architecture, in which he made such progress as to qualify himself to be an architect. Though he did not choose to make this his profession, it proved to be of the greatest advantage in his subsequent building operations. At the age of twenty-four, he began building by contract; one of the many who have contributed, in this way, to the city's material growth; one of the few who have been able to acquire and retain a competence. To be a successful builder, requires a rare combination of talents. Such an one needs to be systematic; a practical workman, familiar with the smallest details; able to oversee and direct large numbers of men; to exercise good judgment; to foresee and prepare; to be a skillful financier and good executive.

The eminence which Mr. Snedeker has attained in his avocation, proves him to possess abilities beyond the ordin- ary. Beginning poor and unknown, he has gradually won fortune and reputation. Churches and large buildings have been his specialty. His handiwork is to be seen in many parts of Brooklyn. He built the well-known Oriental Hotel at Manhattan Beach, by far the largest and finest at Coney Island. This immense structure was built in 90 working days, without accident or injury of any kind; a remarkable accomplishment, considering the number of men employed and the hurry in its erection.

Mr. Snedeker was also one of the contractors for Mr. A. A. Low's building, the " Garfield," and of Morgan Hall, at Wil- liamstown, Mass., built for ex-Governor Morgan; also of the new Metropolitan Opera House, the largest building of the kind in New York city. Other similar undertakings testifiy to Mr. Snedeker's capabilities and reputation as a builder.

Now just in his prime, his past success justifies the predic- tion of a prosperous future. As occasion offers, he buys and builds on vacant lots for investment. Naturally retiring in disposition, he is not one to thrust himself into notice; but his worth is known and esteemed by a large business acquaintance. When the Mechanics & Traders' Exchange was organized, Mr. Snedeker was one of the foremost in its formation, has since been prominent in its affairs, and now holds its presidency, having been elected to succeed ex- Mayor Howell. The financial institutions-the Commercial Bank and the Montauk Insurance Company-have chosen him in their respective Boards of Directors. In his domestic life, Mr. Snedeker is equally fortunate. He married Miss Paton, November 8th, 1858, who has been a devoted wife and mother. Three daughters and two sons have been born to them; the youngest son died when two years old; the eldest, a young man of great promise, at the age of twenty-three.

The family are all members of the Central Congregational Church of Brooklyn, and their handsome house on Greene avenue is a refined, cultured, Christian home. Amid a press- ing mass of business, Mr. Snedeker finds time for social and literary recreation, keeping abreast of the times in scientific reading, study, thought; is quick to adopt improvements in

his occupation; and, in fine, is an energetic worker, an hon- orable business man, a sympathetic friend, and a true gen- tleman.

BERNARD GALLAGHER, one of the best known contractors and builders in this city, was born in county Tyrone, in the north of Ireland, June 29th, 1838, and is a son of Owen and Rosannah Gallagher. His mother's family name was Mana- han. He came to America with his parents, in June, 1845, and located in Williamsburgh, where he attended such public schools as were then in existence until he was thirteen years old.

At that early age, he was apprenticed to learn the trade of rope-maker, and was so employed during the following three years. He next turned his attention to acquiring the carpen- ters' trade, serving two years' apprenticeship with Owen McCarran, father of Assemblyman Patrick J. McCarran, and four years with William H. Noe, on Schermerhorn street. He worked as a journeyman carpenter a year, and, in the fall of 1861, at the age of twenty-three, engaged in the business as a carpenter and builder, in which he has continued to the present time.

Since then it is probable that he has erected more public buildings than any other contractor or firm of contractors, within the same period, in the state. Prominent among them may be mentioned the Thirty-second Regiment armory, on Bushwick avenue and Stagg street; the Twenty-third Regi- ment armory, on Clermont avenue; and the Fourteenth Regi- ment armory, on Portland avenue; the Kings County Savings Bank, on Broadway, at the corner of Fourth street; the Dime Savings Bank, on Broadway, at the corner of Second street; the Kings County Fire Insurance Company's build- ing, on Broadway, near Third street; the Inebriate Home, at Fort Hamilton; the Queens County Court House, in Long Is- land City; the Madock building, Nos. 234 and 235 Broadway, New York; the new Fulton Market, New York; Haverly's Brooklyn Theater, and many other large and well-known structures; and at present is engaged in the erection of the new Washington Market, New York.

Mr. Gallagher is a Democrat politically, but has never been an office-seeker nor an active politican. The confidence of the public in him is such that he might have been the re- cipient of more than one political honor had he consented to become such. He held the office of Commissioner of Fires and Buildings, 1877-79, a position for which his intimate acquaintance with building in all its departments eminently fitted him.

July 25th, 1866, Mr. Gallagher married Miss Mary E., second daughter of George B. McGrath, of Brooklyn. They have five daughters and two sons. Mr. Gallagher's career has been one that may well be emulated by young men starting out on the journey of life-one of integrity, per- severance, systematic and earnest labor and the success which follows all honest, well-directed endeavor.

JOHN D. ANDERSON was born at Brooklyn, N. Y., April, 1838; the place of his birth was what is now the corner of Furman and Joralemon streets. At that time this part of the city was open to the East River, being the original bluffs along the Brooklyn shores, standing out bold and abrupt, in strange contrast with the fine terraces and beautiful grounds into which they have since been transformed.

Mr. Anderson, in his youth, witnessed this gradual, but sure transformation, and a transformation quite as striking, by which Brooklyn emerged from a comparatively small settlement to a large, elegant and still rapidly increasing

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Elbert Snedeker

BGallagher

John Le Anderson

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ARCHITECTS, BUILDERS AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS.

commercial city. In much of this he has been an important actor, in following his avocation as an enterprising, success- ful master builder.

His father was James Anderson, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a man of much energy, intelligence and purity of character; a gunsmith by occupation, highly skilled in his art. His mother, a native of Dublin, Ireland, was a woman of strong mental qualities, well endowed in every respect to discharge the duties of wife and mother, which she did in a most exemplary manner.

The parents of Mr. Anderson emigrated to this country about sighteen months before his birth, and settled in the city of New York. His father conducted a manufactory of muskets for the government, in Pearl street, New York, but his life was suddenly terminated by being thrown from a carriage, while his son, of whom we are writing was yet very young.

When old enough young Anderson was sent to a public and then to a private school in Brooklyn. When he was about eight years of age, a distinguished landscape painter hy the name of Newbury, living in ,Fulton street, was so pleased with the bright intelligence of the boy that he per- suaded his mother to let him live with him, promising to teach him the art of landscape painting. Some time after this, Mr. Newbury was called to Niagara, for the purpose of painting a view of the great cataract. He was very anx- ious to have young Anderson accompany him; but the mother feeling she could not part with her son, and be separated from him by what was then considered to be an immense distance-much greater than the distance now is from San Francisco to Brooklyn-she decided to keep her son at home.

After his father's death, his mother married Mr. Daniel F. McCarty who, it seems, treated young Anderson with all the affection of a father. From him the young man derived his first knowledge of his future avocation. After working with his step-father for some time, he entered the service of Warren W. Sneden, a master builder of Brooklyn, from whom he learned all the art and mystery of his calling.

In those days, builders did the whole work in constructing edifices, and young Anderson learned the whole art of con- structing buildings from the foundation upwards, including the art of modeling plaster ornaments, mantles, and the adornments of fire-places, and putting them up.

At the present time, this ornamental work has developed into a separate business; it will therefore be seen that Mr. Anderson is practically skilled in every department of his calling.

He continued with Mr. Sneden about four years, then served one year with Mitchell and Campbell, master builders of Brooklyn. He was now regarded as a competent and thorough workman, and as such followed his trade in differ- ent parte of the State for some time, and then commenced business, to a limited extent, as a master builder.

The first building of any importance that he superintended in the erection, is still standing in Fulton street, opposite Pierrepont street, Brooklyn. It is a large, commodious and substantial building. After the erection of this structure, Mr. Anderson's abilities were fully recognized, and his business rapidly increased. The building of churches, other pub- lic buildings, stores and private residences, were soon placed under his superintendence. Among these were the Old Ladies' Home of the Church Charity Foundation; Dr. Scud- der's church, in Hancock street, near Bedford avenue; First Baptist church, corner of Pierrepont and Clinton streets (a splendid edifice), and the Methodist chapel in Seventh avenue, New York city. Finally he has superintended the building of fourteen elegant churches in Brooklyn and

elsewhere. He built the Eastern District Hospital, one of the most imposing buildings in that District; also the railroad depot, at the junction of DeKalb and Central avenues, one of the most complete depots in the United States, having all modern improvements, among which is an immense ele- vator for hoisting open cars to the third story for storage during the Winter.

Valentine & Co.'s immense varnish factories-known all over the world-were constructed by Mr. Anderson.

As he has been a master builder in Brooklyn for over twenty-five years, there are few parts of the city that do not exhibit specimens of the taste, skill and energy with which he has prosecuted his business. One of the pleasant results to himself in all this is the accumulation of a very handsome fortune, which he enjoys with liberality, and with unassuming comfort. He is now engaged in building several elegant edifices, among which is the Dime Savings Bank building; on the corner of Court and Remsen streets.

It is a singular circumstance, that Mr. Anderson built the chapel of the Church of the Redeemer, formerly a portion of the main church, and that subsequently his second mar- riage took place in it, and his only daughter living by that marriage was the first child baptized in it.

Mr. Anderson was reared in the faith of the Protestant Episcopal church; in early life, and until he attained his majority, he attended Calvary church in Pearl street. He is now, and has been for some years, a constant attendant at the Church of the Redeemer.

In April, 1859, he was united by marriage to Miss Ellen Wayland, of Flatbush, New York. In March, 1872, he suf- fered a great domestic calamity in the loss of his wife.

He was married the second time to Miss Elizabeth Wright, of Brooklyn, August 5, 1873. He was again deeply afflicted by the loss of his second wife, who died March 29, 1883.

By his first marriage he had three children (sons), all liv- ing. His oldest, William D. Anderson, is a master builder, engaged in business with his father; his second son, George W. Anderson, is a promising young architect of Brook- lyn, and his youngest son, John F., is at school. By his second marriage he had six children, of which but two are living, Mary Louisa, and Charles Leonard.

Mr. Anderson is an active and enthusiastic member of the order of Free and Accepted Masons, having passed to high degrees. He believes " Masonry super-adds to our other ob- ligations the strongest ties of connection between it and the cultivation of virtue, furnishing the most powerful incentive to goodness; that wherever a Mason goes he will find a friend in every brother, if he conducts himself well, and will be shielded against want and protected against oppression."

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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 II, Part 49

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co Number of Pages: 1345

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909, ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York, W. W. Munsell & Co
Number of Pages: 1345