THE VANDERBURGH FAMILY
of
PLESSIS
Two Clippings
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Watertown Daily Times, March 29, 1947
Account Book of 1873 Found
Theresa Man Finds Book Once Belonging to J.S. Vanderburgh, Plessis.
While the book has the appearance of a diary, it is actually an account and record book, presented by the wholesale house of Roberts, Smith & Co., 372 Broadway, New York city. The firm were importers and jobbers of fancy goods, Yankee notions, hosiery, gloves and white goods, as well as American and imported watches, jewelry, etc. The firm was made up of three men, Thomas J. Roberts, Enos B. Smith and Malcolm Bridgman.
The book bears the date of March 1, 1873, and the firm states they present this book to their customers with their compliments and to call attention to the stock they offer. There follows 16 pages listing a total of 400 items, or supplies.
But J. S. Vanderburgh seems to have been well known in Plessis. In the Civil war he was a captain in Co. F of the 10th New York Heavy Artillery. This was a company of men enlisted mostly in the towns of Alexandria and Theresa. In this company we know that I. L. Huntington, Theresa, was first lieutenant; Elias Getman, Theresa, a second lieutenant; Robert McKnight, second lieutenant; Levi A. Butterfield, second lieutenant.
Alfred C. Wilson, farmer, Hyde Lake, is a direct descendent of the Vanderburgh family on this mother's side. His mother had a history of the family and it notes that the first of the Vanderburgh people came here from Holland in 1796. Coming down the line until one of the family married Eunice Southworth, the family of which Alfred C. Wilson is a descendent.
It is noted in the book owned by J. S. Vanderburgh, that he did banking business with the new George E. Yost bank that opened in Theresa a short time before this date of 1873; also with the National Union bank of Watertown. In his list of wholesale merchants he notes the name of S. W. Settle, 15 Exchange building, State street, Albany. On an expense sheet he records his expenses in going to Watertown, and on April 27, 1874, his fare to Philadelphia was 65 cents and to Watertown it was $1.10.|
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Watertown Daily Times, April 2, 1947
J. S. Vanderburgh Story Recalled
Plessis Resident Went to South Dakota to Take Up Land,
by Ernest G. Cook
Theresa, April 1—"The Capt. John S. Vandenburgh, Plessis, that you mentioned in The Times on Saturday, in regard to his account book found in the Leslie Dixon attic here, died in South Dakota, where he was a retired land owner."
Such was the information that came on Saturday evening from Mrs. A. A. Stratton, Riverside avenue, this village, after she read the story in the Times, and Mrs. Stratton was well informed as to the South Dakota home, for she had visited the family there. She knew of the Vanderburgh children and gave the information that the Vanderburgh farm in Dakota was in Theresa township, probably named after Theresa, N.Y., from which town he went to begin life in the west.
"As I recall," said Mrs. Stratton, "Capt. Vanderburgh came to Theresa from Plessis to open a store here. He resided in the house in Commercial street next to Mrs. Florence Young's place, and his store was about where the Theresa bakery is now located in Commercial street. My father, Pitt Evans, worked for him in the store as a clerk."When the western fever was at its height Capt. Vanderburgh decided to take up Government lands in the Dakotas, and, as I recall, his son Preston, operated with him in taking up land, so that they had a large block in Theresa township. I don't know, but think the Captain must have named the township from this Theresa. Their lands were near Huron, South Dakota, and the Captain became a real leader in community affairs there. I visited them there as a girl. I know he was an elder in the Presbyterian church there. Their first house on the ranch, as I recall, was a sod house.
"They were always interested in the east and when people from there came east they were requested, as was I, to visit the Plato family in Plessis. On one of such visits to the Plato family, the Platos were just hitching up and had the sewing machine in the rig to go to a home in Plessis village where the women were to assemble and make clothing for a family that had just burned out and the people were assisting them in their recovery.
"About 40 years ago Preston Vanderburgh, the son, came here on a visit and I recall that I was at Red Lake camping and they came down there and had a wonderful time. There was a daughter of the Captain, Clara by name. Well, the captain and his family are all dead, including the son, Preston, and the daughter, Clara.
"Maybe I should have mentioned that in taking up land in Dakota you secured it at a much more favorable option if you agreed to plant a certain number of trees on the land. There used to call it "Tree-claims" and that was what the Vanderburghs did. But how did that account book get all the way over on the Brooklyn side and in the attic of the Dixon home?
NOTE- 5/4/2008: This website owner has recently been in communication with Jim Weaver who is researching the Suits family of Plessis, Town of Alexandria, and its connections to the Vanderbergs. If anyone has information, please contact me at [email protected] and I will get you in touch with Jim.
NOTE- 7/2/08: Jim Weaver has been impressively successful in learning more about the Vanderburgs mentioned in Mr. Cook's article. He has been working industriously on the Suits-Vanderburg connection and recently paid a visit to the National Archives in Washington D.C. Jim shares his findings below. The first portion, written by Jim Weaver, tell of his research findings:
My ancestor Sanford Suits left Plessis sometime in the mid to late 1850s, first to settle in Iowa, then later to homestead near Huron, Dakota Territory. There is evidence that he sent a telegram to his brother-in-law, Capt. John S. Vanderburgh telling him to come to Dakota to homestead. Suits also seems to have informally claimed some land for Vanderburgh by breaking 10 acres of prairie (see Ques. 5, part 3 in Vanderburgh's pre-emption claim).
The Homestead Act, passed on May 20, 1862, allowed that each settler could obtain title to 160 acres, if he or she met a set of requirements, including living on the property for 5 years and cultivating a portion of the land. A prior Act, passed in 1841 allowed settlers to pre-empt a public land sale and obtain 160 acres by paying $1.25 an acre in lieu of the five year residency. A later act that was intended to change the prairies to forests by planting trees, called the Timber Culture Act, granted 160 acres for planting 10 of them in trees and keeping them alive at the end of 10 years.Coo
Sanford Suits homesteaded and filed a timber culture claim. Brother-in-law Capt. John S. Vanderburgh pre-empted on 160 acres in Beadle County, Dakota Territory and filed a timber culture claim for another 160 acres in Hyde County. I've transcribed Capt. Vanderburgh's pre-emption and timber culture testimony. The original papers are still in the National Archives in Washington, where I saw them in June of 2008. This confirms what Mrs A. A. Stratton told Ernest Cook in his April 2, 1947 article that closes with a mention that the Vanderburghs secured land by planting trees.
The testimony was hand written on a printed form. All of the hand-written parts are given in quotation marks below. Evidently Capt. Vanderburgh did not write the answers, the Receiver must have. He omitted the "h" in Vanderburgh's timber culture claim, but the Captain included it in his signature. For timber-culture "Swear"-ing was optional, as the applicant could write in a verb of choice. Vanderburgh did, however, swear.
John S. Vanderburgh Pre-emption claim testimony, September 29, 1883:
PRE-EMPTION PROOF. TESTIMONY OF CLAIMANT.
“John S. Vanderburgh” being called as a witness to “his” own behalf in support of “his” pre-emption claim to the “N E 23 111 62” testifies as follows:
Ques. 1. What is your name (witten [sic] in full and correctly spelled) and age.
Ans. “John S. Vanderburgh fifty seven years”
Ques. 2. Are you the head of a family (if so, of whom does it consist,) or a single person.
Ans. “I am” [page is torn along this line]
Ques. 3. Are you a native-born or naturalized citizen of the United States*
Ans. “Native citizen”
Ques. 4. Is your pre-emption claim, above described, within the limits of an incorporated town, or selected site of a city or town, or used in any way for trade and business. 2d. Did you leave other land of your own to settle on your present claim. 3d. Have you ever made a pre-emption filing or entry for land other than that you now seek to enter. If so, describe the same. (Answer to the point and in detail.)
Ans. 1st “It is not” 2d “I did not” 3d “I have not”
Ques. 5. When did you first make settlement on the above described land. 2. What was your first act of settlement. 3. Were there any improvements on the land when you settled. If so, state who then owned them and whether you purchased the same. 4th. What improvements have you made on the land since settlement, and what is the value of same.
Ans 1st. “June 16, 1881,” 2nd “Building house,” 3d “ten acres breaking owned by Sanford Suits paid $16 for same,” 4th, “60 acres breaking two house on 16 x 18 one 24 x 30 feet stable granary corn crib, 1000 fruit and forest trees; value $1500.”
Ques. 6. When did you first establish an actual residence on the land you now seek to enter. 2d. Has your residence thereon since been continuous, 3d. What use have you made of the land. 4th. How much of the land, if any, have you broken and cultivated since settlement, and what kind and quality of crops have you raised.
Ans. 1st “August 1st 1881,” 2d “It has, every day” 3d “Made it a home” 4th “60 acres Wheat oats barley corn 500 bushels all grain 500 corn last year”
Ques. 7. Are either of the parties who have testified as your witnesses in this case related to you by blood or marriage. If so, state how related.
Ans. “They are not”
“John S. Vanderburgh” [Signed]
I hereby certify that each question and answer in the foregoing testimony was read to claimant before being subscribed, and was sworn to before me this “29” day of “September” 188”3”
John S. Vanderburgh timber culture claim testimony, March 24, 1891
(4 -385)
TIMBER-CULTURE PROOF. - TESTIMONY OF CLAIMANT.
(Acts of March 3, 1873, March 13, 1874, and June 14, 1878.)
“John S. Vanderburg”, being called as a witness in his own behalf, in support of his timber-culture entry No. “642”, for “N E 4 section 27, township 112, of range 73” meridian, in the district of land subject to entry at Huron Land Office , testifies as follows:
QUESTION 1. - What is your name (written in full and correctly spelled, your age, and post-office address?
ANSWER. “John S. Vanderburg”
QUES. 2 - Describe your timber-culture entry by legal subdivisions, diving the date thereof and the numbers of acres embraced therein.
ANS. “Its description is the NE4 Section 27 TP 112 of Range 73. Dec 18 1882. 160.”
QUES. 3 - Are you a native-born citizen of the United States? If so, in what State or Territory were you born?
ANS. “Yes ; Born the State of New York “
QUES. 4 - What number of acres of said land was broken by you during the first year, what number broken during the second year, and what number broken during the third year, respectively, after the date of your entry?
ANS. “1 Five and one half acres; 2 Five acres during second year: 3 None. cultivated the 10 ½ acres that had been broken the first and second years after entry & cultivated the first 5 acres broke he first year was cultivated 2^ year.”
QUES. 5 - How many acres of said tract were cultivated during the second year of your entry, and how many the third year?
ANS. “During the second year cultivated five acres ½ and during third year ten acres and a half all that had been broken thru first and second years.”
QUES 6. - How many acres of said tract were planted to trees, seeds, or cuttings during the third year of your entry? State the kind or kinds of trees, seeds, or cuttings planted; and how you know the area or number of acres so planted during said third year.
ANS. “During the third year planted five acres in Trees. Cottonwood Box Alder ash & Elm. I measured the area of ground planted in trees with a tape line.”
QUES 7. - How many acres of said tract were planted to trees, seeds, or cuttings during the fourth year of your entry? State the kind or kinds of trees, seeds, or cuttings planted; and how you know the area or number of acres so planted during said fourth year.
ANS. “During the fourth year planted five acres in Trees. consisting of Ash Box Alder Elm & Sycamore. I measured the area with a tape line.”
QUES 8. - If you have received an extension of time for planning on account of the destruction of your trees, seeds, or cuttings, by grasshoppers, or by extreme and unusual drouth, state the year or years in which extension was had, and give all the particulars. How did you proceed to obtain such extension?
ANS. “Have not received an extension of time.”
QUES 9. - How many acres of timber have you planted, cultivated, protected, and kept in a healthy growing conditions for the period of eight (8) year, last preceding, on the tract embraced in your entry?
ANS. “Ten acres.”
QUES 10. - Describe the condition of the trees now growing on said tract, giving their average diameter and height, as near as you can, the kind or kinds of trees, the number of trees per acre now growing thereon, and stat how you know the facts to which you testify.
ANS. “The trees are alive and in a thrifty growing condition. Average diameter about 2 ½ inches average height about 8 ½ feet Number of trees per acre now growing. Eight hundred per acre. I have counted them today.”
QUES 11. - Have you ever heretofore made any other timber-culture entry? If so, describe each entry or entries and state all the particulars.
ANS. “No I have not.”
QUES 12. - State anything further within your personal knowledge which you have to offer regarding your aforesaid entry.
ANS. “I have nothing further to state”
“John S. Vanderburgh” (signed)
I hereby certify that each question and answer in the foregoing testimony was read to the claimant before he signed his name thereto, and that the same was subscribed and sworn to before me this…. day of “23rd March, 1891. “
…
FINAL AFFIDAVIT
I, “John S. Vanderburg”, having, on the “18th” of “December”, 18”82” made a timber-culture entry, No. “642”, of the “North East Quarter” of section “7”, in township “112” of range “73”, subject to entry at “Huron Land Office”, under the timber-culture laws of the United States, do hereby apply to perfect my claim thereto by virtue of the seventh section of the Act of June 14, 1878, entitled “ An act to amend an act entitled ‘An act to encourage the growth of timber on the western prairies, ‘” and for that purpose do solemnly “swear” that my aforesaid entry was made in good faith, and not for the purpose of speculation, or directly or indirectly for the use or benefit of any other person or persons whomsoever; that I have not heretofore made any other entry under the timber-culture laws of the United States; and I do further “swear” that the section of land specified in my aforesaid entry is composed exclusively of prairie lands or other lands devoid of timber, and that said entry was made for the cultivation of timber, and that I have planted on said land, cultivated, protected, and kept in a healthy growing condition for and during the period of eight (8) years last past “ten” acres of “Cottonwood Ash Box Alder Elm and Sycamore” (here describe the kinds) timber; that not less than “2700” trees were planted on each acre, and that there are now at least “800” (here state the number) living and thrifty trees to and upon each acre aggregating in total the number of “8000” trees
“John S. Vanderburgh”
SWORN to and scubsribed before me this 24th day of March, 1891.
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