History of Pompton, (Passaic County) New Jersey United States of America

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Biographies:

Henry Churchill De mille, playwright, was born in Washington, N.C., in 1850. He was graduated at Columbia college in 1875 and was a teacher in Lockwood academy, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1875-78. He taught in the Columbia college grammar school, 1878-82 and on the opening of the Madison Square theatre in New York in 1882, he was employed as a reader of the plays offered there for production. In 1883 he wrote Duty; or, Delmar's Daughters, which was brought out at the Madison Square theatre. In 1884 he produced at the same theatre, Sealed Instructions, a comedy, and made his d?but on the stage in Young Mrs. Winthrop. Then in collaboration with David Belasco he wrote May Blossom, Lord Chumley, The Wife, The Charity Ball and Men and Women. He later wrote The Main Line, and The Lost Paradise, which established his name as a playwright. He married, in 1876, Matilda, daughter of Sylvester and Cecilia (Wolff) Samuel, of London, Eng. He died at Pompton, N.J., Feb. 5, 1893.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

David Bates Douglass, engineer, was born at Pompton, N.J., March 21, 1790. He was graduated from Yale in 1813, and on October 1 of that year entered the army with the commission of 2d lieutenant of engineers. He spent the winter at the U.S. military academy and in the summer of 1814 marched to the seat of war at Niagara, N.Y., at the head of a corps of sappers and miners. He fought at the battle of Lundy's Lane, and in the subsequent defence of Fort Erie he constructed and defended a battery with such efficiency that he was promoted first lieutenant and brevetted captain, and the organization became known as the Douglass battery. He was promoted captain and major and was assistant professor of natural and experimental philosophy in the U.S. military academy, 1815-20; astronomical surveyor U.S. boundary commission, 1819-20; professor of mathematics at the Military academy, 1820-23, and of civil and military engineering, 1828-31. He resigned his commission in 1831 and took charge of the construction of the Morris and Essex canal, where he introduced the inclined plane as a substitute for the lock system. He was professor of natural philosophy and civil engineering in the University of the city of New York, 1882-39; president and, professor of moral and intellectual philosophy, Kenyon college, 1840-44; and of civil engineering and architecture in the University of the city of New York, 1844-53. His plan for supplying the city of New York with water, reported in 1835, was adopted and resulted in the Crotch water works, of which he was the first chief engineer. He built the railroad from Brooklyn to Jamaica, the supporting wall for Brooklyn Heights, planned the Greenwood cemetery, and introduced the water supply for Brooklyn. In 1840 he was elected president of Kenyon college and held the office four years. In 1845-46 he laid out the Catholic cemetery, Albany, N.Y.; in 1847 he was engaged in developing the landscape features of Staten Island, and in 1848 laid out the Protestant cemetery at Quebec. He was professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in Geneva college, 1848-49. He received the degree of A.M. from Yale and the College of New Jersey in 1819 and from Union in 1825, and that of LL.D. from Yale and Hobart in 1841. He died in Geneva, N.Y., Oct. 19, 1849.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor