History of Huntington, (Suffolk County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

Hiram Paulding, naval officer, was born near Peekskill, Westchester county, N.Y., Dec. 11, 1797; son of John Paulding. He attended the public schools until 1811, when be was commissioned a midshipman in the U.S. navy and began the study of mathematics and navigation. He was ordered to join Capt. Isaac Chauncey on Lake Ontario, in 1813, and was transferred to the President, the flagship of Commander Macdonough, in August, 1814. The American squadron being short of officers, he was commissioned acting lieutenant, and for his gallantry while in charge of the second heavy gun division on board the Ticonderoga, Lieut. Stephen Cassin, during the battle of Lake Champlain, was highly complimented, and received a vote of thanks from congress. After the close of the war he joined the squadron of Commodore Decatur and served with distinction during the Algerian difficulty. He was promoted lieutenant, April 27, 1816; served on the Independence and the brig Prometheus, 1816-17, and cruised on the Macedonian, of the Pacific squadron, 1817-20. On his return to the United States he procured a leave of absence, and attended the American Literary, Scientific and Military academy, Norwich, Vt., where he was graduated in 1823. He joined Commodore Porter's squadron as first lieutenant on the Sea Gull, in 1823, was ordered to the frigate United States in 1824, and cruised in the Pacific ocean on board the Dolphin, 1824-28. He was on the frigate Constitution, 1828-30, and commanded the schooner Shark, 1834-37. In 1837 he was promoted commodore, and was assigned to the command of the sloop of war Levant, Feb. 9, 1837, cruising in the West Indies, 1837-41. He was executive officer of the U.S. navy yard at Brooklyn, N.Y., 1841-44; was promoted captain in 1844, and cruised on the Vincennes in the East Indies, 1844-47. He was in command of the East Indian station, 1847-48; was transferred to the frigate St. Lawrence, and cruised in the Baltic, North and Mediterranean seas, 1848-51. He took charge of the U.S. navy yard at Washington, D.C., in 1852, and commanded the home squadron, 1854-57. While in South American waters in command of the frigate Wabash, U.S.S. WABASH. May 1, 1857, he came into port at the mouth of the San Juan river, Nicaragua, where William Walker , having captured the town with 200 men a short time before, had established his camp. Commodore Paulding demanded the surrender of Walker, and backed up his demand by landing 350 armed men, and by bringing the guns of the Wabash to bear on the camp. Walker surrendered and was paroled, but on reaching Washington, D.C., was not acknowledged by the U.S. government as a prisoner. His action wasprenounced by President Buchanan in a message to congress, a grave error, which, if unrebuked, might give serious trouble to the government. Paulding was also warned not to exceed his instructions or legal authority in the future. Paulding's action began the subject of congressional investigation, and the committee of foreign affairs in the house reported against the legality of Walker's arrest, which called out an extended debate in both houses of congress and became a sectional issue. Paulding was presented with a sword and a large tract of land as a reward for his services, by the President of Nicaragua, but was not allowed by the U.S. government to receive the land. He was appointed in September, 1861, by President Lincoln, to serve on the board to examine plans of iron-clad vessels. He was ordered to take command of the U.S. navy yard at Norfolk, Va., and set out on the Pawnee with 600 men. Upon his arrival he found that he could not hold the yard against the Confederates, and after transferring the arms and munitions from the Pennsylvania and other vessels stationed there, he scuttled the ships and taking the Cumberland in tow, he set fire to the yard and went to Hampton Roads. He was relieved by law, Dec. 21, 1861, being over sixty-two years old, and in July, 1862, was one of the ten retired officers to receive the newly created grade of rear-admiral. He was governor of the naval asylum at Philadelphia, Pa., 1866-69, and port admiral of Boston, Mass., 1869-74. He is the author of: The Cruise of the Dolphin (1831). He died at Huntington, N.Y., Oct. 20, 1878.

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

John Bloomfield Jervis, engineer, was born in Huntington, L.I., N.Y., Dec. 14, 1795; son of Timothy and?(Bloomfield) Jarvis, who with two children removed to Rome, N.Y., in 1798, where the son attended school. His professional career began at the time the Erie canal was located, when he obtained the position of axman, and he assisted in the survey and construction of that work, 1817-25. He was assistant and chief engineer of the Delaware and Hudson Canal company, 1825-30, and superintended the survey and construction of the Schenectady and Saratoga railroad, 1830-33. He invented and had built in England, for the Schenectady and Saratoga railroad, in 1832, a locomotive, having the four-wheeled swiveling truck in front. This truck came into universal use on locomotives. He became chief engineer of the Chenango canal in 1833, and originated the scheme of providing artificial reservoirs to supply its summit with water. He made the surveys and estimates on the eastern section of the Erie canal for the proposed enlargement of that work in 1835, and in 1836 was made engineer-in-chief of the Croton aqueduct for the supply of New York city. He also engineered the Croton dam, the Sing Sing aqueduct bridge, the high bridge over Harlem river, and the reservoir at 42d street, New York city. He was consulting engineer of the Cochituate water works in Boston, Mass., 1846-48; consulting engineer of the Hudson River railroad, 1847-50; of the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana railroad, 1850; engineer of the Chicago and Rock Island railroad in 1851, and was made its president in 1854. He was engaged on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago railroad in 1866, and retired from active service in 1868. He was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for state engineer in 1855, and he was elected an honorary member of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1868. Hamilton college conferred on him the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1878. He was married first to a daughter of George Brayton of Western, N.Y., who died May 14, 1839, and secondly to Eliza R. Coates, who survived him nine years and died in May, 1894, both wives being childless. In 1850 Mr. Jervis came into possession of a lot of land in Rome, N.Y., owned by his grandfather, John W. Bloomfield, since 1812. Upon this land he erected his residence, which after the death of his widow became the Jervis library, according to the terms of his will, which also endowed the institution and gave to it the valuable private library of the benefactor. The library was formally opened July 15, 1895, the centennial year of the founder's birth. His name was included in "Class I, Engineers and Architects," as eligible for a place in the Hall of Fame, New York university, October, 1900, and he received one vote, none of the sixteen names in that class securing a place. He published: Description of the Croton Aqueduct (1842); Report on the Hudson Rive. Railroad (1846); Railway Property (1859); The Construction and Management of Railroads (1861); Labor and Capital (1877); and several papers and lectures on engineering subjects. He died in Rome, N.Y., Jan. 12, 1885.

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

Jesse Brush, clergyman, was born in Huntington, N. Y., June 11, 1830; son of John Rogers and Elizabeth (Carman) Brush. He was graduated at the University of the city of New York in 1854, and was admitted to the New York city bar in 1855. In 1859 he was graduated at the Union theological seminary, and was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry. In 1859-60 he was pastor at Susquehanna, Pa., and in 1862-63 a supply at Westhampton, Mass. From 1863 to 1865 he was chaplain of the 158th infantry, N. Y. volunteers. He was pastor at Vernon, Conn., from 1865 to 1867; at North Cornwall, Conn., from 1867 to 1873; at Berlin, Conn., from 1873 to 1876, and at North Stamford, Conn., from 1876 to 1880. In 1880 he entered the Episcopal church, and was rector of Grace church, Saybrook, Conn., from 1881 to 1888, becoming in the latter year rector in Mayville, Chautauqua county, N. Y., remaining in that position until May, 1893, when he became associated with Rev. Dr. Smith, rector of St. James' church, Buffalo, N. Y. In January, 1896, he was elected chaplain of the church home, Buffalo, N. Y. He married a daughter of the Rev. Harvey Newcomb, who died Oct. 24, 1894. Their three sons became?Edward Hale, a journalist; Henry Wells, a lawyer; George Robert, a clergyman, graduate of the General theological seminary, New York city, 1896.

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

Benjamin Youngs Prime, physician, was born in Huntington, L.I., N.Y., Dec. 20, 1783; son of the Rev. Ebenezer and Experience (Youngs) Prime. He was graduated at the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1751, A.M., 1754, studied medicine under Dr. Jacob Ogden at Jamaica, L.I., and practised at Easthampton. He was a tutor in the College of New Jersey, 1756-57; went abroad in 1762; visited medical schools in Europe; was graduated at the University of Leyden, M.D., 1764, and in the same year began practice in New York city. He published "A Song for the Sons of Liberty in New York" on the passage of the stamp act in 1765. He was married, Dec. 18, 1774, to Mary (Wheelwright) Greaton, widow of the Rev. John Greaton of Huntington, L.I. He retired to Huntington, L.I., previous to 1775, and in that year was forced to flee to Connecticut, where he remained until the conclusion of peace in 1788, after endeavoring in vain to secure a commission in the army. He received the degree of A.M. from Yale in 1760. He is the author of: The Patriot Muse, or Poems on Some of the Principal Events of the Late War:Together with a Poem on Peace (1764); Columbia's Glory, or British Pride Humbled : A Poem on the American Revolution (1791). After his death various of his poems were collected and published as: Muscipula; Sive Cambromyomachia; The Mouse-Trap: or the Battle of the Welsh and the Mice: in Latin and English. With other Poems in different languages, By an American (1840). He died in Huntington, L.I., N.Y., Oct. 31, 1791.

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