WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY SPECIAL
As I first wrote in my first book "Long Ride On A Short Track" that is going to get republished this year,
Larry Schulz was my best friend when I was a kid. We first met in Mastic Beach when we were about 4. He was a few months older than me (remember when that counted?) His birthday fell on the father of country, George Washington’s,( before Dick Nixon messed it up with his mattress sales etc) and mine was on Mother’s Day __ some years ..................
SO THIS ONE'S FOR YOU LARRY, SOAKING UP THE RAYS DOWN IN SUNNY FLA TODAY FEB 22, 2009
HEY LARRY :
These photos are almost twice your age .... but not quite as old as the trees we used to climb that were around in George Washington's day. These photos of course are of our old neighborhood and were published in a book in 1913. Most were probably taken around 1900 -1910.
Your Old Pal.
Kenny
Elizabeth Woodhull Nicoll Lawrence (1858-1919 ) was the daughter of Anna ( 1819-1903 ) and Henry Nicoll ( 1812-1879 ) and wife of Joseph Bayley Lawrence (1843-1889 ). A widow for thirty years, I believe Elizabeth lived and died in this house with Anna, her long widowed mother (34 years) The home was always known as the General Nathaniel Woodhull (1732 - 1776 ) house, although it was not built until after the General's original homestead burned down in 1784. The Joseph B. Lawrence estate aka the Woodhull farm property became the initial town of Mastic Beach in 1926 (Sections 1 & 2) seven years after Elizabeth died. Her home which was in perfect condition and hid Paul Schultes still in the 1920's, was torn down on Memorial Day 1938 as the General was getting his first props from the citizens of Mastic Beach a block away at the Woodhull family cemetary where all of the above named folks and many more family members of Woodhull, Lawrence, Thorn, Nicoll and Smiths are still resting in peace.
Got That? Good there will be a test on Friday!
My Bet Is This photo was taken by William Floyd (no not the original of course, but the brother of Cornelia Floyd Nichols ) who went wild with his Kodak out in Mastic around 1900, taking pics all over most of the estates that made up the towns we would come to know as Mastic, Mastic Beach and Mastic Acres. I would love to see his negatives if they still exist. August Floyd (1865 - 1926) who loaned this pic of his ancestors homestead own home that was just a stones throw away (If your George Washington ) is pictured here
Martha Tangier Smith (1859 - 1934 ) was the big sister of Eugenia A T Smith (1865 - 1954) and both spinster sisters lived out their days with their two brothers on the Manor of St. George. Notice how many trees were close to the house back then.
AS FOR THE BOOK "REFUGEES OF 1776 from LONG ISLAND TO CONNECTICUT" THAT THESE PHOTOS TURNED UP IN ___ IT'S A HUGE ONE ! 1200 PAGES & RECENTLY DIGITIZED THANKS TO THE ONGOING GOOGLE LIBRARY PROJECT & I KNOW I WILL BE FINDING A FEW GEMS IN IT.......
MY THREE CORNERED HAT IS OFF TO THIS GUY
Fred Mather
WHO IN AN ERA LONG BEFORE DIGITIZING MADE LOOKING FOR STUFF LIKE THIS EASY
DID IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY AND BOY DID HE DIG UP SOME INTERESTING STUFF
AT LEAST FOR ME THAT IS !
For Example : May I remind you what the name of this website is?
THAT'S RIGHT ............
THE KNAPP'S LIVED HERE
And here is a petition, filed in May of 1787 by Joseph Knapp Jr. for a disability to his hand suffered in the Revolutionary War from a British attack that ended Joe's trade as a weaver. It is fully detailed as to what happened to him.
Joseph Knapp Jr. born in 1759, is the son of Joseph Knapp Sr (1707 - 1770 ) who to the best of my knowledge is, the very first Joseph Knapp in America and yes Virginia both of these "Regular Joes" are DIRECT ANCESTORS of the Three Joe Knapps That Comprise What Much Of This Website Is All About !
Both Joseph Palmer Knapp (1864-1951) and his son Joseph Fairchild Knapp's (1892 -1952) handwriting bear traces of Joe Jrs especially the Ps
BUT THE MAIN THING TO RECALL KIDS, ON THIS THE 377TH BIRTHDAY OF THE FATHER OF OUR COUNTRY AND THE SIXTY SECOND BIRTHDAY OF MY OLDEST PAL IS
"There Is Always A Knapp Connection"
You Can Learn More By Clicking The Links In The Text Too