A Major & Knapp Litho 1880's

 

Besides running Clairedale Kennel ,Claire seemed to get involved in real estate too. She owned quite a bit of it in Red Cedar Point and bought, sold and rented parcels, homes etc. There was one transaction she made, that I find rather sad. It happened in 1941 when Willis signed over some land to her. I think this coincided with the dissolution of their marriage.

Click To Read The Deed

 

Like her brother's did in Mastic Beach, Claire's signature would appear on quite a few transactions in Red Cedar Point, Hampton Bays.

Sometime in the 1940's Claire Antoinette Knapp Penney remarried. Her second husband was Thomas Dixon III. He is often referred to as Thomas Dixon Jr. His father sold Claire's father, the Mackey Island, N.C. property in 1920. But in reality his father was the real Thomas Dixon Jr. (1864-1946) a controversial Southern reverend / congressman / author of "The Clansmen" which was the book the movie "Birth Of A Nation" was made from. I was told this marriage was very brief. A 1951 phone directory shows the listing as Mrs. Thomas Dixon Jr. I'm assuming he is history. There was also a Thomas Dixon residing in Holbrook. Is it him (?). I have been able to find nothing written on Thomas Dixon III other than a brief mention of him as a child in his fathers biography "Fire From The Flint"

A 1951 Deed

 

A week before Eisenhower was elected for the first time, and about twelve years after Dodi Knapp moved out there, the Hampton Bays News ran this story

The fact that they refer to him as Joseph Fairchild, would lead one to believe he was fairly well known in the Hampton Bays Area.

 

The NY Herald Tribune, Daily News and NY Times were a little more formal

 

The NY Times obit appears elsewhere on this site

St. Mary's on Ponoquogue Ave where the services were held

Being that Dodi & Marion did not have children, 1952 would be the end of the Knapp line. By July of 1954, Marion E. Knapp was known as Marion H. Conley and listed as living in New York City when she sold the Hampton Harbor Road Home. I still do not know if the initial E or H referred to her maiden name. As of this writing I still do not know very much about her.

 

Click For Full Deed

 

Seven years and two days later, Dodi's big sister would pass away. Her services were also held at St. Mary's and she is buried with her brother.

St. Mary's Jan. 2002

Clairedale estate on Red Cedar Pond was sold by her daughters in 1961 to Jerry Tuccio a developer. For whatever good reason, it remains today mostly woods. It's almost as if Claire still controlled it out there. Perhaps she does !

 

 

Living from the Victorian Age to The Atomic Age, this Brother & Sister, who built a "big playhouse" for me and my friends obviously had quite a ride themselves . Once again my thanks to all who helped me discover this small slice of it.

 

THE KNAPPS LIVED HERE