From the Mount Kisco Recorder:

• 18 Mar 1887 – Alexander Yerks hosts a “Japanese Surprise Social”
• 27 Jan1888 – Alexander Yerks and the Chappaqua Baptist Church hosts a “Donkey Socialable”
• 11 Jan 1889 – The Mount Kisco Recorder calls for his recognition of service to his Country.  He spent three years fighting for the North during the Civil War.
• 21 Jan 1889 – Cassius Yerks, Alexander’s son, left the Chappaqua Shoe Factory and took a position with a shoe Factory in Lynn, Massachusetts.
• 18 Jan 1889 – Alexander Yerks made signifiant improvements to his property, formally used as a Wheelwright Shop.
• 19 Apr 1889 – Alexander Yerks opens his new Grocery Store.
• 5 Dec 1890 – Just 15 days before the fire, the I.O.G.T  (possibly the International Order of Good Templars) voted to change Yerks’ Hall into a “Lodge Room”.

Near Conflagration Almost Destroys Chappaqua Just Before Christmas
Published int he Mount Kisco Recorder on December 26, 1890

The little village of Chappaqua was the scene of great excitement early on Saturday morning last, about 2 o’clock when the shrill whistle of the shoe factory woke the people of to the fact that there was a dangerous fire raging on Greeley Avenue, opposite the Harlem Railroad Depot. The property in flames was the store occupied by Mr. Alexander Yerks as a grocery store, (in which the fire first started) and from which it soon spread to the dwelling house north of it, occupied by Mr. Perry Quick and Mr. Wesley Smalley and their families.

The fire was first discovered by Mr. Ed Quinby, who was returning home from a social party, when he saw a bright light in Yerks’s store, and ran with haste to the spot to see what was the matter. He soon found that a serious fire had begun, and he immediately rushed around and alarmed several men, among them of the shoe factory the engineer, Charles Bouton. The latter at once dressed himself in a hurry, and rushed to the shoe factory building, entered the engineering room, and gave the alarm all over the village by blowing the steam whistle. While the villagers were arousing and dressing, Bouton raked the fire under the boiler and got more steam up, and then started the big steam pump that is kept for fire purposes. Soon others came to his assistance and they attached hose to the pump, and in a short time a stream of water was playing on the factory building to keep it from catching fire.

Then attention was given to the burning buildings across the street, and water was poured on the adjoining buildings to keep the fire from spreading. The Yerks building was now a mass of flames, burning embers flying in the air, and being carried by the wind in various directions, but mostly eastward to the main street up Chappaqua hill.

Messrs. Smalley and Quick had been aroused at an early period of the fire, and managed to get all their furniture out of the house. Their clothing however was consumed and they only saved what they had put on most hurriedly on being first awakened to their danger. The house was only 15 feet from the store.

The blazing sparks flew to Mr. Rem. Farrington’s barn, Mr. Thomas Young’s blacksmith shop, and eastward across the main street, to the Union Church, which at one time was in great danger from the flying and flaming embers. Indeed, nearly all the houses around there may be said to have been saved by good luck and providence, for the blazing sparks and pieces of burning shingles and wood were found next morning in all the dooryards of the houses nearby. The damage to Mr. Thomas Young’s shop was slight, being only about $15 or $20; and to Mr. Harrington’s bar, a little less.

But it was an anxious time for Chappaqua, until the fire was finally extinguished, and everybody felt safe to leave the scene and returned home. Had the fire occurred the night before, when the wind raged so fiercely, nearly all night, there is no telling where the fire would have stopped. Indeed, as it was, if it had not been for the fortunate discovery of the conflagration by Mr. Ed Quinby, half of Chappaqua would, no doubt, have been wiped out.

The insurance on Mr. Yerks’s building was $1000 with $100 more on store fixtures and $900 on groceries stock; but as Mr. Yerks had been closing out the business, it is probably that he didn’t have more than 200 or $300 worth of stock on hand.

The dwelling house next door, was owned by Mr. E. M. Van Tassel, of New York City, and was insured for $1000.

This is the third time that fire has broken out in Mr. Yerk’s store, and it has been a complete success at last. But for the vigilant and untiring efforts of the shoe factory people—including Mr. H. W. Bischoff and all the local resident workman—the blacksmith shop of Mr. Thomas Young, and doubtless other property would have been sacrificed by the flames.

Commentary of the Near Conflagration
Published int he Mount Kisco Recorder on December 26, 1890

If it had not been for “that nuisance siren” (the factory whistle) the loss to property would have been much greater. When the whistle is heard in the night no one stops to ask “what is the matter?”

No, we are not ready to spare the factory whistle yet. The wind was blowing quite hard from the Northeast and carried sparks a long distance, and in one or two instances set roofs afire, but they were closely watched and extinguished. Both buildings were insured.

This fire once more reminds us of the need of some means of extinguishing fires in the village. There is nothing except the hose at the factory, and that is of use only nearby, and there is no water of any account right in the village.

If a pipe could be laid from Greeley’s pond and two or three hydrants placed in the village, we would have an effective fire extinguisher.

The Lodge of good Templars lost all their furniture and regalia at the fire last Saturday morning. It is thought the loss will be about $50. It is reported that there are several new houses to be built on the site of those which were burned. That is just what we need in this place—small houses at reasonable rents.

Summary

Sometime between the 1891 and 1900, Alexander and his entire family left Chappaqua and head North to Lynn, Massachusetts.  His son Cassius, has moved to Lynn in 1889 to take a position in a shoe factory there.  You can’t help but wonder whether Alexander Yerks had worn out his stay… especially after THREE fires in his store.  There is NO mention of him in Mount Kisco Recorder after the fire. Alexander Yerks died in Lynn, Massachusetts on November 21, 1909.

Last week, I acquired two important dates of Deaths for William Townsend Yerks and Emeline Schenck.  They came to me by way of Kim at the Onondaga County Public Library.  They hold a copy of the Birth, Marriage and Death indexes for the State of New York. “Wm T Yerks” died on August 12, 1900.  Emeline Schenck died  on March 4, 1939.  So armed with that information, I headed over to the Town Clerks office in Bedford, where they both died,  in search of the details reported on their Death Certificates.  The Town Clerk informed me that it may take about an hour or so to do the research and get everything typed up, so I decided to head over to the Mount Kisco Library to see what I could find on Microfilm about their deaths.

The Mount Kisco Library holds an incomplete set of microfilms for the “Mount Kisco Record” for the years of 1914 to 1940.  So that  prevented me from finding any obituary for William Townsend Yerks.  But I was quickly able to find one for Emeline Schenck. It provided me with the best proof yet that the information on the death certificate was erroneous.  I’ve highlighted the more interesting research points below.

Mrs Emeline Schenck.

Mrs Emeline Schenck, widow of Benjamin Schenck, died last Saturday night at her home in Bedford Hills in her 82 year.  She had been a resident of Bedford Hills for many years and was well known.  She was born in Chestnut Ridge, the daughter of the late Townsend and Lucinda Hadden Yerkes.

She is survived by two daughters, Miss Ella M Schenck and Mrs M McGuhy of Bedford Hills; three sons, William B Schenck of Cranston, RI, Albert Vanderoef, a son by a former marriage and Lewis Schenck, both of Bedford Hills, and a brother, George O Yerks of Brooklyn.

Funeral services were held Thursday afternoon at 2:30 from her late residence, the Rev. J. C. Coddington, pastor of the Bedford Hills Methodist Church, officiating.  The internment was in Oakwood Cemetery, Mount Kisco.

So this might not be a primary source of information, but it is the best confirmation yet that the parents of George Oakley Yerks were indeed Lucinda and William Townsend Yerks.  Of course, it is still possible that George was adopted, but it does now seem that the information collected on the Death Certificate did not come from any knowledgable source. Perhaps, William B Yerks, the son listed as the provider of information on the Death Certificate, provided the only information known to him at the time.  Remember, William Benjamin Yerks was only nine when his grandfather died and sixteen when his grandmother died.  So it is possible that he did not know who his grandfather was.  And maybe he heard someone call his grandmother by a nickname…  perhaps “L.C.”…. short for Lucinda.  And maybe he heard it as “Elsie”.

When I got back to the Town Clerks Office, I had the information from the two death records waiting for me which confirmed much of my research.

William Townsend Yerks Death Certificate Information

• Registered number: 412
• Date Death: August 12, 1900
• Name of Deceased: Wm. T. Yerks
• Age: 73 years, 7 months, 28 days
• Married
• Occupation:
• Birthplace : Pleasantville
• Father’ s nane and Birthplace: Wm. Yerks Pleasantville
• Mother’ s name and Birthplace: Marie Yerks Pleasantville
• Place of Death: Bedford Station
• Cause of Death: Chronic Heart Disease
• Medical Attendant: C. F. Chapman
• Place Burial: Middle Patent

Emeline Yerks Schenck Death Certificate Information

• Registered number: 10
• Name: Emeline Schenck
• Residence: Bedford Road, Bedford Hills,NY
• Sex: Female Color or Race: White, Widow
• Name of Husband: Benjamin Schenck
• Date of Birth: Dec. 15, 1857
• Age: 81 years,  2 months, 19 days
• Housewife
• occupation:
• Birthplace: Chestnut Ridge, NY
• Father: Townsend Yerks Birthplace: Westchester Co., NY
• Mother: Lucinda Hadden Birthplace: Westchester Co., NY
• Place of Burial: 0akwood, Mt. Kisco, NY on Mar.7, 1939
• Date Death: March 4, 1939
• Cause of Death: Carcinoma of Pancreas, Carcinoma of Liver, Anemia – Secondary: Myocarditis, chronic

In addition to confirming my research, I also learned that William Townsend Yerks was buried in the Middle Patent Rural Cemetery in Bedford.  This cemetery is closer to the area know as Chestnut Ridge in North Castle and further away from Bedford Hills where he was living.  I went to Middle Patent Cemetery in search of his grave, but could find nothing.  So I called the caretaker.  She did not find his burial in the main record set, but did find him listed in a set of records defined as “unrecorded”.  According to the caretaker, a survey of the cemetery was done in 1914 in which several previously undocumented graves were discovered.  The first name and date match William T Yerks, but the last name had several question marks replacing letters on it.  This leads me to conclude that the grave marker was basically unreadable in 1914, just 14 years after his death.  So it would be next to impossible to find his burial place today.

• Henry William Lewis, an immigrant from Wales, was on board a ship that was fired upon by the canon batteries at Morris Island, marking the beginning of the Civil War.
  http://hayesfamily.us/index.php/2008/10/28/226/
• Jeremiah D Sheehan prepared to join the war as a private in Company C of 3rd Infantry Regiment New Hampshire (23 Aug 1861).
• Cyrus Cutler of Bedford, New York, prepared to join the war with Company H, New York 5th Heavy Artillery Regiment (02 Jan 1864).
• Jonathan J Beattie joined the Civil War was a Seaman with the US Navy.

In one or two other posts here I have mentioned this box of stuff I found in the basement that was full of treasures from my youth. I was down in the basement again today and took a look through that box again and found the letter my Grandpa & Grandma wrote to me and my brothers on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. It was written on a typewriter (so very typically Grandpa) and I scanned it but I’ve also transcribed it here:

Anniversary

October 4

1922-1972

Dear Jerry Peter & Philip

In view of our approaching 50th wedding anniversary and since you are a member of our family, we are asking you to bear with us for a few minutes while we hold forth on the well-worn subject of “Time”. It intrigues us just now because we are especially aware that we have used up quite a bit of it, possibly not in all respects in the best way, but perhaps in just about the way our limited talents permitted us.

We wish that our past fifty years had been full of noble or notable accomplishment. But only a few people seem to have been that able or fortunate. We have tried with considerable success to enjoy our lives together and to do well in establishing a family. We are happy about the results.

The passing of Time has been celebrated, regretted, recorded, and otherwise treated with great and enduring interest since Time began. In fact, we would not have Time if it did not pass. It never stood still despite fairy tales to the contrary. Without Time, we do not exist. Imagine anything existing before Time began-or after it ended!

Man has always been concerned with Time, for example, the time taken by the Earth to rotate on its axis and its orbit, the time taken by the Earth to evolve from its probable beginning, the time taken by man to become what he is, and the time between events in history.

Time engages man continuously from his birth to his death, from the rising to the setting of the sun and the beginning to the end of his undertakings, Time has been a favorite of poets who have mentioned its wing and its habit of fleeting, its capacity for being wasted, it ravages, its corridors, it footprints, its value, it healing, and humorously, what the Walrus said about it in “Alice”.

Our concern with Time is all of this and more but our special concern just now is the fact that fifty years of it have been enjoyed in our happy marriage. We are celebrating this happiness by giving a token like the enclosed to each member of our family. Please use it and enjoy it.

We hope that none of you will send us any gift in return since we have more possessions that we can manage.

Thank you for scores of happy incidents in our lives!

And remember us with the same love we send you!

Grandma & Grandpa

I just have to smile at how Grandpa is talking about Physics and Time. Gee I guess the nut, this nut, didn’t fall from from that tree. Did it?

For as long as I can remember Grandma & Grandpa came up from their home in St. Petersburg, Florida every summer to spend the summer months with us at our home in Chappaqua starting from the summer of 1958 when Mom, Dad, and I moved from Baltimore to New York.

I can still fondly recall watching the second rocket in NASA’s Mercury Program, Liberty Bell 7, launch on TV with Grandma. I remembe it because as it took off I went running out the back door to see the rocket going up into the sky and she then had to explain to me why I couldn’t see it. I still smile when I think of that.

They would come right after the school year ended and then leave, drive back home shortly before it began again.

The summer of 1972 was different though. Grandma & Grandpa would stay until their anniversary in October so that they could celebrate it with thier daughter, her husband, and the Hayes grandchildren. Grandpa took us all to (the original) Emily Shaw’s Inn in Pound Ridge for the celebration. I even remember my dad asking the waiter or waitress if they had hearts of lettuce and I remember having steak.

Sometime either the next day, or maybe a few days later, Grandma & Grandpa would pack up the old Olds Delta 98 and head south for home.

October 11th they arrived in Naples Florida south of their home in St. Pete just to visit and see it. They went for a walk on the boardwalk or quayside that evening and met a young newlywed couple on their honeymoon and chatted with them telling them how they had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary only a few days ago.

That night my Grandpa, my dear loving Grandpa went to bed for the very last time. He would die in his sleep that night.

Grandpa’s “Time” with us had run its course.

Several years ago, I came across a record at the Find-A-Grave website that listed a William Yerks being buried at “Potter’s Field” in Valhalla.  It gave no date of birth or date of death.  So, stuck at a brick research wall,  I decided to write to the Westchester County Archives to see if they would have any additional information about the people buried at Potter’s field.

There is a William yerks buried in Potters Field in Valhalla.  Can you tell me whether there are any records for Potters Field that might provide me with date of death or other info? Apparently he is buried in Row I , a double grave that is shared with Isaac Stokes .

If you think you may have records, I will come down from Connecticut  to research him if necessary.

Thanks.

Phil Hayes

A short time later Jackie, from the County Archives, wrote back to me.

Hi Phil,

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. We have very little on Potters Field, unfortunately. As it was connected to the county Almshouse, that would be the place to look. From the index, I see there was a William Yerks who passed away in the Almshouse in 1876. He was from Mount Pleasant, and was 75 years old. If that sounds like your man, you are welcome to come in to see the record; we’re open Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9-4. The amount of information is in these Almshouse records varies, some are very sketchy, and some have a decent amount of detail. It depends on who was keeping the records.

Jackie

I was already interested in the Almshouse because Armenia Yerks, daughter  of the William Yerks that I was looking for, showed up in the 1900 Census there. Now I also had a William Yerks who was within the same age range as the one I was looking for.

So yesterday, I once again made the trip to the Archives in Elmsford,NY.  Jackie immediately remembered me and my request.  She quickly guided me to an index that was compiled by a volunteer that lists the names of “inmates” of the Almshouse Institution. I immediately recognized several names in the index.

Some of the microfilms that held the records were missing, so Jackie brought out the original ledgers for the first couple of records I wanted to looked up.  I was allowed to photograph the records I was interested in.  I printed the others from the Microfilm viewer/printer.  Here is a summary of what I discovered.

William Yerks.

William Yerks was a 75 year old male who was admitted to the Almshouse on May 5, 1876.  It lists him as a widower, but I believe that is simply an error.  He and his father were listed as being born in Mount Pleasant which would be consistent with my research.  The “habits” of him, his father and mother were “temperate”, meaning they were not big drinkers.  His father’s occupation was a farmer.  He has three living children who were all “self supporting”.  His existing cause of dependance is listed as “Destitution.  He has been receiving public “out-door” support for about three years prior to being admitted.  It goes on to indicate that a brother and daughter have also been aided.  William died on September 17, 1876, just four months after entering the poor house.

Summary: William’s age would make him born in 1801, which is the exact year we have recorded in our research. In my opinion, there is no doubt that this is the William Yerks I have been looking for and that he is most likely the one buried at Potter’s field.  His destitute situation explains why I have not found him buried at any of the normal Yerks burial places.  A death date of 1876 would explain why he does not appear in the 1880 US Census.

Mariah Yerks

Mariah (Maria) Yerks is a 76 year old female who was admitted to the Almshouse on May 12, 1878 because she was sick and most likely could not afford care at the nearby hospital.  She was born in Greenburg, New York and is now listed as a widow.  Her occupation was a housekeeper and her father was a farmer. This Mariah supposedly has six living children, which would make it inconsistent with the information we have about her.  This information could simply be a mis-interpretation of the question.  Apparently she was so sick that she was unable to perform any manual labor.  But according to the records, she was discharged just six days later.

Summary: I am pretty sure that this Mariah is the Maria, wife of the William Yerks mentioned above.  Since there are no other “Maria” Yerks found anywhere in the Census prior to 1878, the likelihood that this is her is 99%. The age of this Mariah, places her birth year directly inline with other research I have performed. However, there is some more research that needs to be done. For instance, I have found a  Maria Yerks in the 1880 US Census, b. circa 1806, living in Staten Island with a Charles and Mary Yerks.  This 1880 Census record indicates that Maria is the mother of Charles. As far as I know, our Maria Yerks did not have a son name Charles.  But this move to Staten Island, would explain the May 18, 1878 discharge from the Almshouse.

Ezra Yerks

Widower Ezra Yerks, 57 years old, was admitted to the Almshouse on September 18, 1893.  The reason for his admittance was that he was sick. He was born in Pleasantville, NY.  He was able to read and write and his occupation was a shoemaker.  His parents are listed as deceased and he had one living sister.  Ezra Yerks died on November 12,1893.

Summary: I believe this Ezra to be the fourth son of William and Maria Yerks.  His age matches +/- 2 years to the Ezra I have been researching.  He died in 1893 which explains his disappearance from the Census after 1880. The things that makes me wonder is about his marital status.  The Almshouse record indicates that he was a widower.  According to the 1880 Census, he was single at the age of  43.  Again, this could simply be a clerical mistake, or maybe he got married at a later age.

Ethel Armenia Yerks

Ethel Armenia Yerks is a young child who was originally admitted to the Westchester Almshouse on September 4th, 1896 because of “Destitution”.  She was born in Eastview, NY.  Both parents are living and she has no brothers or sisters.  The record also indicated that her mother is at the same facility.  In fact, a comment in the remarks section indicates that she is the child of Theresa Yerks, above.

Summary: I was initially very excited because I thought I had found the Armenia Yerks that was mentioned in the 1900 Census.  But after closely looking at the age of this person, it was clear they were not the same person.  But the story does not end there….  see the summary for Theresa below.

Theresa Yerks

Theresa Yerks is a twenty year old female who was married when she was admitted on 26 Aug 1896.  She was a house wife that was able to read and write.  Her father was a shoemaker.  The reason that she was admitted to the Almshouse was that she was destitute and pregnant.  There are two interesting notes made on her chart. The first is “Notify Richard Nolan of Bedford Station”.  The second is in regards to her discharge on July 6, 1899.  This note indicates that she was “Taken to home of Refuge for Woman at Hudson”.

Summary: I couldn’t figure out who this Theresa was.  I had never heard of her before.  So I decided to see if I could find a Theresa Yerks in Census records at Ancestry.com.  Within a few keystrokes, I quickly came up with a Theresa Yerks in the 1910, 1920 and 1930 Census married to an Edward F Yerks (b. abt 1875).  William Townsend Yerks, son of the William Yerks mentioned above, had a son “Eddie” who I lost track of after the 1880 Census.  It is now clear to me that Eddie Yerks married this Theresa and got back together with her when he could.  This would explain why the daughters middle name was that of his fathers sister.  With a quick query at Fulton Postcards New York Newspaper web site, I found the disturbing story behind Theresa’s admittance to the Almshouse which confirms my research above.

Conclusion

It looks like this branch of the Yerks family tree fell on hard and desperate times between 1870 and 1900.  The family had begun to spread out throughout Westchester County, away from the traditional Yerks homesteads located in Mount Pleasant, New York.  Remembering that there were no telephones and mail took days to be delivered, I believe it was difficult for family members to know about their relatives needs.  And even if they did know, the distances between locations and travel times made it extremely difficult to help each other out.  It is sad to know that a Yerks family member is buried at Potter’s field, but I am relieved to know finally what happened to the family as a whole back then.  All this being considered, there are still numerous questions which may never be answered.

The Speedy Little Munchkin

By Philip L Hayes Jr., age 8

My Cousin Ann was over to my house for a sleep over. After a long day of playing, we fell quickly to sleep.

(Poke. Poke) Stop. (Poke, Poke) Stop it Ann, I said. Much to my surprise, I poked a leprechaun in the eye. (Poke, Poke).  “What?  A leprechaun?” I rolled off the bed and crushed the leprechaun who was sitting on the floor.  I got up off the floor and saw the leprechaun in his real form. The leprechaun had a smile upon his face.  He has  a black belt in Karate., but his suit is as green as grass.  The leprechaun said “play”.  “Alright” I said. “Let me get dressed and eat breakfast”.  I put on my blue jeans and got my red shirt on that had “Go Yankees” printed on it.  I went downstairs to the kitchen and split my pistachio muffin with the leprechaun. “I will name you ‘Hamburger’”, I said.  “Hamburger… do you want to play hide and seek?”  He is as small as a kitten, so he was hard to find as he ran around in the kitchen.

#$%&# CRASH #$%&#

A frying pan hit him in his head as he crawled around in the kitchen cabinets. I could see that he had stars circling his head.  I went over to him and said, “Lets not play that game again”.

“What is that noise?” Ann said as she came down the stairs a bit groggy and scared.  My leprechaun, Hamburger, said, “Play”.  Ann was shocked as she looked at the leprechaun. “Play” he said again.  “Yes, lets play chase the cat” I said.   The leprechaun had to be the cat, because he was the size of a kitten and was as fast as a speeding bullet.   He was so fast that Ann and I decided to make a trap to catch the speedy little munchkin.   We put a dollar under a box that was propped up with a stick that had a string attached to it.  When he went to grab the dollar, we pulled the string and the box fell over the speedy little munchkin. He was caught.

We removed the box from over our friend and there he stood, holding the dollar in front of his face.  We then asked him to take us to his pot of gold.  He said… “OK, but it is very dangerous”.  He gave us a shield and a bronze sword.  We set off in search of the pot of gold.  After a couple of miles we came across a fire-breathing dragon.   I swung my sword furiously and cut of his three heads.  I said “Yahoo!”.   Then a bird came down and started pecking me in the head.  I screamed in pain and started swing swinging my sword at the bird. The bird picked me up by my shirt as Ann and Hamburger held on tightly to me.  He flew us all the way to the pot of gold.

The Leprechaun said, “You passed my test. You earned the pot of gold.  Good work!”  Ann and I decided to take only half of the pot of gold, leaving the rest for our friend.  But our friend said that he wanted us to take it all, because he was going to stay with us for now on.  Hamburger told the bird to pick us up and bring us back home. And so he did.

The end.

John Cutler 1828 – 1850
Cornelius Cutler 1833 –
Amy Cutler 1834 –
Cyrus Cutler 1836 – 1918
George Washington Cutler 1836 –
Araminta Cutler 1838 – 1855
Julia Cutler 1842 –
Stephen Cutler 1842 – 1865
Nathaniel Cutler 1844 –

According to the recently discovered bio, I have learned that his father was John Cutler and comes from old Westchester County stock. The Cutlers apparently are of English origin.  Nathaniel is buried at the St Marks Episcopal Church Yard in Mount Kisco with his wife. I have been there many times.

The biography has been transcribed from a document entitled, “Biographical History of Westchester County”.  This illustrated document was published by the Lewis Publishing Company in 1899.

One of the leading agriculturists of North Castle township, Westchester county, and an honored veteran of the civil war, is Nathaniel Cutler, who was born December 21, 1844, in that township, being a representative of one of the county’s old and highly respected families of English origin. His grandfather, John Cutler, was likewise a native of the county, and here both he and his wife died and were buried.

Nathaniel Cutler, Sr., father of our subject, spent his entire life in Westchester county, as a farmer, and in early manhood he married Sarah Ann Weeks, who was born in the town of Somers, and who was likewise a representative of one of the old families of the county, being a daughter of William and Rachel Weeks. Nine children were born of this union: John, who died at the age of twenty-one years; Cornelius and Mrs. Ama Ferguson, both residents of Mount Kisco; Cyrus, of Golden Bridge, this county; George Washington, of Dutchess county. New York; Stephen and Julia, both deceased; Nathaniel, our subject; and Araminta, who died at the age of nineteen years. Three of the sons were among the boys in blue during the civil war and valiantly fought for the preservation of the Union on many a southern battle-field. They were Cyrus, George W. and Nathaniel, — all members of the Fifth New York Heavy Artillery, — and the second was sergeant of his company, while our subject served as corporal. The mother of these children died at the age of seventy and the father at the age of eighty years. Both were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were highly esteemed by all who knew them, and he was identified with the Democratic party.

Nathaniel Cutler, whose name introduces this sketch, grew to manhood on the home farm, aiding in its work and attending the local schools. He was still in his ‘teens when he entered the military service of his country, and was stationed most of the time in Virginia, being honorably discharged at Harper’s Ferry and paid off at Albany, New York, after which he returned home.

On the 28th of December, 1870, he was united in marriage with Miss Martha Ida Sutton, who was born, reared and educated at Claverack, New York, and also belongs to one of the old and well known families of the county. At an early day two brothers, Joseph and John Sutton, left their home at Sutton Court, England, and came to the New World, and from the former, who settled in Westchester county, Mrs. Cutler is descended. In religious faith they were Friends. James Sutton, Sr. , the son of Joseph, was born in a log cabin on the old homestead in this county, and was the father of Walter Sutton, Mrs. Cutler’s grandfather, who also was born on the old homestead and was twice married, —first to Martha Tatten and secondly to Phoebe Dickinson. James T. Sutton, Mrs. Cutler’s father, first opened his eyes to the light on the Sutton homestead, and on reaching man’s estate he married his second cousin, Phoebe Sutton, a daughter of William Sutton, who was a brother of James Sutton, Sr., and a son of Joseph Sutton, the pioneer. William Sutton married Charlotte Hunt, a daughter of Josiah and Lydia (Palmer) Hunt, relatives of Lord Effingham, of England. To James T. and Phoebe Sutton were born two children. Mrs. Martha Ida Cutler being the older. The son, William Edward Sutton, now. a resident of Seattle, Washington, was reared and educated in Westchester county, and was a successful teacher here for a time, but has made his home in the west for several years. He married Eva Acker, a daughter of Benjamin Acker. James T. Sutton, who was a farmer by occupation and a Democrat in politics, died at the age of seventy-nine years, honored and respected by all who knew him. His estimable wife, who was a member of the Society of Friends, departed this life at the age of seventy-two.

To Mr. and Mrs. Cutler have been born two sons: Walter Sutton, a surveyor and engineer residing at home, and William Edward, a carpenter, also at home. The fine farm belonging to this worthy couple comprises seventy-two acres of valuable land, most of which is under a high state of cultivation and well improved with good buildings, and there is also an excellent orchard of six acres upon the place. This pleasant home is conveniently located in New Castle township, about two miles from Mount Kisco. Politically, Mr. Cutler is identified with the Republican party, and socially affiliates with Stuart Hart Post, G. A. R. , of Mount Kisco, of which he is a charter member. With his wife and son,William E., he holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and the family occupy a position of prominence in the social life of the community. Public-spirited and enterprising, they give their support to all worthy objects calculated to advance the moral, intellectual or material welfare of their town and county, and they are held in high regard by all who know them.

Here is a link to a full PDF version of ”Biographical History of Westchester County”.

On June 6, 1917, Ralph Yerks was enlisted and reported to Fort Slocum in New York City. Fort Slocum, was a US military base occupying Davids’ Island and Hart Island at the western end of Long Island Sound. There he was assigned to Company K of the 9th Infantry Regiment.  Once overseas, the 9th Infantry joined the 2nd Infantry Division.

In World War I, The 2nd Infantry Division was first constituted on 21 September 1917. It was organized on 26 October 1917 at Bourmont, Haute Marne, France.  At the time of its activation, the Indianhead Division was composed of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, which included the 9th Infantry Regiment (which Ralph Yerks was a part of) and the 23rd Infantry Regiment; the 4th Marine Brigade, which consisted of the 5th Marine Regiment, the 6th Marine Regiment and the the 6th Machine Gun Battalion; a battalion of field artillery; and various supporting units. Twice during World War I the division was commanded by US Marine Corps generals, Brigadier General Charles A. Doyen and Major General John A. Lejeune, the only time in U.S. Military history when Marine Corps officers commanded an Army division.

After arriving in France, Ralph and the rest of division spent the winter of 1917–1918 training with French Army veterans. Though judged unprepared by French tacticians, the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) was committed to combat in the spring of 1918 in a desperate attempt to halt a German advance toward Paris. The 2nd Infantry Division drew its first blood in the nightmare landscape of the Battle of Belleau Wood and contributed to shattering the four-year-old stalemate on the battlefield during the Château-Thierry campaign that followed.

On September 12, US General John J. Pershing,  the AEF, including the 2^nd Infantry Division, and 48,000 French troops  marched on Saint-Mihiel.   The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was fought between September 12–15, 1918.  The battle marked the first use of the terms ‘D-Day’ and ‘H-Hour’ by the Americans.

The attack at the St. Mihiel Salient was part of a plan by Pershing in which he hoped that the United States would break through the German lines and capture the fortified city of Metz. It was one of the first U.S. solo offensives in World War I and the attack caught the Germans in the process of retreating. Hence, their artillery was out of place and the Americans were more successful than they otherwise would have been. It was a strong blow by the U.S., nevertheless, and increased their stature in the eyes of the French and British forces. However, this battle again illustrated the critical role of artillery during World War I and the difficulty of supplying the massive World War I armies while they were on the move. The U.S. attack faltered after outdistancing their artillery and food supplies, as muddy roads made support difficult. The attack on Metz was not realized, as the Germans refortified their positions and the Americans then turned their efforts to the Meuse-Argonne offensive.

The weather leading up to the battle was bad.  There was heavy driving wind and rain. The roads were very muddy. This posed a significant challenge to the Americans when the order to advance was given. On some parts of the road, the men were almost knee-deep in mud and water. After five days of rain, the ground was nearly impassible to both the American tanks and infantry. Many of the tanks were wrecked with water leakage into the engine, while others would get stuck in mud flows. Some of the infantrymen developed early stages of trench foot, even before the trenches were dug. Many died of pneumonia before ever firing a shot.

One of the reasons attributed to the Americans successes in this campaign was the audacity of the small unit commanders on the battlefield. Unlike other officers that commanded their soldiers from the rear, Colonel Patton and his subordinates led their men from the front lines. They believed that a commander’s personal control of the situation would help ease the chaos of the battlefield

On September 13, the second day of battle, Ralph Yerks was killed in in action.  So far I have not been able to find any details of how he was killed.  I do know he is buried in Plot C, Row 8, Grave 36  of the St. Mihiel American Cemetery in Thiaucourt, France.

The American’s eventually won the battle and on 11 November 1918, just one month after Ralph Yerks was “Killed in Action”,  the Armistice was declared and the war ended.

The 2nd Infantry Division marched into Germany, without Ralph, and performed occupation duties until April 1919. The 2nd Infantry Division returned to U. S. in July 1919.

Ralph is remembered on the Rye War Memorial located in the center of town with his brother, William Benjamin Yerks, who was mistakenly reported as “Killed In Action” also.

SAW LINCOLN SHOT

H.W. LEWIS WAS AT FORD”S THEATRE ON THE FATAL NIGHT

He Was In The Gallery When He Heard The Shot Fired And Saw Lincoln’s Head Drop — The Great Commotion That Followed —  Size Of The Audience — The First Shot In The War