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1840-1929
by Terry Vanderpool
Written in 2006, this narrative is based on an original article written by Lewis E. Vanderpool, son of Daniel "Doane" Vanderpool, and published in the Towanda 'Daily Review', Dec. 1931. Herein, the present author has modified and corrected some errors of fact produced in the original. Terry Vanderpool is the 3rd great-grandson of Daniel ‘Doane’ Vanderpool. Born in Waverly, NY, he presently resides in Johnson City, NY.
Daniel ‘Doane’ Vanderpool was the great grandson of Anthony Vanderpool, the first member of the Vanderpool family to settle in Bradford County. Daniel’s father was Samuel Vanderpool, his mother Nancy Vanderpool. Samuel was the son of Richard Vanderpool who married Jane Shoemaker. Richard's father was Anthony, of Holland Dutch decent, who came to Bradford County from Kinderhook New York, but not before a short stay at Oquaga, New York, were he gained work as a carpenter. Then he came to Bradford County to gain work at the French Settlement in Asylum, where he worked for a short time. He then built one of the first gristmills in Bradford County. This is said to have been used for grinding flour. Being a millwright may have been a trade of Anthony’s father.
Doane Vanderpool took great pride in his family, and the following accounts will show that he was well entitled to it, for few men of his circumstances have a better record. Daniel was the father of 13 children, four of whom had died before the age of 21. Seven of them pre-deceased their father. Most of the family is buried in Liberty Corners cemetery and Frenchtown cemetery. All of his sons followed their father's example by becoming farmers in Bradford County. Doane also took great pride in the fact that none of his children had ever been convicted of a crime. And they never had time to hunt, fish or attend a ballgame.
Daniel married in the spring of 1861 at the age of 21 years. He married his second cousin Rebecca Ellen Vanderpool, the eldest daughter of Cornelius Vanderpool and Melite or Delight Vincent of Asylum Township. They lived together for 55 years. Rebecca died June 7, 1916. She began housekeeping at Homets Ferry. With the exception of a three-legged stove, all of the furniture they had was handmade. The pillowcases were filled with cats tails which Rebecca gathered from the woods. Two children were born at Homets Ferry, Fred and Chester, the former dying in infancy. While Daniel was in the Army his wife Rebecca and baby made their way with her parents in a log cabin. That Rebecca was an industrious and thrifty housewife is shown by the fact that during this period she earned money by working in the fields. She hoed corn. She visited vacated cabins and pulled out the wadding between the logs for which a good price was paid in those days. She also picked wheat and dried apples. She tried to save all she could until her husband returned from the Civil War. Although he was gone for less than a year, and his pay being only $13.00 per month, thanks to his wife, he found himself $300.00 to the good at the close of the war.
Children born to Daniel and Rebecca were: Fred, Chester, Thomas, Frank and Louise. The year following the birth of Louise in 1870, the family moved to Spring Lake farm in Terry Township. Lewis was the 5th son born in April of 1872, at Highland Farm. During the 16 years the family lived on what was known as their home farm in Terry Township the following children were born: Merton, Norman, Eva, Amasa, Burton, Nellie, and Minor.
Farmer and Property Owner
Daniel Vanderpool and his family made more improvements to farm property than any other family in Bradford County. When all of his sons were at home they produced huge crops of good quality goods every year. Daniel was a hard worker himself and he insisted that all who worked for him put forth their best efforts.
His reputation as a farmer was such that people used to say ‘if Doane only breaths on the soil, it produces big crops.’ That wasn’t true, however, for those who have worked for him knew his success came from hard labor, untiring watchfulness and careful planning. He prepared the soil carefully, sowed the seed in the due of the season and cultivated it assiduously.
The first real-estate owned by Daniel was 20 acres in Terry Township he bought in 1866 for $300.00 that he and his wife saved during his time in the Civil War. There was a log house on this land. Here he made his home for some time. However, his main income came from working for George Gordon at Frenchtown. Daniel had to walk five miles to go to work each day.
After two years he sold his small farm and invested in a team of horses and farm tools. He then rented a farm on Ellis Hill, owned by a Mr. Cash, which he worked for two years. In the fall of 1869, Daniel returned to Terry Township and bought a 50 acre farm bordering on Spring Lake and Uriah Terry. The building consisted of a log house and a log stable. Mr. Homet, of Homets Ferry, loaned Daniel $1,000 to buy this farm. In the spring of 1870 he built a frame barn on this farm. Not having much success at this location, he sold it to John Preston in the fall of 1871.
In the spring of the following year he bought a 75 acre farm in Highland on which the barn had burnt down in the previous year. He used the Schrader barn for his livestock until the new barn he was building was complete. Before that happened, the Schrader barn burnt up with his live stock and tools in it and he had no insurance on them.
He was heavily in debt when this happened but he kept his courage at a high pitch. He bought a cheap team and some equipment and worked with renewed determination. Fortune favored him the very first season for he had good crops. Then a neighbor, John Dixon, took a liking for the farm, and offered Daniel $1,000 more than he paid for it.
In the fall of 1873 Daniel returned to his native township of Terry, buying the 50 acre farm from J.P. Kirby. As this was mostly wooded land, he went to work clearing and building. He became prosperous here. In a few years his industrious and good management made this into a fine farm with large and substantial buildings. He then bought 50 more acres of land near Spring Lake, two miles from his home farm. For four years he worked this farm along with his other and then made another addition by buying the adjoining 52 acre farm from Mathias Braund. The buildings were not in good condition, but he and his family went to work and in two years they had the farm producing big crops. In the spring of 1889 Daniel moved into this home after selling his farm to his son Chester.
After living in his new home for two years his barn was struck by lighting and burned with all its contents. By October of the same year another barn was built in its place.
In the spring of 1896, he bought the John Schoonover farm of 108 acres and, after making some improvements on it, he sold it to his son Norman on shares. Four years later he bought the Joseph Elliott farm containing 65 acres, which he sold to his son Merton on shares.
In the spring of 1917, his wife having died the previous year, Daniel sold his farm to his daughter Louisa Acla and her son Delos, and moved to Towanda were he resided until his death in December of 1929. Daniel and his wife Rebecca are buried in Liberty Corners cemetery.
A Civil War Soldier
On September 9, 1864 Daniel Vanderpool answered President Lincoln’s call to arms. Along with Rensselaer Vanderpool and Isaac Vincent he walked all the way from Terry Township to Elmira, N.Y. to enlist. They did not wait to be drafted but went as volunteers. The reason for their going to New York was the fact that men who enlisted there received more money than was paid in Pennsylvania.
Daniel was mustered into Company D, 16th Regiment, New York Heavy Artillery, serving until August 21, 1865, when he received an honorable discharge.
How Daniel Became Known As Doane
Although his parents named him Daniel he was best known as Doane. The nickname was given to him when he was a boy. The first man to be executed in Bradford County was a criminal by the name of Doane. The execution took place when Daniel was a small boy, full of activity and giving to his playful mischievous pranks on others. An uncle who apparently was impressed with the execution of Doane, got the habit of addressing young Daniel by the name Doane, saying his mischievousness would eventually lead him into trouble. The name stuck, and throughout his life he was better known by his nickname than by any other.
His Characteristics
Having to work as soon as he was able to supplement the family income Doane Vanderpool had little opportunity to get an education. In his younger days he was a good reader and could write legibly but he knew little arithmetic beyond his numerous financial transactions with success. He had a system of his own for figuring out costs, interest and prices, and rarely made an error. In religion he was of the Methodist faith, although he never joined a church. He was a firm believer in the bible and considered the Ten Commandments a sacred obligation. He never allowed his children, or any other individuals, to hold dancing parties in the home, or a card party. Indeed, he would not so much as allow any playing cards to be brought into the home. He spoke of them as work of the devil.
He was a total abstainer from tobacco in all forms and only used liquor for medical purposes. He never attended a picture show and did not approve of the Eighteenth Amendment. In his later years he often remarked that the way the courts of Bradford County handled prohibition was only a raffling match and a burden to the taxpayers.
He was frequently interviewed by men whom he spoke of as sucker seekers who tried to sell him gold and bricks and such stuff, but never made much progress with him. He cut short their lines of talk and sent them about their business.
In politics he was a staunch Democrat for many years. He was faithful to the party until the election of Peck, Powell and Patterson, but since that time he made it a practice to vote for the man he considered most suitable for the office regardless of party. He never held, or asked for political office. He often said that a farmer, to be successful, had no time for any other business. If he got too many irons in the fire at once, some were sure to burn. One of his favorite remarks was that "any fool can make money but it needs a wise man to take care of it."
An incident he was fond of describing in his later years throws a flood of light on Daniel’s philosophy of life. In his early years of farming he had as his neighbor a Mr. Fitzgerald. When Bradford County was at its zenith as a farming section, Daniel said to his neighbors, "The time is not far distant when farm land will be a premium in this county and people will go to clearing the tops of the mountains."
Mr. Fitzgerald reply was. "Doane, you will see the day when many of these farms will go back into waste and wild land."
"Why do you think so," asked Doane?
"Politics, pride and education is going to be the ruination of this county," said Fitzgerald. In his declining years Daniel often remarked that Mr. Fitzgerald’s prophecy was coming true.
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Richard J. McCracken and Terry Vanderpool *
The authors wish to acknowledge the kind assistance of Mr. Donald Lloyd Vanderpool of Towanda, Pennsylvania, whose many years of research and compilation of records relating to the Vanderpool family of Bradford County are an invaluable source of information on the Vanderpools and their allied families.
Introduction
Over the past 213 years, much has been said and written about the heritage of Anthony Vanderpool, the first of the surname to settle in Bradford County, PA. Much of what has been written is incorrect or is distorted. The purpose of this monograph is to correct many of the errors concerning Anthony and his family that are found in the early histories of the county and in other pieces of "literature" produced in more recent years.
The family name of Van der Poel is Dutch for "from the lake," or marsh. When the name was first used undoubtedly the family dwelt beside a small body of water, dammed or hemmed in by natural or artificial means. The family originally lived in Gorichem (Groningen?) on the Rhine, but dispersed about the year 1600. The branch which then went to Amsterdam, Holland, came to America not long afterwards. The immigrant was Wynant Gerritse Van Der Poel from whom the Vanderpool family in America descends. (Annals of Albany, presented by Joel Munsell in ten volumes, published 1850-59, Albany, New York).
According to the comprehensive 1912 Genealogy of the Vanderpoel Family, it is proposed that through a Lord Daniel Van der Poel, Anthony Vanderpool’s direct line may extend back to Louis IV, Emperor of Germany, and the earlier line of the Counts of Austria-Hapsburg. (note 1)
Who is Anthony Vanderpool?
Anthony, like his father, has sometimes been identified as Anthonius Teunis Vander Poel, indicating that Teunis was a middle name. In Dutch naming conventions, "Teunis" is the diminutive of Anthonius, just as in English, "Tony" is the diminutive of Anthony. One census lists him as Anthony F. Pool. Originally, the "F" was thought to be a middle initial, however, it is not believed that the enumerator understood the name to be "Fanderpool" and abbreviated it as F. Pool. There are various spellings of the Vanderpool name found in early Dutch and Bradford County records. The common spellings of the name are Van der Poel, Vander Poel, Vanderpool, and Vanderpoel. V. Pool, Pool and Poel are sometimes found in early records.
Anthony's father and paternal grandfather were both residents of Essex Co, New Jersey where he was born of Anthony "Teunis" Vanderpooland Jacomyntje VanSeyl. They were descendants of the New York Van Der Poels. Contrary to popular legend, there is no evidence that Anthony came from mixed blood; his entire heritage, as far as has been traced, is Western European, primarily Dutch and German.
Pvt. Anthony Vanderpool, Revolutionary War, is the son of Anthony Vanderpool and Jacomyntie Van Seyl.
| Born: | 15 Aug 1754 in Newark, Essex Co, New Jersey. The date on his headstone is the subject of debate (note 2). |
| Baptized: | 15 Dec 1754 at the Second River (now Belleville) Dutch Reformed Church, Essex Co, New Jersey. |
| Married: | Uncertain. Marriage banns were published 19 May 1776. (note 3) |
| Died: | 16 Dec 1840 at Hale's Eddy, Asylum Twp, Bradford Co, Pennsylvania. |
| Buried: | Ellis Hill Cemetery, Hale's Mountain, Asylum Twp, Bradford Co, Pennsylvania. |
Anthony and wife Elizabeth are buried in unmarked graves. All of the headstones or markers have now been removed and the original site of the cemetery has been plowed over. It was a very old cemetery long overgrown, located on the farm of G. Harold Kilmer, Sr. Mr. Kilmer believed that the grave of Anthony should be marked for his service in the Revolutionary War and obtained each year a flag from the County Commissioners. Since the exact location of the grave was not known, he placed the flag on the gate to the old cemetery. In 1975 Mr. Kilmer secured a stone marker from the U.S. Government. The George Clymer Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed a bronze marker alongside the stone which is near the original entrance to the cemetery, between a macadam road and along the edge of the field where the cemetery was located. This now marks the "grave" of Anthony.
Military Service: Anthony, in his application for a pension, states that he "enlisted in the army of the United States at Kinderhook New York in the year of 1776 with Capt. Harmen Vosburgh, in the Regiment of the New York Line commanded by Col Wyncoop." He enlisted for a period for nine months, but was not discharged until he had served eleven months more in the winter of 1777. He then served as a volunteer a number of times for short periods, twice in the Regiment of Col. Abraham Van Alstyne, and three times in the Regiment of Col. Schermerhorn. The best of his recollection is that he served as a volunteer something more than a year, and that he was in no general battles. During his service in Col. Wyncoop’s Regiment he marched from Kinderhook to Albany, then to Stillwater where he was stationed for some time as a guard of public supplies. Thence he marched to Fort Edward and Fort George, then back to Albany where he was discharged. When he was a volunteer he was principally on the Mohawk River. He was also at Fort Stanwix, Fort Schuyler and Fort Herkimer. His Pension claim number was #S-22560, and he was granted $76.06 per annum to start on March 4, 1831. On March 8, 1776 a list of soldier’s wives whose husbands were absent in the Continental Service in the northern department, and who received their husband's pay in New York included: March 8, 1776, Elizabeth Pool, Kinderhook (Documents relating to the history of Colonial NY vol. 15, pg 70.)
Marriage: Although it has been stated that Anthony married as
many as three times, there is evidence to support only one marriage. A
marriage banns dated 19 May 1776 was published at Albany, Columbia Co,
NY, in the names of Antony Poel and Elisabeth Janssen, of Schotak (sic).
Registration of their marriage, which usually appeared in local church
records of the day, has not been found. Elizabeth Jansen (Johnson) was
the daughter of William Jansen and Maria-Elisabetha (Marille)
Lauks (Luyck).
Who is Elizabeth Jansen (Johnson)?
Much controversy exists concerning the identity and heritage of his wife, Elizabeth Jansen. Three women have been proposed as the wife of Anthony:
Proposal 1. The most popular of these stories is that she was Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of Major General, Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York, and Mary (Molly) Brandt, a Mohawk of the Iroquois Confederacy and a sister of Joseph Brandt, a war chief of the Iroquois. (note 4)
Fact: Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of Sir William and Molly Brandt, was born in 1761 at Johnson Hall, Johnstown, NY, and died 1794 in Ontario, Canada. She married Dr. Robert Kerr, surgeon of the Royal Greens (a Crown military regiment). Dr Kerr received a land grant in Ontario for his services to the Crown. He was at Cataraqui, Fredericksburg, Ontario, October 1784, and was employed by the Indian Department at Niagara after the war. He possibly served the Crown during the War of 1812 as a military surgeon. Three sons, William Johnson Kerr, Walter Kerr, and Robert Kerr served the Crown as officers during the War of 1812. William Johnson Kerr married a cousin, Elizabeth, daughter of Chief Joseph Brant. At least one of William Johnson Kerr's descendants attained the position of Chief within the Mohawk Tribe. Much of Captain Joseph Brant's land was owned by the Kerr family for several generations.
This Elizabeth was married once, to Dr. Robert Kerr. She lived with him throughout her life, moved to Canada with him following the defeat of the British during the Revolutionary War, and died there. She bore three children by him. She was acknowledged in the will of her father, Sir William Johnson, who bequeathed to her large tracts of land and a considerable amount of money. She cannot be the Elizabeth Johnson, wife of Anthony.
Proposal 2. Elizabeth Jansen is said by some to be the daughter of Johannes Jansen and Jannetje Schermerhorn, born January 19, 1751.
Fact: This Elizabeth Jansen married Coenrad Ten Eyck (called "Bush Coenradt") on April 23, 1770 at the Linlithgo Reformed Church in Linlithgo, Columbia County, New York. She died before 1772, reportedly after seeing her husband fight with an Indian. Her husband married second, Rachel Hollenbeck in 1772. This information can be found in The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Volume 63, Pages 277-278 in the article "The Ten Eyck Family in New York," by Henry Waterman George as well as other sources. This Elisabeth had a brother Jacob born in 1753 who died young and her father had died before July 1763 when her mother married Andries Ten Eyck, a relative of Coenrad Ten Eyck. Jannitje and Andries Ten Eyck had two children, a son Jacob, born in 1772, who died young, and a daughter Gerritie, born in 1764.
Proposal 3. Elizabeth Jansen is said to be the daughter of William Jansen and Maria Lauks as stated earlier.
Fact: This Elizabeth Jansen, later called Johnson in Bradford County is, in fact, the wife of our Anthony Vanderpool. She apparently is the source of the mixed blood (Mahican, not Oneida) attributed to Anthony. Her great-grandfather was Dirke Jansse of Westchester, NY, who married on 17 Jan 1709 at the Dutch Reformed Church, Albany, Columbia Co, New York, Maria Cornelisse of Albany Co, New York.
Elizabeth Jansen Vanderpool's Great Grand-Mother
Maria Cornelisse was born before 1704 probably of Peter, a converted Christian Mahican Indian and Dina (Dinah), a Negress. Peter was often referred to as "Christian Father" and "Black Pieter." The term "Christian Father" referred to converted Indians. The baptisms for their four children stand alone, apart from the group of Mahican baptismal records in the Dutch Reformed Church of Albany records found in the Annals of Albany. In tracking the families over the next 70 years they are constantly found near Mahican settlements. "Black Pieter" was said to have been born at Claverack and living near there and Kinderhook. Schodack was the site of a major Mahican Castle (Castle Island) or settlement. Later the families are found living near a Mahican/Moravian Mission, the Roundtop Lutheran Church at Pine Plains near the Columbia and Dutchess County border of New York State (note 5). Almost nothing is known of Dina, wife of Peter. We have seen mention of Maria Cornelisse having been born a Mortensen, but cannot find any evidence of this, pro or con. Her surname, Cornelisse, follows the custom of the Moravians who gave native converts a Christian given name and a surname.
The name "Black Pieter" has a long history in Dutch folklore. Sometimes used as a name for the devil, it plays a prominent role in the Dutch St. Nicholas/Christmas myth, most often as an elf.
More about Anthony and his Family
Born in New Jersey, Anthony moved, probably with his parents, to presumably Schodack, New York at an early age. He is recorded at Kinderhook New York in the 1790 census with his wife and first 5 children, and most recently before migrating to Bradford County, Pennsylvania, he stopped at Oquaga (Windsor), New York and worked a year or two for the development of John Doolittle who was building a new town on the site of the destroyed Tuscarora Indian village.
Departing Oquaga (Windsor, Broome Co, NY) Anthony Vanderpool, Isaac Wheeler and Ambrose Vincent, each with a small family of children, apparently made their way down the Susquehanna, landing at the mouth of Durell Creek. From there they soon moved into the French settlement of French Asylum where Anthony obtained employment among the French Royalists who were trying to establish a home there. When the French returned to France Anthony remained at the settlement.
Why did they come to and stop at Durell Creek? It is likely that word of the arrival of French colonists traveled up and down the Susquehanna, probably by native Americans who used the river as a major highway between upper New York State to the Chesapeake Bay. Anthony lived most of his life in New York in or near Indian settlements. His wife was of native extraction. He and his friends, all of whom married sisters, apparently were searching for work and a new life. The French Settlement offered both. The Standing Stone was an easily identifiable marker for locating the French Settlement along the river. Anthony and his party probably used the standing rock as the marker for a landing point where the French colonists were building their town. Truly a great place to obtain employment if you are a carpenter.
The year of Anthony's and Elizabeth's arrival in Bradford County is not firmly established. No further church record of him or his family has been found in New York State with a date following the christening of son Petrus and twin sister Maria in 1787. Anthony appears in the 1790 Census of Kinderhook, Columbia Co, New York. In 1793 a son Samuel was born in Asylum Twp, Bradford Co, PA. In 1796 Anthony appears on the tax rolls of Wyalusing Township in Luzerne (Bradford) County. It can, therefore, be said that Anthony and his family arrived in Bradford County as early as 1790 but not later than 1793.
Tax Records in which Anthony appears:
| 1796 | Appears on the Wyalusing Township list of taxable inhabitants taken from the assessment rolls. |
| 1812 | Appears on the Wyalusing Township tax list at the formation of Bradford County. |
| 1813 | Wyalusing Assessment - Anthony Vanderpool, 7 Imp, 2 Cows, 1 Oxen, Value 62. |
| 1814 | Wyalusing Assessment - Anthony Vanderpool, 7 Imp, 2 Cows, 1 Ox, Value 62 Deduct 1 Oxe, Add 2 Horses. |
Census Records in which Anthony appears:
| 1790 | Kinderhook, Columbia Co, NY. Anthony Pool | 1 male 16 and up; 5 males under 16; 2 females. |
| 1800 | Wyalusing Twp, Luzerne Co, PA Anthony F. Pool | 1 male 45+; 2 males b. 1774-1784; 1 male b. 1784-1790; 3 males b. 1790-1800; 1 female b. 1755-1771; 1 female b. 1784-1790; 1 b. female 1790-1800. |
| 1810 | Wyalusing
Twp, Luzerne Co, PA
Anthony Pool, Sr. |
1 male b. bef. 1765; 2 males 1784-1794; 2 male 1794-1800; 1 female b. bef. 1765; 2 females b. 1794-1800; 1 female b. 1800-1810. |
| 1820 | Towanda Twp,
Bradford Co, PA
Anthony Vanderpool |
1 male b. bef. 1775; 1 male b. 1775-1794; 1 male b. 1802-1804; 1 female b. 1775-1794; 1 female b. 1794-1804. |
| 1830 | Monroe Twp,
Bradford Co, PA
Anthony Pool, Sr. |
1 male b. 1740-1750; 1 female b. 1750-1760; 1 female b. 1815-1820. |
| 1840 | Asylum Twp,
Bradford Co
Anthony Vanderpool |
Age 95, in household of Henry Vanderpool, Sr. (his son). Rev. War veteran. (age is prob recorded incorrectly; he was abt. 86). |
We next find him in Monroe Twp. in 1800 where he built a sawmill, referred to as
the "Tub Mill," on the South Branch of Towanda Creek. Fowler's Mill afterwards occupied this place. He remained there four or five years, and was finally despoiled of title to the land. For a number of years he lived at Liberty Corners on the Hollon place. He formed a considerable settlement there with his sons and perhaps the Johnsons, Hoovers, Heemans, Vincents and others with whom their descendants married. Initially, they lived in huts and had cleared a portion of a farm. It is said that they had a burial place on the farm. Again, as early as 1816 we find the family living on Ellis Hill, having as many as six or seven cabins on the place known as the William's Farm. This settlement became known as "Pool Town," and the hill as "Pool Hill." Later he moved to the hill near Moody's Pond, (Spring Lake) where he died. From here the family scattered, numerous descendants being found in the county with settlements of their own, while many stayed in the same area and became productive farmers. Eventually several members of the family moved west as did many others from Bradford County.
Chronology of Anthony’s Migrations
Developed by Donald L. Vanderpool for this paper
| 1754 (1749?) | Born & baptized in Essex Co, New Jersey. |
| ‘at an early age’ | Moved to Columbia Co, New York with parents. |
| 1776 | Kinderhook, Columbia Co, NY, enlisted in the New York Line; Anthony & Elizabeth published marriage banns. Record of their marriage has not been found. |
| 1790 Census | Anthony and family in Kinderhook, Columbia Co, NY. |
| 1791 – late 1792 | In Oquaga (Windsor), Broome Co, NY. |
| Late 1792 – 1793 | Arrived in Bradford County. Employed by French colonists in Azilum, Bradford Co, PA. |
| 1793 –1794 | Removed to Sugar Hill in late fall or early spring, built log house, cleared some land, then abandoned the property. |
| 1796 | Tax roll. In Wyalusing Twp. (Sugar Hill); left after 1796, removed to Monroe Twp., built a tub mill on Fowler Creek, lived there 4 or 5 years; lost title to his land; and returned to French Town. (In 1799 Timothy Beeman moved into "Pool House" on Sugar Hill). |
| Early 1800 | In Frenchtown. |
| Late 1800 – Abt. 1803 | Census; In Wyalusing Twp; Moved to Moody’s Pond, Wyalusing Twp. |
| 1810 | Census, Wyalusing Twp. (Moody’s Pond?) |
| 1820 | Census, Towanda Twp. (Woodside?); last census in which Elizabeth appears. |
| 1830 | Census, Monroe Twp. (Upper Ellis Hill) |
| 1840 | Census, Asylum Twp., living in home of son Henry. Died in December at Hale’s Eddy; and buried on Ellis Hill, Asylum Twp. |
Anthony Vanderpool became known locally as "King Pool" and is described as "a man well built, six feet tall, with characteristics of a Dutchman. His wife was known as "Queen Pool." She was an ordinary sized woman, pleasant, slow of speech, and fond of smoking." Their children must have had a difficult time with the language. They had no schools, and probably spoke a combination of Holland Dutch, English, French and Mahican (Algonquian-speaking language group). They are said to have had a language of their own, characterized by some as similar in nature to the Cajun Creole of Louisiana.
Anthony and Elizabeth’s Children
The Vanderpools had five children born in New York State and six more after arriving in Bradford County. Assuming that there were two Peters, the Vanderpools had a total of 12 children. There is sketchy evidence that a son Samuel was born in 1791 in Asylum, Bradford Co, and died before 1793 when a second Samuel was born. It is more likely that he is confused with the Samuel born 1793.
Anthony and Elizabeth’s first five children were presumably born in the area of Kinderhook, Columbia Co, NY. Their baptismal records, from the archives of the Dutch Reformed Church of Kinderhook are as follows:
Children’s baptismal records
| 1780, Jul 23 | Willem | Sponsors: | Abraham Luyck, Maria Jansen, single |
| 1782, Mar 19 | Anthony | Sponsors: | Dirk Janssen, Eliezabeth Janssen, sing. |
| 1784, Jun 20 | Dirk | Sponsors: | Andries Luke, Maria Luke, widow |
| 1787, Dec 2 | Petrus (twin) | Sponsors: | Pieter Woodcock, Sara Dingmans |
| 1787, Dec 2 | Maria (twin) | Sponsors: | Pieter Woodcock, Sara Dingmans |
Anthony and Elizabeth also served as baptismal sponsors at the same church
| 1786, Jan 1 | Abraham | Parents: | Zebulon Cables, Catherine Showerman |
| Sponsors: | Anthony Van Der Poel, Elizabeth Jansen | ||
| 1788, Jun 11 | Elizabeth | Parents: | Albert Cooley, Catherine Rous |
| Sponsors: | Anthony Van Der Poel, Elizabeth Jansen, wife | ||
After their arrival in Bradford County, they had:
| Samuel | 1793 | Asylum Twp |
| Abraham | 1796 | Bradford Co |
| Lovina "Vina" | Abt 1797/1798 | Bradford Co |
| Henry | 1800 | Bradford Co |
| Catherine | Prob. abt. 1803 | Bradford Co; died young |
| Eleanor "Lane" | Abt 1806 | Bradford Co |
Lovina is an enigma. In the census of 1850 she states she was born in 1787. In 1822 she married Aaron Clark. She is found as head of household in the 1830 census of Asylum Township with five children in her home. She does not appear in the 1840 census of Bradford County. It has been suggested that she may be the Lavina Clark in the 1840 census of Norwich Township, Chenango Co., New York. This does not seem likely for in the 1850 census she is found in Durell Township living in the home of her brother, William Vanderpool. In this enumeration she says that she was born in Pennsylvania. We believe that the enumerator misunderstood the birth dates of her and her brother She has not been found in the 1860 or any later census. We now believe that "Vina" was born about 1797/1798 in Asylum Township.
Anthony’s Relationship with his Family
Some believe that "because Anthony married an Indian (she was ?th Mahican blood) his family disowned him." It appears more likely that Anthony, his family disapproving of his choice of a bride, ostracized himself from his family. All five of Anthony's and Elizabeth's children born and christened in New York State were sponsored by relatives of Elizabeth's family; Anthony’s family is noticeably absent from any of the proceedings (note 3).
Additionally, the following is taken from Historical Sketches Pertaining to or Linked with Asylum, from notes compiled by Azilum historian John A. Biles; pp.64-65; The W.F. Humphrey Press, Geneva, New York, 1931. In the narrative, Hon. Aaron VanderPoel, a congressman from New York State, says that Anthony was "the lost boy" of the New York Vanderpools:
"Of all the people who were in the valley before the Frenchmen none are left except a few of the VanderPoels who still own farm homes near the quiet waters of Spring Lake. One of the most romantic chapters in Asylum history is that relating to the advent of the VanderPoel family. Mr. Biles Says: I will state these facts that came to me through my father, Jacob P. Biles, and other members of his family, who heard in person the narrative as related by the Honorable John LaPorte. While Mr. LaPorte was a member of the lower House of Congress from this district, he was made a member of a certain committee on which was a man from the Hudson Valley, New York by the name of VanderPoel. Their work brought them together frequently, and they were soon friends.
One evening, after their committee work was finished, they sat visiting, and Mr. LaPorte made mention of the fact, that there was a man living near his home who bore the name VanderPoel. At once Mr. VanderPoel showed increased interest, and asked, "What was his Christian name?" When Mr. LaPorte replied that it was Anthony, Mr. Vanderpool instantly threw out his hands excitedly and said, "Why that is the lost boy!" Then it was Mr. LaPorte's turn to show interest, and he requested Mr. VanderPoel to tell him about it, and how he was lost.
Mr. VanderPoel stated that Anthony left home over forty years ago, and no trace of him had ever been found, and, that his people would be glad to learn where he was; and his story was practically as follows: The family lived near an Indian reservation, and Anthony and his young friends frequently visited the Indian village and took part in the games and sports with the braves. This pleased the old Chief, who besides sons had numerous daughters. Anthony and his friends became attentive to some of the dusky maidens. And soon the boys' parents began to object to their attentions to these girls, but without success, and when coercion was attempted, three of the young men took their sweethearts and disappeared, and all efforts to find them failed. Their families were of the best blood of Holland, or Knickerbocker Dutch in New York State, well to do, and of influence in their community, and Mr. VanderPoel was much pleased about the discovery of the lost boy.
Mr. LaPorte related the boy, Anthony VanderPoel, _____ Wheeler, and _____ Vincent, with their sister wives, first stopped in the lake regions of New York, but after a few years, they learned that some of their former neighbors had passed through their settlement, and fearing detection, they quietly took to boats and came down the Susquehanna to Durell about the year 1790, each with a small family of children, and made their homes within our county. Mr. LaPorte related the above narrative to my grandfather. My father remembered Anthony VanderPoel as a tall, straight, spare man, living near Spring Lake, where he died in 1839 at about one hundred years of age, and was buried on Ellis Hill." (note 6)
Conclusion
From what can be discerned from early records it can be said that Anthony was a carpenter, a millwright and a farmer. He was employed by the aristocrats of the French Colony in Azilum early on, probably as a carpenter. One history states that he built an early log mill on Fowlers Creek (now Fowler Branch of Towanda Creek in Albany Township). Finally settling on Ellis Hill in Asylum Township, he apparently engaged in farming with other members of his extended family. There, several homes and barns were erected. Of this it is certain: he worked hard and was a productive man who left family and social status behind to settle in what was at the time, a wilderness. It is a travesty that his family has, at times, been vilified! The difference between the Vanderpool family and other farm and laborer families of the time was their language. The Vanderpool speech was based in Dutch; most other people who settled this area spoke English as a root language. As a result, the Vanderpool family was misunderstood in more ways than one!
Notes:
Richard J. McCracken, Towanda, Pennsylvania. Dick was born in Towanda and has researched his family and the Northeast Woodlands American Indians, of whom he has written extensively, for more than 45 years. Following a 22-year hiatus traveling the world with the U.S. Marine Corps and the Air Force, he returned to and is a current resident of Bradford County.
Terry Vanderpool, Johnson City, New York. Terry was born in Waverly, Tioga County, New York and has lived most of his life in Tioga and Broome Counties, New York. He says: "I began researching my family and its history in 2004 in honor of my beloved grandmother Helen Wullen whom I was unfortunately never able to meet. Helen mysteriously became missing when her children were young and nobody really knows what happened to her. I feel that whatever did happen to her was against her will. I just one day want to tell her "I love you" (AND I WILL). I have spent enormous amounts of time in the last two years researching my family history, spending up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week. A lot of my time has been spent talking to dozens and dozens of family members around the country. When I began my research I believed everything that I had read about the Vanderpools; however, the more I read the more things just didn’t make sense about the history of our family in Bradford County. For example: why isn’t there anything written about Elizabeth Johnson’s mother (who is she?. How is Anthony related to President Martin Van Buren (or is he)? Why did Anthony go to Oquaga, New York, before he came to Bradford County? Why was Anthony born in New Jersey, but came out of Kinderhook, New York? Where is his baptismal record? Were does the Indian blood come from if not from Sir William Johnson? The list goes on and on. I have since been able to answer these questions through my research, grinding away night and day. I also look forward to being able to further my research in the years to come."
For comprehensive genealogical information on the Vanderpool family, visit Terry’s online site at: http://tribalpages.com/tribes/v42861 Donald L. Vanderpool is a primary contributor to this site.
Some significant online reference sites used in preparation of this paper:
Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Van der Poel.
http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/families/hmgfm/vanderpoel.html
Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: Van Derpool.
http://www.schenectadyhistory.org/families/hmgfm/vanderpool.html
Biographical information on Maj. Gen. Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet New York.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_William_Johnson,_1st_Baronet
The 1912 Genealogy of the VanderPoel family by Anonymous, as well as other books and the entire U.S. census are available online at HeritageQuest. This site is available, free of charge, to registered users of The Bradford County Library system in Burlington Township, through their website.
http://www.bradfordcountylibrary.org/
Mahican History
http://www.dickshovel.com/Mahican.html
The Iroquois
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroquois#Member_nations
Copyright© 2006, Richard J. McCracken and Terry Vanderpool;
photo by McCracken
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