My Genealogy Hound

William Ten Eyck, farmer of Phelps County, Mo., but retired merchant of St. James, was born in Wyoming County, N. Y., in 1827, and is a son of William and Chloe (Warren) Ten Eyck, who were born in Summerville, N. J., and on the Mohawk River, N. Y., respectively. They resided near New York City until shortly before their deaths, when they went to their son William’s in Pennsylvania, and there the mother died in 1863, at the age of seventy years. The father died at St: James, Mo., in 1871, aged eighty-seven years. He was a shoe maker and tanner by trade, and was a son of Rev. Coonrod Ten Eyck, who was born in New Jersey, and was of Low Dutch origin. He was a descendant of one of three brothers who came to America at a very early day and settled in New Jersey. Coonrod served in the Revolutionary War, and throughout life was a Presbyterian minister, and died in Wyoming County, N. Y., where he had lived many years. The grandfather of our subject, Mr. Warren, was a prominent and wealthy citizen of York State. William Ten Eyck, whose name heads this sketch, is the ninth of fourteen children, and was educated in the public schools of New York. In 1848 he went to Curwensville, Penn., where he was successfully engaged in the mercantile business for twenty years. While there he was married in 1855 to Miss Jane Thompson, who was born in Pennsylvania, and by her became the father of five children, four of whom are living. Mr. Ten Eyck resided in Pennsylvania until 1869, then came to St. James, and was engaged in merchandising with his usual success for about twelve years. Since that time he has been engaged in farming and stock-raising, and besides his 400-acre farm has twenty acres of well-improved town property. He has always been industrious and enterprising, and has spared no pains to educate his children, and has always been ready to support laudable enterprises. He has been a Republican all his life, and his first presidential vote was cast for Gen. Taylor in 1848. He and wife are worthy members of the Presbyterian Church. Their son, John W. Ten Eyck, is agent and operator for the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway at St. James, which position he has held since December 27, 1884. He was born in Curwensville, Penn., in 1859, and came with his parents to Phelps County, Mo., in 1869. He was educated at St. James, and spent much of his time working in his father’s mercantile establishment, being now a member of the firm. He is an active worker for the Republican party, and his first presidential vote was cast for Garfield in 1880. He is a bright and enterprising young man, and is a member of the A. O. U. W. Mrs. Ten Eyck’s parents, John and Sarah Thompson, were of Irish and German descent, respectively, and were natives of Pennsylvania. The father was judge of the county court of Clearfield County for a number of years, and also held the office of justice of the peace. He was a blacksmith by trade.