That year he married Mary Van Keuren, and retired from the profession.
He was born in Shawangunk. N. Y.; he died in Ellenville, N. Y., December 10, 1891, aged 73 years.
Marshall S. Pike was one of the pioneers of minstrelsy, as well as one of the first female impersonators. In 1843 in conjunction with the Powers Brothers and L. V. H. Crosby, they formed a little company, and appearing with whitened faces and flaxen wigs, styled themselves the Albino Family subsequently they changed to blackened features, and were known as the Harmoneon Family, afterwards the Harmoneons. It was this company that sang for President Polk in the White House in 1847.
Mr. Pike married in 1849, and in that same year joined Ordway’s Aeolians in Boston, and continued with them for several seasons, leaving in 1857 and organizing “Pike’s Harmoneons.”
Subsequently he was identified with various dramatic companies, Mr. Pike was the author of more than 100 songs, the most popular of which was “Home Again,” written in 1849.
Marshall S. Pike was born in Westboro, Mass., May 20, 1818; he died in Upton, Mass., February 13, 1901.
Napoleon W. Gould, famous as a vocalist and guitarist in many minstrel companies, came to the United States in 1848.
He joined E. P. Christy’s Company in New York about 1850, remaining about four years.
In 1859 he became a member of Bryant’s Minstrels, same city, and continued there for several seasons. His last professional appearance was with George Christy’s Minstrels in New York about fifteen years previous to his death.
Napoleon W. Gould was born in London, England, June 7, 1819; he died in New York, May 23, 1881.