He married Ester Caroline Harding, November 25, 1869. To this union were born three children, one dying in infancy. The others are Lucy J., wife of Maxwell R. Wright, of Jersey City, born September 16, 1876, and Charles A., born August 26, 1882, residing at home. In politics Mr. Howell is a republican. His son, Charles A., is a member of the Wallkill Grange, and of Hoffman Lodge No. 412, F. and A. M., of Middletown, N. Y.
JOHN T. HOWELL, M.D., Newburgh, born Middletown, N. Y., April 23, 1862, son of Abraham P. and Hannah (Smith) Howell. Educated Wallkill Academy; graduated medical department Columbia University, New York, 1884; appointed resident surgeon Bellevue Hospital, 1884-1886; since engaged in practice at Newburgh. In 1892, president Orange County Medical Society; member State Society, American Medical Association and New York Academy of Medicine. In 1889 married Miss Sarah T., daughter of Robert Steele. Three children have been born to them.
HON. NATHANIEL W. HOWELL, who has held the office of justice of the peace in his native town for half a century, is a son of Mathew H. Howell and Julia (Brewster) Howell and great grandson of Major Hezekiah Howell, an officer in the Continental Army and first sheriff of Orange County and supervisor of the town of Blooming Grove, and son of Hezekiah Howell, who came to Orange County in seventeen hundred and thirty-seven (1737) from South Hampton, L. I., and settled in Blagg's Clove, so-called from Blagg's patent, a tract of land of one thousand (1,000) acres, lying in the valley between Schunnemunk Mountain and Round Hill, which, in company with other early settlers, he purchased, and of his proportionate share made his farm, to which Major Hezekiah Howell and his son, Hezekiah, added, by purchase of lands adjoining, sufficient to make the whole seven hundred and fifty (750) acres. Nathaniel W. has lived upon and managed the estate since 1886, until 1908, when he sold the whole estate to Corydon S. Purdy, of Montclair, N. J., a descendant of Susan Howell, daughter of Major Hezekiah Howell.
Mr. Purdy is remodeling the whole estate, erecting extensive buildings and adding equipments, fitting it for a modern up-to-date sanitary dairy farm, also fruits and vegetables and also modernizing the dwelling erected by Major Hezekiah Howell in 1797. In the cemetery or family burying-ground, in the original purchase, are the remains of four (4) Hezekiah Howells, lineal descendants of Lieutenant Hezekiah Howell of South Hampton, L. I., who in succession owned and occupied the original estate. Nathaniel W. was graduated from Williams College in 1853 with the degree of A.B., and afterwards received the degree of A.M., read law in Chicago in the office of Grant Goodrich, and was admitted to the bar in 1857; was member of the legislature of New York in 1863-4, and supervisor of the town of Blooming Grove. He married Mary Halsey, daughter of Walter and Caroline (Marvin) Halsey, and has a daughter, Joanna B., and son, Hezekiah.
SAMUEL C. HOWELL was born in the town of Wallkill, May 21, 1807, being the only son of William A. and Elizabeth (Calander) Howell. The maternal grandfather of Samuel C. Howell was a Virginian by birth, and a lieutenant of the Light Horse Cavalry during the Revolutionary War. Our subject at the time of his marriage purchased a small farm in the town of Mount Hope, and to this he added, from time to time, until he owned four hundred acres of valuable land in this and Wallkill towns. When the Erie Railroad was constructed he built the depot and later constructed a hotel and other buildings, and thus the village of Howells was established in his honor. He was the railroad agent and postmaster at this place. He was a liberal contributor to the church and other enterprises. For a number of years he served as assessor, and took a prominent part in the local work of the republican party.
WILLIAM J. HUDSON, son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Davis) Hudson, was born in 1861 on the farm where he now resides in the town of Blooming Grove. His great great grandfather, William Hudson, settled in this locality about two centuries ago, purchasing a tract of land some two miles in length. William J. is the fifth generation to occupy the ancestral homestead. He married Miss Grace A. Wright and they are the parents of five children: Ethel, David, Grace Alma, Clare and William Reeves. He is one of the representative farmers of his native town, a member of the grange and a director of the grange store at Washingtonville, also a director of the National Bank in Washingtonville.
JOSEPH B. HULETT, M.D., a prominent physician of Middletown, N. Y., is a surgeon who by his enlightened skill has secured a wide reputation, and won a place in the front rank of his profession. He was born August 4, 1858, at Barton, Tioga County, N. Y., a son of Cyrus B. and Ruth Emily (Slawson) Hulett. His education was obtained in the schools of New York City and Wallkill Academy. He began the study of medicine under Dr. Darwin Everett, of Middletown, and later had as his preceptors Drs. T. D. Mills, of Middletown, and Charles L. Wilkin, of New York. He entered Columbia University and graduated from the medical department of that institution May 12, 1887. He also took a post-graduate course in Manhattan Hospital. In 1888 he entered upon the practice of his profession at Middletown. Dr. Hulett is a member and ex-president of the Orange County Medical Society, a member of the New York State Medical Society, the American Medical Association, and is ex-vice-president of the International Association of Railway Engineers. He is attending surgeon for Thrall Hospital, of Middletown, and has been surgeon for the Twenty-fourth Separate Company for the past five years. He was secretary and one of the organizers of the State Association of Railway Surgeons, surgeon for the N. Y., O. & W. Railway, ex-military surgeon attached to Third Brigade, New York National Guard, and is an honorary member of the Association of Medical Officers of the Naval and Militia Association, State of New York. Socially he holds membership in the Knights of Pythias, of Middletown; Hoffman Lodge No. 412, F. & A. M.; Middletown Chapter, R. A. M.; Cypress Commandery, and the Mystic Shrine of New York City, and is an honorary member of Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company of Middletown. Dr. Hulett takes a deep interest in electrical matters, to which he has devoted much study. He is an honorary member of the Corliss Engineers' Association. He married Lottie B. Hulse, daughter of Hudson E. and Anna (Thompson) Hulse, of Wallkill, Orange County, on June 27, 1889, and they have one son, J. Leslie, born April 1, 1891. His father, Cyrus B. Hulett, was born in Waverly, N. Y., and died February 25, 1875. His mother was a native of Orange County, and died in November, 1889.
WILLIAM A. HULSE. The living children of John H. and Mary Hulse are: Mrs. Annie Thurston, of Stoneham, Mass.; William A., of Warwick, and Robert Emmett, of Middletown. William A. was born in Middletown, April 1, 1853, and after his education in the public schools worked for Wilson H. Provost in the first milk establishment to manufacture condensed cream for the army and the southern trade. He was quite young when he learned the plumbing trade in Keyport, N. J., where he remained four years, then in Newark several months, and from there came to Warwick, March 19, 1875. Here he was in the employ of Finch & Coldwell several years, and then opened a shop for himself in plumbing, heating and tin work, and is still in the business. He is a member of Wawayanda Lodge, No. 34, I. O. O. F., and of the Warwick Excelsior Hose Company. He was water commissioner and superintendent of the water works from 1887 to 1903. In politics he is independent. Mr. Hulse was married to Miss Clara, daughter of John L., and Julia Finch, of Warwick, January 12, 1882. They have five children: Elbert L., born September 5, 1882; Everett B., born September 12, 1884; Addie B., born September 21, 1886; William A., born October 9, 1888, and Janet P., born July 6, 1890.
ROBERT O. HUNT, manager of the Westtown plant of the Borden Condensed Milk Company, was born in the town of Minisink in 1866. He is a son of Robert and Catura (Osborn) Hunt. He attended the district schools, and after farming for a time went to Middletown and learned the machinists' trade. He has been associated with the Borden industries since 1892, and was appointed to his present position in 1904. He is a member of Hoffman Lodge, No. 412, F. and A. M., and of the I. O. O. F. In 1907 he was elected a member of the board of assessors of the town of Minisink.
Mr. Hunt married Miss Lydia Winters, and they are the parents of two sons and four daughters.