Saturday, January 24, 2015

James Dana (1780-1860)

James Dana was a prominent merchant of early Utica, Oneida County, New York. He attended the First Presbyterian Church of Utica and was prolific in the community.

B: 29 May 1780 in Ashburnham, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
M: 7 May 1812 to Harriet Dwight (1792-1870) of Connecticut
D: 7 Jan 1860

Parents:
George Dana (1742-1787)
Elizabeth Parks (1749-1811)

Children:
James Dwight Dana 1813 – 1895 (Buried in New Haven, Connecticut)
George Strong Dana 1815 – 1859
John White Dana 1817 – 1849
Harriet Dwight Dana 1820 – 1882
Harrison Dwight Dana 1822 – 1833
Henry Dana 1824 – 1828
Cornelia Elizabeth Dana 1827 – 1854
William Buck Dana 1829 – 1908 (Buried in Mastic, Long Island)
Delia Dana 1832 – 1882
Elizabeth Dana 1835 – 1835

Many of James' children went on to prominence in their fields. James Dwight Dana was a professor at Yale and a predominant Geologist of the time. Harriet Dwight Dana married J. Wyman Jones and helped settle one of the first "suburbs" of the US at Englewood, New Jersey. William Buck Dana was a financier and publisher.

Resources:

The Pioneers of Utica (p.172-173):












The History of the descendants of John Dwight v.2:

Dea. James Dana, b. at Ashburnham, Mass., May 29, 1780 (son of George Dana and Elizabeth Parks). He became early a resident of Utica, N. Y., where he was at first a saddler and harnessmaker, became ere long a hardware merchant, and very successful in business. He was a man of great simplicity of character, and of thorough honesty, industry and piety, and was regarded with great reverence by all who knew him when in his advanced years of Christian experience and excellence. He was an elder in the First Presb. Ch. of Utica for 32 years (1828-60). He d. Jan. 7, 1860, aet. 79, having spent 50 years and more of his life at Utica.

From LDS Church:

First Presbyterian Church Utica NY - Baptisms

1814 Sep 1 #80 James Dwight parents James & Hariet Dana
1816 Jan 24 #192 John Dwight parents Mr. & Mrs Dana
1819 Oct 24 # 96 Harriet Dwight dau of James & Hariet Dana
1822 Aug 7 Harrison son James Dana & wife
1822 Aug 7 Lousia Elizabeth dau James Dana & wife
1822 Aug 7 Richard son James Dana & wife
1825 Jan 1 Henry son of Mr & Mrs Dana
1826 Oct 1 Sabbath James Dana 2nd Adult baptism
1827 Sep 2 Cornelia Elizabeth dau of Mr & Mrs Dana

Utica City Directories:

1817
Dana, James - Saddler and Hardware Merchant
Dana, Miss Martha - Mantua Maker

1832
Dana & Son, hardware, saddlery and cutlery store, 92 Genesee
Dana James, of D. & Son, h 24 Broad
Dana George, of D. & Son, Broad E. U.
Dana Edward, clk, 92 Genesee, bds National.

1858
DANA & Co., hardware dealers, agricultural warehouse and seed store, 92 Genesee.
DANA, George S., of Dana & Co., h 35 Broad.
DANA, James, office 92 Genesee, h 24 Broad.
DANA, J.C., clerk, 81 Genesee, bds Central Hotel.
DANA, William B. of  White & D., h 24 W. Bridge.
DANA, Oliver, blacksmith, 57 Liberty.

1861 (Page 61)
DANA & Co., hardware, agricultural implements and seeds, 92 Genesee
Dana George Silliman, student, bds 12 Hopper
Dana James W., clk Dana & Co.'s, bds 12 Hopper
Dana J. C., clk Golden's, bds Central Hotel
Dana Huldah, widow of George S., h 12 Hopper
Dana Oliver, blacksmith, h 69 Steuben
Dana William B., lawyer, 92 Genesee, h 24 West Bridge

1862 (Page 62)
DANA & Co., hardware, agricultural implements and seeds, 92 Genesee
Dana James W., clk Dana & Co.'s, bds 12 Hopper
Dana Huldah, widow, h 12 Hopper
Dana Oliver, blacksmith, h 2 Thomas' West Avenue

1865 (Page 72)
Dana Harriet, widow of James, h 24 Broad
Dana Huldah, widow of George S., h 14 Hopper
Dana James W., clk Dana & Co.'s, bds 14 Hopper
Dana Oliver, blacksmith, h 82 Third
DANA & Co., hardware, agricultural implements and seeds, 92 Genesee

1883 (Page 214)
Dana George S. (Wright, Dana & Co.) r 296 Genesee
Dana James W. removed to Delhi
Dana Sophia Mrs. r Clarendon

Dana Bible from Oneida, New York 
appears to be another Dana family

Delia Dana ~ Our Country and It's People, Part III: Family Sketches, Daniel E. Wager (1896)
WHITE, N. CURTIS, was born in Torrington, Conn., September 24, 1822. His ancestor, Elder John White, came from England. sailing June 22, 1632, and arriving in Boston in September, and in 1633 settled with Hocker's congregation in Hartford, Conn. Later the congregation divided and Elder White went with his party in 1659 to Hadley, Mass. His eldest son was Captain Nathaniel White, of Middletown, Conn., and the latter's fifth son was Jacob, whose son Thomas was the father of Silas, of Torrington, Conn. Brainard White, son of Silas, was born in 1786 and died at Winsted, Conn., in 1833. He was the father of N. Curtis White. Mr. White received his education at the Winsted, Conn., common schools and academy. In 1838 he came to Oneida county, and finished his studies at Vernon Academy and Clinton Collegiate Institute, where prepared for college. While studying he taught school, being for a time principal of the old Whitestown Academy. Leaving Clinton Collegiate Institute he entered the law office of Kirkland & Bacon in Utica and was admitted to the bar in 1847, being one of the first to be admitted under the new State Constitution. He began practice in the office of his preceptors, and when Judge Kirkland went to New York city he became a partner in the firm of Bacon & White, which continued until Mr. Bacon was elected justice of the Supreme Court. The firm then became White & Dana, by the admission of William B. Dana, Mr. White's brother-in-law, and continued until Mr. Dana went to New York. Mr. White continued in practice mostly alone till 1868, when he went to New York city and engaged in business pursuits. He returned to Utica in 1883 and has since practiced his profession. Mr. White is an office bearer in Trinity church of Utica; and is also a member of the Board of Governors of The Oneida Historical Society, of which he is an active member. He has been a member of Oriental Lodge F. & A. M. for over forty years, and is also a member of Utica Chapter R. A. M. May 12, 1858, he married Delia White Dana, daughter of James Dana, of Utica. She died in April, 1883, leaving three children: George Dana, a graduate of Yale College and now a resident of New York city; Edwin Harrison, treasurer and manager of the Daniel Green Company, of Dolgeville, N. Y.; and William Curtis, a student in Trinity College, Hartford Conn., class of 1897. (p. 199-200)


Research Links:

http://www.vt-roots.org/index.php/book-archive/23-history-of-woodstock-vermont/49-genealogies-iii
http://strongfamilyofamerica.org/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I31803&tree=dwight_2012_01_01
http://www.curtsanders.info/k3urt/Kilborn/rr02/rr02_356.html
http://newyork-genealogy.com/Oneida-County-Cemetery-Records.cfm
http://www.stagnescemeteryutica.com/history.cfm



http://books.google.com/books?pg=PA799&lpg=PA799&dq
=maria%20trumbul l%20dana&sig=9mLSqTOyqgYcrxxY-_8tSE37KSo&ei
=xp2MTuWVB-WmsAK2lfm lBA&ct=result&sqi=2&id=ovXIlXPw8scC&ots=Mu42NoFRwB&output=text
The history of the descendants of John Dwight, of Dedham, Mass, Volume 2
 By Benjamin Woodbridge Dwight 
5600. i. Harriet Dwight, b. at Williamsburgh, Mass., Feb. 21, 1792, m. May 7, 1812, Dea. James Dana, b. at Ashburnham, Mass., May 29, 1780 (son of George Dana and Elizabeth Parks). He became early a resident of Utica, N. Y., where he was at first a saddler and harnessmaker, became ere long a hardware merchant, and very successful in business. He was a man of great simplicity of character, and of thorough honesty, industry and piety, and was regarded with great reverence by all who knew him when in his advanced years of Christian experience and excellence. He was an elder in the First Presb. Ch. of Utica for 32 years (1828-60). He d. Jan. 7, 1860, aet. 79, having spent 50 years and more of his life at Utica. She was said to greatly resemble her excellent mother in the mingled firmness, gentleness and religiousness of her character. She d. at Norwood, N. J., Sept. 13, 1870, aet. 78.
[Eighth Generation.] Children:
5610. i. Prof. James Dwight Dana, LL.D., b. Feb. 12, 1813.
5611. ii. George Strong Dana, b. Feb. 13, 1815, d. May 30, 1859, aet. 44.
Yale in 1833. He m. June 5, 1844, Henrietta Frances Silliman, b. April 30, 1823 (dau. of Prof. Benjamin Silliman, LL.D., of Yale College, and Harriet Trumbull, d.iu . of Gov. Jonathan Trumbull, 2d, of Connecticut). He evinced while in college a special relish for the studies in which he has since so distinguished himself as the chief scientific man yet produced in this country. For two years after his graduation he taught mathematics to midshipmen in the U. S. Navy. During the two succeeding years he was an assistant of Prof. .Silliman in his laboratory at Yale. In Dec. 1830 he was appointed Mineralogist and Geologist to the U. S. Exploring Expedition, which, under Com. Wilkes, sailed, live vessels composing the squadron, in Aug. 1838, on a voyage around the world. In 1837, before going to the Pacific, he published the first edition of his " Mineralogy," which has ever been accounted a standard work, and has been since, in successive editions, greatly enlarged, After his return to his native land, in June 1842, he busied himself for 13 years (1842-55), under government-pay, in preparing for publication the results of his own researches in the expedition, as well as the various reports of it which were committed to his care. During a brief period of this time (1842-4), he resided at Washington, D. C., but since 1844 has resided continuously at New Haven, Ct. Of the " Reports," three in number, thus prepared by him, only 200 copies each were printed by the Government. They were "A Report on Zoophytes," a quarto of 740 pages, with an atlas of 01 folio pages, published in 18 40; "A Report on the Geology of the Pacific," a quarto of 750 pages, with an atlas of 21 plates; "A Report on Crustacea," a quarto of 1620 pages, with an atlas of 96 plates in folio.
5612. iii. John White Dana, M.D., b. March 28,1817, was one of the fimi of "James Dana ,fc Co.," hardware merchants in Utica (his father and brother George being the other members of the firm), and doing a lucrative business, when, in 1840 (aet. 23) he became sick at heart of mere merchandise and money-making, and, fitting himself with great energy and despatch for college, entered Columbia Coll., N. Y., from which he was graduated with honor in 1843. He was grad. in his medical studies in "The College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York," in 1846. Establishing himself in his profession in New York, he fell a victim to cholera there, Aug. 27, 1849, aet. 32. He remained at his post while others fled, and devoted himself especially to the care of the poor. He might justly have been expected to have attained to superior excellence in his chosen profession, from his enthusiastic devotion to its duties, had his life been spared but a few years longer.
In 1850 he was elected Silliman Prof. of Geology at Yale, but did not enter upon his duties as such until 1855, on account of his engagements with the Government as already described. In 1864, the description of his professorship was made to include also Mineralogy. Beside " Dana's Mine ralogy," he is the author also of " Dana's Manual of Geology" pub. in 1862, and of "Corals and Coral Islands," pub. in 1872. He has also written at various times for "The Bibliotheca Sacra" (Andover, Mass.), and "The New Englander" (New Haven, Ct.), and occasionally for the newspapers, articles of much interest on various scientific topics. Infidel speculations have never found any scientific honor or toleration at his hands. He has been ever a man of most unwearied habits of mental application, and full of earnestness in his devotion to the claims of both science and religion. He has been for many years the active editor of " The American Journal of Science and Arts," founded in 1819 by Prof. Silliman at New Haven.
Prof.  Dana has been treated with distinguished honor by several foreign scientific societies. At the annual meeting in 1872 of the Geological Society of London, Eng., the Wollaston Gold Medal, the highest honor awarded by the Society, was conferred upon him. The President, Mr. Joseph Prestwich, remarked at the time: "Professor Dana's works have a world-wide reputation. An able naturalist and skilful mineralogist, he has studied our science with advantages of which few of us can boast. His contributions to it embrace cosmic*l questions of primary importance, paheontological questions of social interest, and recent phenomena in their bearings on the right study of rocks, especially of volcanic origin. We feel that the bonds of friendship and brotherhood are strengthened among-all civilized nations by their one common and kindred pursuit of truth in the various branches of Science." He was elected also, in 1872, " Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Liberal Arts" by the Royal Bavarian Academy of Munich, on the occasion of its Fourth Centennial Anniversary, and was the only foreigner so noticed. He has still more recently been elected (1873) a member of the French Academy of Sciences, and is the only American as the author conceives, beside Bache and Agassiz, that has ever received this honor.
[Prof. Benjamin Silliman, LL.D., b. in Trumbull, Fairfield Co., Ct, Aug. 8, 1779, was the son of Brig. Genl. Gold Selleck Silliman and Mary Fish, dau. of Rev. Jos. Fish of Stonington, Ct. They resided in Fairfield, Ct. He was grad. at Yale in 1796, tutor there (1799-I862) for years, and for 11 years Prof. of Chemistry, Mineralogy and Geology (15:3), being Prof. Emeritus for 11 years afterwards, to the day of his death, Nov. 24, 1864. He was remarkable for his fine personal appearance, his very gentlemanly manners, his genial qualities and his high magnetic enthusiasm in his varied work as a teacher, public lecturer, journalist and author. Whoever may now or in future years excel him at any time in the extent or exactness of his scientific knowledge, his name will ever be honored in the history of our country's growth to greatness as that of the father of all true science upon out shores. Ho was the first one to lecture in this land, if not anywhere in the world, on scientific subjects, before a miscellaneous audience, which he often did with great success in several of our large cities. It would be difficult to overstate the amount of stimulation that he gave to the educated mind of the country. It is believed that, next after Frest. Dwight, no one in the nation, beside Moses Stuart, has so roused the mental activity of largo classes of studious minds in the direction of his own special tastes and attainments as Prof. Silliman.
In making a geological survey of Connecticut, he was the first to initiate that long and most useful series of State-surveys which has thrown before the eyes of the world the spectacle of the vast and before unimagined riches with which the Great Maker of all things has stored our immense continent.
Harriet Trumbull, his wife, b. Sept. 2, 1783, d. Jan. 18,1850, aet. 66.] [Ninth Generation.] Children:
5620. i. Frances Henrietta Dana, b. July 24, 1846, m. Nov. 3, 1870, George Douglas Coit of Norwich, Ct., b. Jan. 2, 1845 (son of Charles Coit of Norwich, and Sarah Grosvenor), grad. at the Yale Scientific School in 1866. He is a bank officer and insurance agent in Norwich. They have? one child:
**** 1. George Dana Coit, b. Sept. 29, 1873.
5621. ii. Edward Salisbury Dana, b. Nov. 16, 1849, grad. at Yale in 1870, pursued his scientific studies in Germany since graduation, and has just (1873) been chosen tutor at Yale.
5622. iii. James Silliman Dana, b. April 19,1853, d. Aug. 16,1861.
5623. iv. Harriet Trumbull Dana, b. Dec. 22, 1857, d. Aug. 27,1861. 5024. v. Arnold Guyot Dana, b. Aug. 29, 1862.
5625. vi . Maria Trumbull Dana, b. March 19, 1867.

5013. iv. Harriet Dwight Dana, b. April 8, 1819, m. J. Wyraan Jones.
5014. v. Harrison Dwight Dana, b. May 29, 1822, drowned in the Mohawk river, at Utica, June 15, 1833.
5615. vi. Henry Dana, b. Sept. 18, 1824, d. June 2, 1823. 5016. vii. Cornelia Elizabeth Dana, b. March 23, 1827, d. Sept. 7, 1854, act. 27.
5017. viii. William Buck Dana, b. Aug. 26, 1829, grad. at Yale in 1851, m: Sept. 18, 1853, Catharine Floyd (dan. of. John B. Floyd of Mastic, L. I.). He was for several years a practising lawyer at Utica, but has been for some 15 years past the editor and proprietor of " The Merchant's Magazine" (formerly "Hunt-s Merchant's Magazine"), published in New York. He has had no children.
5018. ix. Delia White Dana, b. Dec. 9, 1832, m. Curtiss White.
5019. x. Elizabeth Dana, b. July 7, 1835, d. Aug. 10, 1835. [Dana is a name of Huguenot origin wherever found in this country.
Richard Dana, b. in France in 1612, or thereabouts, fled to England in 1629, and emigrated thence to this country in 1640, and in 1647 m. Ann Bullard of Cambridge, Mass. He had a son, Daniel Dana, Ii. March 20, 1603, whom. Naomi Croswell. Their son, Caleb Dana, b. in 1697, was a tanner in Cambridge (now Brighton), Mass., and d. there aet. 72, April 28, 1769. He left an estate of £5,839 18s. 4d. as appraised—of which real estato was £5,408 13s. 4d., and personal was £371 5s. 8d. He m. July 14, 1726, Phebe Chandler, b. in 1707 (dau. of Thomas Chandler of Andover, Mass., and Mary Stevens, dau. of Dea. Joseph Stevens of Andover).
Caleb Dana had six children : 1, Caleb Dana, Jr. 2, Phebe Dana, who m. Henry Coolidge. 3, Priscilla Dana. 4, CalebDana, 2d. 5, Rev. James Dana, D.D., b. in 1735, grad. at Harvard in 1753, and settled at New Haven, Ct., see Sprague-s Annals Am. Pulpit. 0, George Dana, b. Jan. 1, 1744, who m. Feb. 14, 1764, Margaret Clark (dau. of Capt. John Clark of Waltham, Mass., and Hannah Cutting), aml for a 2d wife, m 1771, Eliza Parks, b. Jan. 18, 1749. He had 10 children. For fuller account of Dana Genealogy, see the history of the Chandler Family, Boston, 1872. See also account of Ohio Danas, under larger account of the descendants of Hon. Peregrine Foster of Belpre, 0.].

This is all for now....