Here’s an interesting series of articles I ran across… that might make a good story line for The Twilight Zone. The incident actually happened on July 20, 1866 which was a Friday… so it also qualifies as a Freaky Friday!! [There are some inconsistencies, so the story may have been embellished some. My comments are in brackets.]
Abram Fonda visits James Thorn (his co-editor) on his death bed to write his obituary for the paper. Fonda has a premonition that he will die before Thorn does. That night, Fonda falls out of a third-story window and dies the next morning, two hours before Thorn succumbs.
Deaths of Editors (New York Herald, 1866-07-22)
Troy, July 21, 1866 – Hon. James S. Thorn, Member of Assembly from this city in the last Legislature, died at two o’clock this morning, at the residence of his father, of consumption. Mr. Thorn was one of the associate editors of the Times of this city. [The Times article below says Thorn died at noon]
Troy, July 21, 1866 – Abram Fonda, associate editor of the Times of this city, fell from the third story of the Phoenix Hotel, at Lansingburg, yesterday morning, and died, at four o’clock this morning. [The Times article below says Fonda died at 9am]
A Singular Fact (New York Herald-Tribune, 1866-08-20)
A singular fact is mentioned in connection with the decease of the editors of The Troy Times. Mr. Fonda, expecting Mr. Thorn’s death of consumption had prepared a sketch of his life for publication, whenever it should occur, yet the former died two hours before the latter. [Now here it says Fonda died two hours before Thorn]
Presentiment (New York Times, 1883-08-02)
In the year 1866, the late James S. Thorn who was the city editor of this paper, was lying on his death-bed slowly succumbing to the inroads of that fatal disease consumption. The intelligence was brought to the office that he could not possibly last more than a day or two longer. He was a man of such genial and loving qualities and had so tenderly entwined himself around the hearts of all his associates till no one could endure the thought of writing his obituary in advance of his death and yet it was quite important, if not imperative, that a proper memorial should be prepared, ready for insertion in the paper at a moments notice upon the receipt of the news of the death of our young associate.
One after another declined to write the obituary, until it was finally determined that Abram Fonda, an editorial writer on the paper should perform the melancholy task. Mr. Fonda accordingly began it, omitting the introduction and was engaged some time upon the work when the writer of this paragraph, who occupied a chair in front of Mr. Fonda’s table turned around and inquired how he was getting along. He responded that he was not progressing satisfactorily, that it was a harder task than he had anticipated and then went on with his work. Instantly as quick as thought could frame the expression there flashed through the brains of the writer these words, “Old fellow, you’ll die before Jimmie does!”[Not sure if he was recalling something Thorn said to him, or if this was a premonition]…
And he did. That night after retiring Mr. Fonda arose for some purpose, went to an open window in his room, and fell headlong out of it to the sidewalk below. In the morning he was found laying upon the ground speechless and insensible. He died at nine o’clock in the forenoon of the day. Mr. Thorn survived until nearly noon. The hand that writes this wrote the introduction and close of the obituary of Mr. Thorn that Mr Fonda began, and also wrote the last tribute to the memory of the latter. (from the Utica Observer, July 1881)
[R000] A Genealogical History of Henry Adams, of Braintree, Mass., and his Descendants: also John Adams, of Cambridge, Mass., 1632-1897; Adams, Andrew N.; Adams; unknown; 1898; 1271 pgs
[R001] Descendants of John Adsit of Lyme, Connecticut; Adsit, Newman Ward; United States; 228 pgs
[R004] A Genealogy of the Descendants of Robert Austin of Kingstown, Rhode Island; unknown
[R005b] The Bergen Family: the Descendants of Hans Hansen Bergen, one of the Early Settlers of New York and Brooklyn, L.I. with notes; Bergen, Teunis G.; J. Munsell Co.; Albany, NY; 1876; 691 pgs
[R011] Three Blackmore Genealogies: William Blackmore of Scituate, MA, James Blackmore of Providence, RI, Rev. Adam Blackman (Blackmore) of Stratford, CT, and probably related lines of Samuel Blackmer of Bennington, VT, and David Blackmer of Rhode Island, also unattached lines of Reuben Blackmer of Belchertown, MA and David Blackmer of Nova Scotia; Smith, Alven Martyn; A.M. Smith; So. Pasadena, CA; 1930; 206 pgs
[R012] Anneke Jans Bogardus and her New Amsterdam Estate, Past and Present: Romance of a Dutch maiden and its present day New World sequel, historical, legal, genealogical, Indianapolis, Ind.; Wikoff, Thomas Bentley; Indianapolis, IN; 1924; 278 pgs
[R013] The Genealogy of the Brainerd-Brainard Family in America, 1649-1908; Brainard, Lucy Abigail; Hartford Press.; Hartford, CT; 1908; 1465 pgs
[R013b] The Brewster Genealogy, 1566-1907: a record of the descendants of William Brewster of the “Mayflower,” ruling elder of the Pilgrim church which founded Plymouth Colony in 1620; Jones, Emma C. Brewster; Grafton Press; New York, NY; 1908; 1548 pgs
[R014] Buck History and Genealogy; Buck, Samuel; unknown; 1924; 175 pgs
[R014a] The Diary of Orville Hickman Browning; Vol. I, 1850-1864; Pease, Theodore Calvin; Illinois State Historical Society; Springfield, IL; 1925
[R014b] The Life of Henry Bruce; Morgan, H.T.; The Lakeside Press; Chicago, IL; 1934
[R015] History of the Bunn Family of America; Ellis, James Alfred; Romanzo Norton Bunn; Chicago, IL; 1928; 496 pgs
[R016] John Cary, the Plymouth Pilgrim; Cary, Seth Cooley; S.C. Cary; Boston, MA; 1911; 274 pgs
[R017] Records of the Descendants of Hugh Clark, of Watertown, MA 1640-1866; Clark, John; J. Clark; Boston, MA; 1866; 277 pgs
[R017d] A Genealogy and History of the Chute Family In America: with some account of the Family in Great Britain and Ireland; Chute, William E.; unknown; Salem, MA; 1894; 521 pgs
[R019] Robert Coates of Lynn, MA and Some of his Descendants; Aherin, Evelyn Coates; B. Coates; Chula Vista, CA; 1970; 62 pgs
[R019a] History of the Parish of the Incarnation; Perkins, J. Newton; Frank B. Howard Press; Poughkeepsie, NY; 1912
[R020] Comly Family in America: descendants of Henry and Joan Comly who came to America in 1682 from Bedminster, Somersetshire, England; with short accounts of the ancestors of Charles and Debby Ann (Newbold) Comly; Comly, George Norwood; unknown
[R020b] Elder John Crandall of Rhode Island and his Descendants; Crandall, John Cortland; New Woodstock, NY; 1949; 839 pgs
[R021] The Dallenbachs in America, 1710-1935; Dillenbeck, Andrew Luther; St. Johnsville, NY; 1935; 452 pgs
[R021a] Elder John Crandall of Rhode Island and his Descendants; Crandall, John Cortland; unknown; New Woodstock, NY; 1949; 839 pgs
[R024] Dashiell Family Records; Dashiell, Benjamin J.; Sun Printing Office; Baltimore, MD; 1932; 813 pgs
[R026] The Demarest Family: a record of the desMarets family in France, the Holy Land in the Crusades, again in France, Holland, the Palatinate (Germany), again in Holland, and the migration to America, 1663; Demarest, Voorhis David; Hackensack, NJ; 1964; 1322 pgs
[R027] Genealogy of the Denny Family in England and America: descendants of John Denny of Combs, Suffolk, England in 1439; Denny, Christopher Columbus; C.C. Denny; Leicester, MA; 1886; 271 pgs
[R028] Dockstader Genealogy; Dockstader, Otis; Montgomery County Dept. of History & Archives; Fonda, NY; 1941
[R028a] The Dockstader Family: Descendants of Georg Dachstatter, Palatine Emigrant of 1709 who settled in the Mohawk Valley of New York; Rooney, Doris Dockstader; High Plains Publishers, Inc.; Dodge City, KS; 1994; 4 volumes
[R029] Documents and Genealogical Chart of the Family of Benjamin Du Bois, of Catskill, New York: being an addition to the history of the descendants of Louis and Jacques Du Bois, as given at the bi-centenary reunion held at New Paltz, Ulster County, NY; Du Bois, Anson; P. Eckler; New York, NY; 1878; 109 pgs
[R030] Jacob Dunham (1727-1779) of Lebanon, CT and Mayfield, NY: his descendants and ancestors with five generations of English ancestors; also ancestors and descendants of Stephen Shew with historical accounts of the Shews, Sammons, and Dunhams; Moore, Sophie Dunham; S.D. Moore; Kalmazoo, MI; 1933; 115 pgs
[R031] Dunham Genealogy; Deacon John Dunham of Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1589-1669, and his descendants; Dunham, Isaac Watson; Norwich, CT; 1907; 391 pgs
[R033] Edson Family History and Genealogy: Descendants Of Samuel Edson of Salem and Bridgewater, MA; Edson, Carroll Andrew; Edwards Bros.; Ann Arbor, MI; 1969; 1543 pgs
[R034a] George Michael Eller and Descendants of His in America: including information on related families of Vannoy and VanNoy, McNeil, Stoker, Welker, Graybill, Colvard, Whittington, Hook and others; Hook, James W.; New Haven, CT; 1957; 491 pgs
[R034d] Descendants of Andrew Everest of York, Maine; Holman, Winifred Lovering; compiled by the author for David Clark Everest of Wausau, WI; 1955, 488pgs
[R034c] Genealogy of the Fairbanks Family in America, 1633-1897; Fairbanks, Lorenzo Sayles; American Printing and Engraving Co.; Boston, MA; 1897; 1021 pgs
[R050] The Freer Family: the descendants of Hugo Freer, Patentee of New Paltz (Frear, Fraer, Frayer, Fryer, etc.); Heidgerd, Ruth P.; Huguenot Historical Society; New Paltz, NY; 1968; 547 pgs
[R051] Genealogy of the Vermont Gages; Matteson, Porter; Arlington, VA; 1938; 193 pgs
[R052] The Gilkeys: a History of the Early American Gilkeys and their descendants; Gilkey, Geo. L.; Merrill, WI; 1950; 512 pgs
[R052a] William Gage of Freetown, Mass. and his Descendants: an Historical, Genealogical and Biographical Record; Gage, Clyde V.; C. V. Gage; Worcester, NY; 1964; 150 pgs
[R053] Gulicks of the USA, 1961; Gulick, David E.; unknown; 1961; 511 pgs
[R054] The Life and Times of Samuel Gorton: the founders and the founding of the Republic; a section of early United States history and a history of the colony of Providence and Rhode Island plantations in the Narragansett Indian country now the state of Rhode Island, 1592-1636-1677-1687; with a genealogy of Samuel Gorton’s descendants to the present time; Gorton, Adelos; Philadelphia, PA; 1907; 965 pgs
[R057] History and Genealogies of the Hammond Families in America: with an account of the Early History of the family in Normandy and Great Britain, 1000-1902; Hammond, Frederick Stam; Ryan & Burkhart; Oneida, NY; 1904; 1659 pgs
[R058] The Hardenbergh Family: a Genealogical Compilation; Miller, Myrtle Hardenbergh; American Historical Co.; New York, NY; 1958; 523 pgs
[R059] The Hasbrouck Family in America: with European Background; Hasbrouck, Kenneth Edward; unknown; 1961; 833 pgs
[R061] Ye Horseforde Booke; Horseford-Hosford families in the United States of America; Hosford, Henry Hallock; Tower Press; Cleveland, OH; 1936; 270 pgs
[R061a] The Descendants of George Holmes of Roxbury, 1594-1908; Gray, George Arthur; David Clapp & Son; Boston, MA; 1908; 445 pgs
[R062] Howe Genealogies; Howe, Daniel Wait; New England Historical Genealogical Society; Boston, MA; 1929; 1236 pgs
[R064] Hyde Genealogy: the descendants in the female as well as the male lines; from William Hyde of Norwich, with their places of residences, and dates of births, marriages, etc., and other particulars of them and their families and ancestry; Walworth, Reuben H.; J. Munsell Co.; Albany, NY; 1864; 1494 pgs
[R066] The Klines of Evanston, 1848-1970; Kline, Faith McClung; Evanston, IL; 1970; 42 pgs
[R066a] A genealogy of the descendants of William Kelsey: who settled at Cambridge, Mass., in 1632, at Hartford, Conn., in 1636, and at Killingworth, Conn., in 1663; Claypool, Edward A.; Chester Caulfield Kelsey; Torrington, CT; 1928; 1763 pgs
[R067] Genealogical History of John Ludwig Kling and his Descendants, 1755-1924; Kling, Margaret E.; Amsterdam, NY; 1924; 146 pgs
[R068] Sketches of allied Families: Knickerbacker-Viele, Historical and Genealogical: to which is added an appendix containing family data; Viele, Kathlyne Knickerbacker; T.A. Wright; New York, NY; 1916; 139 pgs
[R069] Genealogies of the Lewis and Kindred Families; McAllister, John Meriwether; E.W. Stephens Pub. Co.; Colombia, MO; 1906; 418 pgs
[R069a] The Knickerbocker Family; VanAlstyne, William B., MD; The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record; New York, NY; 1908; 39: 117-119
[R069b] Knickerbockers of New York Two Centuries Ago; Harper’s New Monthly Magazine; Viele, Gen. Egbert L.; Harper & Brothers Publishers; New York, NY; 1876; Vol. 54, p.42
[R071] The Descendants of Jacob Longyear of Ulster County, New York; Longyear, Edmund J.; Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Co.; New Haven, CT; 1942; 640 pgs
[R072] The MacIntyre, McIntyre and McIntire Clan of Scotland, Ireland, Canada and New England; McIntire, Robert Harry; unknown; 1949; 373 pgs
[R072a] The Lovejoy Genealogy with Biographies and History, 1460-1930: especially recording the American descendants and the English ancestry of John Lovejoy (1622-1690) of Andover, Mass., and of Joseph Lovejoy (1684-1748) of Prince George County, Md.; Lovejoy, Clarence E.; Lovejoy; New York, NY; 1930; 508 pgs
[R074] The McChesney Family of Rensselear County, NY; Prindle, Paul W.; United States; 1969; 575 pgs
[R075] Millage and Allied Dutch Families; Abbott, Marie Millage; Oak Park, IL; 1944; 10 pgs
[R076] Millspaugh-Milspaw; Millspaugh, Francis Corwin; Swampscott, MA; 1959; 302 pgs
[R079] Montross, a Family History; Pierre Montras and his descendants, a record of 300 years of the Montras, Montross, Montrose, Montress family in the United States and Canada Staunton, Va.; Taylor, John Wilson; McClure Print. Co.; Staunton, VA; 1958; 880 pgs
[R080] The Morris Family of Philadelphia; descendants of Anthony Morris, 1654-1721; Moon, Robert Charles; Moon; Philadelphia, PA; 1909; 2152 pgs
[R083] Joannes Nevius, Schepen and Third Secretary of New Amsterdam under the Dutch, First Secretary of New York City under the English and his Descendants, A.D. 1627-1900; embracing existing families bearing the surnames of Nevius, Nevyus, Neafie, Neafus, Neefus, Nafis, Nafie, Nafey, Naphey, Napheys and Naphis…; Honeyman, A. VanDoren; Honeyman & Co.; Plainfield, NJ; 1900
[R085] The Newland (Newlon) Family; a brief genealogy and history of the family; Newland, Robert E.; unknown
[R088] Oliver-Miner Ancestors and Descendants, Newton, MA; Oliver, Frederick L.; Private Printing; Newton, MA; 1956; 131 pgs
[R090a] The Ouderkerk Family Saga, 350 Years in America: Families Ouderkerk, Ouderkirk, Oderkirk and Odekirk; Ouderkirk, H. John (Henry John), Ouderkerk Family Genealogical Association, Marietta, Georgia, 2004, 293 pgs
[R090] The Patterson & Pattison Family Association: a contribution of genealogical records to old in the research on the names of Patterson or Pattison and various other ways in which the name is spelled: unknown; Anonymous; unknown; 1967; 847 pgs
[R091] A Memoir and Genealogy of John Poore: Ten Generations, 1615-1880; including the posterity of numerous daughters whereby pedigrees of many other families, extending through from three to six or more generations, are given; Poor, Alfred; Salem, MA; 1881; 343 pgs
[R092] The Quackenbush Family in Holland and America: Quackenbush, Adriana Suydam; Quackenbush & Co.; Paterson, NJ; 1909; 221 pgs
[R092a] A History of the Putnam Family in England and America: recording the ancestry and descendants of John Putnam of Danvers, Mass., Jan Poutman of Albany, N.Y., Thomas Putnam of Hartford, Conn.; Putnam, Eben; Salem Press Pub. and Print. Co.; Salem, MA; 1891; 654 pgs
[R092b] Two Old Wills: with notes on the Allied Families of Quackenbush, DeForest, Fonda (Fondey) and others; Winne, Charles K., Jr.; The Dutch Settlers Society of Albany Yearbook; Albany, NY; 48:17-20 (1981), 49:28-36 (1984)
[R093] William Randall (1609-1693) of Scituate and his Descendants with Ancestral Families; Raveret-Weber, Randall, Frank Alfred, Randall and Allied Families; Chicago, IL; 1943; 597 pgs
[R094] History and Genealogy of the Reed Family: Johann Philib Ried, Rieth, Riedt, Ritt, Rit, Rudt, etc. in England and America; an early settler of Salford Township, (New Goshenhoppen Region), Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; including Reeds other than our family of this locality; Reed, Willoughby H.; Norristown Press; Norristown, PA; 1929; 628 pgs.
[R096] Descendants of John Robertson, 1796-1860 and John Lee, 1786-1865: both of Johnstown, Fulton Co., NY; Brown, Leon R.; Rochester, NY; 1936; 24 pgs
[R097] Descendants of Moses Rowley, Cape Cod, MA, about 1715: also descendants of George Warner, Wittenberg, Germany, born 1720 Pittsfield, MA; Russell, H. S.; Pittsfield, MA; 1908; 54 pgs
[R098] Thomas Sanford, the Emigrant to New England: Ancestry, Life, and Descendants, 1632-4; sketches of four other pioneer Sanfords and some of their descendants in appendix; Sanford, Carlton E.; The Tuttle Co.; Rutland, VT; 1911; 1700 pgs
[R100] Schuremans of New Jersey; Wynkoop, Richard; Knickerbocker Press; New York, NY; 1902; 175 pgs
[R100c] Schermerhorn Genealogy and Family Chronicles; Schermerhorn, Richard; T. A. Wright; New York, NY; 1914; 455 pgs
[R101] The Slason, Slauson, Slawson, Slosson Family; Slawson, George C.; The Waverly Sun; Waverly, NY; 1946; 468 pgs
[R103] Townsend-Townshend, 1066-1909: the history, genealogy and alliances of the English and American house of Townsend; Townsend, Margaret; Broadway Pub. Co.; New York, NY; 1909; 141 pgs
[R103a] Townsend Genealogy: a record of the descendants of John Townsend, 1743-1821, and of his Wife, Jemima Travis, 1746-1832.; Abbe, Cleveland; Frank Allaben Genealogical Co.; New York, NY; 1909
[R103b] Notes of Terry families in the United States of America: mainly descended from Samuel, of Springfield, Mass., but including also some descended from Stephen, of Windsor, Conn., Thomas, of Freetown, Mass., and others; Terry, Stephen; Published by the Compiler; Hartford, CT; 1887; 353 pgs
[R103c] The Sterling Genealogy; Sterling, Albert Mack; Grafton Press; New York, NY; 1909; 1543 pgs
[R104] Lambert Janse VanAlstyne and Some of his Descendants; VanAlstyne, Lawrence; Amenia, NY; 1897; 142 pgs
[R104b] The VanBenthuysen Genealogy: descendants of Paulus Martense VanBenthuysen, of Benthuizen, Holland, who settled in Albany, N.Y.; VanBenthuysen, Alvin Seaward; Wilson Engraving and Printing Co.; Clay Center, KS; 1953; 588 pgs
[R105] History of Cornelis Maessen VanBuren: who came from Holland to the New Netherlands in 1631, and his descendants, including the genealogy of the family of Bloomingdale who are descended from Maas, a son of Cornelis Maessen; Peckham, Harriet C. Waite VanBuren; Tobias A. Wright; New York, NY; 1913; 454 pgs
[R106] VanDeursen Family New York; Frank Allaben Genealogical Company; VanDeursen, Albert Harrison; New York, NY; 1912; 950 pgs
[R107] Our Kindred: an Historical Record of the VanHorne Family in America from 1634 to 1888; VanHorne, Abram; A. VanHorne; Fonda, NY; 1888; 80 pgs
[R110] The Genealogical Records of the VanVechtens from 1638 to 1896; VanVechten, Peter; Radtke Bros. & Kortsch; Milwaukee, WI; 1896; 126 pgs
[R111] Ancestry and Descendants of Tielman VanVleeck of Niew Amsterdam: with some descendants of Benjamin VanVleck and Marinus Roelofse VanVleckeren or VanVlack; VanVleck, Jane; New York, NY; 1955; 483 pgs
[R112] The Genealogical Record of the Veeder Family; Leonard, Vreeland Y.; United States; 1937; 350 pgs
[R113] Viele records, 1613-1913; Viele, Kathlyne Knickerbacker; Tobias A. Wright; New York, NY; 1913; 301 pgs
[R113a] The Viele Family, 1659-1909: Two Hundred and Fifty Years with a Dutch Family of New York; Viele, Kathlyne Knickerbacker, Tobias A. Wright, New York, NY, 1909, 156 pgs
[R114] The Vrooman Family in America: descendants of Hendrick Meese Vrooman who came from Holland to America in 1664; Wickersham, Grace Elizabeth Vrooman; United States; 1949; 342 pgs
[R115] Vrooman Family of Schoharie County; Spencer, Frances; Montgomery County Old Courthouse; Fonda, NY; 1971; 116 pgs
[R116] The Wagner Family of the Mohawk Valley; Webster, W. P.; St. Johnsville, NY; 1929; 30 pgs
[R117] The Descendants of Andrew Warner; Warner, Lucien C.; Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor; New Haven, CT; 1919; 814 pgs
[R118] Jonathan Waterbury Genealogy: Ancestry and some of the descendants of Jonathan Waterbury of Nassau, New York (1766-1825); Waterbury, Grace Adelle; Palladium-Times; Oswego, NY; 1930; 364 pgs
[R119] Descendants of Thomas Wellman of Lynn, Massachusetts; Wellman, Joshua Wyman; A.H. Wellman; Boston, MA; 1918; 603 pgs
[R120] William Wells of Southhold and his Descendants, 1638 to 1878; Hayes, Charles Wells; Buffalo, NY; 1878; 303 pgs
[R121] The Whitney Family of Connecticut, and its Affiliations: being an attempt to trace the descendants, as well in the female as the male lines, of Henry Whitney, from 1649 to 1878; to which is prefixed some account of the Whitneys of England; Phoenix, S. Whitney; Private printing; New York, NY; 1878; 2815 pgs
[R122a] Winney Family: Saratoga Co., N.Y. Branch; Prindle, Paul Wesley, Genealogical Society of the Church of Jesus Christ, Darien, Connecticut, 1975, 67 pgs
[R123] The Wyckoff Family in America: a Genealogy; Wyckoff, William Forman; Wyckoff Association in America; Summit, NJ; 1950; 656 pgs
[R124] Wynkoop Genealogy in the United States of America: also a table of Dutch Given Names; Wynkoop, Richard; Press of Wynkoop & Hallenbeck; New York, NY; 1878; 131 pgs
[R125] The Young (Jung) Families of the Mohawk Valley, 1710-1946; Young, Clifford M.; C.M. Young; Albany, NY; 1947; 364 pgs
