The Fonda Blog

The intent of this posting is simply to document the facts about slave ownership from a genealogical standpoint.  No moral or ethical judgments are implied. Prior to the Civil War, it was common practice for certain businesses to own slaves in both the South and the North.  Hopefully, this may assist some decendants in discovering their roots.

Historical records indicate the following Fonda slave ownerships: (For simplicity, the term Black is used herein to designate what may have originally been listed as Colored, Negro or Mulatto, today referred to as African-American)

Log Cabin, Virginia, 1870

Afro-Louisiana History and Genealogy, 1718-1820:
Joseph Fonda – New Orleans, LA – seller of 1 slave – 3/18/1816 – Notary: Pierre Pedasclaux, Depository: housed in parish courthouses. Location: Orleans (including Chapitoulas). Language of this record: French, Seller: Joseph Fonda, Buyer: Jean Davis, Name: Eveille, Name Type: Partilly coded, overwhelmingly European, Gender: male, Race: black, Age: 50, sold or inventoried as an individual Value of Sale: 235, Sale Common Price: 235.

1850 US Census Slave Schedule:
Abraham Fonda – Louisville, KY – owner of 1 slave, 15 Male Black
Claressa Fonda – Montgomery Co., MD – owner of 10 slaves – 5 Male / 5 Female, Black, ages 48/38/36/27/12/11/7/5/3/1
Sarah Fonda – Monroe, AL – owner of 1 slave, 60 Female Black

1860 US Census Slave Schedule:
Abraham Fonda – Louisville, KY – owner of 1 slave, 40 Male Black
Frederick Fondy – Bullitt, KY – owner of 1 slave, 25 Male Black
Sara Fonda – Monroe, AL – owner of 6 slaves – 2 Male / 4 Female, Black, ages 50/40/35/30/20/2

We also know that a few slaves were kept by several other Fonda’s in the North since there are references to slave quarters on certain properties.  These all appear to be prior to 1820, before detailed record-keeping.

After the Civil War, and all slaves were set free, some apparently took the name of their former owners.  We have records of some Black families with the Fonda surname.  Here are 12 heads-of-household with Fonda (sic.) surnames found in US Federal Census records (for privacy, those born after 1930 are not disclosed):

Emancipated Slaves, North Carolina, 1863

London (Lun) Fonda – b. abt 1790 – 1830 US Federal Census, Broadalbin, Montgomery Co., NY (40, Free Black, Wife Kate, 2 children) – probably slave of Abraham A. Fonda, Merchant of Edinburg, NY.

Doe Fundy – b. abt 1795 – 1870 US Federal Census, 12-Wd 15-Sub Divn, St. Louis Co., MO (75, Black, b. LA, Roustabout) – probably slave of Christopher Yates Fonda (and wife Sara, listed above in 1850 and 1860 Slave Schedules, since Christopher had died in 1845), Merchant of Monroe, LA.

Primis Fonda – b. abt 1796 – 1840 US Federal Census, Salina, Onondaga Co., NY (Free Black, b. NY); 1860 US Federal Census, 4-Wd Syracuse, Onondaga Co., NY (Free Black, Day Laborer); 1870 US Federal Census, 8-Wd Syracuse, Onondaga Co., NY (Black, Cook, Wife Rachel) – probably slave of Nathan Carey Fonda, Blacksmith of Syracuse, NY.

Henry Fandy – b. 1835 – 1880 US Federal Census, Pembroke, Christian Co., KY (Black, b. KY, parents b. VA, Laborer, wife Malvina and 7 children)
John B. Fondy – b. abt 1840 – Civil War Service: John B. Fondy; Co.E, 81st US Colored Infantry, Private
B. Fonday – b. 1847 – 1880 US Federal Census, Van Zandt Co., TX (Black; b. GA, Tends Bar)
John Fonda – b. 1858 – 1880 US Federal Census, 3rd Ward, Washington Co., LA  (Mulatto, b. MS, parents b. MS, House Servant)
Benjamin Fondey – b. 1869 – 1900 US Federal Census, Perdido, Baldwin Co., AL (Black; b. AL; parents b. AL, Road Superintendent, Wife Mary, 1 child)
Sam Fundy – b. 1870 – 1900 US Federal Census, Brickville Pct, Colbert Co., AL (Black; b. AL, Farmer, Wife Darria, 2 children)
James Fonda – b. 1877 – 1900 US Federal Census, Texarkansas, Bowie Co., TX (Black, b. AR, Hotel Waiter, Wife Emelie, 2 children)
Jim Fonda – b. 1879 – 1910 US Federal Census, 4-Bt, Tallahatchie Co., MS (Black; b. MS, Wife Mary, 2 children)
Edgar Fonda – 1881-1956 – Black, b. LA; res. Hughes, AR; res. MS; Wife Pearlie, 2 children

School for Emancipated Slave Children, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1866

With the exception of the first three, the origins of these men are unknown.  Those first three did not leave any progeny that are recorded.  One had a son and grandson, but the line stopped there.  It is not certain that their names were taken from their slave masters, although in sheer numbers, it is possible.  The locations are generally consistent with the known locations of slave ownership: LA, KY, AL, NY and MD, so you could draw some conclusions.

One interesting story unfolded regarding a slave who was set free long before the Civil War:

The Town of Galway records show that in 1812, Abraham Fonda sold a certain slave, called “Lun,” to John Pettit and that Pettit entered into an agreement “to free ‘Lun’ in nine years and at that time give ‘Lun’ two cows and 10 sheep of full middling quality.”  The document was witnessed by Lenton Hicks and Ebenezer Fitch and Eli Smith recorded it April 6, 1813.  Nine years later, in 1822, it is recorded that Abijah Comstock and Asa Cornell, overseers of the poor, were called upon to examine the said “Lun” and “Kate,” his wife, “to see if they were of sufficient ability to provide for and maintain themselves?”  They issued a certificate of freedom in issuing which they took pains to state that it was their pleasure “to encourage acts of humanity” and an entire willingness that “all should enjoy the inalienable right of liberty.”  Chronicles of Saratoga: a series of articles., Chronicle VIII. Harriet Beecher Stowe visited Saratoga in 1850’s–“Cabin” staged in hall p. 29. McGregor, Jean. Saratoga Springs, N.Y.: Reprinted from The Saratogian, 1945-47.

This is noteworthy since The United States was fifty years away from emancipation although “by the time of the 1790 census, 94 percent of the 698,000 U.S. slaves lived below the Mason-Dixon Line.”  The British Empire was still twenty years away from the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

written by admin \\ tags: Business, Civil War, Slavery

Fonda set to create Village Web site

Entering Village of Fonda from West Rt 5

FONDA – The Village Board unanimously approved a motion Monday to launch the village into cyperspace.

The trustees voted to contract with Digital Towpath, a government entity formed through municipal agreements that specializes in developing Web sites for smaller municipalities across New York state. Officials expect to have the site up and running within a few months, and it will help get residents and businesses more involved and informed.

“It’s better for the village to have a Web site so potential prospects who want to start businesses will have a way to get in touch with us,” Trustee Robert Galusha said.

The annual contract with Digital Towpath is not yet finalized. The village will pay about $600 a year for the service and will need no additional staff to maintain the Web site. The annual fee will include technical support for the system and phone and e-mail support for the software.

Fonda Main Intersection of Rt 5 and Rt 30A

“It’s a Web-based application and we provide access to the tools,” Digital Towpath Director Jeanne Brown said Tuesday. “Each municipality is responsible for the content on their site, and they don’t need technical knowedge. They just need to know how to use a word processer and open a browser to keep the site updated.”

Officials plan to use the site to post meeting times and minutes and an event calendar. Trustee Lynn Dumar said she hopes the site will have a feature that encourages taxpayers to ask questions of their elected officials. A newsletter published twice a year is the only village-sponsored information medium currently available.

“This will make people more aware of what’s going on and open more doors,” Mayor Kim Flander said.

Digitial Towpath powers several local municipalities’ Web sites, including the town of Johnstown, village of Canjoharie and town of Mayfield.

Headquartered in Syracuse, Digital Towpath went live with its first 10 municipal Web sites in 2000. In 2005, participating municipalities signed the agreement that formed the Digital Towpath Cooperative.

The village is not required to join the cooperative, but if it does, it will have a say in software changes, cost and the level of training included in the annual fee. Digital Towpath’s day-to-day operations are funded by annual fees.

Amanda Whistle covers Montgomery County. She can be reached at montco@leaderherald.com.

written by admin \\ tags: Montgomery Co., Towns, Village of Fonda

There are numerous ties between the Fonda and Lansing families… having followed very similar paths from Holland to Albany and beyond.   There is a new book published about the Lansing family entitled, “The Lansing Family Journey” which “begins with Henry Hudson’s journey to New Netherland and tracks the Dutch Lansing family as it spread out from Albany, New York. There are over 6,000 individuals referenced and 1,000 families tracked. It is a five-volume set of books including an index for easy searching.” The book was written by Bill Lansing and can be obtained from www.xlibris.com/bookstore. According to my records, there are no less than 18 marriages between Fonda’s and Lansing’s between 1700 and today (listed below).  Many of these marriages are documented in the “The Dutch Settlers Society of Albany Yearbook: The Fonda Family“, McConville, Howard A.; Albany, NY; 48:17-20 (1981), 49:28-36 (1984) which can be downloaded here.  Several of these individuals are also buried in the recently restored Fonda-Lansing Cemetery located on Rt. 9 in Colonie, which has been highlighted previously on this blog.

Most of these weddings were done in the Dutch Reformed Churches in Albany County.

Dutch First Reformed Church of Albany

written by admin \\ tags: Albany Co., Allied Families, Marriages

Immigrants viewing Statue Of Liberty from Ellis Island

Many recent Italian immigrants with the Fonda surname have been included in the American Fonda database… first to differentiate from the original Dutch-American line… then as a separate project to try and establish some descendancy lines.  Although tradition holds that the Dutch line was originally of Italian descent, a direct link between the two lines has yet to be found.

According to available census records, about 100 individuals named Fonda immigrated from Italy to the United States between 1890 and 1930.  Most of them settled in the eastern cities working as entrepeneurs or laborers, although some made it out west as miners or railroad workers.  Those that stayed and made it into the census were productive, working-class families, who integrated quickly into society.  In most cases, the father immigrated first, establishing employment, followed by the rest of the family a year or two later.  10 such immigrant families are listed below, each with five or more people… most with children born in both Italy and the US… as first generation Italian-Americans.

Journey of opportunity for peasants escaping strife in Southern Italy

Here is a short explanation of what led to the surge of Italian immigration to America around the turn of the century:

The Great Arrival
Most of this generation of Italian immigrants took their first steps on U.S. soil in a place that has now become a legend—Ellis Island. In the 1880s, they numbered 300,000; in the 1890s, 600,000; in the decade after that, more than two million. By 1920, when immigration began to taper off, more than 4 million Italians had come to the United States, and represented more than 10 percent of the nation’s foreign-born population.
What brought about this dramatic surge in immigration? The causes are complex, and each hopeful individual or family no doubt had a unique story. By the late 19th century, the peninsula of Italy had finally been brought under one flag, but the land and the people were by no means unified. Decades of internal strife had left a legacy of violence, social chaos, and widespread poverty. The peasants in the primarily poor, mostly rural south of Italy and on the island of Sicily had little hope of improving their lot. Diseases and natural disasters swept through the new nation, but its fledgling government was in no condition to bring aid to the people. As transatlantic transportation became more affordable, and as word of American prosperity came via returning immigrants and U.S. recruiters, Italians found it increasingly difficult to resist the call of “L’America”.

Ellis Island immigration point

This new generation of Italian immigrants was distinctly different in makeup from those that had come before. No longer did the immigrant population consist mostly of Northern Italian artisans and shopkeepers seeking a new market in which to ply their trades. Instead, the vast majority were farmers and laborers looking for a steady source of work—any work. There were a significant number of single men among these immigrants, and many came only to stay a short time. Within five years, between 30 and 50 percent of this generation of immigrants would return home to Italy, where they were known as ritornati.
Those who stayed usually remained in close contact with their family in the old country, and worked hard in order to have money to send back home. In 1896, a government commission on Italian immigration estimated that Italian immigrants sent or took home between $4 million and $30 million each year, and that “the marked increase in the wealth of certain sections of Italy can be traced directly to the money earned in the United States.”

The columns in the table below include first and last names, age, place of birth, immigration year and occupation.  Some of these lines have been linked to individuals living now.  The American Fonda database is periodically uploaded to rootsweb, but the on-line listing strips out anyone born after 1930 for privacy purposes.  You will need to download the main PDF file to view the full listing.  Any help in putting together family lines is much appreciated (e-mail to webmaster@fonda.org).

Disclaimer: Many immigrants modified their names to simplify or anglicize the pronunciation.  It is possible that some of these family names could have originally been something like Lafondiano, LaFonda, LaFontano or Fondacaro in native Italy. There are also some listings that are very difficult to read in the census records which could actually be spelling variations like Fondi, Fanda, Funda, Fondo, etc. All of the records below were indexed by Ancestry.com under the pure spelling of ‘Fonda’ and in fact some that were listed as possible were discarded after looking at the actual census scan images.  Further research on the Italian side would be necessary to nail this down for sure.  The US Census Records in these years did not show the city or region of origin, only the country.  Since recent phone records indicate the pure Fonda surname is concentrated in northeast Italy (around Trieste), and the early 1900’s Italian-American immigrations were more from southern Italy, it would logical to assume that some of these names were altered upon immigration.

written by admin \\ tags: America, Census, Immigration, Italy

Internet café opens at Utica veterans center

By Emerson Clarridge, Observer-Dispatch

Posted Nov 07, 2009 @ 08:31 PM

William Fonda of Utica mingles during the grand opening of the Central new York Veterans Outreach Center’s “The Bunker” internet cafe in Utica, Saturday, November 7, 2009. Dave Londres / Observer-Dispatch

UTICA — When he returned from Iraq in early 2005, Army veteran Gary Matt was quickly caught in labyrinthine bureaucracy.  Medical appointments often sent the 30-year-old Utica man to Syracuse.  “Even just going out to Rome is a pain,” he said.

Matt’s experience is typical of the disarray that meets former military men and women once they’ve left the battlefield and returned home, said Army veteran Vincent Scalise, who served with Matt.  “The government does what they can,” he said.  Yet often, he said, the assistance falls short.

To ease the transition to civilian life, Scalise began year ago to head an effort to convert the former 87,000-square-foot YMCA building on Washington Street in Utica into a single-stop veterans’ service clearinghouse that offers advice on legal matters, employment assistance and counseling.  Many of the services already are available at the Central New York Veterans Outreach Center, and construction began last week on 15 transitional housing units – apartments for veterans struggling to find a place to live – that Scalise said he hopes will be ready in mid-2010.

The center’s most recent addition is a first-floor coffee shop and Internet café called The Bunker, which celebrated its grand opening Saturday night to a steady flow of patrons.  Computers will be available from early morning to late at night so veterans can fill out online forms for Veterans Administration assistance and access the Internet for other purposes.  The space will be open to veterans and nonveterans.

“I want people from all different walks of life,” Scalise said.  Jessica Perusse, the center’s head social worker, said “it’s a very relaxing, calm space.”  A formal flag-raising, ribbon-cutting and open house is scheduled for Wednesday, Veteran’s Day.

written by admin \\ tags: Armed Forces, Events, Government, Oneida Co.