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Founding of Theta Xi
Founders Geneology
Through my contacts in his hometown of Haddam Neck, Connecticut; I found out that
Brother Brainerd’s ancestors helped found and establish the town of Haddam Neck.
His family has a library named after them in the town and the library holds many
family records and pictures. The Federal Record Center had many Brainerds listed
but none showed any immediate ties to Brother Brainerd.
Brother Brainerd was in the Class of 1865 at RPI. He had been a Civil Engineer
for the Purveyor’s Office, Brooklyn Water Works, Brooklyn, NY. The following was
the obituary as it appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle dated April 14, 1887:
Brainerd: Thursday April 14 43 years old at death.
Funeral Service at his late residence; 23 Lafayette Avenue on Friday the
15th. inst. at 7 o’clock.
Interment: Haddam Neck, Connecticut on Saturday 16th. |
Brother Buel was a member of the class of 1865 at RPI. Please take note, although
the History Video of Theta Xi says Brother Buel is from Poughkeepsie, NY; I have
found no evidence that he was from there. My research clearly indicates he had
no ties to Poughkeepsie and let the record show that. His death certificate clearly
states his cause of death was Chronic Myocardiosis (Heart Disease). In 1866 he
was an assistant engineer on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad out of Pottstown,
PA. In 1870 he become an engineer for the Michigan Bridge and Construction Co.
in Detroit. In 1873, he moved to Manhattan and began a career as an engineer on
the east coast. He resided at 1329 Broadway in Manhattan from 1884 until 1900
when he moved to 356 West 23rd. Street. One year before his death, he became the
assistant engineer for the Erie Railroad at 11 Broadway in Manhattan.
Brother Buel was cremated. The most likely reason for this was he was single all
his life and had no surviving family members to arrange his funeral.
Much like Brother Brainerd; Henry Farnum’s ancestors founded and established the
town of port Jervis in New York State. there are many Farnums still alive in Port
Jervis, much like the Brainerds. I did manage to find the census record of Brother
Farnum’s Grandfather in the 1830 census of New York State:
F655 Vol. 75 E. D. 12 Sheet 35 Line 50
| Benjamin Farnum |
Male |
40 years old |
Orange county, NY Port Jervis, NY Main Street |
| Emma Farnum |
Female |
35 years old |
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| William Farnum |
Male |
16 years old |
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| Della Farnum |
Female |
12 years old |
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| Samuel B. Farnum |
Male |
11 years old |
(Father of Brother Farnum) |
| Mary G. Farnum |
Female |
5 years old |
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| Russel H. Farnum |
Male |
4 years old |
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The only other fact I found was that some Farnums in the town were quite wealthy.
One Farnum with the same initials as our founder; H. H. Farnum who was 42 years
old in 1850 had a real estate value of $9,500.00 and just ten years later had
a real estate value of $70,000.00.
We unfortunately, do not know what class Brother Farnum was a member of at RPI.
He was the Chief Engineer of Sewers for Bronx, NY at one time. The following is
an excerpt from the Home News of Bronx and Manhattan dated Sunday October 26,
1924:
| Henry H. Farnum of 150 E 150th. street civil engineer died Thursday
at his home in his 80th year. Parents: Samuel and Mrs. Farnum. The remains
will be removed to Port Jervis, NY tomorrow where interment will be made
in Laural Grove Cemetery. Services will be held this afternoon at 4 o’clock.
He leaves a son; Dr. Waldo Farnum. |
The following is an excerpt from the Port Jervis Union Gazette dated October 24,
1924:
Henry Harrison Farnum died at his home, 150 E 150th street, New York
City on Thursday October 23rd, after a week’s illness. He was in the 81rst
year of his age. He was an unusually fine citizen and neighbor and always
had a host of friends.
Deceased was born in Mongaup April 3, 1844, and was the son of Samuel
B. and Asenath C. Farnum. He was a civil engineer by profession, have been
graduated from the Troy Polytechnic Institute at Troy, NY and was for many
years in the service of the city of New York as chief engineer in charge
of sewer development in the Bronx. He had been a resident of Port Jervis
Prior to his going to New York City in 1889. On December 15, 1887, he was
united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Beattle, daughter of Rev. Mrs. Hezekiah
Beattle, of Salisbury Mills. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church
of Port Jervis.
The surviving relatives
are his wife and one son, Dr. Waldo B. Farnum, and two grand children of
New York; two sisters, Mrs. R. F. Lord and Miss Katherine C Farnum, of Port
Jervis and several nephews and nieces.
Funeral service will take
place at the house in New York at 4:00 pm on Sunday, and at 21 Ulster Place,
Port Jervis at 3 pm on Monday October 27. Interment will be Laurel Grove
Cemetery. |
Brother Fox was a member of the class of 1864. Soon after his graduation from
RPI, he decided to pursue a career as an agriculturalist in Deering, Kansas. Brother
Fox became a farmer after he left Rensselaer. He went to Deering Kansas and resided
there for the rest of his life. The following is an excerpt from the Coffeeville
Journal dated August 2, 1909 with his obituary:
Peter H. Fox Dead
Well known resident of Deering passed away Monday.
Peter Henry Fox, one of the best known residents of this
country died at his home near Deering Monday morning at the age of 73. Mr.
Fox was recently made postmaster of Deering, but has been sick almost all
the time since his appointment and the duties of the office have fallen
on his son.
Although a farmer Mr. Fox was well known in Coffeeville
as he was a man who took an active interest n all matters for the up building
of this city. He was especially interested in education and was an advocate
of good schools for this county. He served several terms on the board of
county high school trustees and his integrity and judgment earned him the
respect of all who were associated with him.
He was a loyal and
consistent member of the Presbyterian church of this city and was an elder
in the church at the time of his death having served in that capacity for
a number of years. He was an especially lovable old man and all who knew
him speak highly of his lofty Christian principles and his terling worth
as a man.
His death is an irreparable loss to the faithful son
and daughter who have been his only companions in the home since the death
of his wife several years ago. Mr. Fox leaves three children David of Pryor
Creek; Henry and Lydia Fox who were home with him.
The funeral
service will be held at the home Wednesday morning at 9 o’clock with burial
at the Robbins Cemetery. |
Brother Packard resided on Sussex Avenue in Morristown, New Jersey when he died.
he was a member of the class of 1864. He married Harriet L. Parker on March 15,
1869 and had two children; Ralph Jr. and Lavini. He founded the Rensselaer Alumni
Association in 1922 and was elected its first President. The following is an excerpt
from the Herald Tribune in Morristown dated March 25, 1928 with Brother Packard's
obituary:
R. G. Packard Funeral at Morristown To-marrow
Associates in
Engineering and RPI alumni to attend.
Morristown: March 24-1928
Funeral services for Ralph Gooding Packard, retired engineer, big-game
hunter and president of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Alumni Association,
who died yesterday at his home on Sussex Avenue, will be held Monday at
2:30 pm at the home. Mr. Packard was eighty-seven years old and the only
surviving founder and member of Theta Xi Fraternity, which he helped to
start at his alma mater April 29, 1964.
E. P. Hamilton, of New
York a member of the Grand Lodge of Theta Xi Fraternity will head a delegation
attending the services, and Daniel L. Turner, consulting engineer of the
New York Transit Commission. The RPI alumni, of which Mr. Packard was one
of the oldest members and chief supporters, also is expected to send representatives.
Mr. Packard was graduated from RPI in 1864, and joined the Navy
Department as an engineer at the New York Navy yard, where he became chief
engineer within a year. After five years in the navy Mr. Packard went into
private engineering, forming the Atlantic Dredging Company in 1871. This
later became the R. G. Packard Company. He retired in 1918, and as recently
as 1926 made a hunting trip to Alaska.
Among the Project in which
he engaged were the construction of the river foundations of the Poughkeepsie
Bridge across the Hudson and the dredging of Hell Gate. Mr. Packard was
a native of Niagara Falls, NY.
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The following is an excerpt from the New York Times dated April 24, 1944 listing
Brother Packard’s son’s obituary:
Ralph G. Packard Jr.
Died April 23, 1944 at his home of Morristown,
New Jersey. He leaves behind a wife, Helen Charlotte Packard and Brother
Lavini A. Packard. Funeral is private. |
This is the 1850 census of Brother Raymond’s father:
1850 census of Massachusetts page 285 of reel 335
| Emmous Raymond |
44 years old |
Male |
Occupation unclear |
real estate: $27,000.00 |
| Mehitable C. |
40 years old |
Female |
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| Mary J. |
12 years old |
Female |
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| Henry E. |
10 years old |
Male |
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| Thomas Cole |
5 years old |
Male |
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| Charles A. |
6 months old |
Male |
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| Elulhbette |
72 years old |
Female |
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| Eillen McHenry |
25 years old |
Female |
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| Delia Maher |
20 years old |
Female |
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These last three entries in the listing are most likely related to one another
and would be servants or boarder in my guess. As you will see with Brother Starbuck,
having servants was quite common and with a real estate value of $27,000.00; it
most likely seems that that is the case.
Brother Raymond was a member of the class of 1865. He is believed to have been
born in Boston but he might have been born in a suburb known as Westboro, MA.
In 1886, he resided at 95 Milk Street in Boston. H also resided somewhere in Cambridge.
The following is an excerpt from the Boston Herald dated February 12, 1922:
| In Cambridge on February 11; at his residence of 84 Ellery Street at
76 years 4 months 30 days. Funeral services are private; please omit flowers.
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The Starbucks were quite popular in the city of Troy. The family did not found
Troy but many of the Starbucks resided there. First, here is the entry of Brother
Starbuck’s family census:
1860 census of New York, city of Troy
| Geo H. |
36 years old |
male |
Father |
Furnace Man |
| Emiline |
35 years old |
Female |
Mother |
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| Richard H. |
15 years old |
Male |
Brother |
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| Nathaniel H. |
12 years old |
Male |
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| Antonetta |
10 years old |
Female |
Sister |
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| Margaret King |
55 years old |
Female |
Servant |
(born in Ireland) |
This next entry is possible family member since the name is tied to Nathaniel
and the occupation is the same. This might be Brother Starbuck’s grandfather:
1860 census of New York, city of Troy
| Nathaniel Starbuck |
82 years old |
Furnace Man |
$10,000.00 home |
| Nathaniel B. |
41 years old |
(possible uncle of Brother Starbuck) |
| Amelia |
27 years old |
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| Anna |
17 years old |
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| Henryett |
15 years old |
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Brother Starbuck was a member of the class of 1867 even though The Transit (college
Yearbook) says he was a member of the class of 1868. He did not graduate RPI.
After he left college, he became a salesman in Troy.
This listing is of Brother Waite’s Father:
Waite 1850 Census of Ohio
| Morrison R. Waite |
33 years old |
Father |
Attorney |
House: $1,500.00 |
| Amilia C. |
29 years old |
Mother |
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| Henry |
9 years old |
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| Christopher |
6 years old |
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| Eumura or Eilmura |
4 years old |
(Brother since the entry states this person is a Male) |
Brother Waite married Lillie Pamelia Gutherie on October 22, 1868. She died on
November 1, 1905. They had two children; Harry S. born in 1874 and Ellison G.
born in 1880. His father, the Honorable Morrison R. Waite, became Chief Justice
of the United States Supreme Court in 1874 under the Ohio Bar. I am also trying
to gather some information on his father.
The following is an excerpt from the New York Times dated March 7, 1962 listing
Brother Waite’s nephew’s funeral:
Morrison R. Waite; Cincinnati lawyer
Died on March 6 at the
age of 95. Practiced law in Cincinnati for 69 years. Grandson of Morrison
R. Waite; Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1874-1888.
A graduate of Yale University and University of Cincinnati college of Law.
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It also mentioned that his nephew leaves behind two daughters; Mrs. Mary Thomas
and Mrs. ???? Garvey, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Also buried
at the same cemetery are Ellison Gutherie Waite; his son They are both buried
in the Lillie P. Plot. His wife, however, is not buried there.
The following excerpt was a correspondace
letter between Brother Waite’s son, Harry S. Waite and RPI:
“My father was born in Maumee, Ohio, a small town near Toledo, on Sept.
24, 1843. His father was Morison R. Waite, and attorney in Toledo at that
time and afterward, chief justice of the United States Supreme Court. His
mother was a Melia Champlin. His early school training was at a school at
Gross Isle; an island in the Detroit River, conducted by a Mr. Hunter. He
graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1865? and was one of
the charter members of the Theta Psi Fraternity. He was married in 1868
to Lillian Gutherie in Zanesvile, Ohio where he was then superintendent
of the Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley Railroad (now a part of the Pennsylvania).
He lived in Zanesvile from about 1870 until 1881 where both of this sons
were born, the writer and my brother, Ellison G. Waite, the writer in 1874
and Ellison in 1880.
In 1881 he moved to Cincinnati as superintendent
of the Little Miami Railroad (now a part of the Pennsylvania System). We
lived there about a year, when father was made Assistant to the President
of the Erie Railroad with headquarters in new York City, which position
he held until about 1884 when he was made Vice President of the Cincinnati,
Hamilton and Dayton Railroad and we moved back to Cincinnati. The C. H.
and D. R. R. is now a part of the Baltimore and Ohio.
In 1889 he
was made President of the Hocking Valley Railroad with headquarters in Columbus,
Ohio which position he held until is death, Feb. 21, 1896. The Hocking Valley
Railroad is now a part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. His wife died
on November 1, 1905 and my brother on December 3, 1905.” |
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