Written on letterhead stationary of Springfield F & M
Insurance Company of Mass., H. J. Aten, Agent, Hiawatha, Kansas.
July 3rd, 1899.
My dear Dr. Thompson: -
I thank you very much for your suggestions in regard to
the returned manuscript. The Wynkoop genealogy has also been received and I thank you for the loan of it, and will see that it is kept with care and returned to you.
I am led to believe that a colony of New Jersey people, numbering among them some of the Aten family, emigrated to Columbia County, Pa. soon after the close of the War of the Revolution. They probably founded the village known as Jerseytown in that county. William Aten son of Garret and Dinah Johnson seems to have been among them and was a Justice of the Peace at one time. Do you know if there was a Dutch Church there? If there was, its record may be valuable.
Recently I saw a notice to the effect that one Rev T.E. Davis of Bound Brook, N.J. was compiling a history of that town. I wrote to him and in reply he states, “That he has no intention to write such a history, but that he knew there were Atens in Franklin Township in the last century, and that some time ago he read a paper before our Historical association on “John Auten the hermit of Raritan”, who was of the same family”. He will be at Detroit for a few days, and after returning he seems disposed to help. What do you know about this hermit? I think I want the address.
Do you know if there has been a genealogy of the Vanderbilt family published? I found a bond for the marriage of Jannetje Aten with Rike (Richard) Vanderbilt, in the office of your Secretary of State last Summer. It was dated July 26th, 1749, and gave Middlesex County as the place of residence of both parties. Then too, John Aten, grandson of Adrian of Readington married Charity Vanderbilt, date unknown.
I
think Wynkoop genealogy superior to any that I have seen, and see no reason why
the plan used in it may not be followed with your amendments, which I think of
vital importance. The great thing is to
be perfectly plain, so that all may understand.
If the Aten genealogy is ever published, it will no doubt be the first
one many of the family ever saw. Hence the necessity for clearness.