Conger Family
Papers, 1772-1911
SC18698

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Historical Note:

Abraham Bogart Conger (1814-1887) was a lawyer, New York State Senator, and businessman born in New York City to John Smith and Sarah (Bogart) Conger. He married, in 1836, Mary Rutgers McCrea Hedges (1819-1884), a descendant and heir, along with her sister Catharine Ann Hedges, who owned extensive farm land in what became "the Bowery" in New York City; his residence, on Cherry Street, was built in 1754.

They removed in 1840 to Rockland County, New York, settling on property formerly owned by Abram Snedeker in the Pond Patent. He named his residence near Long Cove, Waldberg. Waldberg came to be known for the surrounding area. As Conger was instrumental to the area's development, donating land in 1879 for the school, his involvement with the Waldberg Presbyterian Church, known variously as the [Swarthout] Pond, Yellow, and later Congers United Methodist Episcopal Church, and the donation of land for the West Shore Railroad Station, completed in 1883, Waldberg was renamed Congers. The earliest industry in Rockland County was the ice business at Rockland Lake, which began in 1831 and was primarily known as the Knickerbocker Ice Company. Since the Conger family and Mary (Hedges) Conger's sister, Catharine Ann Hedges, owned a great deal of land in Haverstraw, Clarkstown, and Stony Point townships, the family papers regarding land disputes and agreements make reference to several events in the development of the county.

In 1851 Abraham Conger was elected a New York State Senator and in 1867 and 1868 to the Constitutional Convention. He was also a lawyer but preferred to focus his attention on farming and raising stock. Conger was president of the board of trustees of the Rockland Female Institute until 1874 and was president of the Rockland County Bible Institute.

Abraham B. and Mary (Hedges) Conger had thirteen children, among them Clarence Rapelje Conger (1851-1911) who, as a lawyer, played a pivotal role in the family's personal and business affairs.

The early 1870s brought misfortune to Abraham B. Conger, causing him to lose his fortune. His sons attributed the onset to a fall he suffered from off a wagon. In 1873 they found that he was so heavily in debt from his cattle speculation during the panic that they took action to take over his affairs by buying and then selling his stock. He had also had access to the inherited estate of his wife, which the family attempted to secure from him via a divorce action by his wife in 1875-1877. Adultery with Margaret [J. or Gregory] Northrup, the wife of Reverend George Egbert Northrup, the minister of the Waldberg Presbyterian Church, was given as grounds. It was charged that the affair was with the full knowledge of Reverend Northrup and an investigation was begun to discredit Northrup's credentials. The Northrups left Rockland County upon pressure from public opinion of Mrs. Northrup's conduct with Mr. Conger and others. The strife seems to have lead to the foreclosure of the mortgage held by the Presbyterial Congregation in 1876. Upon Mary (Hedges) Conger's death in 1884, Clarence R. and Margaret (Lynch) Conger deeded the land for the church provided it remain Methodist and that it retain a tablet in memory of Mary (Hedges) Conger. At some point Abraham B. Conger resided in Grassy Point, Town of Stony Point, Clarkstown Township, and after the divorce he removed to New York City.

Family turmoil escalated again in the 1890s when Clarence R. Conger executed the estate of his aunt, Catharine Ann Hedges, extensive in New York City and Rockland County land holdings, much of it inherited from her great-grandfather Hendrick Rutgers. The drawn-out settlement appears to have fueled family tensions, especially the estrangement of Theodore H. Conger.

Clarence R. Conger was a partner in Seaman and Conger, 140 Nassau St., New York City. He continued to be involved in Rockland County land matters but seems to have resided in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey, with a summer home in Bolton Landing, New York. At his death he resided in Brooklyn, New York.

For additional manuscripts of the Rutgers, McCrea, Hedges, and Conger families and related genealogical material, see the Duyckinck Family Papers, (SC15251) and the Henry Rutgers Papers, (SC18576).

Scope and Content Note:

The biographical and genealogical series contains a statement by John Beattie that he married Timothy Hedges and Catherine Rutgers McCrea in 1818, and various extracts of records of a genealogical nature primarily on the William and Catharine (Rutgers) Bedlow family.

Correspondence is focused on family conflicts: the estrangement of Theodore H. Conger; the sons' relationships with their father Abraham B. Conger; the settlement of Catharine Ann Hedges' estate; and the divorce of Abraham B. and Mary Rutgers McCrea (Hedges) Conger, including investigations into the background of Reverend George E. Northrup and his wife, Margaret, who was named correspondent in the divorce. The letters are between family members, lawyers, and those involved in the investigations including ministers and Robert A. Pinkerton of Pinkerton's National Detective Agency. There is also mention of the deaths of Abraham B. Conger's daughter, Mary McCrea (Conger) Smyth and of his former wife, Mary (Hedges) Conger. Clarence R. Conger is referred to as Clarry.

The financial series is comprised primarily of bills and receipts of Clarence R. Conger from 1896 to 1911 and is arranged by locale: Bolton Landing, New York; New York City, New York, and Morristown, New Jersey. Bills and receipts may also be found in land papers under violation orders for tenement buildings in the land papers. There are also some bills and receipts for Abraham B. Conger, including those for School District Number 3 in Waldberg, now Conger, New York, as well as accounts and clippings on the sale of his stock in [1875?]. In addition, there are bonds for Arthur B. and Herbert T. Cage and account books for Catharine Ann Hedges with the Manhattan Company.

Land papers consist of abstracts of title, correspondence, indentures, documents pertaining to land disputes and agreements, maps, plans, receipts, and violation orders. Indentures span five generations of the family from 1772 to 1903 and represent largely the inherited land holdings from Hendrick Rutgers farm, which the Conger family received through Mary (Hedges) Conger and her sister, Catharine Ann Hedges, in what was to become "the Bowery" in New York City. The indentures are arranged by locale with the majority according to lot numbers devised during the partition of the Rutgers farm. [Town maps are on file in the Register of Deeds laying out the Rutgers farm in lots, by Francis Marschalk, surveyor, August 9, 1775 for the preparation of Hendrick Rutgers' will dated August 28, 1775 and proved November 15, 1779, and by E.W. Bridges and [?] Poppleton, city surveyors, November 15, 1813, for the will of Henry Rutgers]. There are also indentures for the following properties: Cherry Cottage, Southfield and Clifton, Staten Island, Richmond County, New York; Haverstraw and Clarkstown townships, Rockland County, New York and Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey. Abstracts of titles and tenement violation orders pertain to individual lots in New York City. Land papers of disputes and agreements involve the Conger family (and Catharine Ann Hedges) and others in actions by companies seeking property in New York City for an elevated highway and a park; property in Rockland County, New York, for railroads, an ice company, and a park; and individuals for a right-of-way and a dock in Bolton Landing, Warren County, New York. There are plans for houses and a coal trestle, and miscellaneous correspondence, memoranda, and receipts. Throughout the land papers and correspondence are 62 maps of property in Brooklyn, Kings County; New York City, New York County; Conger [Waldberg, Clarkstown Township] and Haverstraw, Rockland County, and Bolton Landing, Warren County, New York.

The legal series contains some law cases and estate settlements handled by Abraham B. Conger and Clarence R. Conger in their capacity as lawyers, but most involve the family directly, including the divorce of Abraham B. and Mary (Hedges) Conger in 1875 to 1877, the latter represented by her son Clarence R. Conger. The estate papers are primarily those for Catharine Ann Hedges, represented by Clarence R. Conger, her nephew, and span from her will in 1890 to 1906. Additional estate papers are from William Bloomfield (deceased in 1879, New York City); John Lynch, father of Margaret (Lynch) Cooper, 1897; MaryAnn McFarland, [of New York City?], 1891-1893; Margaret Ann Nash, of Clarkstown, Rockland County, New York, 1887 to 1893; and William J. Young, of Lansingburgh, New York, will dated 1878. Other materials include a list of books for valuation which appear to be for the auction of Abraham B. Conger's Library, lists of cases received from Clarence R. Conger, patents filed by Abraham B. Conger, and a proposal to organize a stock company.

The miscellaneous series consists of a receipt for cologne found in Abraham B. Conger's papers.

Printed materials holds published addresses by Abraham B. Conger and catalogues for the auction of his library as well as a ticket for Joseph Weaver from the Methodist Episcopal Church [of Conger, Rockland County, New York?].

Writings include two essays on psychology by Abraham B. Conger and two poems by an unidentified author.

Maps in Conger Family Papers

Kings County, New York

William M. Powell, 18th Street, Brooklyn, New York, n.d., 7 maps. (Land papers, abstract of title)

New York County, New York

Harriet Gage Adams, Second Avenue, 12th Ward, New York City, New York, n.d., 1 map.
(Land papers, abstract of title)

George Becker, lot on Conselya Street, New York City, New York, [1875?], 2 maps. (Land papers, abstract of title)

John T. Conger, 10 Pearl Street, 1st Ward, New York City, New York, n.d., 3 maps. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Charles Guntzer, First Street, 17th Ward (formerly 11th Ward), New York City, New York, n.d., 3 maps. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Harriet Hayden, 201 Broadway, New York City, New York, n.d., 2 maps. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Paul Feierabend, corner of Broadway and Broome streets, New York City, New York, n.d., 1 map. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Louis Heymann, Second Avenue, New York City, New York, n.d., 1 map. (Land papers, abstract of title)

William H. Jackson, 929 Broadway, New York City, New York, n.d., 1 map. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Edward Kilpatrick, lot on 80th Street, New York City, New York, n.d., 2 maps. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Regina Longfelder, Lot 132, Hendrick Rutgers Farm, 63 East Broadway, 7th Ward, New York City, New York, ca. 1891, 2 maps. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Solomon Mehrback, lots bordered in part by Third Avenue and 26th Street, New York City, New York, n.d., 1 map. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Martin B. O[elis?], lot on 13th Street and Avenue A, New York City, New York, n.d., 1 map. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Steam and Heating and Power Company, 57 and 59 Thompson Street, New York City, New York, n.d., 3 maps. (Land papers, abstract of title)

Herbert T. and Eliza Conger and the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, Lot 660, Hendrick Rutgers Farm, 292 and 293 South Street, New York City, New York, 1894, 1 map. (Land papers, indentures)

Arthur B. and Mary Conger and the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, Lot [?], [Hendrick Rutgers Farm?], 225 and 227 Henry Street, New York City, New York, 1894, 1 map. (Land papers, indentures)

Charles W. Bowen and A[lfred] L. Bowen, Lot 219, formerly belonging to Peter Waldron, property on 120th Street, [New York City, New York?], [ca. 1878], 1 map. (Land papers … of disputes)

Levy Blumenthal, lot on East Broadway, New York City, New York, n.d., 1 map; numerous lots in "the Bowery," primarily along East Broadway, New York City, New York, n.d., 19 maps. (Land papers … of disputes)

Rutgers, Hedges, Conger Lot 78, bordered by East Broadway, Pike, Division, Canal and Rutgers streets, 7th Ward, New York City, New York, ca. 1887-1888, 3 maps. (Land papers … of disputes)

Lot at 63 East Broadway, New York City, New York, surveyed by James A. Wylie, city surveyor, Jacob Rudolph, city surveyor, and others, 1889, 1901, n.d., 3 maps. (Maps)

Rockland County, New York

Conger property, Congers, [Clarkstown Township], Rockland County, New York, ca. 1886, 4 maps. Shows Swarthout's Pond, i.e., Rockland Lake. Properties owned variously by the Swarthout family, Catharine Ann Hedges, the Conger family, Delos E. Culver, Frank E. Bean, the Knickerbocker Ice Company, and the West Shore Railroad. (Land papers … of disputes)

Snedeker family properties, [vicinity of Waldberg, now Congers], Clarkstown Township, Rockland County, New York, ca. 1830, 6 maps. (Maps)

Ant[h]ony Snedeker's lot, Waldberg, (now Congers), Clarkstown Township, Rockland County, New York, 1872, n.d., 2 maps. (Maps)

Rawson's land, between road and lake, [Rockland Lake, Clarkstown Township, Rockland County, New York], n.d., 1 map. (Maps)

Maple Avenue and Main Street, [Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York?], 1905, 1 map. Showing property of Keleher, Chapman, J.H. O'Brian, and Elks. (Land papers, correspondence)

Properties in [Clarkstown and] Haverstraw township[s], Rockland County, New York, ca. 1874-1886, 1 map, title "Map of Certain Parcels of Land Described in an Agreement Dated July 1, 1874 between J.L. and D. DeNoyelles and Delos E. Culver, Haverstraw, Rockland Co[unty], N[ew] Y[ork]." Properties mentioned pre A.B. Conger, DeNoyelles Family, Delos E. Culver, Verdin Family, P. Lynch, Eliza Titus, Matt H. Hunter, formerly Silas Gardner, formerly John W. Gillies, and the Jersey City and Albany Railway Company. (Land papers … disputes)

Part of Haverstraw, Haverstraw Township, Rockland County, New York, n.d., 1 map. (Map)

William Abram's land, [unidentified location, Rockland County, New York?], surveyed by B.J. Allison, 1857, 1 map. (Map)

Abraham B. Conger's lot on the Hudson River, [Rockland County, New York?], n.d., 1 map. (Map)

Warren County, New York

Conger and [Caroll?] properties, [on Lake George, Bolton Landing, Warren County, New York?], n.d., 1 map. (Correspondence, to Clarence R. Conger from others)

Clarence R. Conger and R.M. Gilbert properties on Lake George, Bolton Landing, Warren County, New York, ca. 1900-1902, 1 map. (Land papers … of disputes)