Our first trace of Quartus is the New York State census of 1855. He would have been 32 or 33 years old at this point. He is listed as a single boarder living with a family in Denning, NY with no spouse, children or occupation.
That may not seem too odd-being a bachelor living in a rented room. What is odd is that the 1860 Federal census tells a different story.
The census was taken 26 June 1860 in Vernooy Falls, Rochester, Ulster County, New York.
Esther and Quartus are beleived top have the following children, with birth year approximate:
He even has a job! "Bark Peeling".
When the 1870 Federal census came around they found no piles of bark, but a new wife and a pile of children. Esther/Hester must have died but we can find no trace of her other than her name written in the 1860 census ledger.
Quartus was now married to Rosa Tallett. "Rose" is remebered as being a schoolteacher.
A "M.Tallett" is seen on this 1875 map South of the property of "Q.S. Dewitt"
The Tallet family owned a sawmill downriver from the Dewitts (link?). Rose was not from here, though. She is documented to be born in Bavaria
Together with Rose, Cord fathered (dates approximate):
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There is a conspicious lack of prodigy starting in 1862...Could Quartus Dewitt have left for Washington D.C. as a member of the 20th Infantry Regiment, New York State Militia "aka Ulster Guard" in April 1861? The members of the Ulster Guard fought throughout the war, and remained as part of the occupying force that maintained martial law in Southern Viriginia until November 1865. They were reconstituted in January of 1866 and marched home to Ulster County-nearly five years later. That would fit with the gap in children. But here is the ledger from the 1863 Consolodated Enrollment List (Class 2&3). These list were made for each congressional district in preparation for a draft. All information is attested to be accurate as of 1 July 1863.
lucky number 13?!
Is there any record of whether or not Quartus was indeed drafted? I haven't found one yet
In 1880 a census was taken and finding it suprises us again. Rose must have died, and Quartus remarried Sarah A. Cole who had a few children of her own. Stewart, the "son" is not represented in a previous census. Mary A, the "daughter" does not line up with Mary from the 1860 census...
We know from later records that Quartus and Sarah would have a son shortly after the census that year: Warren P. Warren died in 1905 at the prime age of 24-25 but had no known children. Here he is burried in Highland Cemetery (Ulster County) near his mother and other members of the Cole family.
As we get closer to the modern era we know much more. Information has been preserved and indexed, even digitized and searchable. I've never been to Highland Cemetery in person but you can visit virtually.
It turns out you can also read yesteryears's news.
Here's another wrinkle to the mystery, courtesy of a newspaper archive search:
It was still common to call a woman "Mrs. Man" even when her husband was dead. I would rather know her own name...And if we only knew who the mystery uncle was!
We are also starting to run into some modern problems. We have found records that visually say "Quartus" but computers read as "Quintus" or "Duartus", requiring some thinking to find and untangle.
Anyway what could be better than one inheritance? How about TWO inheritances?
Now we have a whole new set of people to track down, hoping they can link us to some unknown persons who can fill in the gaps. Will we finally know with certainty who Quartus Dewitt is? No!
I seriously doubt that he made it to the reading of this will and claimed his inheritance. Quartus died April 18, 1888, two days before the announcement.
Even if he was a time traveller he was apparently in poor health and in no condition to travel.
Why was this obituary printed months after he died? One more mystery in the life (and death) of Quartus Dewitt.
In the end...the location of his grave in unknown.
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