Peter Vanderhoof and Crimes in Wisconsin

An earlier article discussed Vanderhoof brothers John and Samuel, who relocated from New Jersey to Wisconsin in the mid 1800s.

As I searched the newspapers of Wisconsin for insight into their lives, many articles about another Vanderhoof appeared in the early 1880s.

Peter Vanderhoof and his family were arrested for stealing wheat and wrecking trains near Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1880. 

"Wheat Thieves"
Wisconsin, December 27, 1880

Peter Vanderhoof is not an unusual name. I have 46 men of this name in my tree as I write this. The natural question about this person is: Which Peter Vanderhoof is he?

Peter Vanderhoof did not act alone. This was a family criminal enterprise. His sons were named- Nelson and Norton. His sons-in-law were named- Henry Pearson and Frank Harper. Because of this, the correct Peter Vanderhoof was easily identified in the 1880 census in Greenbush, Wisconsin.

Household of Peter Vanderhoof and wife Mary [born Atkins]
1880 United States Federal Census, Greenbush, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin

In this 1880 census, Peter was 48 years old, giving a year of birth around 1832 in New Jersey. His daughter, Caroline, age 20, was born in New Jersey, but his son, Nelson, age 18, was born in Wisconsin.

In 1860 in New Jersey, Peter is easily identified in Pequannock, Morris County, New Jersey because his children's names are unique among the Vanderhoofs: Willis, Araminta, and Norton. Elizabeth was a very popular given name.

Household of Peter Vanderhoof and Mary C
1860 United States Federal Census, Pequannock/Boonton, Morris County, New Jersey

Who were the parents of this Peter Vanderhoof? This was not an easy pursuit and I still may not have a definitive answer.

I expected Peter to be single for the 1850 census, maybe residing with his family of origin, and then married with baby Willis in the 1855 New Jersey state census.

A marriage in the early 1850s may have been recorded only in Morris County or filed with the State of New Jersey. I did not find a record in either collection for Peter Vanderhoof and Mary Catherine Atkins.

If we only view Morris County, there are a few men in the 1850 census who could be this Peter. Without a wife and without knowing the names of his parents, we would not know which Peter of Morris County in 1850 is the bandit Peter of Wisconsin.

On the 1855 state census, ages are not given. All individuals in households are named, except for the entries in Hanover. The household of Peter Vanderhoof contained two males and one female, which fits this Peter.

Household of Peter Vanderhoof
1855 New Jersey State Census, Hanover, Morris County.

We can rule out another contender, Peter Vanderhoof. He died a single man on August 8, 1884 in Montville, age 49 years, 8 months (born about 1830). He was the son of Aaron Vanderhoof and Rachel Doremus.

Death certificate of Peter Vanderhoff. Died August 8, 1884
in Montville, Morris County, New Jersey.
Parents- Aaron Vanderhoff and Racheal Vanderhoff.

A contender is Peter Vanderhoof, son of Jacob G Vanderhoof and Melinda Lozaw. He was born around 1834. He was last seen in the 1855 census with his parents and no wife or children. The profile of the criminal Peter Vanderhoof is that he was married with at least one child by 1855, so I do not think that this Peter, son of Jacob and Melinda, was the bandit Peter of Wisconsin.

Household of Jacob G Vanderhoof and wife Malinda
1855 New Jersey State Census, Hanover and Pequannock, Morris County

There is a memorial page on Find A Grave for Private Peter J Vanderhoof of Company C, 15 NJ Infantry. According to this page, he was the son of Jacob G Vanderhoof and Melinda Lozaw and died December 28, 1862 in White Oak, Stafford County, Virginia.

Find A Grave memorial page for Private Peter J Vanderhoof
died December 28, 1862 in White Oak, Stafford County, Virginia.
Civil War. Company C, 15 New Jersey Infantry.

I am in contact with the contributor and eagerly await documentation on this branch.

Family Trees

Family trees can yield clues to pursue for research. Family trees attribute the bandit Peter of Wisconsin to two different sets of parents.

One avenue is that Peter of Wisconsin was the son of Jacob Vanderhoof and Melinda Lozaw. I have not definitively found Jacob and Melinda's son after the 1855 census. I don't know what happened to Jacob and Melinda, either. Melinda Lozaw is often mixed up with Rachel Bush (1810-1864), wife of another Peter Vanderhoof (1809-1894).

Family tree proposing that Peter Vanderhoof (1831-1931)
was the son of Jacob G Vanderhoof and Melinda Rachel Lozaw

The other attribution for Peter's parents is that they were Peter Vanderhoof (1797-1847) and Rachel Peer (1800-1850). Peter and Rachel are buried at the DeMouth Burial Ground in Boonton, Morris County, New Jersey, close to Jacob Vanderhoof (1772-1847) and Ann Hopler (1772-1841).

Family tree offering Peter Vanderhoof (1832-1931)
as the son of Peter Vanderhoof and Rachel Hyler Peer

In the 1850 census, there is a man named Peter Vanderhoof, age 18, living in the household of Rachel Vanderhoof, age 50, in Pequannock, Morris County, New Jersey. Note that the preceding household is Lozaw and a nearby household is Williams Adkins. The bandit Peter Vanderhoof married Mary Catherine Atkins, daughter of William. There is no Mary or Catherine in this household in 1850. Was this her father? We do not know as of this writing.

Household of Rachel Vanderhoof
1850 United States Federal Census, Pequannock, Morris County, New Jersey

In the meantime, I ordered the death certificate of Peter Vanderhoof for the year 1931 in Wisconsin.

What are the names of Peter's parents on his death certificate? Not what I expected.

Peter Vanderhoof died June 30, 1931
in Green Bay, Brown County, Wisconsin
Available through mail via the Wisconsin Vital Records Office

The parents were Peter Vanderhoof and Ann Miller of Pennsylvania? Who were they?

Parents of Peter Vanderhoof listed on his 1931 death certificate
Father- Peter Vanderhoof. Mother- Ann Miller.

The informant was Mrs Lona Herlik. She was a granddaughter of Peter Vanderhoof. She was born in 1890 in Antigo, Langlade County, Wisconsin to Nelson Vanderhoof (1862-1954). Lona's mother, Anna Kash, died soon after Lona's birth. Lona was raised by her paternal grandparents. Lona never met the great grandparents whose names and birthplaces she was asked to recite for the death certificate. As such, this information may not be accurate.

Peter's death in 1931 merited mention in the newspapers and provided his picture. His crime spree of the early 1880s was not mentioned.

Newspaper article announcing funeral of Peter Vanderhoof

Another article gave Peter's date of birth as November 20, 1832, which could be correct. But his place of birth was stated to be Rahway, New Jersey. This was another weird fact that is probably not true. I have not found any Vanderhoofs in this area of New Jersey in the 1830s. Rahway was in Essex County until Union County was formed in 1857.

Newspaper article announcing the death of Peter Vanderhoof
from heat, July 1, 1931

Another newspaper article may or may not help. Mrs Sarah Miller celebrated her 94th birthday in 1914 in Caldwell, Essex County, New Jersey. This article detailed her deceased spouse and living son, as well as her living siblings. Among them was Peter Vanderhoof, age ninety, of Spencer, Wisconsin. They were noted for their longevity and vast number of descendants.

"Woman Celebrates at 94; Has 112 Descendants Alive"
Mrs Sarah Miller of Caldwell, New Jersey

Sarah died December 6, 1914 in Caldwell. She was buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery, also in Caldwell. Her death certificate listed her parents as Peter Vanderhoof and Rachel Peer.

Death certificate of Sarah Miller, died December 6, 1914
in Caldwell, Essex County, New Jersey.
Parents- Peter Vanderhoof and Rachel Peer.
Document available through the New Jersey State Archives.

Thanks to this article about Sarah's 94th birthday, we know that her brother, Peter Vanderhoof, moved to Wisconsin and had many descendants. The specifics are not accurate for the bandit Peter. He was about eighty in 1914, not ninety. He did not reside in Spencer, Wisconsin, but he did reside in Antigo and Green Bay, which were not very far.

Do all of these bits of information add up to the conclusion that the bandit Peter Vanderhoof of Wisconsin was the son of Peter Vanderhoof and Rachel Peer? I will still search for information.

Possible family tree of the bandit Peter Vanderhoof of Wisconsin

Note: "Pequannock" is the current spelling. The name of this New Jersey township was spelled many ways over the centuries. The borders also changed. I used the current spelling throughout this article for consistency. The website of the Pequannock Historical Society is linked here.

Three Deaths in January 1892

While researching Vanderhoofs of Wisconsin, I came across the sad story about the deaths of two parents and their newborn in January of 1892.

James Taton Eldridge and Sarah Elizabeth Vanderhoof were married July 30, 1882 in Plymouth, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Peter Alonzo Vanderhoof (1827-1910) and Susanna Shauger (1836-1913) and granddaughter of John Vanderhoof (1804-1888) and Sarah Dobbin (1804-1876). By 1885 James and Sarah, then using the name Elizabeth, had two children and were residing in Douglas Township, Sac County, Iowa.

James died on January 9, 1892- the same day Sarah gave birth to a baby. This baby died the following day, January 10. Sarah died January 11. They were buried in Oakland Cemetery in Sac City. James' cause of death was cited as Lung Fever and the Grip. We now know these as pneumonia and influenza. Mother and baby could have easily caught either or both diseases.

Sac County, Iowa digitized local newspapers. Through this site articles about the family were found.

Newspaper article from the Sac County Democrat
detailing the deaths of Eldridge parents and newborn

The surviving four children were Vivian, James Byron, Winfred Harold, and Ethel. None of these children had children who lived into adulthood, resulting in no living descendants of James Taton Eldridge and Susan Elizabeth Vanderhoof.

John and Samuel Vanderhoof: New Jersey to Wisconsin

Next up in the review of the proposed children of Jacob Vanderhoof (1772-1847) and Ann Hopler (1772-1841) are two sons who relocated from New Jersey to Wisconsin in the 1850s: John and Samuel. More information is needed to definitively link all these people.

Worksheet of proposed offspring
Jacob Vanderhoof and Ann Hopler
born in Morris County, New Jersey 1790s through 1820s.
*Do not use this as documentation of any names, dates, or relations!*

In prior articles we reviewed other possible children of Jacob Vanderhoof and Ann Hopler.

    -Hiley Vanderhoof (1803-1888) and Elizabeth (1799-1878) were two different people.

    -Mary Vanderhoof (1822-1861) was not their daughter.

    -Charlotte Cook (18xx-18xx) was a daughter with a close relationship (sister?) to Elizabeth.

Vanderhoof brothers John and Samuel and their many descendants are found in many records of Wisconsin.

Here is a map of the United States with boundaries from the early 1850s. The path from New Jersey to Wisconsin must have been treacherous and difficult. I do not know why these brothers, along with other families from the area of Morris County, relocated.

Map of the United States 1850s.
New Jersey and Wisconsin are indicated with red arrows.

Louisa Caroline Freeman Hickerson (1921-2018) was a cousin of mine on few lines. In her book assembled in 1991 titled Vanderhoof, Louisa tried tracing John and Samuel. The pertinent entries are excerpted below.

JOHN VANDERHOOF 1804-1888

Louisa provided exact dates for John Vanderhoof. He was born January 15, 1804 and died March 24, 1888. These are the dates on his gravestone in Maple Grove Cemetery in Plymouth, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, which we can see today thanks to his memorial page on Find A Grave. Louisa did not specify her source in her book.

Brief overview of John Vanderhoof, born 1804 and died 1888 in Wisconsin

John Vanderhoof married Sarah Dobbin on November 29, 1826, according to Louisa. This record has not been located as of this writing. They presumably married in New Jersey. Morris County marriages for this time period are available online.

John and Sarah had at least eight children, all born in New Jersey. Peter Alonzo may have been their first, born August 27, 1827. The final child identified is George, born about 1841.

John and Sarah's second child, Samuel Vanderhoof (1829-1849), died in Wisconsin. This would mean that John moved to Wisconsin before other families from the Morris County area. I have not found the family in the 1850 census in New Jersey or Wisconsin.

Below is John and Sarah's household in the 1860 census in Plymouth. Note that the prior household is Shauger- another Morris County family. John's son Peter married Susanna Shauger (1836-1913). Note that the next household is Dobbin, the family of John's wife, Sarah Dobbin.

1860 federal census. Plymouth, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.
Household of John Vanderhoof, farmer, of New Jersey.

Sarah Dobbin, wife of John Vanderhoof, died in 1876 in Plymouth. Her death certificate was included in this collection at Ancestry.

Death certificate of Mrs John Vanderhoof,
died January 7, 1876 in Plymouth, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.

I did not find a match for the death of John Vanderhoof, 1888, in this collection. Alternatively, a record of death could have been filed with the Register of Deeds for the county in which the death occurred. I requested a search of Sheboygan County. This had to be done by regular postal mail. Within two weeks the task was completed with the issuance of a piece of paper "unable to locate the record."

Unable to locate record of death
John Vanderhoof 1888, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin

A death certificate could have provided the names of John Vanderhoof's parents.

SAMUEL VANDERHOOF 1807-xxxx

Samuel Saron Vanderhoof also relocated to Wisconsin. I have not uncovered any documents using this middle name.

Brief overview of Samuel Saron Vanderhoof, born around 1811, unknown date of death

Louisa wrote, "One record has 3-1-1809 for date of birth but that might be in error. Charlotte was born September 4, 1809 in Denville." Which record? Based on his ages in the census, he was probably born in 1807 or 1808.

Charlotte Vanderhoof (1809-1886) married Chileon Cook (1807-1888) in 1828.

"Samuel Vanderhoof and Eleanor Anderson - married 6-15-1836 according to one record." Which record?

Louisa was unable to discover the names of any children of Samuel and Eleanor. This couple had at least ten children. The family relocated to Wisconsin by 1855, when they appeared in the Wisconsin State census in Plymouth. The 1860 federal census reflects this move in the birthplaces of the children. Mary Ella Vanderhoof (1853-1921) was born in New Jersey in White Meadow, Morris County. Hannah C, later called Fanny Caroline, was born in Wisconsin around 1856.

1860 federal census Plymouth, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.
Household of Samuel Vanderhoof and Elena [Anderson].

I did not find Samuel Vanderhoof past the 1880 census. Some online trees provide his date of death as April 4, 1896, but no sources are given. Neither he nor his wife appear in the index of deaths for Wisconsin.

There was another man named Samuel Vanderhoof of the same age who remained in Morris County, New Jersey. This Samuel was a son of Cornelius Vanderhoof and Sarah Smith. He died in 1886 in Boonton, Rockaway Valley.

Some newspapers for the area are online. I did not find obituaries for John or Samuel. If anyone knows how to access more newspaper archives for this area of Wisconsin, please comment below.

Probate records are online at Ancestry. Sheboygan County is not included in this collection.

FURTHER RESEARCH NEEDED

If anyone has further resources to explore in Wisconsin, directives would be appreciated.