Picture of Clarence E Winterton, Produce Merchant

I snagged a great picture from eBay. It's a sepia tone photograph of eleven men standing in front of a structure labeled "Clarence E Winterton" with a sign "Philadelphia Poultry." "Papa" and an arrow are drawn underneath one of the men. The number "95" is on two of the posts. This was probably 95 Park Place in New York City.

The picture (not including mat) measures 4 1/4 " by 5 1/2 "

On the reverse is written, "First place he worked" and the photographer's information, J Watson.

"First place he worked"
J Watson, photographer. ?05 Bowery, NY

Clarence E Winterton (1860-1921) was was an older brother of my great great grandfather, William Walling Winterton (1863-1932). They were raised in Matawan and Keyport in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

I inherited many photos from this branch of my family, though most of the people in these photos remain unidentified. I'm not sure which of the photos, if any, that I have in my possession feature Clarence E Winterton. I tentatively identified William Winterton in some of these photos. 

Probably William Walling Winterton (1863-1932)
Brother of Clarence E Winterton

At MyHeritage, the picture was sharpened.

Image sharpened by MyHeritage

MyHeritage also colorized the photo. This is amazing. Life is breathed into sepia when colorized. The numbers on the pillars are more prominent. Light from above is visible within the structure on the right behind the men.

Image colorized by MyHeritage

MyHeritage can also recognize faces and enhance them. This picture was not crisp to begin with. Only one figure was recognized as a face, the man labeled "Papa."

Face of "Papa" reimagined by MyHeritage

The colorized picture of William Winterton revealed lush greens and a stored firewood.

 

Colorized photograph of William Walling Winterton

The New York City city directories list Clarence and his helpers at 95 Park Place.

City directory for the City of New York
1889-1890
William Winterton, trucks, was my great great grandfather.

In 1881 Clarence Winterton married Elizabeth R Lufburrow (1862-1940). They had three children:

-Clyde Ellsworth Winterton (1883-1936), married Blanche Johnson (1883-1966) and Marilena Drake (1887-1966).

-Vera Adele Winterton (1886-1964), married Frank Pierson Sproul (1884-1936).

-Roy Lufburrow Winterton (1889-1960), married Lillie Pedee (1894-1965).

 

Clarence relocated to New York City in the late 1880s- the youngest child was born there in 1889. (Though his name at birth was Orlie Vincent and not Roy.) By 1900, Clarence had relocated to Brooklyn.

1900 federal census 594 Monroe Street, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.
Clarence Winterton, produce merchant.
Lizzie R, wife.
(Children on next page.)

 

 

 

 

By 1910, Clarence had relocated back to Keyport.

How did Clarence commute? By boat or train, I would imagine. 

Current map of showing locations of Keyport, New Jersey
and 95 Park Place, New York City

 

I visited Keyport Harbor for July 4th. You can see Freedom Tower in lower Manhattan from the water in Keyport. This building stands a few hundred feet from 95 Park Place.  

Me at Keyport on July 4, 2025.
The buildings of lower Manhattan can be seen by the rim of my hat.
This is where Clarence and William Winterton commuted
in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Who is the business partner, Frank Wardell?

I have not seen him in any records so far related to Wintertons. He might be the Franklin Wardell buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1945. In 1886 in Clintondale, Ulster County, New York Frank married Evva Carpenter (1865-1955). He must have commuted south to the produce store.

Businessman of Newark, New Jersey

Newark is New Jersey's largest city. Founded in 1666, it became a manufacturing hub by the late 1800s.

Herman Lutter (1860-1924) resided in Newark after his arrival from Germany in 1881. He was my second great grandfather.

He manufactured wagons - the kind that horses pulled to transport humans and products.

His business was mentioned in a book from 1894, Newark Handsomely Illustrated.

Newark Handsomely Illustrated 1894
(Newark, New Jersey: The Consolidated Illustrating Co, 1894), 229

Text of above article from the book:

HERMAN LUTTER

Among the wagon builders of note in this city, is Mr. Herman Lutter whose well equipped works are located at No. 148 Baldwin Street. He is a first class builder of wagons and trucks - brewery, feed, ice, grocery and butcher carts -  which are his specialty, and manufactures to order all kinds of carriages. Mr. Lutter started about two years ago. The shops are thoroughly equipped with all the latest any best machinery and appliances. He employs six skilled workmen and the demand for his excellent wagons and trucks is steady. He manufactures for the leading brewers, grocers, etc., of the city. Repairing is done in all branches. Mr. Lutter's vehicles are all hand made, and renowned for their light running qualities and great durability. They are made from the best timber, substantially ironed, neatly fashioned, well proportioned and have no superfluous weight. A select stock of these is kept on hand at surprisingly low figures. Mr. Lutter is a practical, experienced mechanic who thoroughly inspects all his work which is always up to the highest standard. Mr. Lutter was born in Germany and came here thirteen years ago. He is actively connected with the United Lodge, the Knights and Ladies of Honor.

In the 1894 city directory for Newark, Herman had two entries:

His business at 148 Baldwin

His residence at 48 Baldwin

1894 city directory for Newark, New Jersey
Herman Lutter, wagon manufacturer.
Resided at 48 Baldwin; business at 148 Baldwin.
His brother was Otto, blacksmith, residing at 36 Beacon.

The wherabouts of Herman in the 1895 New Jersey state census remain a mystery. Personally, he was separated from his wife, Clara Uhl (1865-1955).

Twenty-two years later, in 1916, a booklet about industry was published to commemorate Newark's 250th anniversary. Herman ran an advertisement.

Telephone Connection
Herman Lutter
Manufacturer of Wagons and Automobile Bodies
Expert Repairing and Painting
141-143 Frelinghuysen Avenue
Newark, N J

Herman's wagon business morphed with the times. He had to manufacture automobile bodies in addition to wagons. And he had a "telephone connection."

In Herman's personal life, he was newly married. His second wife was Emma Neubauer (1864-1946), widow of Louis Grieser (1860-1906).

Ezra A. Dunn and his Pottery

Ezra A. Dunn (1821-1898) was one of my great great great (3X) grandfathers.  Last month I visited his grave at Rose Hill Cemetery in Matawan, Monmouth County, New Jersey.  Ezra is buried with his wife, Hermoine Dunlop, and some of their children.

From the 1850s until his death in 1898, Ezra owned and worked at his pottery business in Middletown Point (which became Matawan Township in 1857, but is now Aberdeen Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey).  The business was originally called Van Schoick and Dunn, but morphed into Dunn and Dunlop and then Dunlop and Lisk.  William A. Dunlop (1833-1910), one of the eventual owners, was the brother of Hermoine Dunlop, wife of Ezra A. Dunn.

An example of the pottery can be found at this online auctioneer or here.  Ezra painted the images on the pottery.

I found a picture of the Pottery workers, circa 1870, in the book, Images of America, Around Matawan and Aberdeen.  Ezra Dunn is supposedly one of the people in the picture, but I don't know which one.

1874 notice in local newspaper
Van Schoick and Dunn became Dunn and Dunlop

I don't know where Ezra Dunn came from.  On his death certificate from 1898, his parents are listed as Nathaniel H Dunn and Sarah.  I need to explore the business partner, Josiah van Schoick, as well as Ezra's wife, Hermoine Dunlop.

The Monmouth County Historical Association has the books from this pottery business.  I was able to go through them.

The books look and feel quite old.  Inside are manual ledgers of accounts receivable and payable.  The customers are listed with their addresses and dates of purchases and payments.  Someone could go through these and transcribe the people in these books- a great way to place someone at a location in a given month and year.

It is amazing and fortuitous that someone kept these records and then donated them instead of tossing them.

In the Footsteps of Our Ancestors

Yesterday was a lovely day thanks to a dear friend, Marianne.  She lives in Morris County and is able to highlight areas for local research that I may overlook.  Her insight and evaluation have been so helpful to me.

We visited La Cucina Restaurant in Denville, Morris County, New Jersey.  What does this have to do with genealogy?  I would have never guessed.  The business was a restaurant and store on the Morris Canal since the late 1800s, owned by Edward Cook Peer.  I was able to walk around a home where my relatives worked and where other relatives from the neighborhood dined and shopped!

This is a picture on the wall of La Cucina Restaurant.
The store was on the canal.

Today there is land in front of the house and patrons arrive by vehicle, not boat.
[Photo credit:  Marianne Totaro]

The interior of the restaurant displays old photographs, some of the Peer Family.

The site displays a marker from The Morris County Heritage Commission.
[Photo credit: Marianne Totaro]

The household of Edward Cook Peer in the 1880 census in Denville.
Ancestry.com

I am descended from Peer and Cook in Morris County, so a person named Edward Cook Peer is of particular interest to me.  I am not sure at this point how he is related to me, but I would suspect that he is related in more than one way.  The most recent Peer in my line was Jane Peer.  She married John Cook in 1772.  They lived in nearby Pequannock.

We absorbed some more of the local surroundings by visiting the alpacas
at Brookhollow Farm in Boonton.