Above, undated photo of Christopher J. Dunn, oldest child of Simon Dunn and Emily Josephine Heaviside Dunn. Photo courtesy of Paul Frey.
We left the Dunn family after the 1880 Federal Census, living on Cherry Street in the Fourth Ward. Previous blog post here: http://wp.me/p1mhyg-5R. After following the Heaviside family and their diaspora to the United States and Australia, we return to the Dunns.
The next Census we could reference would be the 1892 New York State Census, but copies were not retained in several counties including New York County in which parts of the Bronx were recorded. We know the family moved to the Bronx in 1883 and maintained the store at 104 1/2 Cherry Street where Simon Dunn died on October 16, 1889 of hemiplegia dextra (stroke) due to a ruptured blood vessel in the brain.
The oldest child, Christopher Dunn, born in March of 1865, according to the 1900 Federal Census, has married Josephine Ozab in 1899 and is living at 893 Trinity Avenue in the Bronx with his in-laws. Head of the household is 63 year old Austrian, Joseph Ozab, his wife Caroline, age 59, who reports to have borne 13 children, with only 5 still living, four currently with their parents. Josephine (Dunn), age 33, Otto, age 28, Fred, age 22 and Henrietta age 20. Christopher Dunn, age 35 is employed as a bookkeeper. Also in the 1900 Federal census, Emily J. Dunn, age 60, is living with sons Lawrence and Henry.
In the 1905 New York State Census, the family is living at 1384 Washington Avenue, Bronx. Chistopher is 40, Josephine is 38 and their daughter Josephine E. Dunn is 3. His mother Emily Josephine Heaviside Dunn is living around the corner at 3681 Third Avenue with her son Lawrence, age 36.
In the 1910 Federal Census, the family has moved again and is at 784 165th Street. Christopher is 45 and employed as a bookkeeper at a Brewery, Josephine, is 43 and little Josephine is 6 years old. Also, in the 1910 Census, Emily Josephine Dunn, age 66 and Lawrence, age 42 are living with her daughter Catherine Dunn Smith in the Fourth Ward at 25 Oliver Street. Lawrence is working as a clerk in the City Law Office.
On November 11, 1912, Emily Josephine Heaviside died at 240 Franklin Avenue in the Bronx of cardiac asthenia, understood at the time as heart exhaustion. She was buried in Calvary Cemetery on November 13, 1912.
The 1915 New York State Census, Christopher J. Dunn is listed at 50, working as a clerk, Josephine is 48, and Josephine E. is 11. The family is still at 784 165th Street. In the 1920 Federal Census, Christopher is listed as 54, Josephine as 53 and Josephine their daughter at 18 and 2 months. Christopher is now working for the City Government as a bookkeeper. In the 1930 Federal Census, the family has moved to Larchmont in Westchester County; 15 Vandenberg Avenue to be exact. Christopher is 65, Josephine is 63. Their daughter, Josephine, married Paul Frey in 1926 and they have one son, Paul Frey, born in February of 1928. This family is living in Mamaroneck, Westchester County, New York.
In the 1940 Federal Census, the Frey family is living in New Rochelle. Christopher J. Dunn, age 75, his wife Josephine, 73 are living with the Frey family. Christopher is Deputy Commissioner of Public Welfare. The Freys – William, age 42 is a bank manager, Josephine, age 38 and children Paul, age 12 and Maureen, age 5 – are living at 58 Mountain Avenue.
Christopher J. Dunn died on February 23, 1943 at age 77. His obituary from the New York Times reads:
Christopher J. Dunn, who was first Deputy Commissioner of Public Welfare of New York for ten years ending in 1936, died here today at his home, 58 Mountain Avenue, at the age of 77.
Born in New York, a son of the late Simon Dunn and Emily Heaviside Dunn, he worked in his father’s dry goods store in Lower Manhattan after graduating from the St. James Parochial School. Later he was in the office of the Bronx County Register and helped found the Jackson Democratic Club in the Bronx.
In a public statement during the political campaign of the Autumn of 1929, the late Bird S. Coler called Mr. Dunn “one of the squarest and most honest public officials I have ever come in contact with.”
His sister, Catherine Dunn Smith, is the wife of former Governor Alfred E. Smith. A daughter, Mrs. William A. Frey, of Larchmont also survives.
The next child of Simon and Emily is Lawrence Dunn. In the 1900 Federal Census and the 1905 New York State Census, Lawrence is living with his mother, Emily, in the Bronx. In the 1910 Federal Census, he is living with his sister Catherine Dunn Smith and her husband, Assemblyman Alfred E. Smith at 25 Oliver Street in the Fourth Ward. He is 42 and working as a clerk in the New York City Law Department. I have been unable to track Lawrence after that until his obituary in the New York Times which notes that he had been living at 25 Oliver Street at the time of his death from pneumonia at St. Vincent’s Hospital on September 13, 1927. The article from September 16, 1927 noted that in addition to Governor and Catherine Dunn Smith, also in attendance were Mr. and Mrs Christopher Dunn, Mrs. Henry Dunn, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred E. Smith, Jr., Major and Mrs. John Warner, Walter Smith, Mr. and Mrs. John Glynn, Major Alfred Glynn, John Glynn, Jr., Vincent Glynn, and Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Glynn.
The third son of Simon and Emily Dunn is Henry A. Dunn. Henry was born in June of 1869. As noted above, he was living with his mother and brother Lawrence in 1900. He does however, appear to have had a child with Theresa Nuse in 1894. In 1900, Jacob Zimmerman, age 27, a bartender, is living with his wife of two years, Theresa, age 24 and a stepson, Herbert Dunn, age 6 – born March of 1894. I can find neither family in the 1905 New York State Census. By the time of the 1910 Federal Census, Henry and Theresa are married and their son Herbert is 15. The family is living on 145th Street in the Bronx. Henry is working as a finance clerk for the City of New York. They are living with Theresa’s mother, Elizabeth Nuse and Theresa’s sister May Nuse. Jacob Zimmerman died in 1900. Henry’s age is listed as 38 (really 40 going on 41).
In the 1915 New York State Census, Henry, age 45, Theresa, age 39 and Herbert, age 21 are living in the Bronx. Henry as a bookkeeper in the Insurance industry, Herbert is a marine plumber. In the 1920 Federal Census, Henry A Dunn, age 49, is an State Insurance examiner, Theresa, age 44 is a housewife and Herbert, 24 is a plumber on a merchant vessel. On February 12, 1922, Henry A. Dunn died of pneumonia at St. Francis Hospital. He is originally interred in St. Raymond’s Cemetery, later re-interred in the Dunn Family plot in Cavalry cemetery. The 1925 New York State Census shows Theresa Nuse Dunn, age 49, working as a state clerk, living with her son, Herbert, age 31, his wife Edith Veronica Alsdorf, age 18, a two year old daughter Ella, and one year old son, Lawrence. Herbert is now working as a pattern fitter.
By the time of the 1930 Federal Census, the Herbert and Edith Dunn family has grown to five children, along with Herbert’s mother Theresa. The family has moved to Staten Island. Herbert is 36, Edith 23, Ella is 7, Lawrence is 5, Theresa is 4, Herbert, Jr. is 2 and a living son is 2 months old. Herbert is working as steam fitter.
Henry A Dunn and Theresa Nuse Dunn with Herbert Dunn.
Anne and Art 