My Great Grandfather (X 9), Ralph Farnham, arrived in Boston in 1635. Shortly after, the family surname got changed to Farnum. Three generations later some Farnum families were some of the first pioneering settlers in what is now known the State of Maine. At the 6th generation, one child at the time of birth, was recorded as a Varnum. He was the only child of 10 that got that last name. It just so happened; I follow that child in the family tree. As the generations pass by, much history was being created by the Farnum/Varnum family. (i.e., being involved in The Salem Witch Trails), for one. I am a 12th generation Farnum/Varnum. Most of my ancestors reside in Maine as of today. The first three generations were in the Boston area.
Fast forward to my Great Grandfather, Job Nelson Varnum. He brought his family down from Bucksport ME to settle in Atco sometime between April 1865 and August 1866. It was on August 7, 1866, that one of his children died at the age 1 1/2 and buried in Atco Cemetery. That was the first record of is family being in NJ. I have 13 family members buried in the oldest section of the Atco Cemetery,
He was a farmer and horticulturist. He died in 1881. A segment of his obituary stated: "Mr. Varnum was its first settler. Coming from Bucksport ME, he, first of all, responded to the call to build up a town in the wilderness, brought his family and reared his rooftree. Each newcomer on his arrival was greeted by his cheerful welcome and no figure stands out more prominently in the recollections of those early days, or calls up so many pleasant reminiscences, as that of the subject of this notice. He was personally assisted in the development of nearly every farm and the construction of almost every building, and he is identified with every movement of purely public nature which has gone forward in this vicinity".
My Grandfather, Clarence, was also a farmer and horticulturist. At one point in time, he became a member during the early stages of the Philadelphia Botanical Club. It was most likely through the Club that he got to know John Harshberger and Joseph Crawford, one of the founders of the Club and its 4th President. I have his field guide, "Gray's New Manual of Botany, published in 1908. In that book were notes from the two noted gentlemen.
Sadly, I didn't get to know him. He died in 1936, before I was born. In his obituary it was stated that he took botany students from the U of Penn on field trip to the Pines. I think of him being the "Bob PBX" of his time.
Maybe more about by Atco Family when I can get to it. What I said above is what is Pinelands related.
Ron (Rooftree)
Fast forward to my Great Grandfather, Job Nelson Varnum. He brought his family down from Bucksport ME to settle in Atco sometime between April 1865 and August 1866. It was on August 7, 1866, that one of his children died at the age 1 1/2 and buried in Atco Cemetery. That was the first record of is family being in NJ. I have 13 family members buried in the oldest section of the Atco Cemetery,
He was a farmer and horticulturist. He died in 1881. A segment of his obituary stated: "Mr. Varnum was its first settler. Coming from Bucksport ME, he, first of all, responded to the call to build up a town in the wilderness, brought his family and reared his rooftree. Each newcomer on his arrival was greeted by his cheerful welcome and no figure stands out more prominently in the recollections of those early days, or calls up so many pleasant reminiscences, as that of the subject of this notice. He was personally assisted in the development of nearly every farm and the construction of almost every building, and he is identified with every movement of purely public nature which has gone forward in this vicinity".
My Grandfather, Clarence, was also a farmer and horticulturist. At one point in time, he became a member during the early stages of the Philadelphia Botanical Club. It was most likely through the Club that he got to know John Harshberger and Joseph Crawford, one of the founders of the Club and its 4th President. I have his field guide, "Gray's New Manual of Botany, published in 1908. In that book were notes from the two noted gentlemen.
Sadly, I didn't get to know him. He died in 1936, before I was born. In his obituary it was stated that he took botany students from the U of Penn on field trip to the Pines. I think of him being the "Bob PBX" of his time.
Maybe more about by Atco Family when I can get to it. What I said above is what is Pinelands related.
Ron (Rooftree)
