Tunis Van Pelt Talmage (July 24, 1832 – November 28, 1909) was an American businessman and politician from New York.
Life
Talmage was born on July 24, 1832, in
Clinton, New Jersey
Clinton is a town in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is located on the South Branch of the Raritan River in the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town's population was 2,719,Thomas Goyn Talmage and Dorothy Miller. He grew up in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
until he was eight, after which he lived in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...
. His father was
Mayor of Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behin ...
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and p ...
from New Jersey. Among his cousins were attorney
George Macculloch Miller
George Macculloch Miller (May 4, 1832 – November 14, 1917), was a prominent lawyer and secretary of Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Early life
George Macculloch Miller was born in 1832 in Morristown, New Jersey. He was a son of politician ...
and clergyman
John Van Nest Talmage
John Van Nest Talmage (18 August 1819 – 19 August 1892), was a Protestant Christian missionary to Amoy, Fujian, China. He was sent by the Reformed Church in America from 1847 to 1890.
Biography
His younger brother Thomas De Witt Talmage w ...
and
Thomas De Witt Talmage
Thomas De Witt Talmage (January 7, 1832April 12, 1902) was a preacher, clergyman and divine in the United States who held pastorates in the Reformed Church in America and Presbyterian Church. He was one of the most prominent religious leader ...
.
Talmage attended the
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic Canad ...
Grammar School in New Jersey.
Career
In 1849, he moved to
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
and worked in the general merchandise establishment of Talmage, Green & Co. Two years later, he returned to Brooklyn and obtained a contract to pave and grade the streets. After seven years in that business, he established himself in the coal business. In 1860, he was elected
supervisor
A supervisor, or lead, (also known as foreman, boss, overseer, facilitator, monitor, area coordinator, line-manager or sometimes gaffer) is the job title of a lower-level management position that is primarily based on authority over workers or ...
of the Eighth Ward. A year later, he served on the committee of volunteers that relieved families of soldiers killed in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
. In 1862, he was elected alderman from the Eighth Ward, and in 1864 he was re-elected and made president of the board.
During the Civil War, Talmage helped raise the 56th New York Infantry Regiment, which his brother was major of. Governor
Morgan Morgan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Morgan (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Morgan le Fay, a powerful witch in Arthurian legend
* Morgan (surname), a surname of Welsh origin
* Morgan (singer), ...
appointed him captain of the regiment, and he joined the regiment in the front during the Gettysburg campaign. He remained in active service until the end of the campaign, at which point he resigned. In 1865, he came within one vote of receiving the mayoral nomination, losing the nomination to Martin Kalbfleisch. In 1867, he unsuccessfully ran for mayor as an independent Democrat.
In 1874, Talmage was elected to the
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.
The Assem ...
as a Democrat, representing the Kings County 4th District (Wards 5, 10, and 22 of Brooklyn). He served in the Assembly in
1875
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of th ...
and
1876
Events
January–March
* January 1
** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin.
** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol.
* February 2 – The National League, National League of Professional Ba ...
. In the Assembly, he advocated Governor Tilden's reform measures. He also introduced and carried through a readjustment of Prospect Park taxes, which shifted taxation from property holders contiguous to the Park to the entire city. In 1882, he went from the retail coal business to the wholesale coal trade. He was also involved in real estate.
Personal life
In 1853, he married Magdalene Van Nest de Forest (1836–1905), a daughter of John J. de Forest and Madeline ( Van Nest). Their children were:
* Magdalen Talmage Dodge (1854–1941), who married Francis Edward Dodge (1841–1926) of New York City.
* William De forest Talmage (1860–1941)
* Katherine Arvilla Talmage (1863–1939), who married William H. Force in 1889.
Talmage was affiliated with the Crescent Athletic Club. He was a member of the
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family a ...
until 1898, when he became a member and trustee of the Park Congregational Church.
Talmage died at home at 216 Eighth Avenue following a 18-week illness that left him bedridden the entire time on November 28, 1909. He was buried in
Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several ...
John Jacob Astor IV
John Jacob Astor IV (July 13, 1864 – April 15, 1912) was an American business magnate, real estate developer, investor, writer, lieutenant colonel in the Spanish–American War, and a prominent member of the Astor family. He died in the sinki ...
, William Karl Dick, and
Enzo Fiermonte
Enzo Fiermonte (17 July 1908 – 22 March 1993), sometimes credited as William Bird, was an Italian actor and boxer.
Early life
Vincenzo "Enzo" Fiermonte was born on 17 July 1908 in Casamassima, a rural village near Bari, in southern Italy to ...