Lewis Daniel Cary

Lewis Daniel CAREY, a prominent resident of Roxbury township, Morris county, New Jersey, is a member of an extremely old family, both in its American and English associations. In its first appearance in the old records the name is spelled KARI, either the original or derivative of Castle KARI, Somersetshire, England, the abode of Adam de KARI in the latter part of the twelfth century. For some five generations thereafter the family remained resident in this Castle KARI or KARY, after which it removed to Devonshire and there made its home for upwards of a century and a half, and then returned to Somersetshire until the emigration in 1634. The line from the earliest records traced is as follows: (I) Adam de KARI, Castle KARI, Somersetshire, England, 1170. (II) John de KARY, Castle KARY, 1200. (III) William de KARY, Castle KARY, 1230. (IV) John de KARY, Castle KARY, 1270. (V) William KARY, Castle KARY, 1300. (VI) John CARY, St. Giles-in-the-Heath, Devon, England, 1325. (VII) John CARY, Holway, Devon, England, 1350. (VIII) Robert CARY, Holway, 1375. (IX) Philip CARY, Holway, 1400. (X) William CARY, Cockington, Devon, England, 1430. (XI) Robert CARY, Clovely, Devon, England, 1460. (XII) William CARY, Bristol, Somersetshire, England, 1500. (XIII) Robert CARY, Bristol, Somersetshire, England, 1525. (XIV) William CARY, Bristol, 1560. (XV) John CARY, Bristol, 1610, he came to America in 1634. (XVI) Jonathan CARY, Duxbury, Massachusetts, 1656. (XVII) John CARY, Duxbury, 1690. (XVIII John CARY, Bridgewater, Massachusetts, 1719.

John CARY (XV) of Bristol, England, was the first of the name to come to America. He settled in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and the CARY family of Roxbury township, Morris county, New Jersey, are descended from him through Francis (XVI), 1647; Ephraim (XVII), 1679; Daniel (XVIII), 1716. Daniel CARY came to Morris county about the year 1746 and settled on the old CARY farm or estate, which is still the home of the family. His maternal ancestry in America dates from the landing of Joseph NORTHRUP in Boston, July 26, 1637, three years after John CARY landed, and Mr. CARY is of the eighth generation in America in each line of his ancestry. The CARY estate is situated at what is now known as CARY Station in Roxbury township, and originally had nothing in the way of buildings upon it but a log house; later the old stone structure was built which is still standing and which has been the scene of the births in the family for several generations.

The paternal grandfather of Lewis Daniel CARY was Daniel CARY, son of Lewis, son of Daniel (XVIII) who was born in the old mansion, May 29, 1791, died January 19, 1864. He was a prominent man in the community in his day, and active in the organization of the congregation and in the building of the old Presbyterian church of Sussasunna, New Jersey. He married Eliza Wills, a native of Morris county, February 25, 1821. His son, William S. CARY, was also born on the estate, March 28, 1822, died June 28, 1902. He was a surveyor and assisted in running the original railroad lines from Dover to Hackettstown, New Jersey, on the extension from Morristown to Hackettstown. He married (first) Phoebe NORTHRUP, April 17, 1852, daughter of James and Mary (VAUGHN) NORTHRUP, natives of Sussex county, New Jersey, where they lived and died, a short distance northeast of the town of Newton, where their daughter was born February 12, 1827. To William S. and Phoebe (NORTHRUP) CARY there were born three children as follows:

1. Ann Eliza, born February 4, 1853, at what is now CARY Station; married, October 25, 1883, Nicholas W. HOFFMAN, a dealer in farm machinery and agricultural supplies, of Lebanon, New Jersey; they are the parents of one son, Albert Cary HOFFMAN.
2. Lyman NORTHRUP, born May 5, 1856; married December 12, 1894, Annie Alison CLARK; he is now a well to do real estate man of Mandan, North Dakota; they have four children: Ethelind, a student in the Washington Seminary, at Washington, Pennsylvania; William Sayre, James Alison, and Colin.
3. Lewis Daniel, mentioned below.

Lewis Daniel CARY, third child of William S. and Phoebe (NORTHRUP) CARY, was born November 30, 1858, on the old CARY estate. He obtained his education at the local school in Flanders, Morris county, and later at Stoutenburg’s School on Schooleys Mountain and the Chester Institute. After completing his studies at these institutions, he took up his father’s profession of surveyor, and worked with the latter until 1879, when he went west. He first located in North Dakota, but did not remain there long, and in a few months left for Montana and settled in Jefferson City in that State. Here he remained three years, but after the expiration of this period, returned to the east and to his old home, where he engaged in his profession of surveyor and in managing his father’s sand pit. Mr. CARY later devoted himself to the surveying and construction of roads and served for a time as assistant to the county engineer. During his work in this capacity he was in charge of the construction of fifty miles of macadam road in Morris county. Mr. CARY and his brother, Lyman N. CAREY, are the sole owners of the CARY estate besides a great deal of other property. The farm upon which Mr. CARY himself lives has installed upon it the largest irrigation system in the State of New Jersey, and has been used for growing hay for more than a century. Mr. CARY is affiliated with the fraternal circles of his district and is a member of Musconetcong Lodge, F. and A. M., at Stanhope; Baldwin Chapter, No. 17, R. A. M., and Ode de St. Aman Commandery, of Morristown, New Jersey. He is a Democrat in politics, but an independent voter; an attendant of the Presbyterian church, as were his father and grandfather before him. He has served as trustee of the Succasunna Presbyterian Church, which his ancestors were instrumental in founding.

Mr. CARY married, June 18, 1896, Carrie II SALMON, daughter of George L. and Caroline (BARTLEY) SALMON, of Mount Olive township, Morris county, New Jersey. Mr. SALMON was a prosperous farmer of that district and was born there August 1, 1828, died September 3, 1907. To Mr. and Mrs. CARY have been born two children, the first died in infancy, the second, Phoebe Dorothy CARY, born April 10, 1909, died August 15, 1909.

This biography was transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003).