Stephen Breese

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Stephen Breese

Biographical and Genealogical History of Morris County New Jersey. Illustrated. Vol. II., Lewis Publishing Company, New York and Chicago, 1899.

Recognized as one of the influential, energetic citizens of Morristown, Morris county, Mr. BREESE is a native of the Empire state, his birth having occurred in Elmira, New York, on the 4th of April, 1833, his parents being Bailey and Sally (WHITENACK) BREESE, both of whom were born in Somerset county, New Jersey, and were members of old New Jersey families. Bailey BREESE, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was likewise a native of Somerset county, and was of German-Scotch ancestry. He engaged in tilling the soil of his home county for many years and then moved to Illinois, where he died at the advanced age of eighty years. His son, Bailey, married and lived near Elmira, New York, for a short time and then came to New Jersey, locating in Somerset county, when Stephen was three years old, and there he followed farming and operated a stage line from Morristown to Basking Ridge for a while, subsequently, in 1862, removing to Morris county, where both he and his wife died,--the mother at the age of seventy- six and the father at seventy-seven. Three sons were born to them, our subject being the only one surviving.

Stephen BREESE received his mental training in the public schools of Basking Ridge, and upon leaving the same he secured employment as a clerk in a mercantile establishment in the same town. He was thus employed for two years, after which he took a position as clerk in the dry-goods establishment of I. S. Miller, in Jersey City, an incumbency which he retained for a period of about seven years, after which he was for about two years employed in the wholesale dry-goods house of Phillips & Spencer, on Barclay street, New York. He then became associated with his father in the express business, with headquarters at 162 Broadway, New York, and subsequently established the Breese & Company Express on the Delaware, Lackawanna &Western Railroad, which was then operated as the Morris & Essex Railroad. The express business thus instituted was the first ever operated on that line, and Mr. BREESE continued the enterprise for a period of fourteen years. He eventually engaged in the real-estate and insurance business in Morristown where he has successfully carried on operations in this line for the past ten years, being regarded as one of the prosperous and progressive business men of Morristown.

In his political adherency Mr. BREESE is a stanch Democrat and a firm believer in the principles and policies of that party. For seven years he was collector for Morris township, resigning that incumbency to accept the office of postmaster of Morristown, to which he was appointed in March, 1895, by President Cleveland, and in this capacity he has given the fullest satisfaction by the capable manner in which he has fulfilled the duties attendant upon that position.

Mr. BREESE's first marriage was consummated in 1872, when he was united to Miss Henrietta CONNETT, whose death occurred in 1876. She became the mother of two children,

Fred S. and
Henrietta.

In 1891 Mr. BREESE was married to Miss Susan VAN RODEN, and of this union one child has been born, namely,

Isabella.

Mr. BREESE is a self-made man in the fullest sense of the term, his present position in life being the logical result of applied industry, ability and strict integrity of character. He is quiet and unassuming, popular in business and social circles, and has gained and retains the respect of a host of friends.

This biography was scanned and contributed by Catherine Smith DeMayo.