Samuel James Hannah

Samuel James Hannah was born on 13 March 1860 in Croton Point, New York.^1,2 He was the son of Samuel P. Hannah and Ellen Hair.^3,2

Samuel James Hannah appeared on the census of 9 August 1860 at Cortlandt Township, Westchester County, New York, in his father's household.³

Samuel James Hannah appeared on the census of 16 July 1870 at New Windsor, Orange County, New York, in the household of his father.⁴

Samuel James Hannah married Mary Christena Mayer, daughter of John Jacob Mayer and Christina Wegenast, on 27 March 1880 in Vigo County, Indiana.⁵

Samuel James Hannah appeared on the census of 6 June 1880 at 1620 Oak Street, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana, with his wife in the household of his father.⁶ He was a nail(?) feeder according to the June 1880 census; he was recorded as being unemployed for 5 months during the census year.⁶

Samuel James Hannah and Mary Christena Mayer moved from Terre Haute to Haverstraw, New York shortly after Ella May Hannah was born in 1881.⁷

A Samuel J. Hannah was listed as a baggageman at the West Shore Railroad Station in city directories of Newburgh, New York, in 1890 and 1891,⁸ and as a trainman there in 1892.⁹

Samuel James Hannah appeared on the census of 9 June 1900 at Hudson Avenue, Haverstraw Village, Haverstraw Township, Rockland County, New York, in which the house was shown as rented.¹⁰ He was a baggageman according to the June 1900 census.

Samuel James Hannah appeared on the census of 15 April 1910 at Hudson Avenue, Haverstraw Village, Haverstraw Township, Rockland County, New York, in which the house was recorded as rented.¹¹ He was a railroad conductor according to the April 1910 census.¹¹ Samuel Hannah had moved up to conductor on a crack West Shore Line train running from Weehawken, New Jersey to Rochester and Niagara Falls, New York; he would go out on the train one night and come back the next day.⁷ Samuel had a mistress at the end of the line.¹² He and Mary Christena Mayer were not compatible and lived mostly apart in their later years.⁷

Samuel James Hannah appeared on the census of 21 January 1920 at 12 First Street, Weehawken, Hudson County, New Jersey, where his house was recorded as owned and mortgaged.¹³ At the same address was Charles A. Lyon, 41, a railroad conductor; his wife Maude F., 37; and his daughter Roma[?] F., 14; they were renters.¹³ 12 First Street was on the northeast side of the street, about one-third of the way along the block from its intersection with Louisa Place.¹⁴ According to the April 1910 census, the house had been owned in 1910 by William S. Newkirk, a railroad conductor.¹⁵ First Street in Weehawken was renamed Cooper Place about 1940.¹⁶

Samuel James Hannah was a railroad conductor according to the January 1920 census.¹³

After he retired, Samuel Hannah had a boat on the Hudson River. Martha (Josselyn) DeVoe remembered him wanting to take her out on it, perhaps when she was in high school, but her mother wouldn't allow it. Martha thought her grandfather was a wonderful person, but her mother wouldn't let her have much to do with him.⁷

Samuel James Hannah appeared on the census of 5 April 1930 at 12 First Street, Weehawken, Hudson County, New Jersey; he was recorded as owning the house, with a value of $9000. The census showed him as a pensioned conductor.¹⁷ He lived for eight years prior to his death in 1945 at 1720 27th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida.²

Samuel James Hannah died of a coronary occlusion on 5 September 1945 at 1720 27th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida, at age 85.² Ella (Hannah) Josselyn asked her friend James Holden to scatter her father's ashes in the Hudson River. Instead of scattering them, James threw the urn into the river, which upset Ella.¹⁸