Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/247

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HERING


HERKIMER


1878, and that of Ph.D. from "Western Maryland college in 1895. He is the author of Electrical Units and several monographs in scientific and tecIiDological journals.

HERINQ, Rudolph, hydraulic and sanitary engineer, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 26, 1817; son of Dr. Constantin and Theresa (Buch- heimj Hering, and grandson of Christian Gottlieb Karl and Christiane Friedericke (Kreuzberg) Hering, of Germany. He attended the Philadel- phia schools, and in 1860 went abroad. He was graduated at the Polytechnische school, Di'esden, Germany, in 1867, and then returned to America, where he engaged in civil engineering. He was engineer in charge of surveys and preliminaries for the water supply of Philadelphia, 1883-86: chief engineer of the drainage and water supply commission of Chicago, 1886-87; and was in chai'ge of other important Avater-works and sew- erage-works in the United States, Canada and in several of the foreign countries. He was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Ad- vancement of Science in 1885. He prepared for the national board of health, after a year's so- journ in Europe, A Report on the Sewerage of EurojJean Cities (1881). He translated and sup- plemented, in conjunction with J. C. Traut- wine, Jr., Ganguillet and Kutter, Floic of Water in Rivers and Channels (1889); and is the author of numerous reports and papers on the subject of lij'draulic and sanitarj^ engineering.

HERKIMER, John, representative, was born in Herkimer county, N.Y., in 1773; son of George and Alida (Schuyler) Herkimer, grandson of Johau Jost Erghemar and a nephew of Gen. Nicliolas Herkimer, the hero of Oriskany, who in his will gave his brother George the home place at Danulie, where he took up liis residence in 1777. John's father, George, a participant in the battle of Oriskany, died in 1786, leaving seven children. His mother, Alida Schuyler, was a cousin of Gen. Philip Schuyler. John Herkimer was a member of the state assembly from Montgomery county, 1806-08; a judge of the court of common pleas; a major in the war of 1812, and at the defence of Sacket Harbor, May 29, 1813, he commanded a battalion of New York volunteers. Danube was made a part of Herkimer county in 1817, and he was elected a judge of the circuit court of the county. He was a representative in the 15th and 18th congresses, 1817-19 and 1823-25, and in the 18th congress voted for John Quincy Adams for President. He died in Danube, N.Y., June 8. 1848.

HERKIMER, Nicholas, soldier, was born on the Burnetsfield patent, afterward Herkimer county, N.Y., about 1726, in a house erected by his father, Johan Jost (or Hanyost) Erghemar (or Herkimer), about 1726, one-half a mile east of the


stone church at Fort Herkimer, and which was standing in 1850. His father some time before 1756 built his second house, a stone mansion, about three-fourths of a mile west of the stone church. Both these houses, with the stone cluirch, were included within the stockade of the fort. Johan Jost Herkimer came to America in 1710 with a party of Palatinates, who settled on Liv- ingston Manor, Columbia county, N.Y., and after a few years removed to Schoharie county. On Sept. 9, 1721, this party of 94 persons obtained permission from Governor Burnet to purchase 9400 acres of land on the Mohawk river below Little Falls. The Indian grant was dated July 9, 1722, and the colonial i^atent given by the crown commissioners, April 30, 1725. Tho tract was known as Burnetsfield patent, and one hun- dred acres were allotted to each of the patentees selected by lot and the site of Fort Herkimer fell to Johan Jost Herkimer, who was a farmer and also carried on a trade with the military posts on the frontier, supplying the troops with wheat flour, corn, jiork, beef, rum, sugar and candles, 1728-46. He was also a commissioner of public


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CENERAL HEP.KIA\EP5 HOUSt AT CANUBE.NEWYORK.

roads. Nicholas was commissioned a lieutenant of militia, Jan, 5, 1758, and when the French and Indians attacked German Flatts that year he was in command of Fort Herkimer, and was instrumental in gathering most of the inhabitants of the section within the fort. He received from his father the gift of 500 acres of land, portions of Lindsey and Livingston's and Fall Hill patents, where his family man- sion was subsequently erected. This was in the Canajoharie district, Tryon county. He was colonel of the 1st battalion of militia of the county in 1775 under provincial authority. He was a member of the committees of safety of both Tryon and Herkimer counties, 1775-76, and chairman of both committees in 1776. He was commissioned by congress Sept. 5, 1776. brigadier- general of militia of Tryon county, raised for the defence of American liberty and placed in com- mand of the northern department. He at once