THE EVENING GAZETTE—PORT JERVIS, N. Y., 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1881

THE LATE ISAAC BONNELL


Our esteemed Montague correspondent
and historian, B. A. W., writes an able article
on the death of the Hon. Isaac Bonnell
of that town , whose death occurred on
the 26th of last month , from which we
make the  following excerpts:
The deceased had enjoyed throughout a
long and not uneventual life a degree of
physical and mental vigor accorded to but
few, and even up to the middle of the present
month , from all outward indications,he
had some years of life in store.
Upon election day he drove his own horse and
carriage down to the Brick House to the
polls as usual, the rain of that day offering
no obstacle to his resolute will, and also
upon the following day attending a church
meeting in the old Minisink church. After
this he complained of an indisposition resulting
from a cold, yet he continued around
overseeing his business upon the farm up to 
about a week ago, since which time he
was from necessity confined to his room. 

The parents of deceased were Captain
Jame s Bonnell, a Continental officer, who
served in this valley during the war of Independance,
and Elizabeth Shimer, daughter of Captain
Abraham Shimer of Montague.
Isaac was the third son born of this
union, during the temporary residence of
his parents at Dingmans, Pike county, Pa.

Owing to the very limited pecuniary
means of his parents, the subject of this
sketch was when young thrown wholly
upon his own unaided resources. And it
is through this circumstance , united to his
inherent energy and indomitable will, that
we must trace the growth of that self-reliance
which in his mature years laid the
foundation of his fortune.

After working at such odd jobs as he
could get among the neighboring farmers
during his more youthful years, we find
him in the spring of 1809, at the age of 19
years, indentured to one Jesse Reynolds to
learn the trade of a mill-wright. From
this date forward his career was one of
success. Reynolds was an accomplished
mechanic ; for years he had served under
Julius Foster, and for some time had been
his trusted foreman, and now had succeeded
to the business and good will of his
former employer, who had retired from
the business. Our apprentice soon had the
ear of his master, and his years of apprenticeship
were among the happiest of his
life. The first job of work, done in the
spring of 1809, was for the Belknaps of
Newburgh, N. Y. The hands all walked
from the Brick House to Newburgh, carrying
their tools upon their backs, but theboss,
 Reynolds, who kept a saddle horse, as was 
the custom of the times, for his individual use.

During the succeeding 30 years, first as
an apprentice, then as a journeyman , and
next as contractor, and finally as proprietor,
through all the graduations of the business,
our subject advances. Sometimes
working as far down the Delaware as Easton,
and anon over along the easterly
branches of the Susquehanna and up 
Slocum Hollow, sometimes in Sussex county,
nearer home , but principally in Sullivan
county, N. Y., and further north along the
headwaters of the branches that discharge
their waters in the Delaware river.

The occupation of a practical mill-wright
necessarily brought the subject of our
sketch into close relationship with the 
businessmen and capitalists of the country at
that early date, and upon the revival of
business succeeding the depression incident
to the war of 1812, found him in a position
fit to avail himself of his opportunities.

There were at this time large tracts of
valuable timber lands lying upon both
sides of the Delaware river and in the
market at a nominal price, and which only
needed developing to make them productive.
He seized upon this opportunity and
by making several judicious purchases in
Sullivan county, N. Y., he was enabled to
realize by a resale of his lumber property
enough ready capital to satisfy his ambition
in that direction. Resolved to retire
from the lumber business he purchased
several farms near home and gave his sole
attention to farming during the remainder
of his days.

In his retirement he entered into politics,
and among the offices which he has honorably
filled were seats in both houses of our
State Legislature, each for the term of
three years. He has ever taken a prominent 
part in matters of public interest, and
though far from being without faults, (it has
 been his misfortune often to be misunderstood)
he yet had many counterbalancing
virtues, and I trust it would be well
for many of our public men were they
equally well assured that their foibles
would be as soon forgiven and forgotten,
and the meritorious act only find remembrance.
 B. A. W