Thall and Lopez family papers and photographs
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Date
Creator
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Language of Materials
Abstract
Documents, ephemera and photographs relating to several generations of the Thall and Lopez families of Canarsie, Brooklyn.
Biographical note
Lt. Col. William Augustus Greene was born in Manhattan in 1840 and moved to Brooklyn at age 8, where he then resided for the rest of his life. He was a descendant of Robert Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He served in the United States Civil War as a member of the 173rd Regiment of New York Volunteers, during which he was wounded and captured multiple times. In 1872, he married Jane Williams (1847-1918), daughter of Charles Williams and Jane Vanderwenk. William and Jane Greene resided at 178 Clymer Street in South Williamsburg. William passed away in 1911.
Their daughter Jennie Greene (1873-1943) married Dr. Charles Sewell Thall (1872-1923) in 1901. Charles was the son of Richard Thall (1835-1905). The Thalls lived at 1122 East 92nd Street in Canarsie. Their son Sewell was born in 1906. Their daughter Muriel (1904-1979) married Hampton Nottage (1908-1961) in 1934. She worked at New York Bell. The Thalls' other daughter Lorraine (b. 1904) married Puerto Rican shipwelder Carlos Santos Lopez, and their son Donald was born July 15, 1923.
Donald S. Lopez Sr. volunteered for the Army Air Forces Aviation Cadet Program in early 1942, after becoming interested in aviation in childhood partially because of his family home's proximity to Floyd Bennett Field on Jamaica Bay. He served as a United States Air Force fighter and test pilot and saw combat in both World War II and the Korean War. He retired from the Air Force in 1964. He spent eight years as an engineer on the Apollo and Skylab programs with Bellcomm, Inc., a subsidiary of Bell Labs. In 1972, he joined the staff of the National Air and Space Museum and served as a deputy director there until his death in 2008. He is buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sources:
- "Donald S. Lopez Sr." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_S._Lopez_Sr. Accessed January 22, 2024.
Arrangement
The documents are grouped into folders by family member or topic and arranged roughly chronologically. The photographs and ephemera are foldered separately.
Scope and Contents
Letters, photographs, account ledgers, blue prints, wills, deeds, stock certificates, Civil War infantry manual, Civil War currency, notes, newspaper clippings, electrification contracts, assorted legal documents relating to the Thall and Lopez families of Canarsie, Brooklyn.
Subjects
Genres
People
Topics
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Thall and Lopez family papers and photographs, CBHM.0022, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Laura V. Lopez, 2023.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.
About this Guide
Repository
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Charles and Jane Williams and Jane Williams Greene, 1855, 1871, inclusive
William A. Greene, circa 1860s-1911, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes documents related to his Civil War service (including Civil War currency) and his interment at Greenwood Cemetery.
William A. Greene's copy of "Infantry tactics", 1862
178 Clymer Street, 1871-1920, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Documents related to ownership of the property, specifications for building and work on the house, and blueprint plans of architectural details.
Richard Thall, 1888-1905, inclusive
Jennie Greene Thall, 1901-1943, inclusive
Jennie Greene Thall account books, 1905-1908, inclusive
Charles S. Thall, 1905-1911, inclusive
Sewell S. Thall baptism certificate, 1906
Muriel Thall Nottage, 1925-1966, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes correspondence, documentation of New York Bell stocks, and a marriage certificate.
Katherine Greene stock certificates, 1932
Scope and Contents
Documents stock held in the Belle Harbor Yacht Club.
Genealogy notes and correspondence, circa 1975-1982, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, genealogical charts and photocopied vital records connecting the Thall, Lopez, Greene and Williams family to the Brownells, O'Briens, Sewells and more. Traces the family lineage back to the Colonial period and beyond.
Ephemera and clippings, circa late 19th-early 20th century, inclusive
Photographs, circa 1860s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Mostly tintypes. Named individuals include C. Fowler Brennan (1868), G. Brasted (1862), Isaac Henry John Lakin (1867). Also includes a tintype made into a brooch.
Photograph album, circa late 19th century, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Tintypes and cabinet cards in a leather album with gilded embossing and metal clasps. Named individuals include Jane Vanderwenk Williams, Charles Williams, William Augustus Greene, Jane Williams Greene, and Jennie Greene Thall.
