Friday, April 20, 2018

Anthony Koferl: A Life of Sorrow

At the end of the Civil War, Anthony Koferl was born in October 1864. He was the son of Henry and Amelia Koferl and the brother of my Grandfather, Henry Joseph Koferl. There were seven children born to Henry and Amelia. Anthony known as Tony was one of the seven children and was listed in the 1880 census as a glassworker or glazer is " a skilled tradesman responsible for cutting, installing, and removing glass." What did that mean in the 19th century"Many Glassworkers learned their trade as an apprentice or from another Glassworker.  Anthony's father was listed as a Jeweler on the 1870 Census, so Anthony would have apprenticed with another Glassworker. It is impossible to know of his level of mastery or skills that Anthony possessed. I am not even sure of where he worked. Glassworking is the main skill of a glass smith. The smith can create lenses, mirrors, dishware, small toys/art pieces, and windows all from his use and knowledge of glassworking. In most cities glass is for the rich and powerful. Gold and silks can be draped about by any fool, but glass is for those who can spend money."

Anthony met and married Annie Hoffman in 1892 in Kings County. According to the 1892 census, Anthony was no longer working as a glass worker but rather on a buttonhole machine. They lived on the same block and building as Anthony's parents. At the time of their marriage Anthony was eight years older then Annie. In 1900 they continued to live at 43 Johnson Avenue with their four year old son, John her mother Katie Hoffman and Anthony. According to the 1900 census Annie had four sibblings who predeceseaded her by this time. It also states that Katie Hoffman was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1860 and a widow.

We know that somewhere between 1900 and 1904 the family moved to 248 Montrose Avenue, Brooklyn. It was in 1904 on October 22nd a tragedy struck the family. On that day their son, John at age 10 tried crossing the street while a large delivery truck came down the street. John was struck by the front wheel of the vehicle and he was killed instantly. The driver of the vehicle, James Hart was arrested and taken to the Stagg Street Police Station, as depicted below. James Hart was exonerated of all criminal action at a 
corners inquest. The minutes taken by the stenographer at the inquest were destroyed and no further information exist on the inquest.
One can imagine how Annie felt when she heard of the accident and came to identify her son who was lying on the street where she lived with her family.

The next year sees Annie and Anthony living in the same neighborhood. According to the census records from 1905. Annie is 32 and Anton is 40 years old and is listed as a tailor. At this time they are living on Bushwick Place and Manhattan Avenue.

Bushwick Avenue developed in the late nineteenth century as a residential center of industry in North Brooklyn. German brewers and other manufacturers built large villas and commissioned churches and other cultural institutions along the avenue. Smaller speculative row houses, infill tenements, and other multifamily dwellings from the late-nineteen to the early twentieth centuries housed the workforce and middle management of this small industrial enclave, and characterize the rest of the street and the remainder of the neighborhood. The elevated subway runs along Broadway, one block southwest, providing a few small shops and other commercial establishments, while at the west of the avenue, where it turns to the north, lie the historic breweries, warehouses, and other buildings that provided the economic foundation for the neighborhood's early growth. At their pre-Prohibition height, the fourteen breweries in Bushwick produced a peak output of 2.5 million barrels, supplying nearly 10% of all beer consumed in the United States. However, the advance of inexpensive rail transportation and mechanical refrigeration allowed entrepreneurs in other cities to make inroads into the market and brewing in Brooklyn declined. The closing of the remaining industry created an economic depression of the area. The population of Bushwick remained predominately German until the 1930s and 40s, when they were supplanted by Italian-Americans. In the late 1950s and 60s, African-Americans and Puerto Ricans migrated to the neighborhood, comprising more than half of its population by 1970. The economic downturn of the 1970s was keenly felt in Bushwick, when New York City's fiscal crisis prompted cuts to fire department service in the area at a time when abandoned buildings were subject to frequent fires, further devastating the neighborhood. Redevelopment efforts began in the 1980s and continue to this day.


On September 21, 1906 Annie passed away leaving Anthony as sole survivor and inherits $500 of real property. He then moves in with his brother Frederick and his family as seen in the 1910 census. He is listed as working in the trimmings business as a driver. They are living on Troutman Street in Brooklyn. On December 8 of 1910 Anthony passed away and is buried at the Evergreens Cemetery in Flatbush, Brooklyn. More research is being done on the cause of death Anthony and Annie and burial information.