Henry Lincoln Forte ²¹

  General Notes:

[MyFamily.com, Inc. WFT Vol. 150, Ed. 1, Tree #0018, Date of Import: Dec29, 2004]

Linda Coate website

Information from Henry Lincoln's son, Norman Leroy Forte, shows thatHenry Lincoln went to Northwestern University & became a top civilengineer. As a civil engineer in the steel industry he helped build HeinzPier in Atlantic City, New Jersey (where the auditorium did stand), theBrooklyn Bridge (or the Delaware River Bridge), the stone bridges acrossthe Schuylkill River from the University of Pennsylvania Boathouse row tothe Art Museum and various railroads. He was employed by EdgemoreIronCo. in Delaware and at one time was the Vice President of the PhoenixBridge Co. There are supposedly various monuments of him throughout NewYork State because of his job in constructing railroads and bridges.(F-621, E)

During World War I, he was a dollar-a-year man at the Cape Station toload ammunitions on ships. (He was independently financially secure-sothe Dollar-A-Year was a charitable job on his part.) Due to hisprofession, he & his wife and children had to move quite often. Some oftheir places of residence were: Edmore, Del., and Pottstown, Pa. Theydefinitely lived on the corner of Chelten and Stenton Avenues inGermantown, (Pennsylvania) on April 12, 1896, because the funeral ofMarie Isabel, two year old daughter of Daniel L. and Belle V. McGowenLeahy was held at his home a couple days later. Their final home, the onethat his grandchildren remember, was in the suburb of Glenside,Philadelphia, PA. They also had a summer cottage in Stone Harbor, NewJersey. (F-49)

He was raised a Presbyterian but was converted to the Catholic faith forhis wife's sake.

His wallet is in the possession of Doris Dudick. It's most interestingoriginal contents included a tin type of Diantha Fitch Bunnell Forte,aset of 4 leaf clovers glued to a card dated 8-1-1897, and a collection ofpoems; "Only," "My Little Boy That Died," "Foretaste," and "Worthiness."His family bible, that came from his mother's side of the family, theBunnel's, is still in existence, being cared for by Henry Lincoln Forte,III, grandson to Henry Lincoln Forte, I. Many of the family member'sbirths are recorded in it.

Memories of Henry Lincoln Forte by his grandson, Bill (William) Forteinclude a man known as "Grandfather," who was an engineer on the BrooklynBridge & Heinz Pier (in Atlantic City, New Jersey). He had a properEnglish air about him. Even at age 80 he hated the Irish. (This addsinterest as his wife was Irish.) He would get angry when hisgrandchildren called their father, "Dad", because "Dad" was an Irishexpression. The beds in his home felt like they were made from cornkernels.

Bill remembers his grandmother as a small, frail woman who baked greatcupcakes and served puffed rice for breakfast. She loved to ride in theircar when they picked her up and brought her for multiple week visits toErie, PA. Henry Lincoln was bedridden due to a stroke for the last nineyears of his life, and his daughter, Edith, would take care of him, whilehis wife visited their son, Norman's family. Betty remembershim as beinga very grumpy, strict grandfather. She says that her grandmother couldjust ignore his grumpiness and get on with life. She wasa delightfulwoman. (F-115, 122d)

I have been able to locate Henry L. Forte and family in the 1880, 1900,1920 and 1930 Philadelphia Pennsylvania census records. In 1880, Marie C.was listed as Minnie Forte by name and Henry was listed as a Draftsman bytrade. In 1900, all the data verifies information in interviews of familymembers. All children had been born in that census. They lived at 3530North Broad in Philadelphia at the time. (F-43,259) In 1920 only HenryL., Marie C., Edith M. and Elizabeth Forte were living at3519 Broad.Henry L. is listed as an employed Civil Engineer in general practice. Hisfather was born in Barbados and his mother, Connecticut. The 1930 censusconfirms this information. Marie was born in Pennsylvania as was hermother. Her father, however, was born in Connecticut. Daughter Mary wasstill living with them. They owned their home worth $8000.00 at the time.(F-260, 666)

The picture included herein, is Henry Lincoln Forte on the left and alikely brother, Leslie or Cyrus on the right. It is from a copy of atintype. Tintypes were in use from 1854-1900. This rules out it beinganyone but this generation.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Civil Engineer. ²¹

Henry married Marie Conley Rausch about 1875.²¹ (Marie Conley Rausch was born in Jun 1856 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA,²¹ died on 6 Apr 1935 in Glenside, Montgomery County, PA ²¹ and was buried on 9 Apr 1935 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA ²¹.)