Born 1811 Died 1857

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Two lines of mostly similar marble tablet-style tombstones near the cedars straight back from the parking lot, near the very tall marble Saulpaugh monument.

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The thing that draws attention to Edward N. Barringer in the cemetery is the row of tall, identical marble slab-style tombstones with rounded tops. Their engravings as of this writing are weathered but clear for the most part. His large family (he and his first wife had ten children) is evident here, though not all of his children are buried together. But when one looks closer, attention can’t help but be drawn to his cause of death. Like too many people in the heyday of the railroads, he was struck and killed by a train.

Edward married Catharine Ten Broeck and had at least 10 children. She died in 1863, and Edward remarried Emma Pitcher in 1864 at Linlithgo. Her tombstone reads “Emma T. B.” because her parents were John Pitcher and Catharine Ten Broeck. This Catharine Ten Broeck was a daughter of Capt. Leonard Ten Broeck of the 10th Regiment (Manor Livingston) of NY Militia (10th Company, German Camp District) during the Revolutionary War. Leonard had a son Samuel Leonard Ten Broeck, who had a daughter Catherine who married Edward N. Barringer. We’re all happy to know that Edward and Emma did not have children together.

Walking from right to left along the row facing the church we have:

Elzada Barringer 21 Jul 1852 - 10 Jan 1878, daughter of Edward & Catharine.

Cornelia Barringer Hill 22 Feb 1843 - 27 Apr 1875, daughter of Edward & Catharine and wife of James Hill.

James G Hill July 9 Jul 1846 - 17 Jan 1911, husband of Cornelia Barringer.

Emma T. B. Pitcher Barringer 1 Oct 1821 - 6 Jul 1910, wife of Edward N. Barringer, daughter of John Pitcher and Catherine Ten Broeck.

Edward N. Barringer 5 May 1811 - 6 Jan 1857.

Jacob Henry Barringer 14 Sep 1836 died 24 Aug 1870, son of Edward & Catharine.

Catharine Ten Broeck Barringer died 2 Oct 1863, aged 42 years 4 mos & 19 days, 1st wife of Edward N. Barringer.

William E. Ten Broeck died 9 Apr 1863 aged 17 yrs 1 Mo & 27 days son of Leonard & Emmeline died  [Leonard and Catherine were children of Samuel L. Ten Broeck].

Helen Ten Broeck Brees Dates illegible but recorded as died 28 Oct 1866, 24 years, 4 months, daughter of Leonard and Emeline, wife of Robert W. Brees.

H E B? Footstone to the left of Helen’s TS.

In the 2nd row facing the opposite direction, behind the 1st row walking left to right:

Mary Elizabeth Barringer Eckert 30 Aug 1834 - 6 Apr 1920, daughter of Edward & Catharine, wife of John A Eckert.

John A. Eckert 1 Aug 1827 - 7 Dec 1872.

Edward Eckert died 27 Aug 1863 at probably 2 years, son of John A & Mary [age is illegible, conjecture based on family trees. Name is engraved “Little Edward”].

Carrie Aduella Eckert 7 Jan 1860 - Jan 17 1916, daughter of John A & Mary.

Hattie Estelle Eckert 10 Jan 1865 - 7 Feb 1917, daughter of John A & Mary.

Eveline Doughty, 21 Nov 1888 - 7 Jun 1898, daughter of Samuel W. Doughty & Eveline Eckert [Name is engraved “Little Eveline”].

Edward and Catherine’s daughter Helen Reginah and son Edward A. Barringer are also buried in the cemetery, but not in the rows with them. 

In the afternoon of Wednesday, January 6th, 1875 two incidents would later be reported in the Red Hook Journal. In one, horses being driven by Edward H. Moore “took fright” near property owned by Edward N. Barringer. They ran off and threw Mr. Moore from his wagon, but he was unhurt. The horses “ran on the dock and turned toward the lumber yard” then fell after they hit another wagon. One of them fell on black man named Tom York but he was also unhurt. Presumably after this (because the first story does not mention the next more dramatic one), Edward N. Barringer and John Cosgrove drove a horse and wagon from the dock at Barrytown, headed for Rhinecliff. The paper said they wanted to go to Cosgrove’s house between the track and river “in the sight of the old depot” first, so “they drove down the hill approaching the track”. The 1867 map of Barrytown shows a structure marked “J. Cosgrove” where it should be and the tracks appear to run along the road, but this is not entirely accurate. Today, this road has an overpass, but it would appear to have previously been level with the tracks. The terrain is deeply cut to allow the train tracks through and a level crossing would have had little to no visibility in either direction. An “engine and tender bound north came thundering along unseen” and the horse “took fright” and ran in front of the train, pulling the wagon carrying Barringer and Cosgrove directly in front of the engine. They were killed instantly when they were thrown from the wagon, breaking Cosgrove’s neck and badly lacerating Barringer who was caught by the cowcatcher on the front of the engine. His body was carried down track for a distance before the train came to a stop. 

An inquest held just after the accident determined that they were “involuntarily carried across the track” by the spooked horse and an absence of a flagman at the crossing “at the site of the old depot at Barrytown.” The jury recommended the railroad company put a flagman there to prevent future accidents. A year later the widows brought a suit against the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad. The case labored through the courts for nine years before a settlement of over $17,000 in 1884 dollars was reached. A reporter noted that it seemed “officials of the [railroad] company seemed determined to resist payment and baffle skill and ingenuity.”

 It’s unknown if a flagman was ever installed at the crossing but at least an overpass was eventually constructed to prevent further tragedy.