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Note: In an auto-biographical collection of stories my great-grandfather Nehemiah Conklin wrote about a terrible storm they had encountered off the Montauk Lighthouse when he was sixteen:
"As we were making our way home after a successful trip outside the bay we encountered a severe gale which compelled us to run in under lee of land between Greenport and Orient. Our safety lay in our little sloop's anchorage. The strong wind off shore seemed trying its best to make us drag anchor. A grizzly old sailor said to me as solemn as death, "Lad, tomorrow morning we shall be chawing seaweed on yonder beach." His speech did not frighten me as I had great faith in my brother's ability to handle the sloop [Nehemiah's older brother was Capt. Benjamin Conkling, the son who remained on the farm in L.I.] So, my children, abiding in faith in Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, we may feel secure in all the storms of life.
When the gale came upon us, one of the sailors was on his back in the cabin spinning a long yarn. The captain looked in once in a while trying to keep the thread of the story. He was saying, "One of the yankees was lowered away, another of the yankees was lowered away, they must have seen fish", when all of a sudden the gale was upon us, knocking the sloop right down; we all sprung up, not caring to die like rats in a trap. Captain tried to jerk the main sheet clear but being a light man was not able. I grabbed hold putting all my strength to it and soon tore it clear, when the boom swung off it struck in the water."
It wasn't until I found a story about the incident on the Long Island Genealogy web-site that I discovered "the rest of the story"
http://www.longislandgenealogy.com/lighthouse.html
....in December 1856,.... the brig "Flying Cloud" ran aground on the rocks at Montauk Point and Patrick T. Gould, the keeper climbed down the face of the bluff in a gale to save the crew from drowning in the surf. He was awarded a gold medal by the grateful Lifesaving Benevolent Association of New York. The inscription on it told of his "courage and humanity saving from inevitable death the crew of the brig "Flying Cloud," wrecked on Montauk Point December 14.1856."
John Maile - The Clergyman that married Nehemiah and Ann in Assyria, MI, was born in England ca. 1844, He married Angie (b England abt.1847). They had a son, F.W. born 1874, daughters Lara 1876, Lura 1878. In 1880 he was living in the village of Lyons, Ionia Co. MI - still a Congressional minister.
1880 Census - Johnstown, Barry Co, Michigan; Pg 250A
Nehemiah CONKLIN Self M Male W 40 NY Farmer NY NY Ann J. CONKLIN Wife M Female W 34 IN Keeping House OH OH Avis L. CONKLIN Dau S Female W 7 MI NY IN George A. CONKLIN Son S Male W 4 MI NY IN David V. CONKLIN Son S Male W 2 MI NY IN 1900: Johnstown, Barry Co, Michigan
Nehemiah Conklin Head M 60 Mar 1840 New York NY NJ
Jemima A Conklin Wife F 54 Apr 1846 Indiana OH OH mother of 5 David V Conklin Son M 22 JUl 1878 Michigan Hannah L Conklin Daughter F 19 Jul 1881 Michigan Benjamin W Conklin Son M 15 Ja 1885 Michigan John W Smith Adopted son M 9 Mar 1891 Illinois Harold H Conklin Adopted son M 2 Jul 1898 Illinois Louis A Jewell Boarder F 83 Aug 1817 Ohio MA MA (Mother-in-law Lois Amanda) mother of 4
1910: Johnstown, Barry Co, Michigan; Nehemiah Conklin Head M 70 New York
Anne J Conklin Wife F 64 Indiana David B Conklin Son M 31 Michigan Benj W Conklin Son M 25 Michigan Harold H Conklin Adopted son M 11 Vinnie E Hawthorn Servant F 17 Indiana
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