Here he is, Sanford A. Hooper

Undated photo of Sanford A. Hooper. Check out that goatee! Does he look how you imagined?

Thank you Ebay and Esnipe!

When I started my Hooper & Harris search in November 2008, my biggest goal was to find photographs of the ancestors. I noted previously that I don't have a single photo pre-1920 of any ancestor on my mother's side.

My research led me to believe that the book "This is Our Town" by Harold Albrecht, sponsored by the Belle Plaine Historical Society, might be a source of information for the Hoopers. Sanford A. Hooper, wife Mary Harris, and their young family moved to Belle Plaine, MN from Geneseo County New York in the 1850s.

This book is hard to find! It came up once on Ebay in January and I didn't bid high enough. So when it came up again last week, I set my Esnipe high enough to win. I won! And I was right! Lots of information on the Hoopers and photos, too!

The bridge that Sanford (helped) to build

A History of the City of Saint Paul, and of the County of Ramsey, Minnesota By John Fletcher Williams (1856): "Work was commenced on the Saint Paul bridge this winter Piles for the piers were driven into the river bed. SANFORD A HOOPER and J & J Napier were the original contractors."

This bridge was known as the Wabasha Street Bridge. According to this, the bridge was scheduled for demolition in 1995 (more pictures & a lot of history at the link.) Sanford's bridge was replaced in 1996 with a fancy new one.

Photo circa 1867, River Crossing looking south from North Abutment, from HAER website.

Sanford A. Hooper & his Brother-in-Law

According to the Record of the Harris family (Ancestry subscription required) Ellen Brick Harris (1813-1872) married John Young. Ellen is Mary Harris' younger sister. The Record of the Harris Family helpfully notes that ".... Ellen Brick Harris was a tall woman but never inclined to grow stout, as did her sisters." (pg. 67)

I find it curious that there aren't any references to Governor John Young in the newspaper accounts of the accusations against Sanford Hooper and his activities as superintendent of the Genesee Valley Canal. From the number and tone of articles about him, I would say that Sanford was a controversial figure on the 1840s/1850s New York scene. Wouldn't you think that Young's and Sanford's enemies would have made an issue of the close family relationship? Were people able to keep a fact like that secret? Or did they not care?

Another curiosity: Mary and Sanford named one of their sons after the brother- in- law, John Young Hooper (1841-1889). This John Young Hooper also named one of his sons-- my great grandfather-- John Young Hooper (1879 - 1942). My mother has vague memories of John Young Hooper, her grandfather, who lived with her family until his death. My mother doesn't recall ever learning that her grandfather was named after a great-uncle who was once governor of New York. Wouldn't you think that story would be passed down?

Political Connection: Unremarkable?

I've uncovered lots of Sanford Hooper related references and will eventually post all of them. There are more details on the defalcation in local press similar to the articles in the previous two posts, information about lawsuits including a New York case that was heard by the Minnesota Supreme Court, and information about Sanford's business dealings in New York and Minnesota, both critical and admiring. But I have yet to see a single comment about what one would think an important aspect of Sanford's dealings: his brother- in- law was a big-time New York politician and in fact the Governor of the state when some of these events were taking place.

John Young was the Governor of New York from 1848-49. He began his political career in the New York Assembly in 1832, served in the U.S. House of Representatives, and after his stint as governor became the Assistant Treasurer of the United States under President Zachary Taylor until his death (of tuberculosis) in 1852 at the age of 49.

Defalcation Part 2, Morally Corrupt & Abandoned!

Even more juicy details! Here's a more readable transcription.

Auburn Journal

Wednesday, October 6, 1852

Bad Example-—A Premium for being Dishonest .

Canal Commissioner FOLLETT certainly has many sins to answer for. The high hand which he has carried in conducting affairs on his section of the canals, during the past summer, should bring upon him the severest denunciations of the Press and People. It seems that he determined, at the opening of navigation, on the Canals, last spring, to take the responsibility upon himself of acting as his disordered sense of propriety and justice might dictate, without reference to the opinion of the People or the interests of the State.

Among the most disreputable proceedings on the canals under his control, we think that of giving employment to S. A. HOOPER, on the Mt. Morris Dam, should be classed. We arc informed, by reliable authority, that HOOPER has been paid TEN DOLLARS PER DAY, during a portion of the season, for superintending the work on the Dam. 'This HOOPER is the identical man against whom charges of fraud were preferred and sustained before a select committee of the Assembly of 1846, appointed to investigate the frauds in the expenditures of the Public Moneys upon the Canals of the State. On page 125, of the report of the committee, made that year, we find the following interesting facts: "Soon after the public exposure of the frauds committed by Hooper and Reynolds, indictments were found against both of them, and Hooper for a time absconded. During his absence from the Genesee Valley, he staid a considerable length of time at the house of Dr. F. L. Harris, in Buffalo. This was probably in August and September, 1845. While there, Dr. Harris had a conversation with him in relation to the amounts of the defalcation, with a view to ascertain the amount of the liability of Hooper, as Superintendent. Hooper then told Dr. Harris that the amount of the whole defalcation was from $3,000 to $5,000, about $5,000. (See deposition of Francis L. Harris, No. 89, in Rep. of Com.) However morally corrupt and abandoned Hooper may have become, he could have no motive to state the amount greater than it really was, but on the contrary, every motive to state it at the lowest possible sum, consistent with a desire to bo believed."

It will thus be seen that a man who has proved a defaulter to the State, and who, to avoid being removed from the office of Superintendent in 1845, reigned, has been kept in employment during some part of the past season, at an expense to the State of $10 per day, while hundreds of men who are known to be honest and upright in their business transactions, and who are far more competent to superintend the work on the Mount Morris Dam, have not been favored with work, because it was supposed that their political influence, in favor of FOLLETT, would not be exerted to the extent that HOOPER'S would.

There are other disgraceful circumstances connected with the Dam improvements. It is said that while HOOPER has been receiving ten dollars per day, for superintending the work, others have been paid six and eight dollars per day for the name service.

There have already been expended, on the Mount Morris Dam, thirty eight thousand dollars, but the work has been so miserably done that competent judges, who have seen it, have predicted that the first rise of water in the river, of any magnitude, will sweep away the whole structure. It is thus that the Public Money is squandered, and men encouraged who have proved themselves defaulters.

Run out of Town?

One of the first things I learned about Sanford Hooper was that he was the superintendent of the Genesee Valley Canal in New York during the 1840s. In the 1850s he moved to Belle Plaine, Minnesota. I wondered why Sanford would leave a respectable and high paying job, and move his large wife and all of his young kids to Minnesota. In those days, life was very difficult in Minnesota. It was truly the new frontier with little development, few amenities, and lots of Indians.

Thanks to Google Books and Dictionary.com, it didn't take long to find an answer!

Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York By New York (1846). Legislature. "


Annual Report of Canal Commissioners By New York Canal Commissioners, New York (1847).: ""


Defalcation means misappropriation of money or funds held by an official, trustee, or other fiduciary.

Here's another reference to the scandal. Unfortunately, the reference isn't complete and this is all that's available. I'm hoping that John Campbell Harris has a thing or two to say about this in the Philadelphia archive!

Mary Harris Hooper, Large Wife of Sanford

Passage is from the "Record of the Harris family descended from John Harris born 1680 in Wilshire, England", Ancestry subscription required at link, page 37.
How do you think Mary Harris would have felt about future generations knowing her weight? And how much did Sanford weigh, anyway?

Sanford A. Hooper, Farmer

Click for a readable image. Interestingly, the 1870 census shows Sanford in Belle Plaine with his wife, 17 year old son, and one servant (down from the three servants in the 1860 census.) It identifies him as a farmer with a net worth of $4000, also down from the $4700 total in the 1860 census.

What is the A. in Sanford A. Hooper?

Try as I might, I get a dead end everywhere I look for the answer to this question. I don't know why it bugs me so much not knowing his middle name. Perhaps if he weren't so consistently identified as "Sanford A. Hooper" or "S.A. Hooper" in all the documentation I can find, it wouldn't matter. But the "A" was obviously important to him, and I really want to know what it stands for!

Sanford A. Hooper, Dead Man

Jumping around a bit in the story of Sanford A. Hooper... here is his obituary from the Belle Plaine Herald on 28 January 1891. Click on the photo for a readable image. Sanford died at the age of 78. He was pre-deceased by his wife and son John Young Hooper.

I especially like this part of the obituary: No person ever came to him for advice or assistance unaided. His home was the seat of a large hearted hospitality and the sick found in him a friend whose time and means were always at his disposal. After a residence in this village of over thirty years there could not be found one descending voice to this opinion.

I've been told that he was buried in the cemetery at the Episcopal Church in Belle Plaine.

Sanford A. Hooper, Hotel Keeper

Here is the 1860 census that shows Sanford living in Belle Plaine with his wife, four children, three servants and three farm laborers. His occupation is listed as Hotel Keeper. "Value of Real Estate" is $2300 and "Value of Personal Estate" is $5000. Using the "nominal GDP per capita" measurement, this $7300 in 1860 would be worth $2,419,911.31 today.

Sanford A. Hooper & his Famous House

Alice Hooper's great grandfather was Sanford A. Hooper. Sanford was born in New York in 1813. Currently I have no ancestor information for Sanford, but I'm working on it!

Sanford married Mary Harris in 1840, when he was 27. The Harris family was prominent in New York and a relative included a governor of New York. His five children were born 1841-1852 in New York where Sanford was superintendent of the Genesee Valley Canal (more on that later).

Sanford, his wife and four children (one child died young) moved to Belle Plaine, Minnesota in the 1850s. Sanford was a successful businessman there and built this house in 1871, which has its own Wikipedia page. You can still get a tour of the Hooper House, which is owned by the Belle Plaine Historical Society. It is world famous for its second story outhouse