Not Only the Wealthy and Famous Lived at The Dakota

Not every family has a famous ancestor, but every family has some connection in its history with the great, famous, or noteworthy.  It's the six degrees of separation rule.  The connection doesn't always have to be to another person, however.

Consider The Dakota, an imposing apartment building located at 1 West 72nd Street on Manhattan's Upper West Side.  Completed in 1884, it has been home to the very wealthy and famous since it opened.   Among its more well known residents over the years were Judy Garland, Rudolph Nureyev, Boris Karloff, Lillian Gish, John Lennon, Leonard Bernstein and Gilda Radner. [1]

The Dakota, 1 W. 72nd St.
Source: "The Dakota" Wikipedia entry

A review of census records for the period 1910 to 1925 reveals that a number of heads of households at The Dakota were presidents of manufacturing or railroad companies, real estate or stock brokers, or lawyers. [2] [3] [4] [5] Many others were simply 'retired,' but living with several servants.  Here is the Frederick F. Steinway family entry in the 1925 New York State census of The Dakota.  Mr. Steinway's occupation is 'mfr [manufacturer] pianos.' [6]

As the book Life at the Dakota: New York's most unusual address puts it: "The Dakota was not only different and special, it was better - 'The only really good address on the West End,' as Mrs. M. A. Crate used to remind her friends." The book goes on to state, "Mrs. Crate was the building's first housekeeper and served in that capacity until her death in 1931 [sic]." [7] Mrs. Crate (who actually died in 1926, not 1931) was Irene's great great grandmother, Margaretta Argyle (Jones) Crate. [8]  From at least 1910 and perhaps earlier, she lived and worked at The Dakota.  Four census records document her residence and employment there.

In the 1910 U.S. census of Manhattan, Margaretta is listed as "Crate, Margareta," and her occupation is shown as "housekeeper." [9]  I've marked the census page below to show the address of the building and her entry on line 44.

The 1915 New York state census of Manhattan also contains an entry for Margaretta Crate. [10]  In this entry she is listed as "Crate, Margaret A.," and her occupation is listed as "servant (housekeeper)" on line 28.  She appears to be residing with the Edward Clark family.

In the 1920 U.S. census of Manhattan, Margaretta is listed as "Crate, Margaretta."  Her occupation is "Housekeeper/Hotel" as shown on line 36. [11]

At some point in the early 1920s, it appears The Dakota came to contain another of Irene's ancestors, her grandmother, Ida Mae Currey.  When Ida married Irene's grandfather, George Richard Crate, on August 21, 1923, her address as listed on her marriage certificate was "1 W. 72 Street" - The Dakota. [12]  Ida's new husband was the grandson of Margaretta A. Crate!

The 1925 New York state census of Manhattan contains Margaretta's last census entry.  On line 18, Margaretta is listed as "Crate, Margaretta," and her occupation is noted as "Housekeeper." [13]

The last year of Margaretta's life was spent living at her daughter Bertha's house in Cranford, New Jersey.  Bertha made sure Margaretta's obituary mentioned her mother's famous address when she died on October 27, 1926, but apparently she couldn't assure that the local paper would spell Crate or Dakota correctly. [14]  "Mrs. Crape [sic] was born at Minersville, Pa., but for many years had lived at The Dacotah [sic], New York City, until making her home here."

[1] Wikipedia contributors, "The Dakota," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dakota (accessed 31 May 2013).

[2] Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Year: 1910; Census Place: Manhattan Ward 22, New York, New York; Roll: T624_1045; Pages: 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A; Enumeration District: 1304; FHL microfilm: 1375058, citing NARA microfilm publication T624.

[3] Ancestry.com. New York, State Census, 1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; citing New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1915; Election District: 08; Assembly District: 15; City: New York; County: New York; Pages: 36-41.

[4] Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1920; Census Place: Manhattan Assembly District 7, New York, New York; Roll: T625_1197; Pages: 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, 14A, 16A, 16B, 17A; Enumeration District: 553; Image: 827, citing NARA microfilm publication T625.

[5] New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 21; Assembly District: 07; City: New York; County: New York; Pages: 13-16. Ancestry.com. New York, State Census, 1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

[6] New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 21; Assembly District: 07; City: New York; County: New York; Page: 13, Frederick Steinway entry. Ancestry.com. New York, State Census, 1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

[7] Stephen Birmingham, Life at the Dakota: New York’s most unusual address (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1996), 63; digital image, Google Books (http://books.google.com: accessed 21 March 2010).

[8]  Division of Archives and Records Management, Death Certificates, New Jersey State Archives (Trenton, New Jersey, New Jersey State Archives), Margaretta Argyl Crate; North Plainfield, Somerset County, New Jersey; State of New Jersey, Certificate of Death; 27 October 1926.

[9] Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Year: 1910; Census Place: Manhattan Ward 22, New York, New York; Roll: T624_1045; Page: 3A, Margareta Crate entry; Enumeration District: 1304; FHL microfilm: 1375058, citing NARA microfilm publication T624

[10] Ancestry.com. New York, State Census, 1915 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012; citing New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1915; Election District: 08; Assembly District: 15; City: New York; County: New York; Page: 36, Margaret A. Crate entry.

[11]  Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Year: 1920; Census Place: Manhattan Assembly District 7, New York, New York; Roll: T625_1197; Page: 16A, Margaretta Crate entry; Enumeration District: 553; Image: 827, citing NARA microfilm publication T625.

[12] New York, New York, Marriage Records NY City Municipal Archives, no. 30692, George R. Crate and Ida M. Currey marriage certificate, 21 August 1923; New York City Department of Records and Information Services, New York.

[13] New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 21; Assembly District: 07; City: New York; County: New York; Page: 16, Margaretta Crate entry. Ancestry.com. New York, State Census, 1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

[14] "Mrs. Margaretta Argyle Crape [Crate]," obituary, Cranford Citizen and Chronicle, 28 October 1926, p. 10; online images, The Cranford Library (www.cranford.com/library/ : downloaded 25 January 2010), Searchable Cranford Archive.