"Portrait and Biographical Record of Hunterdon and Warren counties, New Jersey"
Chapman Publishing Company, New York and Chicago, 1898
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ALVIN A. VAN HORN. Numbered among
the most enterprising business men of Hope,
Warren County, is the gentleman whose
name heads this review. He was born in Frelinghuysen Township, in this county, in February,
1849, and lived with his parents until he reached
his majority. At that time he came to this region
and was interested in conducting a farm for two
years. In 1872 he removed to this town and was
employed as a clerk by Edmund Turner during
some three years. He learned the details of
finance, and the foundation principles of business
then which he has since put into practice. For
a short time he carried on a store of his own in
Bridgeville, but, preferring this place for many
reasons, and believing that it had a more promising future before it, he returned and opened a
new building, stocking it with a complete line of
fresh and desirable wares, and his prosperity was
assured from the start. He has, indeed, succeeded even beyond his expectations, and has
built up a reputation for honesty and fairness in
all his transactions that anyone might well envy.
December 24, 1873, Mr. Van Horn married
Phoebe M. Gibbs, daughter of Israel S. Gibbs, of
this place. Three children graced this union,
Edwin T., Nettie P. and Clarence G. Edwin,
the eldest, is successfully engaged in the grocery
business in East Orange, N. J. He married
Frances Linabery, of Blairstown. The younger
children of our subject are attending school and
live at home.
In politics Mr. Van Horn is a Democrat. In
1880 he was elected collector of Hope Township,
and served as such for three years. In 1885 he
was elected to the position of assessor, and acted
in that capacity six years, at the end of that
period being re-elected for another three years.
Again, in 1893, he was chosen by the people to
fill this post, and in all, has occupied the office
about fourteen years. While a resident of Bridge-
ville he was the postmaster of the village, and
under Cleveland's last administration he was the
postmaster of Hope. In these differing public
positions he gave satisfaction to his political
opponents as well as to those of his own political
faith. He owns three good farms in this county,
these being at present rented to responsible tenants.
In the fraternal orders he is associated with the
Odd Fellows, the Junior Order of United American
Mechanics and the Red Men, of Hope; in the
last-named having held all the offices, and for
one term served as district deputy. He and his
family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church
here, in which he was for a time a trustee.
Abram Van Horn, father of Alvin A., was a
native of the same township as was our subject.
He followed agricultural pursuits there for many
years, and afterward came to the neighborhood
of Hope. After a residence hereabouts of twenty
years, he retired from active toil, settling down
to pass his remaining years in the village of
Marksboro. Formerly he carried on quite an
extensive milling business in that place. He has
been an enthusiastic Democrat, and for a number
of years he was a constable. In his young manhood he married Miranda E. Cummings, daughter of Jacob Cummings. The marriage of Mr.
and Mrs. Van Horn, Sr. , was blessed by nine
children, viz.: Jacob C, of Blairstown; Mary E.,
wife of Norman E. Perry; Alvin A.; Austin, deceased; Andrew N. ; Johnson C; Garrett A.;
Rose M., wife of Amos Albert; and George M.
The mother died in March, 1898, aged seventy-three years.
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