Bondarchuk

George Haas brought his family to the United States to save his son's firm compulsory service in that kaiser's army in Germany. George came to the U.S. from Germasheim Germany in 1855. He had four sons and the oldest, Dominick, had almost reached the mandatory age. Four years was the compulsory length of service. His wife before marriage had been Katherine Reichert. As there are several Reichert family's in Greenport, it's safe to assume the relatives attracted the Haases.

There was a very large conclave of German families in Greenport. Either farming or fishing attracted them. There were so many where George Haas settled the street was called Germania avenue. When the U.S. went to war with Germany in world war two, the name of the street was changed to fourth avenue.

There were so many Germans that all of the Haas children married Germans, except Dominick. Valentine and Susannah married Katherine and Max Walther from shelter island.. Susannah was married and died at the age of 17. Valentine's daughter, Henrietta, married Jessie Ketcham. She died in her thirties. Her sister, Olive, 19 years younger, also married Jessie.

Despite having brought his children here to avoid military service, George was to see his son, Andrew, accept $500 to serve in someone else's place in the Civil War. The Haases were still aliens and not subject to the draft. Things were very lax, as long as someone answered the call to duty. No one thought it would last long sold the $500 left (a fortune back then) was found money. Andrew was to serve and I under someone else's name.

Both George and Dominick were cressman in granting trees. They had trees that would produce four kinds of apples and pear trees that produced two or three types. Date, and later a Valentine, made their living selling fruits and vegetables.

When of george's daughters married a German named Andrew Cook (Americanized Koch). Main street in Greenport had a series of cisterns (Wells) for use by the firemen. They were covered with concrete lives. One dark night a lid was left off of one and the next morning the Cook's 13 year old daughter was found drowned in the well. She had fallen in in the early evening and they didn't it know where she was.

Andrew Cook was a dairyman and also a stabled horses. There was an affluent man named Monsell who owned a manor where the hospital is now. Wolf always pronounce the name Monsell with one syllable. One day Andrew delivered a load of manure. He knocked on the door to get paid. The uppity made told him Mr. Monsell (two syllables) is not here. He said, tell him Mr. CU-OOK was here with a load of SHE-IT for him.