DeHart Reunion - 1936
DeHart Family Holds Annual Reunion
As reported by The Bryson City (N.C.) News, August 13, 1936
The annual reunion of the DeHarts was held Sunday, August 9, 1936, in the beautiful DeHart Grove-of-Oaks, just west of Bryson City on US Highway 19. The day was fine as to weather and at an early hour cars from Macon, Clay, Haywood and other counties began to arrive mingling with the local kin to welcome visitors from Michigan, Virginia, Georgia, Calfornia and Tennessee, thus making this one of the largest gatherings of DeHarts to have ever assembled here.
The presiding officer was Andrew J. DeHart in the absence of the president, Frank DeHart, deceased. The session commenced with a review of the research work by Andrew J DeHart, historian, during the past year. He was greatly assisted by Dr. Mary DeHart Lightner, of Los Angeles, California. This review indicated two branches of DeHarts, one of which located in New Amsterdam, now New York, and, characteristic of family, became owners of much land and, consequently, much wealth. Their marriages and business interests were closely related to and with the Vanderbilts, John Jacob Astor and Peter Syuyvesant, the first governor of New Amsterdam. On May 7, 1753, Elizabeth DeHart was married to Cornelius Vanderbilt; on August 18, 1761 another Elizabeth DeHart was married to Jno. Delano, who are the progenitor of President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Oliver Wendell Holmes was another notable descendent(sic) of a DeHart. This branch of the family figured very largely in the social and business life of New York and other states adjoining.
The other branch appears to have the same tendencies and characteristics although history does not accord to them a similar important place, no doubt because the opportunities were not the same in Virginia and North Carolina.
The DeHarts in America sprang from the same source: Holland and France. Being Hugenots, protesting the Catholic church, were expelled from the homeland some going to other European countries and many to the new land beyond the sea - America.
Robert P. DeHart, Endicott, Virginia, was next introduced and he recited much local history indicating the DeHart importance in the various local communities where they live. Mr. DeHart will reduce his address to writing which will probably be printed.
Sam G. DeHart, of Stuart, Va., and , although not a newcomer, his address was informing and supporting the other talks was list- ***further section was missing**
Contributed by John R. Dehart
Document Prepared by Gloria Lambert
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