CITY OF DUBOIS Page 73
he became known as "Louis the Walloon," being the nearest to a title
in the New World that could possibly be given at that time.
About ten years after Louis DuBois arrived in America,
his brother, James duBois also came to America and joined his
brother Louis. From these two brothers have descended the principal
part of the duBois family in the United States. Among them are
eminent ministers, doctors, lawyers and merchants. Many of them
served in the Revolutionary War.
However, we are interested in the life of John DuBois,
the founder of the City of DuBois.
The family of Louis duBois consisted of ten children,
viz: Abraham, Isaac, (born in Manheim, Germany,) Jacob, Sarah,
Solomon, Rebecca, Rachel, Louis and Matthew (born in America.) Louis
duBois II was the ancestor of the family of which John DuBois
descended. His father's name was John DuBois and he was two
generations removed from Louis duBois II.
John DuBois Sr., married Lucy Crocker and settled near
Owego, New York.
Lucy Crocker was the daughter of Ezekial Crocker, who
emigrated from Connecticut when his daughter Lucy was of the age of
eleven years. Mr. Crocker settled near Binghamton, New York. At the
time of his emigration he brought with him his daughter Lucy and two
sons. Lucy Crocker at this early age kept house for her father and
two brothers and two hired men for eighteen months until her mother
and the rest of the family came from Connecticut.
There were very few white settlers in the neighborhood,
but plenty of Indians. Miss Crocker was at the housewarming of the
first residence built in the City of Binghampton, New York.
Lucy Crocker is described as "a woman of indefatigable
energy and decision of character". We can well believe this
description and this mother's character was impressed upon a family
of ten children born to her after her marriage with John DuBois, Sr.
The oldest of the family was Ezekial DuBois, the father of John E.
DuBois, and the second son was John DuBois, afterwards known as John
DuBois, Jr.
John DuBois, Jr. was born on his father's farm near
Owego, Tioga County, New York, on the 3rd day of March 1809.
In John DuBois, Jr. the character of Louis DuBois, 'The
Walloon' crops out as an empire builder.
The life of John DuBois, Jr. was that of the ordinary
boy in the community. "He was subject to his parents," and in the
earlier part of his life he attended the district schools, rounding
out his education by one winter's attendance at an academy in Owego,
the county seat of his native county. At the age of twelve years,
after helping to produce the crops through the summer, his principal
occupation in the winter was the driving of oxen and horses for the
|