Wilhelm and Francesca (Thoene) Leonhardt

Wilhelm and Francesca were married in Brooklyn in 1873. Wilhelm was born in Sprendlingan, Germany in the year 1848. He came to America in the late 1860's and leased and finally purchased an eight acre farm in Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn. He was a creative farmer utilizing hotbed farming, which is planting cold frames in the late winter and protecting the frames from the weather elements with glass and straw mats until spring finally arrived. He also was a successful field farmer growing green vegetables for the New York City market.

Our grandfather belonged to a Hunt Club, and each winter he would go out to Farmingdale (Hardscrabble), Long Island to hunt for pheasants, quail, and rabbits. The hunting grounds were the area of the Bethpage State Park, which was then woodland. Upon his return from one of these hunting trips, he declared to his wife he fell in love with a big farm of 100 acres and would like to purchase it with her concsent (Black Course). Francesca finally consented with one stipulation that besides farming, we will have a large assortment of animals.

Francesca got her wish: she had a large assortment of animals of chickens, ducks, geese, guina hens, turkeys, two peacocks, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, and a mule. The farm had a large, long barn, which was later converted to the Bethpage Riding Stables and referred to as the "Corral Hole", which is the 15th hole of the Black Course.

The 15-room farmhouse, which has been demolished, was situated at the location of the 18th hole. The farm consisted of 20 tillable acres and the balance was woods. They gradually cleared the land because there was a demand for cordwood. They sold cordwood to feed the ovens of the nearby brickyard and the apartment houses of New York City. At the time, Heinz Pickle Works opened a plant in Hicksville, and our grandfather raised pickles, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and peppers for the pickle condiment industry. My mother (Mary Theresa Leonhardt) was married at this farm in 1905 to my father (Stephen A. McGunnigle).

Our grnadpartents retired in 1921 and sold the farm to a family by the name of Yockum. They then built a house and barn in the Village of Farmingdale near the train station and continued with hotbed farming. Also interesting is that they became involved with golfing at Bethpage, as they would rent rooms to golfers from the city on weekends and the grandchildren would caddy.

The Leonhardt descendents wish you a very successful U.S. Open (2002) and hope to see you at the Carlisle on the Green.

Information from Rosalie (Leonhardt-McGunnigle) and Joseph Rottkamp. Article appeared in the CPHS NEWSLETTER - June, 2002.