Hi Someone did a look up for me in HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY, MN. published 1911. I don't know if these Deckers connect with my Daniel Decker who was born c. 1815-20 married Catherine Ann Alston on 24 Nov 1839 on, I think, Staten Island. The article has Decker's Ferry in NJ but my map shows it on the north shore of Staten Island, opposite NJ. Here is the article, I hope it helps someone: JACOB S. DECKER is one of the earliest pioneers still living in Mower County, Minnesota (this remember was published in 1911). He was born in Flatbrookville, Sussec County, New Jersey, October 14, 1831, where his younger days were spent in school and on the farm. He was joined in Marriage February 28, 1852 to a MARY A. SMITH, and on October 18, 1855, they started together for the West, where they hoped to establish their roof tree. (Don't know what that means). They reached Colesburg, Iowa, later in the fall, and there spent the winter. In February 1856, they started with oxen and teams for Minnesota, which was then a territory. (This was the same year my Robert and Emily moved Mn.) At West Union the snow was so deep that he had to abandon the wagon and finish the journey with a sled. Arriving in Mower County, February 25, 1856, he purchased a claim in township 102, range 18, now known as Austin, Mn. The purchase price of this claim was $275.00. A log house, a well and three-fourths of an acre broken constituted all the improvements at that time. The family occupied the log house until 1860, then build a frame house, which was burned with all its contents in 1865. Then was erected the house which still stands and which ranks with the best country homes in the county. To Mr. and Mrs. DECKER have been born seven children: ARMINDA, ELIZABETH, CALVIN D., CHESTER H., ALONZO N., SILAS D., and EDWARD W. Arminda and Silas D are dead. Edward W., is vice president and general manager of Northwestern National Bank at Minneapolis, President of the Twin City Bankers' Club, and president of the Twin City clearing house. Calvin is secretary of the board of regents and purchasing agent for the University of Minnesota. Jacob Decker has had an honorable and successful career, and has fathered a family of which he can well be proud. He has held many positions of public and private trust and honor and is now living in retirement, enjoying the fruits of a well-spent life. The founder of Mr. Decker's family in America was THOMAS DECKER, who came from England, and was one of the first settlers of Port Jervis, N.Y., then known by its Indian name of Mackachamack. His son, DANIEL DECKER, opened up and settled the country still known as Decker's Ferry, New Jersey and his son, THOMAS, died when in his ninty-fourth year. His son, CALVIN DECKER, spent his life in New Jersey and died in the latter state in 1895. He married his first wife, CHRISTINE SMITH, who died in 1849, leaving eleven children--JACOB S., JONAS S., SUSANNA, ELIZABETH, SARAH ANN, MARY, PAUL, SILAS, CYNTHIA J., THOMAS and AMZEY. CALVIN DECKER married for his second wife, MARGARET DUPUE, and they had two children, MARGARET (deceased) and AMANDA, now living at Newton, N.J. CHRISTINE SMITH, wife of CALVIN DECKER and mother of JACOB S. DECKER, was the daughter of JACOB SMITH, the sons of JONAS, the son of JOHN, a German by birth, who in colonial days settled on the Delaware river in Pennsylvania. The parents of MARY ANN H. SMITH, the wife of JACOB S. DECKER were PHILIP and ELIZABETH SMITH. Edward Coates Sinker - email: [email protected] Church Lea Bosbury Herefordshire HR8 1PX U. K.