Hi Dutch Cousins, Here is a new story that refutes previous information calling a HOAX about the Anneke Jans land ownership near Trinity Church in NYC. Apparently one of our cousins collected millions because he had the proper papers, handed down from my 6th great uncle, Johannes/John Cozine/Cosine, son of the Rev. Cornelius COZINE. Another cousin, Jim Cozine, found this newspaper story from the 1870s and sent it to me. We knew that many members of our family had hired lawyers to pursue this interest before deciding it was useless. The diligence of one man, Henry Caldwell, paid off, according to Census reports. In 1870 he was a grocer in Indianapolis. By 1880 he was living on Dayton Street in St. Louis with two servants, and by 1900 the family (with a maid, a servant and a nurse) gave their residence in Hyde Park, Chicago. Moral of this story: Persistence is the key to success! ~New York Times (1857 - current file; Jan 5 1871: ProQuest Historical Newspapers, THE NEW YORK TIMES (1851 _ 2003) pg.5 Another and Slightly different Story -- His Earnest Pursuit of More Property == Two Hundred Acres in Harlem wanted: Indianapolis is steadily keeping pace with her slster cities in tbe matter of first-class sensations. The last we bave to chronicle is one in reference to a settlement of some New-York property, by which Mr. H. W. CALDWELL. a well-known grocer of this city, becomes possessed of a cool mlll1on. The followIng is a brief history of the case: For the past thirty or forty years the relatives of Mr. CALDWELL have been identified with the movement of tbe Anneke Jans heirs to obtain possession of tbe Trinity Church property. They based their expectations upon the fact that one or two ANNEKES are in the family, and some deeds, leases and otber papers that have been handed down through the family. Finally they all became disgusted and gave up tbe claim, refusing to have anything further to do witb the matter. These papers came tnto tbe possession of Mr. CALDWELL, and wben he received a letter from an uncle in the South, saying that a representative of the Anneke Jans heirs bad called upon b1m for information which be was supposed to possess in reference to the claim, he turned his whole attention to the matter of looking up the record. He flnally became convinced that the papers he held were of the greatest value to Trinity Church corporation, and accordingly, about five years since, he made a proposition to the trustees to sell them for $100,000, which was refused. Mr. CALDWELL then made anotber examination, and discovered that the papers he held referred to eight acres of land immediately adjoining the Trinity Church property, fronting on Fulton-Street and Broadway. Further examination showed that in the year 1773 JOHN COSlNE, his great grandfather, leased the property for ninety-nine years, previous to removing to Pennsylvania. In leases of tbis kind, seldom is anything heard of the property again by the heirs of the original owner, but in this instance Mr. CALDWELL clearly and fully established the record to tbe property, the lease on which expIred in 1863. He made another proposition, this time to the persons occupying the eight acres, offering to sell his individual interest and the pnpersln bis possession tor $1,000,000. After examining Mr. CALDWELL'S papers and the records, the gentlemen, through their agent, agreed to the terms, and on last Friday Mr. CALDWELL left for New York, to close up the transfer. Yesterday he returned bome, having in his possession the authority of the occupants to draw on them for $1,000,000. Mr. CALDWELL says that after arranging his business matters in this City, he will spend tbe rest of his days in Kentucky, which is the native State of himself and his wife. He takes his good fortune very considerately, but says he is on the hunt for more. While in New-York, he learned of 200 acres in Harlem that was in the possession of JOHN COSlNE at the time of the lease of the eight acres referred to above, and he is satisfied that he can work out full and satisfactory claim to a possession of tbat property. If he does, and he speaks as though be believes it, CORNELIUS VANDERBILT will have to pay him the balance of the purchase money on his famous Harlem freight depot site. > > YOU are invited to a Dutch Cousins Reunion Friday-Sunday, September > 28, 29, and 30, 2007, Shelbyville Kentucky. Hugs, Carolyn Remember you have a friend in Oklahoma -- endlessly sorting out dead relatives! Researching COZINE in Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nieuw Amsterdam (New York) and the Netherlands. See the photos of our DUTCH COUSINS gathering in Kentucky in 2005 here: http://homepage.mac.com/carolynleonard/Dutch_Cousins/PhotoAlbum33.html and The Anderson Cow Palace meeting house http://homepage.mac.com/carolynleonard/Dutch_Cousins/PhotoAlbum32.html