BIOGRAPHY: Conrad Diehl; Goshen, Orange co., New York

transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives

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Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York
Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the Counties.
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United
States.
New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895

CONRAD DIEHL is an old resident of Goshen, and for many years has been
proprietor of the International Hotel. He was born in Hesse-Darmstadt,
Germany, December 12, 1837, and is the son of Peter Diehl, who lived and died
in the Fatherland, where he was for many years actively engaged in farming.
His wife, formerly Elizabeth Milbeck, was also a native of that empire, and
was the daughter of John Milbeck. She was a Catholic in religion, while her
husband was a devoted member of the Lutheran Church. Their family included two
children, the brother of our subject, John Diehl, residing in Scotchtown,
Orange County.

The subject of this sketch passed the first six-teen years of his life on his
father's farm in Germany, and until thirteen years of age attended the common
schools, where he acquired a fair knowledge of the common branches. He was
then apprenticed to learn the tailor's trade, at which he worked in his native
land until 1854. That year he determined to try his fortunes in the New World,
and accordingly engaged passage on a sailing-vessel leaving Bremen in the
month of July. He was forty-nine days in making the voyage, and on being
landed at New York City made his way directly to Orange County, settling in
Hamptonburg September 20. In the vicinity of that place he found work on a
farm, and continued there until 1858, the year in which he came to Goshen. His
first work here was in the employ of William M. Sayer as foreman of his lumber
and coal yards. He was thus en-gaged for two years, when he was married, and
from that time until 1881 was variously employed. That year he embarked in the
hotel business, running the Erin Hotel for two years. In 1883, however, he
purchased the land on which his present house now stands, and under his
super-vision the building was erected. It is nicely located and its
accommodations are first-class. Mr. Diehl is a jolly, good-natured gentleman
and receives his share of the patronage of the traveling public. ,He is a
great lover of horses and has in his stables some fine animals, among them
being "Billie D.," whose record at five years was 2:35. He also has several
colts by "Beecher," and several standard-bred horses.

Our subject was married, in Goshen, to Miss Ellen Keenan, who was born in
Ireland in 1837. Their seven children are James, who resides in Fishkill;
John, a mason of Middletown; William, a member of the fire department in New
York City; and Jennie, Allie, Conrad, Jr., and Charles, at home with their
parents.

Mr. Diehl has been Trustee of the village, serving for two years on the
Democratic ticket. He was also Poormaster for three years, for the same length
of time was Commissioner of Water Works, and for three years was Commissioner
of Highways. In religious matters he is a devout Catholic, in the faith of
which his children were reared.