John Merwin Oldrin. Among the prominent newspaper men of Queens County, the name of John M. Oldrin takes a prominent place. He is the owner and publisher of "Sea Cliff News," one of the ably edited papers of the county, whose bright, newsy pages are eagerly read by numerous subscribers. Mr. Oldrin was born at West Hampton, February 21, 1836, a son of Rev. Edward and Catharine (De Freyenhagen) Oldrin. The father was born in Suffolk County, England, in 1803, and was a self-educated man. When but a young man he came to America and here learned the tanner and currier's trade, which he followed but a short time, for after his conversion in the Methodist Church he became an exhorter and later an ordained minister. As his father was located in various villages while preaching, our subject received good educational advantages and when fourteen years old entered the New York Conference Seminary at Charlotteville, New York, where he remained until sixteen years old. He then began teaching in the country schools of Ulster County, and continued this for sixteen years, ten years of which time he taught in the town of Hempstead, Queens County. In the year 1856 he was married to Miss Nettie Burtis Coles, of Southold, and to them were born five children: Carrie L., who died in 1885, was the wife of George Simonson; Lizzie Catharine is the widow of Charles Walters, and has two children; Lillian Irene married George W. Pearsall, and resides at Seacliff; she has three children, and is postmistress at Seacliff; Nettie Bertha married John Walters and lives at Southington, Connecticut; she has two children: Oliver John Edward resides in New York City, where he is a book-keeper; he is married and has one child. Mr. Oldrin lost his wife in 1869, her death occurring at Hempstead, where he had gone into the general mercantile business, being a member of the firm of Clowes, Oldrin & Co. After the death of his wife. Mr. Oldrin resumed teaching and followed this five years of the ten that he taught in Long Island. In the year 1869 he married Miss Sarah Clarissa Randall, of East Saginaw, Michigan, and two children were given them: Clara Merwin, the wife of John A. Bader, now of Seacliff, has one son, John Merwin; and Grace Helen is still at home. In the year 1876 Mr. Oldrin moved to Seacliff, and opened up a first-class refreshment store, and in connection also started a local express business, which netted him good returns. The latter he followed for a number of years and then embarked in the real estate business. In 1888 he bought the "Sea Cliff News," and has made it one of the best papers in the county. He still continues the real estate business and has erected a large building on the corner of Central Avenue and Twelfth Avenue. Before coming to Sea Cliff he was appointed notary public, which position he held for upwards of twenty years. In 1885 he was appointed postmaster of Seacliff, under Cleveland's administration, and served a full term. Mr. Oldrin lost his second wife in 1879, and in 1880 he was married to Miss Eva Stella Rogers, the ceremony being pronounced by Rev. C. E. Miller, at Hempstead. She was born at West Islip, and is the daughter of John H. and Esther Ann (Hubbard) Miller. Mr. and Mrs. Oldrin have one child, Charles Miller Oldrin, who was born May 22, 1881. In the year 1893 Mrs. Oldrin was appointed notary public, and she is of great assistance to her husband in all his work. Mr. Oldrin is a Democrat in politics, but in 1864 cast his vote for Abraham Lincoln. In 1868 he voted for Seymour, and since that has affiliated with the Democratic party. He was village clerk of Hempstead for two terms, town clerk of the same place one term, village trustee there one term, and was one of the organizers of the Mutual Benefit Association, being its first secretary and treasurer. He is at present a member of the Board of Education of Seacliff. For about twenty years he has been a member of the Odd Fellows Order, Hempstead Lodge No. 141, filled all the chairs, and represented that lodge in the Grand Lodge twice. He is a member of the Seawanhaka Council No. 362, Royal Arcanum, at Glen Cove. Mr. Oldrin was one of the organizers of the Seacliff Inclined Cable Railway Company, became its vice-president, and later its president, which position he held for two years, and but for physical infirmities would have continued to hold the position. He was town clerk of Hempstead when Hempstead Plains, consisting of about seven thousand acres, was sold to A. T. Stewart, and was one of the men who had the convey of the title.

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