WILLIAM VAN DINE, Suffern, New York.
The subject of this sketch was born in Secaucus, Hudson County, New Jersey, on October 4, 1863, and is the son of William Van Dine, a farmer now residing in Rockland County, New York. Mr. Van Dine secured a good education, having attended the public schools of his native town until he was 17 years of age. His father being a farmer, it is but natural that the young man should have adopted that calling; but, after following it for a period of three years, he turned his back on the farm and took up the more exciting and, to him, more satisfying business of railroading. It was in the winter of 1883 that he was employed by the Erie as a fireman, and for two years fired freight on the New York Division, being then advanced to the lighter task of firing passenger on the same division. Mr. Van Dine was regarded as one of the best firemen on the division at this time, and recognition of his ability was made in 1888, at which time he was promoted to engineer. For a number of years he ran extra in the freight service between Port Jervis and Jersey City. In 1897 his efficient service and devotion to duty won him further advancement, and since that date he has run passenger between Piermont and Suffern.

On December 24, 1885, Mr. Van Dine was united in marriage to Miss Maggie Creagan, daughter of John Creagan, a machinist working in the Erie shops at Port Jervis. They have two children, both daughters, Edith, aged 13, and Anna, aged 6, both of whom are attending public school. Mrs. Van Dine is a member of the King's Daughters of Suffern and is prominent in the social affairs of that city. Mr. Van Dine belongs to Adopted Lodge No. 3, B. of L.E., of Jersey City, and is one of the most popular engineers on the division, while at Suffern he is considered a citizen of worth and integrity.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the July, 1936 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
New York Division Engineer W. Van Dine of Jersey City was retired and placed on the special allowance payroll recently at age 72 after 53 years of service.

From the April, 1943 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
Sixty years after "Bill" Van Dine, retired Erie engineer, started firing on the line, he gathered together half a dozen other retired Erie men in the Florida sunshine and dined them in honor of that anniversary Feb. 19. The party really was "veteran," for the combined ages of the guests and host was 527 years and they represented 321 years of service on the Erie, or 60 percent of their lives. They dined at the Mary Bradford restaurant, St. Petersburg.

Among these who attended were W.S. Rigdon, retired Paterson agent; H. Johnson, former Northern Railroad engineer; D.F. Havens, former chief train dispatcher, Jersey City; P.F. Van Noy, former Port Jervis agent; G.H. Fordyce, former Susquehanna signalman; H.R. Cole, former assitant to the vice president, Cleveland; and William Van Dine, former New York Division engineer. (A photo was also published).

Before the guests broke company, the following poem, composed by Mr. Van Dine and one of his collaborators, was read:

To be my guests and responding to call
I am truly grateful to you one and all.
Gathered as we are in this Bradford dining room
Erects for me a milestone passing all too soon.
Mileposts for my life come silently into review
But one of special note I now mention to you:
Sixty years ago today, a milepost marks the spot
Where I started firing, to keep an engine hot.
At many other mileposts. until greeting you tonight
I have registered, and got help of God's mysterious might.
I am thankful for His mercy, and His aid to me and mine
While working years on standard, and now on borrowed time.

From the September, 1943 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
William Van Dine, 79, retired New York Division engineer of 53 years' service, died of a heart attack June 29 (1943) at the home of his daughter, Mrs. William Blume, at Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Two years ago the Van Dines gave up their home at Suffern, NY, where they had resided for 50 years. Mrs. Van Dine died in April, 1942.

Last February, while living in St. Petersburg, FL, Mr. Van Dine gave a dinner party for six other retired Erie veterans in honor of his 60th anniversary of entering Erie service as a fireman.

Besides Mrs. Blume, he leaves another daughter, Mrs. Albert V. Bristol of Edgewood, NJ and a granddaughter, Jean Patricia Blume.

Interment was in Brick Church cemetery, Viola, NJ.