Hiram Cronk was the last surviving veteran of the War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

 at the time of his death.

Born in Frankfort

Frankfort (town), New York

Frankfort is a town in Herkimer County, New York, United States. The population was 7,478 at the 2000 census. The town is named after one of its earliest settlers, Lawrence Frank. The town of Frankfort includes a village also called Frankfort. The town is east of Utica...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, Cronk enlisted with his father and two brothers on August 4, 1814. He served with the New York Volunteers in the defense of Sackett's Harbor, and was discharged November 16, 1814. For his service, he received a pension

Pension

In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...

 of $12 per month. In 1903, the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 increased it to $25 per month. He also received a special pension of $72 per month from the State of New York.

Cronk spent most of his life working as a shoemaker. He married Mary Thornton in 1825, with whom he had seven children. At the time of his death he had 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren (one of whom, Jane, lived to over 100 years of age herself, making the two "serial centenarians").

He died in Ava, New York

Ava, New York

Ava is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 725 at the 2000 census. The name allegedly comes from a location in Burma.The Town of Ava is in the north central part of the county...

 in May 1905 at the age of 105. After his death, his body was displayed in the main lobby of New York City Hall

New York City Hall

New York City Hall is located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA, between Broadway, Park Row, and Chambers Street. The building is the oldest City Hall in the United States that still houses its original governmental functions, such as...

. An estimated 25,000 people paid their respects. He is buried in Cypress Hills

Cypress Hills, Brooklyn

Cypress Hills is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, lying north of City Line and south of Cypress Hills Cemetery, in the far northeastern corner of Brooklyn. It is abutted on the west by Bushwick and on the east, across the Brooklyn–Queens border, by...

 Cemetery, Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

, New York.

Media

• Film clip of the hearse procession for Hiram Cronk (including the carriage for NYC Mayor McClellan
  George B. McClellan, Jr.
  George Brinton McClellan, Jr., was an American politician, statesman, and educator. The son of American Civil War general and presidential candidate George B...
  
  ) on its way from Grand Central Station to New York City Hall, taken May 17, 1905.