James Horatio Huyck, one of Herkimer's foremost citizens a generation ago and a lifelong resident of the village, was in the sixty-first year of his age when he passed away, on the 6th of March, 1908, his birth having occurred on October 7, 1847. His parents were Harvey and Sarah (Barse) Huyck. As the surname indicates, he was of Dutch descent, his ancestors having come to America in the days when New York city was the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam. The progenitor of the American branch of the family, Jan Huycke, was chieftain of the Groatstraat, Myneegau, Holland, in 1616. In 1625 he emigrated from Wesel with Peter Minnewit, sailing about the 9th of December, and after the long, tedious voyage endured by the doughty Colonists of the seventeenth century, disembarked at New Amsterdam on the 24th of May, 1626. Jan Huycke came to the New World as a missionary to the Mohawk Indians and devoted much of his life to that worthy cause. His descendants, remaining in the colony after it was transferred to the British flag, fought valiantly in the French and Indian wars, the American Revolution and the War of 1812, perpetuating a family tradition for loyalty that has been kept alive to the present day.
For many years James Horatio Huyck was engaged in the coal business with his father and after the death of the latter continued the business for several years, finally disposing of it some dozen years before his death.
By his first wife, who bore the maiden name of Ella Harvey, James H. Huyck had one daughter, Mrs. A. E. Williams. For his second wife he married Clara Maria Pryne, who was born on July 8, 1850, and died July 30, 1924. A sketch of her father, Dr. Peter Pryne, may be found on another page of this work. Mr. and Mrs. James H. Huyck were parents of two sons: Dr. Ralph Pryne Huyck and Eugene Pryne Huyck, both of Herkimer.
James H. Huyck was an ardent republican and held many public positions of honor and trust, including those of loan commissioner for the county, town assessor, trustee of the village of Herkimer, village president, village treasurer and supervisor. He was one of the charter members of the famous old Fort Dayton Hose Company and was foreman of the company for several years. He had also been chief of the fire department. Fraternally he was prominently identified with the Masonic order, belonging to Herkimer Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of which he was master in 1884 and 1885; Iroquois Chapter, R. A. M., of Ilion; Little Falls Commandery, K. T.; and Ziyara Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.