Regardless of why he wrote and researched it, family names are linked all down through years, way back into the early 1800s, every strange to see so many names going back into today, the families in congress and gov.

Forget the smoking part hit the highlighted part, or just see they used the fight against smoking for other reason and it was money. The interesting parts are in each highlighted part. I think you will need to read it yourselves to see how much is there.

[link to www.smokershistory.com]


"Big-Time Gangsters Set Up McCain's Family Fortune," Michael Collins Piper. Hidden Mysteries. Re Sen. John McCain's father-in-law, who bankrolled his election campaign: "The Hensley fortune, in fact, is a regional offshoot of the big time bootlegging and rackets empire of the Bronfman dynasty of Canada, founded by Sam Bronfman, an early partner of Meyer Lansky, longtime 'chairman of the board' of the international crime syndicate."






In 1998-99, Edgar M. Bronfman was a donor to the Carter Center, and the Samuel Bronfman Foundation gave between $25,000 and $99,999.


There is a Joanie Bronfmans director of the Tides foundation, in it. Very find digging and research in this one.

[link to www.smokershistory.com]

This seems to be who, who type thing, only want is this trust of the United States Trust Company of NY (1853-8/95)
1853 Established United States Trust Company of NY.

Someone was really putting time into this one.

Morris, John A. / usgwarchives.org
Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale, 1938-1939 / Yale University Library (pdf, 329 pp)
Lewis Cass Ledyard of Carter and Ledyard was counsel to the trustees of the will of New York Governor Samuel J. Tilden. (No Contest Yet Started. New York Times, Sep. 24, 1886.) He was a director of the Boston and Maine Railroad (Boston and Maine Annual Meeting. New York Times, Oc. 14, 1897) and the Maine Central Railroad (Maine Central. New York Times, Oct. 21, 1897.) He was counsel for the estate of Col. Stephen Van Rensselaer Cruger, who was Controller of the Trinity Church Corporation and the head of S.V.R. Cruger & McVickar. (S.V.R. Cruger's Will. New York Times, Jul. 29, 1898.) He drew and was one of the executors of the will of Oswald Ottendorfer, editor and proprietor of The New Yorker Staats Zeitung.

(Oswald Ottendorfer's Public Bequests. New York Times, Jan. 25, 1901.) He was an executor of the will of Mrs. Nathalie Reynal, whose estate was estimated at $10 million. (Will of Mrs. Nathalie Reynal. New York Times, May 12, 1901.)

Lewis Cass Ledyard and the United States Trust Company were executors and trustees of a $750,000 trust left by Countess Antoinette Seilern for her husband. (Countess Seilern's Estate. New York Times, Mar. 4, 1903.) He was a director of the Phenix National Bank (Join the Phenix Bank. New York Times, May 3, 1905), and a heavy stockholder and director of the Northern Pacific Railway (Hill and Harriman Cease Railroad War.

New York Times, May 19, 1905.) He was a director of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, representing the interests of the American Express Company (More Standard Oil Men in New Haven. New York Times, Jun. 8, 1907), and sold his holdings of the Boston & Maine to the New Haven road. (Boston & Maine Sellers.

New York Times, Oct. 21, 1907.) He replaced D.O. Mills, deceased, as a director of the New York Central Railroad and its subsidiaries, the Lake Shore and the New York, Chicago & St. Louis. (Central's New Directors. New York Times, Jan. 21, 1910.) He was a witness to the will of Johnston Livingston, along with Franklin D. Roosevelt. (Yesterday's Wills.

New York Times, May 16, 1911.) He was counsel for the American Tobacco Company, along with De Lancey Nicoll and Junius Parker, during its court-ordered dissolution. (Tobacco Trust Plan Submitted to Court.

New York Times, Aug. 4, 1911.) Lewis Cass Ledyard was the attorney in John Jacob Astor's divorce, and also drew his will. (Vincent Astor in Full Control. New York Times, May 8, 1912.) He was a witness to the will of Townsend I. Burden, who "left practically his entire estate in trust." (Burden Estate in Trust. New York Times, May 3, 1913.) He was an executor and trustee of the estate of J.P. Morgan ($3,000,000 to Each Child and $1,000,000 To Mrs. Morgan.

New York Times, Apr. 20, 1913), and was one of three voting trustees of the majority stock of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, held by the Morgan estate. Lewis Cass Ledyard Jr. was a witness to the will and codicil. (Choate Succeeds Perkins.

New York Times, Dec. 3, 1913.) Lewis Cass Ledyard Sr. and Jr. were executors of the will of Oliver H. Payne, who left $100,000 to Ledyard Sr. (Col. Payne Left $7,000,000 In Gifts. New York Times, Jul. 7, 1917.) He was also a longtime friend of Henry Clay Frick, executor of his will, and a trustee of the Frick Collection, for which he left $15 million in trust. (Frick Will Leaves $117,300,000 in Gifts For Public Benefit.

New York Times, Dec. 7, 1919.) Lewis Cass Ledyard Sr. and Jr. were trustees since 1912 of the Melville Securities Company, a corporation created by H. Melville Hanna. (In re Hanna's Estate. Surrogate's Court, New York County, Jul. 15, 1922. In: New York supplement, Volume 195, p. 749.) William Payne Whitney gave 46 of the 300 shares of his residuary estate to Lewis Cass Ledyard, Lewis Cass Ledyard Jr., and Edward W. Sheldon in trust, with absolute discretion. (Whitney Will Gives Millions to Charity. New York Times, Jun. 7, 1927.)


As you can see the Astor family is named. So, got me, I don't know if this fits in anywhere or even if it does.


Vincent Astor was a son of John Jacob Astor [4th], who died in the Titanic disaster. His first wife was Helen Dinsmore Huntington. "The wedding marked the uniting of two families of great wealth. Mr. Astor, following his father's death, came into the possession of estates valued at $65,000,000, and his bride is the granddaughter of the late William B. Dinsmore, a multi-millionaire... Her grandfather on the maternal side was Alvin Adams, founder of the Adams Express company." [She was a niece of Ford Huntington.] (Vincent Astor Weds Helen Huntington. New York Times, May 1, 1914.) After the Astors were divorced, she married Lytle Hull, son of Mrs. George Huntington Hull of Louisville, Ky., whose mother was also a Huntington. Vincent Astor had married Mary Benedict Cushing, daughter of Dr. Harvey Cushing, the year before. (Mrs. Astor Is Wed to Florida Broker. New York Times, Apr. 16, 1941.)

Her sister, Alice, married Charles H. Marshall. Her sister and Mrs. Marshall Field 3d were matrons of honor, and Marshall Field 3d was best man. Cole Porter was one of the ushers. (Alice Huntington One of Many Brides. New York Times, Jun. 3, 1917.)


The ones who wrote this site is here below.

[link to www.smokershistory.com]