Frank was an auto mechanic by trade and at one time he owned the Grove Street Garage in New Haven. At the time of his marriage he listed his occupation as Clerk. He also worked as a Machinist for Thompson Hacksaw Company in New Haven, where three of his sons would eventually also be employed. At the time of his death his occupation was listed as Welder.
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Based on visual clues in the photograph of Frank in uniform, he likely served in Company H of the 5th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard, based in Newburgh. The uniform dates to the mid-1890s, when Company H drilled at the Newburgh Armory on Broadway.

ChatGPT says: 1. Which company of the 5th Infantry served Newburgh?
Company H, 5th Infantry Regiment is the company you are looking for.
Why this is solid:
• In the 1880s–1890s, the 5th Infantry Regiment of the New York National Guard was recruited from the Hudson Valley
• Company H was consistently identified in:
◦ Newburgh
◦ Sometimes listed as “Newburgh Company” in regimental rosters and newspapers
• Other companies of the 5th were spread across:
◦ Peekskill
◦ Ossining
◦ Beacon / Fishkill
◦ Kingston
If Francis lived in Newburgh at enlistment age, Company H is overwhelmingly the correct match.

2. Where was the 5th Regiment’s armory in Newburgh?
📍 Newburgh Armory
• Location: Broadway, Newburgh, NY
• Constructed: 1895
• Purpose: Built specifically to house Company H, 5th Infantry
This building still exists and is now known as the Newburgh Armory.
Why the date matters:
• Francis (b. 1874) would have been 21 in 1895
• The armory’s construction coincides perfectly with:
◦ The uniform style in your photo
◦ Peak militia participation just before the Spanish-American War
Prior to 1895, Company H drilled in rented halls, but after the armory opened, formal studio portraits like this one became very common.