▁Jenn ie ▁Jer ome , ▁mother ▁of ▁W inst on ▁Church ill , ▁lived ▁in ▁Kinder hook ▁after ▁her ▁father ▁acquired ▁Van ▁Bur en ' s ▁home ▁J esse ▁Mer win , ▁Kinder hook ▁school te acher ▁known ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁' pattern ' ▁for ▁the ▁character , ▁" I ch ab od ▁C rane , ▁and ▁long time ▁friend ▁of ▁Washington ▁Ir ving ; ▁Mer win ▁maintained ▁correspond ence ▁with ▁Ir ving ▁for ▁several ▁dec ades ▁( Mer win ▁later ▁retired ▁from ▁teaching ▁and ▁became ▁an ▁att orney ). ▁John ▁Wood ward ▁Philip , ▁naval ▁officer ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁Spanish – American ▁War ▁Donald ▁L . ▁R uther ford , ▁ 2 3 rd ▁Chief ▁of ▁Chap la ins ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁Nicholas ▁S ick les , ▁U . S . ▁representative ▁John ▁E vert ▁Van ▁Al en , ▁U . S . ▁representative ▁Martin ▁Van ▁Bur en , ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁US ▁president , ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁Kinder hook . ▁His ▁nick name ▁" Old ▁Kinder hook " ▁may ▁have ▁given ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁expression ▁" OK " ▁and ▁its ▁att endant ▁hand ▁gesture . ▁His ▁mat ernal ▁ancest ral ▁home , ▁Ho es ▁House , ▁was ▁built ▁circa ▁ 1 7 6 0 ▁in ▁the ▁Village ▁of ▁Val atie . ▁Corn el ius ▁P . ▁Van ▁N ess , ▁ 1 0 th ▁governor ▁of ▁Verm ont ▁Peter ▁van ▁Sch a ack , ▁Kinder hook ▁lawyer ▁and ▁notable ▁British ▁Lo yal ist ▁during