USA > New York > Westchester County > Biographical history of Westchester County, New York, Volume I > Part 10
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George Henry Crisfield, whose name introduces this sketch, was reared in Yonkers, and was educated first in the public schools and then under private instruction. He entered upon his business career as a salesman in the store of Odell Brothers, grocers of New York city, and afterward served in the capacity of bookkeeper in the same establishment. On leaving that firm he returned to Yonkers, where he engaged in the butchering business on his own account, following that industry for many years. Recently, how- ever, he has turned his attention to the real-estate business, and is now handling some valuable property, and also has an interest in his father's estate, which recently disposed of the old homestead for sixty thousand dol- lars. While in the butchering business his honorable dealing, his earnest desire to please his customers and the excellent line of meats which he car- ried secured to him a very liberal patronage and brought to him a good income. In his present undertakings he manifests the same reliability, and his reputation in business circles is unassailable.
On the 21st of September, 1858, Mr. Crisfield was united in marriage to Miss Susanna Van Tassel, who belongs to one of the oldest familes of the Empire state, of mixed English, French and Dutch extraction. The name is closely associated with the early history of the state, and has been immor- talized by Washington Irving in the Sketch Book and Diedrick Knicker- bocker's History of New York. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Crisfield are George and Edward, who are engaged in the butchering business; Fred, a
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clerk in the East View Almshouse, of New York; Joseph, a mechanic who enlisted for service in the Spanish-American war and was severely wounded while discharging his duty, on account of which he was honorably discharged; Harry, a printer; and Minnie, wife of John C. Stillwell, a boot and shoe merchant of Yonkers.
During the greater part of his life Mr. Crisfield has resided in Yonkers, and has always been deeply interested in its progress and advancement. He served as receiver of taxes for the town in 1863, and for four years was clerk of the city court. He has also filled other ward offices, always discharging his duties in a prompt and faithful manner. His political support is given to the men and measures of the Republican party. Courteous, genial, well informed, alert and enterprising, he stands to-day one of the leading and representative men of his city.
DOWAH D. TALLMAN.
For thirty years this well known citizen of Tarrytown has been engaged in his present business, the manufacture of fancy stairs and newels, balus- trades, screens and various kinds of wood-carving. He has met with the success which he justly deserves, for he is faithful in the execution of all orders and can be safely relied upon in every particular. His word, indeed, is as good as his bond, and anything which he undertakes is always carried on to successful completion. For three terms he was village trustee, and for a number of years was the president of the board of water commissioners. In all matters of local interest and importance he takes an active part, sup- porting by his vote and influence good government and progressive enter- prises.
The birth of D. D. Tallman took place in Rockland county, New York, June 15, 1835. His father, Peter Tallman, was likewise a native of the county named, born in the year 1804, and by occupation he was a farmer. Grandfather Dow Tallman, who married Miss Maria Blauvelt, was of Hol- land-Dutch extraction, his ancestors having settled in the Empire state in early colonial days. For his wife Peter Tallman chose Caroline Harring, a native of Rockland county and a daughter of Casper Harring, of an old respected family of Dutch descent.
The boyhood years of D. D. Tallman were passed quietly on the parental farm, his education being gained in the district schools of his native county and in the collegiate schools of New York city, where he graduated in 1850. In his sixteenth year he was apprenticed to his uncle, John Harring, to learn the trade of stair-building. The uncle was a member of the firm of Conover & Harring, manufacturers of stairs, and under his wise supervision our sub-
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ject mastered every detail of the business. When he was in the employ of Van Saun & Vorhees, for thirteen years, in one capacity or another, he was foreman most of the time. At length he concluded that he would embark in independent business, and, coming to Tarrytown, he, in partnership with a Mr. Brinkerhoff, established the factory which since 1868 has been conducted by Mr. Tallman alone. The shop is fifty by one hundred and fifty feet in dimensions, two stories in height, and equipped with the latest improved machinery used in the business. Employment is given ten or more skilled workmen, and the beautiful, artistic work which they turn out may be seen in numerous private and public buildings in this city and elsewhere. By long experience the proprietor is specially qualified to execute contracts of any size or description, his work always giving entire satisfaction to his patrons.
In 1860 Mr. Tallman married Miss Mary S. Cypher, a daughter of Isaac Cypher, of Westchester county. Mr. Tallman was the eldest of four children, the others being John Henry, a contractor and builder; Casper H., who has a stage route from Nyack to the West Shore Railroad and is now living in Nyack; and Mary A., who married George Wyman and died, leaving three children.
Mr. Tallman stands high in the Odd Fellows society, being connected with Tompkins Lodge, No. 9, of New York city. He reorganized the old Westchester Lodge, which is now in a flourishing condition.
H. D. PHELPS.
Glenellen, the beautiful home of Henry Delafield Phelps, is located at New Rochelle. It stands in the midst of spacious grounds, a palatial resi- dence whose interior furnishings and exterior adornments are all that a refined taste could suggest regardless of expense. The owner is a prominent capi- talist of Westchester county to whom success has come as the reward of untiring energy, combined with excellent executive ability, sound judgment and keen discrimination in the management of his commercial interests. As a business man he is considered one of the most successful in the county, and at the same time he possesses those social qualities which endear him to his acquaintances and win him a large circle of friends.
Mr. Phelps was born in the city of New York, September 8, 1836, and is the only child of Henry and Catherine (Wilkins) Phelps, natives of the metropolis. The paternal grandfather, Henry Phelps, was a native of England, and coming to America was prominently identified with the manu- facture of iron goods. For many years Henry Phelps, Jr., father of our sub- ject, was successfully engaged in merchandising in New York city, and pos- sessed excellent business qualities. He died about 1880 in his native city.
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Martin Wilkins, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was born in West- chester county and represented one of the old families of the Empire state. His father, Isaac Wilkins, was familiarly known as " Parson Wilkins, " hav- ing for thirty years served as rector of St. Peter's church, in Westchester county. When the war of the Revolution broke out Parson Wilkins remained loyal to the crown and fled to England, where he remained until the cessa- tion of hostilities. Returning then to this country, he re-purchased his old homestead, " Castle Hill," which had been confiscated by the government, where he continued to reside until his death, at the advanced age of over ninety years. Rev. Wilkins married Isabella Morris, a sister of Lewis Mor- ris, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. In tracing the genealogy of our subject we find that he is descended from a long line of sturdy, intelligent and honorable ancestors, and that in both the lineal and collateral branches representatives have been prominent in the history of the nation. Mr. Phelps is a grand-nephew of Gouverneur Morris, who was a minister at the court of France during the reign of terror and was a stanch friend of the rights of man. He lived until his death at the old manor in Morrisania, which has been the family seat for two hundred and thirty years. This old homestead of five thousand acres was a grant memorial from the king. Here on one occasion Gouverneur Morris entertained Louis Phillipe and William Henry, Duke of Clarence, with a full service of gold.
Henry Delafield Phelps acquired his early education in a private school in White Plains, taught by Doctor Harris, and afterward matriculated in Trinity College, in Hartford, Connecticut, where he was graduated with the class of 1855. He then entered Columbia College, and was graduated in the law department of that institution with the class of 1859. On leaving that school he was admitted to the bar, and soon after associated himself in business with Walton W. Evans, of New Rochelle. The partnership between Mr. Phelps and Mr. Evans continued for fifteen years and was crowned with a very high degree of success. The former then turned his attention to small farming. He is the owner of very valuable property and his real-estate holdings are extensive. He has property on what is known as the Daven- port Neck on Long Island sound, and is the owner of a number of very fine residences for sale and rent. He had made judicious investments in real estate, and his sagacity and energy have been rewarded with a high measure of prosperity, so that he has long since left the ranks of the many to stand among the successful few.
Mr. Phelps was married in his twenty-second year to Miss Catherine Morris, daughter of Robert Rutherford and Hannah (Edgar) Morris, and great- great-granddaughter of Lewis Morris, who was the first governor of New York and New Jersey, from 1738 to 1746. They now have two sons and one daugh-
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ter: Edgar Morris, Gouverneur Morris; and Helena Van Courtlandt, wife of Robert Temple Emmet, of New Rochelle, a graduate of West Point, who served with distinction in the United States army, fighting Indians on the western frontier for a number of years. Mrs. Phelps is a lady of culture and refinement, possessing many qualities of a high order, and over her beautiful home she presides with gracious and charming hospitality. Their residence commands a splendid view of Long Island sound and is situated most advan- tageously in its proximity to New York city and also the ocean.
While the business interests of Mr. Phelps have been extensive and of a very important character, he has yet found time to devote to the welfare of New Rochelle and withholds his support from no movement or measure which he believes will result to the public good. He has served six terms as supervisor of Westchester county, and for several terms as trustee of New Rochelle. In manner he is pleasant and genial, in disposition is kindly, and the high regard in which he is uniformly held is well deserved.
CHARLES VALENTINE MORGAN.
It has been more than a hundred years since the family to which this well known citizen belongs became identified with Westchester county, locat- ing here before the Revolutionary war, and its various members have won for the name an enviable distinction by their intelligence and worth. Its high reputation is by no ways diminished in this generation, and our sub- ject, a retired farmer and capitalist of New Rochelle, displays in a marked degree the admirable characteristics which the name suggests.
He was born August 13, 1834, in the town of East Chester, Westchester county, in the same house which was occupied by his father and grand- father during the Revolutionary war. The latter, James Morgan, was a native of Wales, and on his emigration to America settled in this county, becoming one of its honored pioneers. At that time this region was covered with a dense forest, and Indians and wild animals were numerous. He mar- ried Miss Jane Guion, who was descended from an old Huguenot family that was founded in Westchester county at or about the time that the Huguenots landed at New Rochelle. They took up their residence in Eastchester about 1684, and members of the family have since been prominently identified with the county's history.
James Morgan, the father of our subject, was born in East Chester, in 1793, and during the greater part of his active life followed agricultural pur- suits. He was a man of great firmness of character, possessed an iron will, and always commanded the respect and esteem of all who knew him. He married Miss Sarah A. Valentine, whose mother was a daughter of Gen-
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eral Trumbull, of Revolutionary fame. Her death occurred in 1873. To Mr. and Mrs. Morgan were born three children, but our subject is the only one now living. Martha J. died at the age of nineteen years, and Eugenia, who married Mathias B. Valentine, died in 1893.
Upon the old Morgan homestead, Charles V. Morgan was reared, receiv- ing his early education in the common schools of the neighborhood. At the age of ten years he was sent to the New Rochelle school, where he prepared to enter a more advanced school and was subsequently admitted to Irving Institute, at Tarrytown, New York, on the Hudson, of which institution William G. Westron was principal, and there he pursued his studies for five years. He was thus fitted by education for the responsible duties of business life. On leaving school he went to sea, on board the sailing vessel owned by Boyd Hincken's line, and remained on the water for two years. Return- ing to East Chester, he successfully engaged in general farming for a number of years and made of his place one of the model farms of the locality.
In 1855 Mr. Morgan was united in marriage with Miss Susan M. Badeau, a daughter of Albert and Phebe (Drake) Badeau, who were also of French Huguenot stock. Five children blessed this union, and three are still living. Fannie E. is the wife of Charles C. Banks, a prominent lawyer of New Rochelle; Edward was receiver of taxes at the time of his death, which occurred in the spring of 1897; Charles Hobart and Albert Badeau consti- tute the firm of Morgan Brothers, prominent liverymen and undertakers, of New Rochelle; and Frank M. died in infancy. They have also six grand- children living.
In political sentiment Mr. Morgan is a pronounced Republican, and his support is always given every measure which he believes calculated to prove of public benefit. As a business man he has met with good success, and is now the possessor of a considerable amount of property. After years of active labor he has laid aside all business cares and is now living retired at his pleasant home in New Rochelle, known as the Badeau homestead, on Union avenue. The spacious and attractive lawns are shaded by beautiful elms, walnuts and other trees, making it one of the most delightful homes in the village.
FRANK M. CAMPBELL.
Mr. Campbell was born November 14, 1871, in the town of Greenburg, Westchester county, New York, on the old homestead that was also the birthplace of his father. He is the son of George W. and Almira C. (Taylor) Campbell, and the grandson of Stephen and Fannie (Matine) Camp- bell, who were pioneer settlers of the town. The family, as the name
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implies, was from Scotland, but some six generations have been born and reared in this country.
George W. Campbell was a prosperous farmer of his native town, and became widely known through the manufacture of a superior quality of cider and vinegar. He was a quiet, unpretentious man, whose time was devoted to his business and whose many amiable qualities made him numerous friends. He was a Democrat of the pure Jeffersonian type. He was mar- ried to Miss Almira Taylor, of Yonkers, New York, who still survives him and lives upon the old homestead. Her parents were Andrew and Catherine Williams) Taylor. Mr. Campbell died July 4, 1895, leaving a family of five children, -one, Edwin, having preceded him to the better land. Of these children, Stephen is a merchant in the city of New York; Catherine is at home; Harriet is the wife of Frank A. Baylis, of White Plains; Frank M., the subject of these memoirs; and George W., at home.
Frank M. Campbell grew to manhood on the farm and attended the district school, a little brick edifice situated on the hill, until he was sixteen; then he entered a private school taught by Rev. William Turner, a Dutch Reformed minister. After the death of his father the management of the farm devolved upon him, and he has proved himself to be a most efficient manager. This farm consists of eighty acres of good land, well improved. The original barn was destroyed by fire and has been replaced by a building of more modern architecture and convenience. He still makes a specialty of the cider and vinegar business, his products meeting with a ready sale throughout the different states and enjoying a high reputation for excellence.
Mr. Campbell is a young man of energy and ability, and his steady application to business bespeaks for him a successful career. He contracted marriage with Miss Francis A. Haight, December 10, 1896. She is a daugh- ter of Morgan and Sarah (Sherman) Haight, of Poughkeepsie, New York, and a native of Dutchess county. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have one daughter, Alma Haight, born January 15, 1899. One of the points of interest about the farm is the old cider mill, which is still standing on the spot occupied by it for many, many years.
JOHN C. RUSSELL.
A retired miner and business man, Mr. Russell resides on a beautiful farm in the near vicinity of White Plains. He first saw the light of day May 16, 1829, in Grafton county, New Hampshire, his parents being Isaac and Nancy (Teuksbury) Russell. His grandfather Russell was a native of New Hamp- shire, and came to his death by a tree' falling on him. The founders of the family came to this country from England in 1640. His father, Isaac Rus-
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sell, was born in Wilton, New Hampshire, in March, 1804, and was a large farmer and sheep grower, often having over a thousand head of sheep on his farm. He sheared them and sold the wool, realizing a very handsome sum from the industry. His wife, Nancy Teuksbury, was a daughter of David Teuksbury, also a native of New Hampshire, whose ancestors were among the early settlers who came from England to the New England states.
John C. Russell moved with his parents to Vermont, where they resided for eleven years. He there attended the Thetford Academy until he was nineteen years old, when he returned to the farm and assisted his father for another year. About this time the gold excitement of California broke out, and Mr. Russell be- came afflicted with the fever which caused such an exodus to the coast. Accord- ingly, in March, 1850, he set out for the golden Eldorado, going by water by way of the isthmus of Panama and landing in San Francisco. He at once went into the placer diggings in search of gold, and for two years enduring hardships that would have caused any but a stout heart to quail. The provisions were short, and a glass of water and one wormy cracker did service for a meal. However, as he had gone so far to secure riches, he was determined to suc- ceed in the undertaking, and remained two years in the placer diggings, and had quite a snug sum to show for his perseverance. He then returned to his old home in Vermont, bought a large tavern and also conducted a store and town hall in the same building. He continued in this business for a number of years, and then sold out and went to McGregor, Iowa, on the Mississippi river, where he bought one hundred and seventy acres of the fertile land of the prairie state, and set about its improvement. He laid out a part of his farm in town lots, calling the place Windsow. He gave a number of the lots to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, but continued to make his home there until 1860, when he once more went westward, going to Pikes Peak and taking goods to conduct a store in the mining regions. He went to Nevada City, where he carried on an extensive grocery business for six or more years. He was thoroughly conversant with the mining business and saw in this knowledge a chance to still further improve his own fortunes. Accordingly he returned east and engaged in the sale of mining properties for other parties. These sales ranged in amount from fifty thousand to two hun- dred thousand dollars, and his commissions amounted to a handsome sum. He then opened an office in the city of New York, where he handled mining stock and property. He is now retired from active business, but employs his time in looking after his various properties.
After buying his farm in Iowa, he returned to Vermont, where he was united in marriage to Miss Angeline Osgood, of East Randolph, that state, a daughter of Deacon William and Almyra Osgood. He took his bride to his western home, where they resided for ten or more years. After returning
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from the west Mr. Russell purchased his present residence, which was form- erly known as the Bennett property. It is situated in the vicinity of White Plains and is a very desirable property, having an elegant residence and com- manding a lovely view of the surrounding country. He has resided here since its purchase. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Russell were five in number, and four are now living, viz: Charles W., of Minneapolis, Minne- sota; Henry Clay, who is with his father on the farm; Frederick M., who is chemist and assayer at Wallace, Idaho, for the Standard Silver Mining Com- pany; and Cora M., a lecturer. Mr. Russell is a member of Nevada Lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M., and is a man whose rich and valued experience in life has sharpened a naturally bright intellect, making him a person of sound, dis- criminating judgment, and in social life an entertaining and interesting con- versationalist.
PETER PAULDING.
Peter Paulding, the former postmaster of White Plains, New York, was born here May 27, 1860, and belongs to a family long resident of America, the Pauldings having come to this country from Holland about the year 1640. Several generations of them have been born and have passed their lives in the state of New York.
John Paulding, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Westchester county, New York, and his son Hiram, the father of Peter, is a native of Tarrytown, on the Hudson, born in 1837. In Tarrytown the latter was reared and educated, early in life turning his attention to the study of law. He was in due time admitted to the bar and for the past forty years has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession, during this time fill- ing numerous positions of local prominence and trust. Few men in West- chester county have a wider acquaintance or are more favorably known than he. The maternal grandfather of our subject was Charles A. Purdy. He was a lawyer by profession and for a number of years practiced in West- chester county.
Peter Paulding, the direct subject of this review, received his education in the private and public schools of his native town and is a graduate of the White Plains high school, a member of the class of 1876. On leaving school he engaged in newspaper work as reporter for several journals, among which were the New York Sun and New York Herald, for fifteen years devoting the whole of his time and attention to this work. In 1889 he was appointed by the Park Board of New York city, superintendent of the Van Cortlandt Park. This position he filled about one year and then returned to newspaper work. February 27, 1893, he was appointed by President Cleveland to the position of postmaster of White Plains, and served till May 1, 1898.
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Mr. Paulding is a man of family. He was married December 21, 1889, to Miss Marie L. Fowler, of Flushing, Long Island, daughter of Joseph B. and Frances (Bogart) Fowler, and they are the parents of two children, Gertrude and Hazel.
Mr. Paulding is a member of White Plains Lodge, No. 473, F. & A. M .; the Andre Monument Association, organized in memory of the capture of Major Andre; and the A. O. U. W. of the United States. He was at one time chairman of the White Plains Democratic Club, of New York, of which he has been a member for a number of years.
JOHN VAIL.
About the year 1740 John Vail, who was the first of the name to locate in Westchester county, came from Long Island on horseback and settled in Somers township on a large tract of land embracing several hundred acres. From this tract many farms have since been sold, while a part of it is still retained in the family. He married Hannah McKeel, and lived to the extreme age of one hundred and four years. They were the parents of four sons and several daughters: the sons were Isaac, Moses, John and James.
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