USA > New York > Schoharie County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie and Green counties, New York > Part 29
USA > New York > Schenectady County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie and Green counties, New York > Part 29
USA > New York > Greene County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie and Green counties, New York > Part 29
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William C. Hinman was born in Albany County, and reared on a farm near Ravena. He pursued his studies in the district school, and in addition was privately instructed by his father. In early life he learned the carpenter's trade. Later he became a tradesman on a small scale near Utica, and subsequent to that he came to New Baltimore. Here he was clerk for John G. Raymond for a time, and he subsequently established the business, which has since become the largest of its kind in the town. The buildings now in use were built by him some time after the business was started. At first he was in partnership with
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his brother, Herman H. Hinman, later with William Fuller down to 1876. Then for eleven years, or up to the time of his death in 1887, he carried on the business alone. He died aged sixty-nine years. His wife, whose maiden name was Jane Terry, was born in Coeymans, N. Y. She was one of the ten chil- dren of John Terry, a lifelong farmer of that place. She is now seventy-five years of age. Of her seven children three are living - Eliz- abeth, Annie, and David M. Both Mr. and Mrs. William C. Hinman were active in the affairs of the Methodist church, and both worked earnestly to secure the building of the church edifice, Mr. Hinman being on the com- , mittee having the matter in charge. He was for years the strong man in the church, and to him all looked for counsel. He was a Repub- lican in politics. At the time of his death he was the oldest merchant in the town.
David M. Hinman attended the public schools of New Baltimore, and subsequently received private instruction for some time. He went to work in the store at an early age, and soon became his father's most trusted and efficient clerk. Upon the death of his father he succeeded to the business, which he has since successfully managed. He carries a large stock of general merchandise, including groceries and provisions, dry goods, hardware, paints, oils, glass, oil-cloths, and ladies' and gentlemen's furnishing goods. The store has been the largest in the town since it was started fifty years ago. Mr. Hinman's sister now acts as book keeper, and she is also the operator on the Western Union Telegraph
line here. There is a long distance tele- phone in the store. Mr. Hinman has in a measure stepped into the place his father for- merly occupied in the church. He is a mem- ber of the Board of Stewards, for six years has been superintendent of the Sunday-school, and he is vice-president of the Epworth League, of which he has been a member ever since the branch here was organized. His politics are Republican. He has held the office of Town Clerk for a year.
UDSON BURHANS, junior member of the enterprising firm of Borst & Bur- hans, Cobleskill, N. Y., millers, manu- facturers of buckwheat, wheat, rye, and graham flours, and custom grinders of general feed, is a well-known business man of this town. He was born the first day of January, 1849, in Carlisle, Schoharie County, which was also the birthplace of his father, John Burhans.
The emigrant ancestor of the Burhans family emigrated from Holland to the State of New York in the seventeenth century. Mr. Judson Burhans's grandfather, Peter Burhans, spent the early part of his life in Greene County, New York, whence he removed to Carlisle with his parents. He married Annie Hummel, the descendant of a Dutch family of Greene County, and was the father of eight children, of whom two are yet living. His wife died in Carlisle at the age of threescore and ten years.
John Burhans, son of Peter and father of Judson, received his education in the district schools of Carlisle, and on the parental farm
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was well drilled in the various branches of agriculture. Deciding to make farming his life occupation, he purchased the old home- stead when he became of age, and from that time until his death, at the age of seventy-six years, carried on general farming most success- fully. He married Lavinia Loucks, who was born in Carlisle, the daughter of Peter Loucks, a well-to-do farmer, and descendant of an early settler of the town. Six children were the fruit of their union, namely : Judson, the sub- ject of this brief sketch; Andrew; Melvin; Peter; Romeyn; and Walton. Mrs. Burhans is still living, an active woman of seventy years. She is a member of the Lutheran church, to which her husband also belonged.
Judson Burhans attended the district school until fifteen years old, when he began working out as a farm laborer and carpenter's appren- tice. After learning the trade he worked at carpentering in the summer season and taught school winters for ten years, finding time also to fit himself for a book-keeper at the Pough- keepsie Business College. After that he was employed as a book-keeper at Cobleskill for a while, and then went to Albany, where he was engaged as a commission merchant from 1882 until 1886, when he disposed of his business in that city and returned to Cobleskill. Buy- ing an interest in the Cobleskill mills, he has since, with the co-operation of his partner, Mr. Borst, materially increased the capacity of the plant, which now produces on an average one hundred barrels of buckwheat flour, fifty barrels of rye flour, and forty tons of feed every twenty-four hours. These gentlemen make a
specialty of buckwheat flour, which they manu- facture from a number one grain, bought di- rectly from the producer ; and for the past few years they have sold to wholesale and retail dealers in all parts of the Union large amounts of their "Sure Rising Buckwheat," which is pronounced by the trade to be one of the most popular on the market, rivalling Hecker's, the Martha Washington, and the I. X. L. brands.
On July 24, 1878, Mr. Burhans married Miss Mary E. Becker, one of the six children of Francis Becker, formerly a miller in this part of Schoharie County, but later a resident of Berne, Albany County. She was born and educated in Gallupville, a village not far from Colbeskill. Mr. and Mrs. Burhans have two children - Frank J. and Ella Floy, both of whom are in school.
Fraternally, Mr. Burhans belongs to the Albany Lodge of Odd Fellows. He also joined the Improved Order of Red Men while living in that city. He was one of the incor- porators of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank of Cobleskill, and is one of its directorate. In politics he is independent, voting with the courage of his convictions for the best men and best measures, regardless of party ties. He attends the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mrs. Burhans is an active member.
ETER MAGEE, a well-known ship- builder of Athens, N. Y., was born on November 23, 1838, in Baltimore, Md., where his parents, John and Anna (Ca- hill) Magee, settled when they emigrated to
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this country from Ireland. Ile is the only one now living of a family of eight children. Both father and mother were members of the Catho- lic church. The mother died at the age of seventy -one.
Mr. Magee was reared in Baltimore, and in his childhood attended a parochial school in that city. When he was only thirteen years old, his father died and he had to begin to as- sist his widowed mother. He learned the ship-builder's trade, serving a four years' ap- prenticeship with John J. Abraham, who was reckoned one of the best ship-builders in that region. When he had completed his period of apprenticeship, he began working for Mr. Abraham as a journeyman, and in a short time was receiving higher wages than any other man in the yard. After this he spent one year in Mound City, Ill. ; and, when he returned, he again engaged with Mr. Abraham. Leaving Baltimore a second time and going to New York City, he worked a while for Theodore Roosevelt, now Governor of the State, several months for William HI. Webb, and then put up a vessel for Van Duzen Brothers. He next entered the service of the United States as a mechanic at Port Royal, and there remained two years and one month. Upon leaving Port Royal he came to New York and took a contract for work at the foot of Sixteenth Street, being then only twenty- three years of age. After executing this to the satisfaction of all concerned, he went to work for Simonson, the ship-builder, this being during the eight-hour strikc.
Subsequently he was employed in Mr.
J. R. Baldwin's yard at New Baltimore, and from that place he came to Athens and started business for himself. He was first in com- pany with Mr. Matthias Van Loan in 1871, and this partnership continued for twenty years, the firm being known as Van Loan & Magee. Since 1888 Mr. Magee has been without a partner. During the time he has been in the yard here he has built over two hundred vessels, and has rebuilt many more. He is one of the best known and most repu- table ship-builders in this region. His son Joseph acts as his foreman.
Mr. Magec was married in 1871 to Mary J. McCabe, who was born in Greene County. She has borne him three children: Joseph, above mentioned; Mary; and Hannah. All the children have received a public-school edu- cation. The daughters reside with their par- ents. Joseph married Mary Brennan.
Mr. Magee is a Democrat in politics, and for many years has been member of town and county committees. He has attended many conventions as delegate. In 1885 he was elected Sheriff of the county, and for the three succeeding years he efficiently filled that office. He has been a member of the School Board for thirty years, and for the same length of time a Trustee of the village.
Mr. Magee's house is one of the finest in Athens. Ile puts a large amount of money in circulation in the town every week when he pays off his force of workmen. He and his family attend the Catholic church. They are actively interested in all efforts to promote the welfare of the community.
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UTHER ZELIE, a wide-awake, enter- prising business man of Fulton, Scho- harie County, prosperously engaged as a general merchant in the village of Break- abeen, was born in this town on July 7, 1874. The son of Ephraim and Helen (Becker) Zelie, he is the representative of one of the earlier families of this part of the county, and comes of patriotic stock, his great-grandfather, Colo- nel Zelie, of the Revolutionary army, having had command of the Upper Fort in Fulton during the Colonial struggle for independence.
Peter Zelie, son of Colonel Zelie and grandfather of Luther, spent his entire life of seventy-five years in Fulton, and here married Eliza Vroman. He was a carpenter, and fol- lowed his trade until well advanced in years, when he retired from work, and spent his re- maining days with his son Ephraim. His wife survived him, attaining the age of four- score years. Both were devout members of the Reformed church. They had eleven chil- dren.
Ephraim Zelie, the father above named, was born in 1839 in Fulton, and obtained his edu- cation in the district schools. At the age of ten years he began working out, and from that time fought the battle of life for himself. When old enough to labor at the anvil, he learned the blacksmith's trade, at which he subsequently worked as a journeyman in differ- ent parts of Schoharie County. Going then to Cleveland, Ohio, he remained there three years, but preferring to establish himself per- manently in New York he returned home, and in 1861 located in Breakabeen, where he con-
tinued at his trade for twenty years. From that time until his death, May 20, 1897, he lived on a farm in Fulton. He was a firm supporter of the principles of the Democratic party, and served for a while as Collector of Taxes. He married Helen Becker, one of the two children of Henry and Rebecca (Berg) Becker. Her father, who was a farmer, died at the age of fifty years, and her mother died at the age of forty-eight. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim Zelie, and of these two are living; namely, Luther and Laura, twins. Laura is the wife of Floyd Mattice, of North Blenheim. Both parents were active members of the Lutheran church, in which the father served as an Elder, besides holding other offices, being for a number of years a teacher in the Sunday-school.
Luther Zelie in boyhood and youth attended successively the village schools of Fulton and the Middleburg High School, and afterward completed the course of study at the Albany Business College. Returning to Fulton, he taught school a year in this town, and then began his mercantile career as a clerk in the store of Cottrell & Leonard, hatters and fur- riers in Albany, where he remained three years. Coming to Breakabeen in 1895, Mr. Zelie bought out the long-established business of Mr. E. Patterson, a well-known merchant, and has since conducted the store with emi- nent success. He has considerably increased the original stock, carrying now a complete assortment of groceries, provisions, boots, shoes, hats, gentlemen's clothing and furnish- ing goods, and also a full line of hardware,
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in all of which he has built up a substantial trade.
On January 26, 1898, Mr. Luther Zelie was united in marriage with Miss Keziah Shafer, daughter of Joseph A. Shafer, of Breakabeen.
Mr. Zelie is an Odd Fellow, being a mem- ber of Blenheim Lodge, I. O. O. F. In poli- tics he affiliates with the Democratic party, and is now serving as Town Clerk. He and his wife are faithful members of the Lutheran church and of the Sunday-school connected with it, Mr. Zelie being the superintendent of the school.
IGBERT B. DODGE, of Ashland, was born in Greenville, Greene County, N. Y., October 24, 1822, son of Andrew and Ruth (Blackmar) Dodge. He is a grandson of Moses Dodge, who moved his family from Massachusetts to Freehold, Greene County, in 1804, and followed the blacksmith's trade in connection with other mechanical occupations for the rest of his life. Moses Dodge is said to have been a descendant of William Dodge, one of the early settlers of Salem, Mass.
Andrew Dodge, father of Egbert B., was born in Massachusetts. When a young man he engaged in farming in Freehold. From 1815 to 1847 he carried on a general store, and he also manufactured potash. His last days were spent in retirement upon his farm, and he died at the age of eighty one years. He served as Postmaster for thirty years. In politics he was originally a Whig and later a Republican. During the somewhat violent agitation against the Masonic fraternity which
took place in his day, he sided with the oppo- nents, and was known as an anti- Mason. An- drew Dodge married Ruth Blackmar, a native of Great Barrington, Mass., daughter of Abel Blackmar, a prosperous farmer and cattle dealer. She became the mother of ten chil- dren, three of whom are living; namely, Eg- bert B., Augusta, and Louisa. Augusta is the widow of the Rev. John N. Spoor ; and Louisa married Daniel G. Searles, of Greenville. Mrs. Ruth Dodge died at the age of fifty-five years. The parents of Ruth Dodge were mem- bers of the Christian church, of which she was also a member.
Egbert B. Dodge obtained his knowledge of the primary branches of learning in the com- mon schools of Freehold, and completed his studies at the academy in Greenville. He taught several terms of school in Greene and Dutchess Counties previous to 1847. In that year he engaged in trade at Freehold, where he continued in business some thirteen years, and in 1860 he removed to Ashland. Securing a site adjoining the hotel, he opened a general store, which for the succeeding two years was the only source of supply in this vicinity. He was therefore called upon to carry a varied stock, which was transported from New York City by river boats to Catskill. After being out of business two years he (in 1869) built a new store; and, putting in a large stock of general merchandise, he continued in trade until 1880, when he was succeeded by his son. After being relieved of the cares of business he could not remain idle, preferring instead to continue in the store; and as Assistant Post-
EGBERT B. DODGE.
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master he has handled the mails here for the past thirty years. He was Postmaster under President Fillmore and during a part of the Pierce administration. He has witnessed many changes and improvements in the postal service, and has a distinct remembrance of the days when stages were the only means of conveyance. He has voted at every Presiden- tial election since 1844, when he supported the candidacy of Henry Clay, and is now a Republican. He served as a Supervisor in 1868, as Town Clerk in 1870, was a Justice of the Peace for fourteen years, and has settled many estates.
In 1853 Mr. Dodge was united in marriage with Eliza C. Sax, who was born in Cairo, Greene County, daughter of Jacob Sax, the descendant of an early Dutch settler and a prosperous farmer of that town. Mr. and Mrs. Dodge reared three children ; namely, Francis, Edgar S., and Ella M. Dodge. Francis suc- ceeded his father in business, and is now the leading merchant in this section, also Post- master at the present time. He married Mary Clark, and has two children - Frederick C. and Florence. Edgar S., who is a horse dealer, married Sarah Frances Martin. Ella M. married Edward Snow, a carpenter of Kingston, and has three children - Herbert, Harold, and Laura. Mrs. Eliza C. Dodge died August 28, 1897, aged sixty-six years.
As an intelligent, progressive, and public- spirited citizen, who can be depended upon for assistance in forwarding any movement calcu- lated to be of benefit to the community, Mr. Dodge is highly esteemed by his fellow-towns-
men, among whom he has for years been a prominent and influential figure. Ile pos- sesses an extensive knowledge of the town's history for the past thirty-eight years, has been a careful reader of instructive books, and his judgment in matters of public importance is still sought for and relied upon. He was for- merly a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In his religious belief he is a Presbyterian, and his son Francis is promi- nently identified with the Presbyterian church.
HARLES P. MCCABE, M.D., of Greenville, one of the foremost prac- tising physicians of Greene County, was born on August 11, 1856, in the house where his father, Bradley Selleck McCabe, M. D., now resides. His family is an old one in the county, having been prominent here since 1783, when Stephen McCabe, his great- grandfather, settled in New Baltimore.
Stephen McCabe was born in New Jersey in 1755. During the Revolution he enlisted and served for a time in the Continental army. At the close of the war he came to New Balti- more with his wife, Mary Farrar, and their family, his son Benjamin being then three years of age. There he settled on the estate now owned by Hiram Miller.
Benjamin McCabe, the third son, was mar- ried in 1812 to Sarah Gedney, of New Balti- more, and continued to reside on his father's place till 1825, when he purchased and re- moved to the farm now occupied by Mrs. Cath-
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cart. In 1834 he bought and removed to the farm now owned by Adam Lorenz. Benja- min's wife, Sarah, was the daughter of Joshua Gedney, who was one of the pioneer settlers of New Baltimore, where he became the owner of a fine farm. He was born in Westchester County, of which his father was an early set- tler, and it was on his father's land in that county that the battle of White Plains took place. Joshua Gedney and his wife, whose maiden name was Bennett, were zealous Meth- odists, and their descendants to the present generation have continued in the faith of that church. Mrs. Gedney died at seventy. She was born in Westchester County. Her chil- dren were: Peter, Bartholomew, Joshua, Sam- uel, Absalom, Sarah, Ilannah, and Patience. Of Benjamin McCabe it has been written, "He was possessed of a discriminating mind and a sound judgment, and was never known to shed a tear nor to laugh audibly, so perfectly were his passions under his control." Ile died on November 6, 1855, surviving his wife only nine days. He was the father of the follow- ing-named children : Caroline, Jane, Hamil- ton, Bartholomew G., Bradley S., Philip E., and Mary. Of these, Hamilton J., the eldest son, has for many years been engaged in the tin and hardware business in Greenville vil- lage; and Bartholomew G., the second son, who was graduated in medicine, died at De- posit, Delaware County, N. Y.
Bradley Selleck McCabe, M. D., father of the subject of this sketch, received his medical- diploma from the Albany Medical College in 1850, and shortly entered on the duties of his
profession in partnership with Dr. Gideon Botsford, with whom he had begun the study of medicine some years before, after attending Greenville Academy. The late Dr. Botsford was a notable man of his time in Greenville, and had a very large practice. Dr. McCabe, who has been his worthy successor, is known throughout the county for his skill both in medicine and in surgery. lle has been for a number of years a member of the Board of Trustees of Greenville Academy. He rep- resented his town in the Board of Supervisors six years, was twice chairman of the Board. He has also represented the county in the State legislature.
He was married on June 26, 1850, to Mary L., youngest daughter of the late Dr. Amos Botsford. Three children have been born to him - Amos B., Charles P., and George G. Amos B. McCabe, who has been in the sub- treasury in New York City since 1890, was born on September 17, 1852, and during carly manhood engaged in agricultural pursuits. He married Helen Kyle, of Albany, and has two children - John C. and Mary B., the son being now in the employ of the New York Life Insurance Company. George G. McCabe was born on June 26, 1860. He was formerly in the employ of P. Winne & Co., of this place, but is now carrying on a drug business for himself. He was Postmaster for eight years under Cleveland, and he is the present Supervisor of the town. He married Emme- line Stevens, the ceremony taking place on January 8, 1895. Dr. Bradley S. McCabe was Postmaster for four years under Franklin
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Pierce, and also under James Buchanan. Ile was formerly connected with the Odd Fellows, and was for some years an active worker in that organization.
Charles P. McCabe after attending the Greenville Academy went to Boston, Mass., and entered the Conservatory under the famous teacher, Petersilea, where he remained for two years. Returning to his native place, he taught music for some years, but in 1880 began the study of medicine with his father. Subsequently he entered the Medical College at Albany, and in March, 1883, took his de- gree from that institution. After some time spent in the Boston hospitals and attendance on the clinics there, he came back to Green- ville and settled to practise with his father, continuing in partnership with him till 1890. He has since practised alone. He has patients in all the surrounding towns over a radius of fifteen miles, and besides his extensive medi- cal practice has many difficult surgical cases. He built his present residence in 1889.
Dr. Charles P. McCabe was married on Sep- tember 10, 1884, to Helena F., eldest daughter of the late Robert Elliott, of Hunter, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Of this union three children have been born, of whom Clara, the eldest, died at the age of four- teen months, and Millicent at the age of five and a half years. One daughter is living, Dorothy K. In religious faith Dr. Charles P. McCabe is a Methodist. Both he and his wife are prominent workers in the church, and he has been superintendent of the Sunday-school and for many years one of the stewards. For
many years he sang in the choir, and formerly he held the position of organist. He orga- nized the Greenville Musical Union, a chorus of seventy voices, and so great was its reputa- tion that at one time the largest hall in the town was filled on six successive evenings to listen to it. Mrs. McCabe was a teacher in the Sunday-school for many years, and also sang and acted as organist. She is a graduate of Kingston Academy and of Chamberlaine College in Randolph, N.Y. She was born in Hunter.
Dr. Charles P. McCabe is a member of the New York State Medical Society, and is now president of the Greene County Medical Soci- ety. In politics he is a Democrat. In 1893 he was elected and served as Supervisor, but he refused to accept the nomination a second time, and has uniformly declined to run for other offices, feeling that his practice needs his undivided attention. He is, however, con- nected with various fraternal societies, namely : with James M. Austin Lodge of Masons, of which he was Master for three terms; with Zeus Lodge of the Knights of Pythias, of which he was Chancellor for two years, and of which he is a charter member and was the first commanding officer. He has unusual business aptitude. He is president of the Greene County Mutual Fire Insurance Company; and was formerly president of the Village Fire As- sociation, which operates in Greene, Albany, Delaware, and Schoharie Counties, and he is a director in both companies. Ever since the Greenville Board of Education was organized he has been one of its most active members.
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