USA > New York > Schoharie County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie and Green counties, New York > Part 36
USA > New York > Schenectady County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie and Green counties, New York > Part 36
USA > New York > Greene County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Schenectady, Schoharie and Green counties, New York > Part 36
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Mr. Avery married Anna D. Fuller, daugh- ter of J. Dean Fuller, of Jefferson. They have two children - William H. and Edna B. For twenty-two years Mr. Avery has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church,
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in which he has served as steward and Sunday- school superintendent for a greater part of that time. Mr. Avery is an Odd Fellow, be- longing to Richmondville Lodge, No. 525, and is also a member of the band, of which he has been leader for a number of years. Mrs. Avery is a member of the church and of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
OHN MAGINNIS,* superintendent of the Athens Knitting Mill, was born in Gilboa, Schoharie County, on June 5, 1849, son of Patrick and Mary (Brady) Magin- nis. His parents were both born in Ireland.
Patrick Maginnis was a tanner by trade, and followed that occupation after coming to this country and settling in Gilboa. He retired from business at about fifty years of age, and died about ten years later. His wife, who was also born in Ireland, died at sixty-six. Of their ten children four are living; namely, Bernard, Anna, John, and Mary. Anna is the wife of James Fitzpatrick. Mary married James Mitchell, since deceased. All the chil- dren were born in this country.
John Maginnis remained in his native place up to the age of nineteen. He received his carly education in the public schools and at a seminary, and subsequently studied with pri- vate teachers and also in an evening school. His first industrial experience was in the cot- ton sheeting mill in Gilboa, and while there he worked in every department. His second was in the Harmony Mills at Cohoes, where he worked ten years as overseer in the weaving
room. Following this he was for ten years in the Van Allen Cotton Mills at Stuyvesant Falls, five years in Valatie as superintendent of the Wild Manufacturing Company, and seven years superintendent of the Harder Knitting Company in Hudson. At the end of that time he settled here in his present business. He was one of the organizers of the company, and he superintended the building of the mill and the putting in of the machinery. The factory is two hundred and twenty feet long by fifty- five feet in width, and is two stories high. It has six sets of machinery, all of which are made after the most improved plans, and is de- voted to the manufacture of fleece-lined knitted underwear. About one hundred and fifty hands are employed, all of whom are hired and superintended by Mr. Maginnis. He attends to the disposing of the output of the mill, sending goods to every State in the Union.
Mr. Maginnis has been twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Libbie Sparlin, was born in Hensonville. Her father was Philip Sparlin, a hatter. She died at the age of thirty-two, having been the mother of two sons -- William and Byron. The former, who is a baker in North Adams, Mass., is married and has three children - Willie, Helen, and John. Byron is also married. He is an engineer in the fire department of Cohoes. Mr. Maginnis's second wife was be- fore her marriage Emma l'eck. She was born in Craigsville.
Mr. Maginnis is a Republican in politics. He served as Alderman from Ward Five in Hudson. He has always been a most success-
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JOHN MCGINNIS.
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ful man, and since he began working has never been without a position. On account of his skill in his chosen line he has frequently been solicited to enter positions more profitable than the one he was holding when asked. In Cohoes he was one of thirteen to help put up the machinery, and was engaged as overseer. While in Stuyvesant Falls he introduced new machinery into the mill, and remodelled the old, so that the output of the mill there was largely increased.
Mr. Maginnis has been a member of the Methodist church for twenty years. Both his wives have also been members. In whatever town he has been living, he has taken an active part in all church matters and in the Sunday-school. While in Hudson he had charge of the prison work of the Young Men's Christian Association. He has been a trustee of every church with which he has been con- nected, and in Stuyvesant Falls and Valatie was superintendent of the Sunday-school.
APTAIN JAMES STEAD, superin- tendent and manager of the Catskill and New York Steamboat Evening Line at Catskill, N. Y., was born in Cairo, this State, on May 23, 1832, his parents being David and Hannah (Mackelwaite) Stead.
The father, David Stead, was born in Hud- dersfield, England, and in early life was em- ployed there in a woollen manufactory. He came to America when forty years of age, and settled in Cairo, where he bought a farm. For a time he carried on a woollen manufactory in
Woodstock, a part of Cairo, but he subse- quently closed out the business and engaged in farming. He died at the age of eighty, after having lived retired for some time in the vil- lage of Cairo. He was an old-time Whig, but though warmly interested in all public affairs was never an aspirant for office. His wife, Hannah, who also was of English birth, died in Cairo at the age of seventy-nine. She bore him four children, of whom there are liv- ing - James, John, and Levi. John, who re- sides in Cairo at the old homestead, carries on a boarding-house; Levi is in business in Chi- cago; and Charles is deceased. Both parents were members of the Episcopal church.
James Stead left home at eighteen years of age, and went to work as clerk in the office of Penfield, Day & Co., who managed a steam- boat line between New York and Catskill. In time he rose to be a captain, and he was in their employ in that capacity for several years. Subsequently, for three years, he was captain of a steamer owned by Hamilton & Smith, and engaged in freighting between New Baltimore and New York, and at the end of that time he acted as salesman for the same firm on a line of boats plying between Coxsackie and New York. For a year during the Civil War he was in the employ of the government, acting as inspector of the bay for the army, it being his duty to load schooners at Jersey City and make reports to Quartermaster Brown. For the next three years after this he was captain of the "New Champion," a boat owned by Black & Donohue, running from Catskill to New York ; and, following that, he was for two
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years in company with Mr. George H. P'en- field, his first employer, running a line of barges. Then, for a second period of three years, he was master of the "New Champion," and at the end of that time he became one of the organizers of the Catskill and New York Steamboat Company.
Mr. Donohue was superintendent of the company at the start, and Captain Stead was in command of one of the boats; but, upon the death of Mr. Donohue, Captain Stead was made superintendent and general manager. At first there were two small boats, the "New Cham- pion " and the "Water Brette." These were superseded after a time by the "Escort " and the "Charlotte Vanderbilt," which were much larger boats and which were in turn superseded by others of still greater capacity. In 1880 the company built the "City of Catskill," which has a keel two hundred and forty-seven feet in length, beam thirty-five feet in width, and sixty-one feet over all, and has a carrying capacity of five hundred tons and accommoda- tions for two hundred and fifty passengers. In 1882 was built the "Katterskill," two hundred and eighty-five feet in length, thirty-eight feet beam, and sixty-six feet over all, and capable of accommodating five hundred passengers. This is one of the finest boats on the river, and one of the most popular. Both these boats were built under Captain Stead's con- stant supervision, and they met the needs of the business until 1893, when the "Escort " was rebuilt and her name changed to the "City of Hudson." In 1898 the "Onteora " was built, length two hundred and forty-seven
feet, beam thirty-five feet, and sixty-three feet over all, and capable of carrying six hundred people. She was built for night service, and is the fastest night boat afloat, having a speed of twenty-three miles an hour. She has made the run from New York to Catskill, a distance of one hundred and twenty miles, and made one landing, in four hours and twenty minutes. Captain Stead takes much pride in this boat, as she was built by his plans and measure- ments. She is fitted with every convenience for the comfort of guests. This company is a stock concern, and does a large and constantly increasing business. Their boats connect with the Catskill Mountain Railroad, and in the summer they carry a large number of tourists and quantities of freight.
Captain Stead was married in 1865 to Rachel E. Pettit, who was born in Dutchess County, a daughter of Lewis Pettit. One child has blessed this union, Ida H., now the wife of Charles I. Fiero, superintendent of the Pratt branch of the Standard Oil Company in Greenpoint. Mr. and Mrs. Fiero have one daughter, Rachel S.
The Captain is a Republican in politics. In 1879 he was elected Sheriff, which office he held until 1882, when he declined to serve longer. In 1883 he was elected to the legis- lature, where he served one year. He is a prominent man in his party, was for a long time a member of the County Committee, and has many times been a delegate to Republican conventions. He helped nominate Governor Morton. For three years he was a trustee of the village, and for a year president of the
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Board of Trustees. Captain Stead has the dis- tinction of having been longer in the boating business than any other man on the Hudson. He built his present residence in 1897. He is a trustee of the Catskill Savings Bank, and president of the Catskill Ferry Company running between Catskill and Catskill Station, and an owner in the last-named corporation. He is also one of the directors of the Hudson Steamboat Company. He attends the Meth- odist Episcopal church, of which his wife and daughter are members.
EVI M. DEFANDORF, a skilful farmer and dairyman of Seward, Scho- harie County, owner and occupant of a fine farm lying about a mile and a half from Hyndsville village, is a representative of one of the oldest families in this part of the State of New York. He was born on this farm on April 26, 1831, son of John and Eliz- abeth (Petrie) Defandorf. His first progenitor in this country, his great-grandfather, came from Germany.
Jacob Defandorf, father of John, bought a large tract of heavily timbered land in Seward, N. Y., which included the larger part of the homestead of his grandson, Levi M., and the adjoining estate of one hundred and seventy acres. In common with his neighbors, who were few and were settled far apart, he suf- fered the hardships of pioneer life, but with true German habits of industry and persever- ance worked steadily ; and the end of each year saw more land cleared and larger crops har-
vested. He died, probably in the log cabin which he reared on coming to the wilderness, at the age of fifty years, leaving a widow, Mrs. Susan Defandorf, and six children. Mrs. De- fandorf was born at Frey's Bush, Montgomery County, and died in Seward at the age of four- score and four years.
John Defandorf remained beneath the paren- tal roof until ready to establish a home of bis own, when he purchased a portion of the pa- rental estate. Here he was successfully em- ployed in general agricultural pursuits until his death, at the age of sixty-four years. After he had made the last payment on his property, he began making needed improve- ments. The present dwelling - house was erected by him. A man of intelligence, he was greatly interested in all things pertaining to the welfare of the town, but was never an aspirant for official honors. He married Eliz- abeth Petrie, one of the seven children of John Handrake Petrie, a well-known farmer of Car- lisle, Schoharie County. Four children were born of their union, and two of them are liv- ing, namely: Julia Ann, wife of Austin France, of Seward Valley; and Levi M. The parents were consistent members of the Methodist church.
Levi M. Defandorf attended the district school when it was in session during his boy- hood and youth, and in the same period was so well trained at home that he became as famil- iar with the work of the farm as he was with his books. On attaining his majority, he bought one hundred and thirty-two acres of the old Defandorf homestead; and, having since
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added to it nineteen acres by purchase, he has a large farm, and one of the best in line of im- provements and appointments of any in the vicinity. He devotes his time to general farming, raising grain and hops to a considera- ble extent, but making a specialty of stock-rais- ing and dairying. From his herd of twenty or more grade Holstein and Jersey cows, he makes butter, the greater part of which he ships to his son, who is engaged in the grocery busi- ness in Troy, N. Y., and some to the markets in Ohio and in Washington, D. C. He has always taken a great interest in the establishment of permanent town, county, and State agricult- ural associations; and as an exhibitor at fairs, held under the auspices of these organizations, Mr. Defandorf has on several occasions taken the first premium on stock. The credit of establishing the products of his dairy as among the best in the market, he gladly gives to his deceased wife, who was an expert butter- maker.
Mr. Defandorf married, April 25, 1850, Miss Lucinda R. Sexton, daughter of Austin Sexton. Her father was formerly engaged in farming in this part of Schoharie County, but afterward removed to Oriskany Falls, N. Y., where he operated a grist-mill and where he spent his remaining days. Mr. and Mrs. Defandorf reared five children ; namely, Mary E., Clark B., Jason F., John A., and Daniel A. Mary is the wife of Dr. Adam Myers, of Buskirk, Rensselaer County, and has two children - Victor and Ralph. Clark B., deceased, married Susan Ostrander, who bore him three children - Jessie, Arthur, and
Lucinda. Jason F. Defandorf was graduated with high honors from the Cazenovia Acad- emy, afterward spent three years at the Wes- leyan University, Middletown, Conn., and still later attended the Law School in Wash- ington, D. C., where he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and has since been employed by the government in the post-office and in the War and Treasury Departments in that city. He married Miss Hattie Holmes, and has four children - Elizabeth P., James, John Levi, and Marion. John A. Defandorf was for one year clerk in a store at Cobleskill, then was several years a clerk in Troy, and subsequently went into business for himself with his cousin, Charles II. Sexton, at Troy. He married Emma Smith, and they have one child, Clark. Daniel A., the youngest son, completed his education at the Cobleskill High School, and subsequently taught school several terms in Seward and Sharon. He as- sists his father in the care of the home farm, and is also a local preacher in the Methodist church. He married Carrie Vroman, daughter of Barney Vroman.
After forty-seven years of happy wedded life, Mrs. Lucinda R. Defandorf passed to the brighter world beyond, her death occurring June 6, 1897. She was a woman of exem- plary character and great personal worth, in every way deserving the high respect univer- sally accorded her. She was a faithful mem- ber of the Methodist church, of which Mr. Defandorf is one of the oldest members now living, and in which he has held all the offices, having been a trustee and steward for
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years, a class leader for a quarter of a cen- tury, and for fifteen years superintendent of the Sunday-school, in which his wife, Lu- cinda, was a teacher. Both assisted in every work indorsed by the church, and their hospi- table home was ever open to receive the minis- ters of that denomination.
On January 25, 1898, Mr. Defandorf mar- ried Mrs. Catherine M. Somers, daughter of Joseph France, a farmer of Seward, N. Y. Three children were born to the present Mrs. Defandorf and her former husband, Peter N. Somers - Howard S., Ernest F., and Arthur L., deceased.
AMES MADISON CASE, a prominent business man of Gilboa, N. Y., was born in this town, July 7, 1849, son of Daniel and Betsey (Chichester) Case. He is a descendant of John Case, who came over from England more than two hundred and fifty years ago.
A brief account of the life of John Case, the immigrant, by A. P. Case, of Vernon, N. Y., has recently appeared in print. In this book mention is made of records showing that John Case as early as 1640 was living in the vicinity of Hartford, Conn. ; that in 1656 he was an inhabitant of Long Island, a year or two later removing to Windsor, Conn., and in 1669 one of the first settlers at Sims- bury, Conn., so named in 1670. For four years he represented the town in the General Court, or Assembly. He married first Sarah, daughter of William Spencer, of Hartford.
She died in 1691, and he afterward married Elizabeth Loomis, a widow. He had ten children, all by his first wife; namely, Eliza- beth, Mary, John, William, Samuel, Richard, Bartholomew, Joseph, Sarah, and Abigail.
The Case family in England is said to have been numerously represented for a number of generations at Aylsham, Norfolk County. Calvin Case, who was born in Connecticut, April 10, 1763, came to Conesville, N.Y., and a few years later he moved to Gilboa, where he acquired two tracts of land, amount- ing in all to two hundred acres. The prop- erty he occupied, which is still known as the Case farm, now consists of one hundred and sixty acres, and the original title is in the possession of his grandson, the subject of this sketch. His first abiding-place was a log hut, the entrance to which was covered with a blanket ; and from a struggling pioneer he rose to be a well-to-do farmer, stock-raiser, and grain dealer. Calvin Case, it is said, served as a minute-man in 1777, and was ordered to the front at the second battle of Stillwater, but arrived after the surrender of General Burgoyne. The Case family have an honorable record for patriotism, seventy or more of that name from Connecticut having served in the Revolution, upward of twenty in the War of 1812, and over fifty in the Civil War. Calvin Case was married in Connecticut, August 2, 1793, to Jerusha Griffin, and he brought three children with him to Schoharie County. He died January 4, 1854, aged ninety-one years, and his wife, who was born December 2, 1777, died May 7, 1849. They
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reared a family of thirteen children, namely : Calvin, who moved from Conesville to Blen- heim; Luther, who died at Potter's Hollow; Elisha, Allen, and Erastus, who all died in Conesville; Ira, who now resides at Cones- ville; Daniel, James M. Case's father ; Griffin, who died in Gilboa; Iliram, who re- sided in Catskill; Joel, who died while young; Jerusha, deceased, who married Or- lean De Witt, of Oak Hill; Eliza, who mar- ried S. Mackey, of Gilboa; and Phoebe, who married William Ploss, of Gilboa. The sons were all farmers except Hiram, who was a cattle dealer, hotel-keeper, and general specu- lator. The grandparents were Presbyterians, and most of their children became members of that church.
Daniel Case remained at the homestead to care for his parents in their old age, and after their death he succeeded to the ownership of the property by purchasing the interests of the other heirs. He was an energetic, indus- trious, and successful farmer, and at his death, which occurred November 10, 1886, he left a good estate. His wife, Betsey, was a daughter of Joseph Chichester, and the maiden name of her mother was Welch. The Chi- chesters are of Scotch descent, and the Welches are said to be of Dutch origin. Jo- seph Chichester had a family of nine children. Daniel and Betsey Case reared but one child, James M., the subject of this sketch. The mother died February 19, 1875.
James Madison Case was educated in Gil- boa, and taught several terms of school after the completion of his studies. He assisted
his father in farming from the time he was able to be of use until the age of twenty-four, when he engaged in general mercantile busi- ness in company with Abraham Walker, a partnership that ended at the death of Mr. Walker some three years later. He continued in business alone some sixteen years, or until about 1893, when he sold out to George E. Hawver. He has since given his attention to the buying of country produce, including butter, which he handles quite extensively. Hle also buys large quantities of wool, which he ships to Boston; and during the past year his shipments amounted to over one hundred thousand pounds. He still owns the home- stead, upon which he raises some fine horses, and he takes special pride in preserving the old dwelling which was built by his grand- father over eighty years ago. For the past ten years he has been actively interested in inland fisheries, in stocking the various streams in this locality, and is regarded as an authority on that subject.
Mr. Case married Hattie E. Hawver, daughter of William W. and Samantha (Hay) Hawver. She was the first-born of eight chil- dren, the others being: Emma D., who died at the age of six years; Ella, who married G. N. Thorp; George E., a merchant of Url- ton, N.Y .; James B., a prosperous farmer, who occupies the old homestead in Cones- ville; Flora A., who died at the age of twenty-one years; Bertha, wife of James Car- penter; and Martha, who married D. T. Fer- guson, of Alton, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Case have had two daughters: Merta, who died
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aged four years ; and Mina, who died aged one year.
In politics Mr. Case is a Democrat, and for a number of years was Postmaster. He has served upon the Town Committee several terms, has attended as a delegate many county conventions, but has never sought for or held local offices. He is a Master Mason, and be- longs to Gilboa Lodge, No. 630.
RANK RUFUS SEARLES, M.D., physician and surgeon, Catskill, N. Y., was born in Newton, N. J., April 29, 1868, son of Arthur and Alice (Martin) Searles. On the paternal side he comes of English an- cestry, and through his maternal grandfather he is a descendant of French Protestants, or Huguenots. The first of the Searles family who came to America settled in Massachu- setts, and was a farmer. Representatives of the family participated in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the French and Indian War. Dr. Searles's great-great-grand- father, John Finlay, was an aide on the staff of General Green and also on that of General Mifflin.
Arthur Searles, the Doctor's father, was reared in Massachusetts. He followed agri- culture until of age, when he went to New Jersey. Later he entered commercial life in New York, and resided there until his death, which occurred at the age of thirty. Mr. Searles is survived by his wife, Alice, and their only child, Frank Rufus, the special subject of this sketch. The Doctor's mother,
now Mrs. Lester Leggett, resides in Plainfield, N. J. She has one brother, Frederick Martin. Her parents were Lebbeus L. and Frances (Beach) Martin. Her father was a wholesale clothing merchant of Plainfield, N. J., moved from that town to Newton, N. J., and at one time resided in New York for a short period. His death occurred in Plainfield, N.J., in 1898, at the age of seventy-eight.
Frank Rufus Searles was educated in the common and high schools and at Leal's Acad- emy, Plainfield, N.J. His medical studies were completed at the Long Island College Hospital, from which he was graduated March 22, 1892. He began the practice of his pro- fession at Plainfield, N. J., where he remained one year, removing from there to Hunter, Greene County, and two years later settling in Catskill, N. Y. He has made rapid progress in his profession, and is highly esteemed both as a physician and citizen.
On November 8, 1893, Dr. Searles was joined in marriage with Miss Myra Rose Lowrie, daughter of Dr. H. H. and Myra G. (Burr) Lowrie, of Plainfield. Dr. and Mrs. Searles have one child, Frank Rufus Searles, second. There are twenty-two physicians in the Lowrie family, and Mrs. Searles's father has practised in Plainfield many years. Her mother, who is a native of Brooklyn, N. Y., and a descendant of a branch of the family to which Aaron Burr belonged, has reared four children, namely: Caroline, who is the wife of the Rev. C. G. Bristol, rector of Colts Memorial Church, Hartford, Conn. ; Myra Rose, now Mrs. Searles; Maud Myra, now
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Mrs. Julian Deane, who is residing at Spring- field, Mass. ; and H. II. Lowrie, Jr., who is manager of an insurance company in Phila- delphia, l'a.
Dr. Searles has served as president of the Greene County Medical Society, and has fre- quently read papers before that body upon timely topics. He is now delegate to the Medical Society, State of New York. He is Assistant Surgeon of the Sixteenth Company, N. G. S., N.Y., now acting captain; is medical examiner for a number of life insur- ance companies; and is local health officer and secretary of the Board of U. S. Pension Examiners of Greene County. In politics he is a Republican. Dr. and Mrs. Searles are members of Christ's Presbyterian Church.
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