Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 32

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354

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Church, Mr. Spaight and his wife having be- come members while in Peekskill, and he has been steward, district steward, trustee (for thirty-three years), and president of the board of trustees. In the Sunday-school he was a leading worker for twenty-five years, having been a teacher, secretary, treasurer, and super- intendent. He resides in a beautiful part of the village, on high ground overlooking the river and bay, the view including the mount- ains and city of Newburgh. His place has been named " The Cedars, " from the fact that the hill was formerly covered with a fine growth of cedar trees, only a few of which now remain.

As a public-spirited citizen Mr. Spaight has always been ready to encourage any worthy movement and to assist in local affairs. He was the first treasurer of the village of Fish- kill Landing; holding the office for several years, and a trustee four terms; was a trustee of the public schools for about sixteen years, and is now treasurer of the school district. He has been connected with the Howland Cir- culating Library, as its secretary, since its or- ganization in 1872; is a trustee of the Mechan- ics Savings Bank, for several years has been a member of the funding committee, and is now its second vice-president. He is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, was secretary of Beacon Lodge No. 283, F. & A. M., for some time, and for the last seventeen years has held the office of treasurer.

W ILLIAM B. MILLARD, for many years the senior member of the firm of W. Millard Sons, of New Hamburg, Dutchess county, now the Millard Lumber Co., is a worthy representative of a family which has been distinguished through several generations for business ability, integrity, public-spirit, and all those admirable qualities of character which go to make good citizenship. The head of the American branch of the family came from France at an early date, settling in New Eng- land, and John Millard, our subject's great- grandfather, lived in Cornwall, Conn., where he had a sawmill.

Charles Millard, our subject's grandfather, was born in Cornwall, Conn., in 1763, and be- longed to the army of the Revolution in 1780, in his eighteenth year. His first wife was Lydia Pride, a native of Poughkeepsie. He

g. W. Shaight.

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settled in Marlboro, Ulster county, where he was engaged in the lumber business until 1824. when he moved to New Hamburg and opened a lumber yard. He manufactured his lumber from the raw material and had an extensive trade for that early day, the distance from our own times being more easily realized when the fact is recalled that he witnessed the trial trip of Robert Fulton's steamer on the Hudson in 1807. He was prominent in local affairs and a leading member of the Presbyterian Church. On June 17, 1816, his first wife died, leaving seven children, and October 22, 1818, he mar- ried Sarah Miller, by whom he had two chil- dren. His own death occurred April 30, 1827. Of the first family the eldest son ( 1) John was born May 21, 1789; (2) Charles Millard, born September 15, 1792, located in New Orleans, where he acquired a large fortune. He was a man of unusual energy and business ability, and took a prominent part in affairs in his adopted city. (3) James, born August 15, 1795, was a wholesale dealer in lumber and coal at Catskill. (4) Cornelia, born June 27, 1797, married Hackaliah Purdy, of Marlboro. (5)

William born June 19, 1800, settled in Galena, Ill., and became a leading business man there, holding the office of postmaster at one time. His later years were spent in traveling in Europe and the United States, and he died while in Jacksonville, Florida. (6) Walter, our subject's father, is men- tioned below. (7) Catherine, born August 21, 1803, married Elem Dunbar, then of Pough- keepsie and later of Cortland county. The children of the second family were Margaret G., born May 24, 1820, and Franklin, born February 26, 1824.

Walter Millard was born in Marlboro, Feb- ruary 27, 1802, and remained there until the removal of the family to New Hamburg. Un- til 1834 he was engaged in the lumber business exclusively, but at that time he became inter- ested in the freighting business and built the barge " Lexington," which ran between New York and New Hamburg. In 1844 he pur- chased the steamboat "Splendid," which car- ried freight from New Hamburg and Marlboro to New York City. About 1855 he disposed of this line of business to give his attention to dealing in lumber and coal, which he continued until his death, August 20, 1880. He was a man of remarkable business acumen and the energy and enterprise to carry his projects to completion. A strict Presbyterian in religious

faith, his life was marked by integrity and fair dealing. In politics he was in early years a Whig and later a Democrat. He was mar- ried, November 14, 1834, to Martha Hyer Bull, a native of New York City, who died June 14, 1896. Her father, William Bull, who was of English birth, was a well-known saddle and harness dealer in New York, and was the first to import hame collars from Eng- land. He had six sons, viz .: William B., Walter P., Howard C., Charles, 1. Edward and Fenweck T., the last two named being now deceased.

William B. Millard was born at New Ham- burg, June 10, 1836. When a young man he began clerking in his father's office, and in 1863 became a partner in the business, the firm name being W. Millard & Son. After his father's death heconducted the business under the same name until 1884, when his brothers, Howard C. and Charles, entered the firm, which became known as W. Millard Sons. On November 1, 1893. a corporation was formed under the present title of the Millard Lumber Company. They employ about 150 men in the various departments of their work, which includes the manufacture of the finished product from sawed green lumber, their mills and factory being located at Rouse's Point, in the Adirondack region. They do a wholesale business there, while their retail trade is sup- plied from their yards at New Hamburg and Marlboro.

On February 8, 1860, Mr. Millard was married to Miss Cordelia A. Lawson, a lady of Dutch descent, and daughter of William 1. and Ann (Smith) Lawson, of New Hamburg. Two children were born of this union: Martha H., the wife of Harris S. Reynolds, of Pough- keepsie, and William I., who is not married. Mr. Millard and wife are prominent members of the Presbyterian Church, and he has taken an active interest in many movements tending to promote the public welfare, being especially devoted to the temperance reform and to the improvement of the schools. He has been president of the board of education, and is a member of the National Division of the Sons of Temperance. In politics he is a Democrat, but favors a liberal tariff. He has at times held minor offices, declining, however, further honors, although as one of the leading men in southern Dutchess county, he has more than once been urged to enter the political arena.

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

T HOMAS McWHINNIE. a well-known manufacturer. of Poughkeepsie. Dutch- ess county, was born in that city, March 20. 1842, and is the son of James and Euphemia Hall Mc Whinnie, both natives of Scotland, the former born at Glasgow in 180 ;. and the latter at Paisley in 18t9.

Thomas McWhinnie. the grandfather of cur subject, was born it is supposed in Edin- burgh. as he came from there, and was a weaver by trade. His brother, John, up to his death, was keeper of Edinburgh Castle. where the Scottish regalia are kept. Grand- father Thomas McWhinnie was married in 1804 to Janet Crawford, who was the mother of all his children. She died in ist9, and in 1828 he married Margaret McAllister. In May. 1829. the family sailed from Greenock in the sailing vessel .. Roger Stewart," arriving, on the fourth of July following. in New York City, where they made their first home in the New World on 20th street. between Sth and gthavenues. Grandfather Mc Whinnie's second wife did not come to this country with him; but after a year or two's sojourn here he went back to Scotland, and staid there until her death, when he again came to the United States, and died in New York.

Grandfather McWhinnie had six chil- dren. namely: VI Margaret, married to Alex- ander Cameron. a machinist: (2) Janet. mar- ried at West Farms. Westchester Co., N. Y. now a part of New York City . to Robert B. Wilson, who in his younger days was captain of a sloop running on the North, or Hudson. river. the East river and the Bronx. up to West Farms: 3 Elizabeth, who became the wife of James Reed, who was in the Custom House at Glasgow a great many years until pensioned off: 14) Peter, who was a weaver by tra le: 5 John. also a weaver. who died in New York City: and James. the father of Thomas. Our subject's parents came to America before their marriage, and resided in New York City and other places, finally mov- ing th Poughkeepsie, where they were married. Here the father followed his trade as a weaver i.r about thirty-three years. He then re- moved to New York City. where he continued : wir at weaving until his death July 1 ;. 1866: his wife died September 11, 1851. He was originally a Whig. later a Republican. They had four children: Catherine and James died in infancy: Thomas is the subject of this sketch; and Archibald is a farmer in Wisconsin.

The father was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in I So7. and reared there, being twenty-two years old when he came to this country in 1829.

Thomas McWhinnie attended the public schools in Poughkeepsie until he was twelve years old, when he went to Wappingers Falls, where he worked in the cotton inills for nine months at two dollars a week. He then re- turned to Poughkeepsie, and worked for two and a half years in a bakery at $25 a year and his board, the first year; at $30 a year and his board. the second year: and at $35 a year and his board the remainder of the time, leav- ing the bakery in the winter of 1857. the year of the financial panic. In the spring of 1858 he went to learn the tinner's trade, but left it after serving about one and one-quarter years, and went to work in Chichester & Co. 's chair factory, which stood on the site where his own factory now stands. In 1863 he was employed for a few months in repairing railroad bridges, afterward going to New York City and work- ing in a chair factory for four years, and for about one year more was a partner in a chair factory.

In 1869 Mr. McWhinnie again returned to Poughkeepsie, and embarked in the business in which he has since been successfully en- gaged; manufacturing all kinds of wheelbar- rows-such as canal, coal, garden. ore, stone, brick and wood barrows; also the celebrated Dutchess Bolted Canal, and Dutchess Bolted Garden wheelbarrows. His first location was at No. 25 N. Water street, but in 1883 he erected the large brick factory in which he is now established. at Nos. 39 and 41 South Water street, and 31 and 33 South Front street. His products are shipped to New York City and other points, whence they are sent all over the world. Mr. McWhinnie is a man of progressive ideas, of excellent business ability and great energy, and has worked his way up from a poor boy to his present posi- tion. He is popular with his associates, and is a loyal citizen always ready to assist in pub- lic enterprises.

Mr. Mc Whinnie was married June 1. 1871. to Miss Fannie Whitwell, who was born in Poughkeepsie. Her father. Thomas Whit- well. and her mother Mary (Arnold) Whit- well, were natives of Peterborough, England. He followed farming in East Park. Three children were born of this union: Mary E., who was married to Frank Brooks on October 7. 1896: Fannie J. and Roy A. ; the last named

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

died January 13, 1893. Mr. McWhinnie is a Republican, and in 1882 he was elected alder- man of the Second ward, serving some two and one-half years; in 1896 he was selected by his party to represent them on the board of super- visors, being elected for two years. He is a member of the Congregational Church, and has been a trustee of that body for eight years. Socially he has been a member of the Masonic order since 1864, and also belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen.

J AMES STUART CHAFFEE. The family to which the subject of this 'sketch belongs is of good old Puritan stock, having been founded in the New World in 1635, at Hing- ham, Mass., by Thomas Chaffee, who landed at Boston a year or two previous. He re- moved to Hull, where he died in 1683. His son, Joseph Chaffee, married Ann Martin, of Swansea, Mass., and died in that town in 1689. His son, John Chaffee, removed to Woodstock, where Joel Chaffee, the son of John, died. Joshua, the youngest son of Joel, was born in Woodstock, Conn., in 1733, and in 1755 moved to Sharon, Conn. On July 22, 1755, he wedded Mary St. John, and they continued to live at Sharon until 1760, when they removed to Ellsworth, Conn., where his death occurred October S, 1789, and she passed away August 28, 1824. Their son, Joshua Bignall Chaffee, the grandfather of our subject, was born at Sharon, Conn., March 8, 1781, and became a farmer by occupation. On June 4, 1809, he was united in marriage with Ann Seymour, a daughter of Amos and Sarah (Cook) Seymour, of Plymouth, Conn .; her death occurred June 4, 1819. Later he was united in marriage (December 25. 1820) with Hannah Birdsey, who was born at Corn- wall, Conn., September 29, 1791. At the time of his death, the grandfather was most acceptably serving as one of the magistrates of Sharon.

The birth of Jerome Seymour Chaffee, the father of our subject, occurred at Ellsworth, Conn., December 14, 1814, and he was there educated in the common schools. At Kent, in that State, on October 24, 1839, he was married to Miss Aritta Stuart, daughter of James and Melinda Stuart. She was born De- cember 15, 1812, and was called to her final rest November 24, 1872. Later, the father was married (June 8, 1876), at Sharon, to

Adelia Emma Fuller, who was born March 13, 1841, the daughter of Cyrus Sackett and Harriet Fuller. Until 1855 Jerome S. Chaffee continued to reside at Sharon, at which time he came to the town of Amenia, Dutchess county. where he has since engaged in farming. He is a consistent member of the Congregational Church at Ellsworth, Conn .. and politically cast his first vote in support of the Whig party, later becoming an Abolitionist, and since its organization has been a stalwart Republican. By his fellow citizens he has been called upon to serve in the positions of high- way commissioner and assessor.

James Stuart Chaffee, whose name intro- duces this review, was born at Sharon, Conn., October 3, 1846, and was educated at Wes- leyan Academy, Wilbraham, Mass. He was married at Kent, Conn., on September 17, 1872, to Miss Lydia A. Judd, who was born December 16, 1850, and is a daughter of Ed- ward Matthew and Laura (Cartwright) Judd. Of their union there are five children: Jerome Stuart, born November 11, 1873, is a graduate of the Yale University, and expects to com- plete the course in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania with the class of '97; Edward Judd, born August 6, 1875, mar- ried Celia M. Cline; Aritta L., born August 22, 1877, graduated at Wesleyan Academy in 1896; Everitte St. John, born November 15, 1879; and Rollo N., born February 28, 1882.

After his marriage Mr. Chaffee removed to his present residence in the town of Amenia, and for about four years was engaged in the flour, feed, grain and lumber business with William H. Tanner, of Wassaic, but with that exception his entire life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits, and with excellent results, showing that he thoroughly understands the occupation which he has chosen. His unwav- ering support is given the Republican party, and he has served in several positions of honor and trust, such as highway commissioner and justice of the peace and supervisor

C HARLES F. HASBROOK, a leading busi- ness man of New Hamburg. Dutchess county, the senior member of the well-known firm of Capt. Wm. Hasbrook's Sons, forward- ing and commission merchants, was born Jan- uary 2, 1845, at Cortlandville, in the town of East Fishkill, where his ancestors were among the early settlers. The family originated in

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Holland, and its representatives in this locali- ty are descended from three brothers who came to this country together, two settling in Ulster county, and one in Dutchess county, at Fish- kill.

Francis Hasbrook, our subject's grandfa- ther, was born there August 5. 1789, and be- came a merchant at Cortlandville, where he was a prominent citizen, an active supporter of the Whig party and a leading member of the Reformed Church, with which most of his descendants have united. He married Mar- garet Blatchly, a native of Fishkill, who died July 11, 1839, and he survived her until March 8, 1854. They had three children, of whom William Hasbrook, our subject's father. was the eldest. the others being: Susan H., born July 25, 1824, married to Albert Emans, a farmer in Fishkill, and Sarah R., born March 20. 1830, married to John P. Storm, a farmer at Stormville.

William Hasbrook was born at Cortland- ville November 12, 1822, and grew to man- hood there. He was engaged in the mercan- tile business with his father for some time, and later conducted it alone, but in 1857 he became captain of the steamer " Wyoming." which he ran for twelve years. From 1869 to 1872 he followed the freighting business at New Hamburg, and then for five years was captain of the "Walter Brett," a steamboat running between New Hamburg and New York, and on leaving this he resumed the freighting business and continued it until his death, which occurred December IS, 1893. He was a Republican in politics, and promi- nent in local affairs, serving some time as clerk of the town of East Fishkill, and he was the first postmaster of that village. On August 17, 1843, he married Maria Storm, daughter of Gory and Anna (Boice Storm. She died June 28, 1874, leaving three children, of whom our subject, Charles F., was the eldest, the others being : Emily, born December 11, 1849, died April 9, 1852, and George A., born July 27, 1856, is a member of the firm.

Charles F. Hasbrook was educated in the schools of New Hamburg and Hughsonville. On leaving school he clerked for four years in a grocery in New York City, and then came back to New Hamburg, where he was engaged for a year in the feed business, afterward in a grocery. On March 1. 1886, he became inter- ested in his father's business, and since the latter's death the two sons have carried it on

successfully. On January 13. 1869, Mr. Has- brook married Miss Jennie E. Van Voorhis, who was born September 10, 1845, at Brink- erhoffville. Her parents, William H. and Elizabeth (Haight) Van Voorhis, were both natives of Dutchess county, the former having been born at Matteawan, May 24, 18og. Three children were the result of this marriage, of whom only one is now living, Edward G., born October 24, 1870.

Mr. Hasbrook, as one of the leading men of southern Dutchess county, has been influen- tial in local affairs, and is prominent in the Republican party, although he has never held office, with the exception of four years as justice of the peace of the town of Wappinger. He is a member of the F. & A. M., Wappingers Falls Lodge No. 671, of Poughkeepsie Chap- ter No. 172, and Poughkeepsie Commandery No. 43.

Z EBULON RUDD. The subject of this sketch was born in the town of North- east, Dutchess Co., N. Y., September 24. 1823.

The family for a long time had been one of influence in the eastern part of the county. and also in western Connecticut, from which locality Mr. Rudd's great-grandfather came. The following is a brief record of the family:

Lieut. Jonathan Rudd, the founder of the family in America, came to New England about the year 1637. He was a resident of New Haven, Conn .. in 1644. when he took the oath of fidelity to the government. He was at Saybrook in 1646. In the winter of 1646-47 he was married. The occasion was a romantic one, and is often referred to in the State disputes concerning boundary lines. The magistrate, who had been engaged to per- form the ceremony, was delayed by a great and sudden snowfall, and application was at once made to John Winthrop, then acting as mag- istrate under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. In order that he might obviate any infringe- ment of the law, the parties agreed to meet at a little stream-to this day known as Bride brook-which served as a boundary between New London and Lynn. There, in the solemn stillness of the forest, Winthrop, stand- ing upon one bank, joined together the man and woman who stood upon the other.

Jonathan Rudd was a settler of Norwich,

Zebulon Rudd

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

Conn., later on, and died in 1668, leaving four children. . His eldest son, Jonathan, born about 1650, married Mercy - in 1678, and died in 1689, leaving a son born in 1684, who afterward became Ensign and Cap- tain Nathaniel Rudd. He moved to Wind- hamn, Conn., where he was a highly respected member of society, and died at a ripe old age February 20, 1760. His first wife, the mother of his children, was Rebecca, daughter of John Waldo, of Chelmsford, Mass., and his wife Rebecca, daughter of Samuel Adams, the progenitor of the Adams family of Massachu- setts. Nathaniel and Rebecca Rudd had four children, the third of whom was Zebulon, born at Windham, Conn., in 1717. In 1742 he was married to Jerusha Brewster, and about 1750 moved to Dutchess county, N. Y., and resided in the town of Amenia, and also in Northeast. He died in 1802. His family consisted of eight children-six daughters and two sons. The eldest child, Nathaniel, born in 1742, married Naomi St. John, in 1768, and died in 1774, leaving a widow and three children. He was the ancestor of the Rudds of St. Lawrence and Wayne counties, in New York, and of Litchfield county, in Connecticut.

Zebulon's other son, Bezaleel, born in 1751, survived his brother seventy-two years, and died in 1846, aged ninety-five years and one month. During the greater part of his life he resided at Northeast, Dutchess Co., N. Y. He served faithfully during the war of the Revolution. Having signed the pledge with his father, Zebulon, in July, 1775, he served in the Continental army from August, 1775, to February, 1777, when he left the army with the rank of major. That same year he married Ruth Brush, and they had seven children, of whom the second was Reuben Brush Rudd, born in 1780. He lived at the old place at the northern end of Rudd Pond, Northeast, N. Y., but in middle life spent many years at Poughkeepsie. He was presi- dent of the village of Poughkeepsie in 1814. He married on February 22, 1813, Elizabeth, daughter of Capt. Israel Smith, of Newburg, N. Y., and his wife, Mary, daughter of Col. Jonathan Hasbrouck.

Elizabeth Smith was born September 3, 1783, in the house which is now known as " Washington's Headquarters", Newburg, but then owned by Col. Hasbrouck's son Isaac. Mr. Rudd's family still possess a brocaded satin cloak given by Lady Washington as a baptis-

mal robe for the child which was born a few days after Washington's departure.

Reuben B. Rudd had five children: Mary, born November 25, 1813, married Milton Smith, and died February 14, 1895; Sarah, born October 29, 1815, and married to Alex- ander W. Trowbridge, is still living at Ansonia, Conn. John, born December 28, 1817, died at Mobile, Ala., October 9, 1842. Charles, born March 17, 1820, and married to Frances E. Folk, is still living at Pine Plains, N. Y. ; and Zebulon, the present representative of the family in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. His early youth was spent upon his father's farin. Financial reverses, however, coming upon the family, the boys were early compelled to seek their own livelihood.

In 1842 Mr. Rudd came to Poughkeepsie to take a position as clerk in the dry-goods store of Joseph Wright. Here he remained two years, and then accepted a clerkship with Bowne & Co., where he remained eight years. He was then appointed teller and bookkeeper in the Fallkill Bank, remaining there six years. Mr. Rudd was next offered the cashiership of the Dover Plains Bank. Six years after his going to Dover Plains the First National Bank of Poughkeepsie was organized, and the direct- ors tendered the position of cashier to Mr. Rudd. He accepted the offer, and for twen- ty-five years held the position until his resig- nation in 1889. Since then he has been en- gaged in the brokerage and investment business in Poughkeepsie.

Mr. Rudd was married May 23, 1855, to Blandina V. Adriance, second daughter of John Adriance, the founder of the "Buckeye Manufacturing Co." Three children have been born to them: Charles Adriance (now deceased), who married Ella Robinson, of Poughkeepsie; John Adriance, who married Bertha Strawn Morgan, of Trenton, Neb., and is now living in Poughkeepsie; and Ar- thur Belding, who at the present time is study- ing in New York City.

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 32

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1354