Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 4

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

USA > New York > Dutchess County > Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York > Part 4

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Adolphus G. Smith, our subject's father, born August 22, 1800, at Amherst, Mass., was married on July 4, 1824, to Miss Nancy Dodge, who was born in Addison, Vt., a daughter of Major Thomas Dodge. Her father was of English descent, and was one of twelve chil- dren, of whom several sons served in the war of the Revolution, in the war of 1812, and in the Mexican war. After their marriage Adolphus G. Smith and his wife settled on a farm in St. Lawrence county, N. Y., where they reared a family of eleven children, of whom the following record is given: Alfred Baker, the subject of this sketch, was the eldest; Selome E. married Newcomb Perkins, a farmer of Augusta, Wis. ; Clarissa C. died in 1850; Hannah D. is the widow of Harvey D. Hyde, who was a farmer in St. Lawrence county, N. Y .; Thomas D. is a farmer in Rolla, Mo. ; Martin M. is farming at Massena, Cass Co., Iowa; Wallace H. was a clerk in the post office at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and died in 1875; Silas C. was a carpenter by trade, and died in 1880, near Rochester, N. Y; Dorothy became the second wife of Newcomb Perkins, and died in 1870; Lepha E. is the wife of Emmett Russell, a carpenter in Mas- 2

sena, Iowa; and Gustavus A. is farming at the old homestead. The father always followed the occupation of a farmer, and in politics was originally an Old-line Whig, in later years be- coming a member of the Republican party. He died August 26, 1879, his wife passing away in January, 1894, at the good old age of ninety years.

Alfred B. Smith was born November 17, 1825, in Massena, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, and received his early education in the district school. When seventeen years old he began teaching, spending his vacations in work in the fields and other farm duties. In the fall of 1 848 he entered Union College, at Schenectady, N. Y., from which he was graduated in the class of '51. Shortly afterward he came to Poughkeepsie, and became teacher of mathe- matics in the school of Charles Bartlett, on College Hill, which position he filled some four years, during that time devoting his lei- sure hours to the study of law under Judge James Emott. He was admitted to the bar in 1855, and for three years was a partner of Mathew Hale; then formed a partnership with Charles Williams, with whom he practiced until the spring of 1862.

In the meantime the Civil war had broken out, and the fighting spirit inherited from his martial ancestors on both sides proved stronger than all other incentives. Our subject was among the first to raise a regiment in Dutchess county, which became the 150th N. Y. V. I., and of which he was made major. His first commission was that of lieutenant-colonel; later he was promoted to major, and when he becaine colonel he was made brevet brigadier- general for gallant and meritorious service under Sherman, in Georgia and the Carolinas. At the battle of Gettysburg, Gen. Smith's regi- ment (mustering about 500 men) formed part of the Corps No. 8, No. 12, No. 20 and No. 28, and was on the celebrated march to the sea. The General served until the close of the war, and was mustered out with his regiment June 8, 1865.

When peace was again restored Gen. Smith returned to Poughkeepsie, and resumed his practice of law in partnership with L. B. Sackett, which connection lasted some twenty years, after which he practiced alone. At the time of his death he was the only one living of the twelve men who were the first members of the Republican party in Dutchess county,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

and he always took an active part in politics. Gen. Smith held various responsible public of- fices, and always fulfilled his duties with faith- fulness and to the satisfaction of all concerned. For thirty-three years he was a member of the board of education; was president during eight years of that time, and also for some years was chairman of the building committee, all of the school houses in the district having been erected under his supervision. In 1892, after being elected city recorder, he resigned from the board.

Just after the war Gen. Smith served as deputy collector of internal revenue. In 1867 he was appointed postmaster of Poughkeepsie, by President Johnson, and was reappointed by President Grant, holding the office for eight years. He also served two terms as supervi- sor of the Fifth ward of the city, and did much to establish the Hudson River State Hospital. He always took a leading part not only in political and public affairs but also in Church matters, and, indeed, to quote from an article printed during his lifetime, in one of the city newspapers, "one cannot men- tion a good cause in which Gen. Smith has not taken a part." He had been an elder in the Presbyterian Church and super- intendent of the Sunday-school for many years, and was sent as delegate to three of its General Assemblies which met at Madison, Wis., Philadelphia, and Washington, D. C., respectively. He was instrumental in the formation of what is known as "the Pough- keepsie Plan," which has for its object the breaking down of the barriers between the Catholics and Protestants, and which is rec- ognized not only in the United States, but also in Europe. Gen. Smith was connected with the Electric Light Co. ; was a member of the State Bar Association; of the Loyal Le- gion; of the Masonic fraternity, and was a Knight Templar and chief counsel of King Solomon's Temple. In 1867 he organized the first G. A. R. Post in Poughkeepsie, now know as Hamilton Post No. 20.

On June 20, 1854, Gen. Smith was mar- ried to Ann Eliza Mitchell, who was born at Jewett Heights, Lexington, Greene Co., N. Y .. a daughter of David and Leah (Dunham) Mitchell. Her parents were of English ex- traction, and her father was a merchant tailor. Two children-one daughter and one son-were born to our subject and his wife, to wit: Margaret J., born September 2, 1855,

died May 3, 1875; and Matthew J., born April 21, 1860. Mrs. Smith died January 5. 1894; she was a most estimable woman, affection- ately remembered by a large circle of warm friends. Gen. A. B. Smith departed this life at Poughkeepsie. N. Y., January 28, 1896.

A NDREW JACKSON KETCHAM, of Poughkeepsie, one of the oldest and ablest financiers in this section, was identified with various banking institutions in Dutchess county for half a century previous to his retire- ment, in 1890, from the position of president of the Poughkeepsie National Bank.

His family originated in England, and his grandfather, Solomon Ketcham, who was born there April 6, 1757, was the first of the line to come to America. He located at Hun- tington, L. 1., where he followed agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his life. He entered heartily into the struggles of the Colonies for freedom, and in a speech by Hon. Henry C. Platt, on " Old Times in Hunting- ton, L. I., " this account appears: " He lent his energies to the battle-field, and fought for the birthright of freedom when the storm- cloud of Revolution burst upon the infant America and threatened to overwhelm the Na- tion in its fiery torrent." %

* * "Among the prisoners taken by the British during the Revolutionary war we find the name of Solo- mon Ketcham, and they were carried aboard the Swan' in 1777. Solomon Ketcham lived on Main street. He got into difficulty with the British soldiers, and snatching a picket from a fence offered to fight three or four officers. He was afterward confined in the fort on Burying Hill, and kept on a diet of bread and water. He never forgot his impris- onment nor forgave his enemies, and when the British fleet dropped anchor in Huntington Bay during the war of 1812, the old man might have been seen prowling around the shores of Lloyd's Neck and Bay, gun in hand, and woe to the son of Britain who came within his reach." He married Rebecca Platt, who died April 17, 1834, and he survived until Feb- ruary 19, 1851. They had seven children, whose names with dates of birth and death are as follows: Jonas, December 4, 1779, died October 31, 1842; Hannah, born March 29, 1782; Solomon, Jr., December 12, 1784, died March 28, 1852; Oliver, October 11, 1788, died August 5, 1792; Amos Platt, May 12,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

1791, died October 19, 1825: Conklin, Octo- ber 22, 1794, died December 16, 1821 (lost at sea); John, September 2, 1797.

Amos P. Ketcham, our subject's father, left the old home in Huntington, and moved to the town of Amenia, Dutchess county, where he ran a flouring-mill and engaged in farming in a small way. In 1821 he removed to Pough- keepsie and established the first steam-boat house in the city, about 300 yards from the dock at the foot of Main street. Later he moved into a house on the dock which was known as "The Exchange, " and was for some time the leading hotel of the city. He was married September 9, 1811, to Miss Anna Rogers Platt, who was born November 26, 1793, and died at Poughkeepsie, October 31, 1861. After his death she conducted the hotel alone until her marriage February 2, 1832, to Warren Skinner, who took charge of it. By the first marriage she had five children: Es- ther Emily, Alonzo R., Zephar Platt, Andrew J. and Rebecca, of whom, the last two are the only survivors. Two children by the second marriage died in infancy.

Mr. Ketcham was born in the town of Amenia, March 18, 1819, but with the excep- tion of two years in a select school there he was educated in Poughkeepsie at the Dutchess County Academy, which stood in his early years on the corner of Cannon and Academy streets, but afterward was moved to the upper part of the city. His education was practical and quite extensive for the times, and his wide reading has kept him well abreast of the world's progress. In early manhood he became a part- ner in a grocery business in upper Main street, the firm name being Gale & Ketcham. After a few years there he began his successful ca- reer in finance as clerk in the Farmers & Manu- facturers Bank, under Frederick W. Davis, and a few years later was appointed teller. In 1852 he was appointed cashier of the First Na- tional Bank of Saugerties, N. Y., which he had helped to organize. In 1861 he started the Saugerties Bank, and in 1865 he went to Dover Plains, N. Y., as cashier of the Dover Plains National Bank, and held that position nineteen years. He retired in 1884 and moved to Pough- . keepsie; but in 1886 he was made president of the Poughkeepsie National Bank, and was in charge of that institution for four years. Throughout these years of service he has per- formed the duties of every position with marked ability and unvarying rectitude, and by his wise

inanagement he has not only won success for himself but has satisfactorily cared for the in- terests of others.

Mr. Ketcham was married first, in 1842, to Sarah Anderson, daughter of Nathan Ander- son, a well-known resident of Rondout, N. Y. They had six children: Richard Platt is cash- ier of the Dover Plains National Bank; Annie married Arthur Bangs, of Dover Plains; and Gaston is secretary of the Borden Con- densed Milk Co., of Wassaic, N. Y. Of the others, Andrew Golding died at the age of nine years, Golding at the age of six, and John at one year. Mr. Ketcham formed a second matrimonial union, with Mary Frances Cowles, daughter of a leading citizen of Stamford, N. Y., Jessee F. Cowles. They have one son, Charles Andrew, now a clerk in the First Na- tional Bank, Poughkeepsie. Mr. Ketcham and his wife are prominent members of the Second Reformed Church, in which he has been an elder for ten years. He takes great interest in public affairs, and while he has never sought political office, has given strong support to the party which represents his con- victions. Originally a Democrat, he adhered to that party until the Civil war broke out, and since that time he has been a Republican.

J AMES E. DUTCHER, president of the board of public works of Poughkeepsie, is one of the best-known and most prominent men in Dutchess county, having been a mem- ber of the State Legislature, twice elected sher- iff, and chairman of the Republican County Committee, besides holding minor offices.

The Dutcher family is of Holland descent, and Abraham, the grandfather of our subject, was a farmer in the town of Beekman, Dutch- ess county, where he died. He had a family of eleven children, of whom, Abraham, Jr. (the father of our subject), was born in La- grange, Dutchess county, and married Miss Gertrude, daughter of Stephen Van Vores, who was of Dutch descent. They settled on a farm in Lagrange, but afterward removed to the town of Beekman, where the father died in 1869; he followed farming all his life. In his early days he was a Whig, afterward be- coming a Republican. The mother died in 1892. Their family consisted of five children, as follows: Daniel V. is a resident of Mattea- wan, Dutchess county; James E. comes next ; William H. is a farmer in the town of Beek-

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHIICAL RECORD.

man; Mary F. is unmarried, and resides in Beekman; and Allison died in 1882.

James E. Dutcher was born in the town of Lagrange, January 21, 1838. He was twelve years old when his parents removed to Beek- man, and after completing his education worked upon his father's farm until his marriage, in February, 1869, with Miss Elizabeth Flagler. She was born and reared in the town of Beek- man, and is a daughter of Benjamin F. Flag- ler, a fariner of that town. In 1876 Mr. Dutcher was elected sheriff of Dutchess coun- ty, and was re-elected in 1882, which office he filled three years longer. During this time he also served as chairman of the Republican County Committee. In all these responsible positions he won the confidence and esteem of the people by the faithful and impartial dis- charge of his duties, and proved himself a man of more than usual ability and progressive ideas. During his term as sheriff, a house on Pawling hill was blown up with dynamite, one man being killed, and for this offense three men were tried, convicted and sentenced to Sing Sing for life. After retiring from the shrievalty Mr. Dutcher engaged in the coal business, which he successfully carried on until 1894, when he retired from that. He is at present serving as president of the board of public works of Poughkeepsie, having been elected to that office in May, 1896.

Socially, our subject is a member of the F. & A. M. He is public-spirited, always ready to assist in matters relating to the wel- fare of his city or county, and is held in high esteem by his fellow-citizens. The family are identified with the Congregational Church, of which Mrs. Dutcher is an active member.

H ON. JOHN THOMPSON (deceased) was a native of Dutchess county N. Y., born in the town of Rhinebeck July 4, 1809, a son of Robert Thompson, a farmer of near the village of Rhinebeck, and his wife, a Miss Scott, the daughter of Rev. Robert Scott. who for many years kept a boarding school for boys. At this institution our subject re- ceived the rudiments of his education, up to the age of thirteen years, when, the school being discontinued, he for the next four years spent the most of his time in establishing his always extensively delicate health in the light work about the farm, also in reading and study.

On October 26, 1826, Mr. Thompson en- tered the office of Francis A. Livingston, then district attorney of Dutchess county, and at once began the study not only of law, but of general literature. Within the first year of his clerkship he acquired a perfect knowledge of the routine of the duties of the district attorney's office, and in many ways soon made himself an indispensable acquisition to Mr. Livingston, attending court with him, etc., at the same time pursuing his studies in English literature and philosophy.

On the removal of Mr. Livingston to New York, in 1829, Mr. Thompson went into the office of Hooker & Tallmadge, in the then village of Poughkeepsie, and, upon receiving his license as an attorney, was taken into partnership by James Hooker, then surrogate of the county.

In 1834 Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Mary Smith, youngest daughter of Judge Isaac Smith, of Lithgow, in the town of Wash- ington, Dutchess county, and, she owning a farm received from her father's estate, much of her husband's time was taken up in its management. In 1840, however, he gave this up and devoted himself exclusively to his pro- fession. He was cotemporary with some of the most learned of the old school of lawyers, with whom it is but just to say that he " held his own," and was engaged in the trial of every important case from 1845 till his retire- ment. Not the least of his labors was his acquisition for the Hudson River Railroad Co. of the title of much of the lands needed for the use of the road from Poughkeepsie to Albany. Mr. Thompson was for many years connected in business with James H. Weeks, under the firm name of Thompson & Weeks, which firm, by the admission of Frank B. Lown, in 1878, became Thompson, Weeks & Lown. Mr. Weeks died in 1887, and the firm then remained as Thompson & Lown, which partnership continued until Mr. Thomp- son's death.

In the summer of 1856 Mr. Thompson was asked to represent Columbia and Dutchess counties in Congress, and induced to accept the nomination, though the result seemed dubious, considering the heavy and influ- ential Democratic majority in the district. However, he at once organized a series of meetings in the two counties, and by a thorough discussion of the momentous issues then pending, so aroused public sentiment,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

that he was elected by over 1, 200 majority on the side of the Republican ticket. During the sessions of '57-58 Mr. Thompson entered into the debates on the floor of the House of Representatives, and a number of his speeches were circulated throughout the district and country. One upon the exciting topic of the hour, "The Admission of Kansas," and an- other on the " Mormon Question " were warmly received, thousands of copies being circulated by members all over the Southern as well as the Northern States.

A second nomination was tendered Mr. Thompson, but declined by him on account of pressing business duties. After his Congres- sional career, he held no public office of a political nature, but beside his professional duties, gave his efforts to benevolent and phil- anthropic movements of society and in the Church, with which he was united while a student at law. For some ten years in the earlier history of the organizations of Lyceums and Young Men's Associations, he lectured in their aid. He twice delivered the oration be- fore the literary societies at Union College on commencement day-at New Brunswick and at Williamstown; was elected a member of the Phi Beta Kappa at Union, and received the degree of A. M. from Union and Yale. He was a lifelong student, devoting his leisure to the cultivation of general literature, especially of theology, delivered many Sunday evening lectures, and also published numerous essays -one on " Inspiration," one on the " Atone- ment," and another on the "Inner Kingdom." He also published an article vindicating the miracles of the New Testament. When Matthew Vassar had settled upon devoting his wealth toward the founding of Vassar College, Mr. Thompson was among the first persons consulted by him, and was chosen one of the trustees of that institution. For many years he was vice-president of the Fallkill National Bank, of Poughkeepsie, and at the time of his death was president of that institution.

Mr. Thompson, in 1835, built his residence at the corner of Market and Church streets, and passed the rest of his life there, except some four or five summers spent by the family at a cottage owned by Mrs. Thompson, in New Hamburg, on Wappingers creek. In 1871 Mr. Thompson spent a year in Europe, both for his health and mental improvement.

Mr. Thompson was possessed of rare for- ensic and rhetorical gifts, which gave grace to

his pen, and beauty and strength to his utter- ances. His style was ornate, without weak- ness, and philosophical without obscurity; on the platform or at the bar, he was one of the most effective speakers in the land. His kind- ness of heart, cheerful temperament, abundant humor and quick repartee, made him an agree- able companion and the best of friends. The weight of his character from early manhood had been on the side of Christian principle, in which regard he was of vast benefit to the moral and philanthropic movements of his times.

Mr. Thompson died June 1, 1890, leaving surviving him his second wife, Caroline (a daughter of the late James Bailey, of Pratts- burg, N. Y.), and several children.

H ON. ISAAC S. CARPENTER, one of the most prominent citizens of Dutchess county, is a worthy representative of an old and honored family. He is the eighth gen- eration in direct descent from William Car- penter, who was born in England in 1576, and came to America in 1638 in the ship "Bevis," landing at Weymouth, Mass. His son, William (2), born in England in 1605, accompanied him, bringing also his wife, Abigail. In 1643 the family moved from Wey- mouth to Rehoboth, Mass. William and Abi- gail Carpenter had seven children : William, Samuel, Joseph, John, Abiah, Hannah and Abraham-the last three born in America. John Carpenter came to Long Island in early manhood, and in 1663 was chosen townsman of Hempstead; later his name is on the records as captain of fusiliers in the Narragansett expedition. He was married in 1665 to Hannah Baright, and made his home at Jamaica, where he died May 23, 1695. He and his wife had five children: John, William, Samuel, Hope and Hannah. William (3), our subject's great-great-grandfather, was born at Hempstead, and after his father's death he bought his mother's right in the estate there, and moved from Jamaica with his wife, Eliza. They had three children: Daniel, John and Elizabeth. Daniel Carpenter, our subject's great-grandfather, was born in Hempstead, and in 1752 came to Dutchess county, where he bought a farm at Crum Elbow, Hyde Park, and there died in 1777. On February 4, 1729, he married Sarah Hall, of Hempstead, by whom he had six children: (1) Joseph,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

who was a merchant of Bangall, and a justice of the peace of the town of Stanford, married Dorcas Smith, whose father was an officer in the British army during the Revolutionary war; they had five children: John and Smith (who both entered the naval service), Joseph, Benjamin and Dorcas. (2) Daniel, who was a resident of Fishkill. (3) William. (4) Joseph. (5) Benjamin. (6) Mary, Mrs. John Carpenter.

Benjamin Carpenter, our subject's grand- father, was born at Hempstead July 11, 1749, and lived for many years at Crum Elbow on land given him by his father. He was perse- cuted during the Revolution by the Tories of his locality for raising a company for the Colo- nial army, having his home robbed three times; on other occasions he was saved by his immense greyhound. He bought land of Job Swift in 1782, and of Samuel Pugsley in 1796, and in 1798 he purchased from John Miller a farm on "Carpenter Hill," where, in 1804, he built the house now occupied by our subject. On September 9, 1773, he married Mary Pugsley, who was born March 25, 1756, the daughter of Samuel Pugsley, of Westchester. She died November 16, 1821, he surviving until January 17, 1837. Eight children were born of this union, whose names, with dates of birth and death are as follows : (1) Sarah, August 6, 1774, died November 30, 1852 (she married George Ferris, of Peekskill). (2) Hannah, February 25, 1776, died in 1845 (she married Noah Tabor and had two children-Benjamin and Maria). (3) Maria, April 14, 1778, died September 2, 1839 (she married Bernard Matthewson). (4) Daniel, October 29, 1785, died May 3. 1853 (he was a resident of Amenia, and was married to Zayde Perlee, and had four children-Hannah, Benjamin (who married Tamma Hunting), Edmund P. (who married Frances Hoag) and Tazde. 5) Cornelia, November 6, 1789, died March 12, 1840 (she never married). (6) Elizabeth, April 26, 1791, died young. (7) Samuel P .. March S. 1780, died January 30, 1814. (8) Morgan, November 4, 1795, died November 14, 1871, our subject's father.

Morgan Carpenter received his early edu- cation in the district schools near his home, and in a private school near Peckskill. He was for some years associate county judge, under appointment from Gov. Seward. On February 3, 1819, he was married to Maria Bockee, who was born in the town of North-

east, Dutchess county, January 3, 1794, the daughter of Jacob and Catherine ( Smith > Bockee. In 1852 they moved to No. 333 Mill street, Poughkeepsie, where they spent their later years, his wife dying January 29, 1871, less than a year from the time of his own death. Nine children were born of this union: (!) Catherine, born November 23, 1819, died February 2, 1820. (2) Benjamin Platt, born November 25, 1821, died December 30, 1836. (3) Catharine Bockee, born June 24, 1823, married George B. Lent, of Poughkeepsie, October 28, 1847, and died September 17, 1879. (4) Mary M., born February 1, 1825, married Edward G. Tyler, October 1, 1844 (he died April 21, 1891), and has three chil- dren-Maria Seymour (born February 3, 1846), Morgan Carpenter (born December 22, 1847), and Mary Catharine ( born December 31, 1856). (5) Jacob Bockee, born July 16, 1826, was a leading resident of this locality, and was chosen supervisor of the town of Stanford in 1855, member of the Assembly in 1856, Presi- dential elector in 1860, supervisor of the Fifth ward of Poughkeepsie in 1870, and mayor of Poughkeepsie in 1875-76. He lived in Stan- ford and Northeast until 1861, and then moved to Poughkeepsie, later to Little Rest, where he died April 9, 1894. On January 28, 1860, he was married to Sarah E. Thorne, and had three children, whose names, with dates of birth, are here given: Mary Thorne, March 18, 1861; Jacob B., September 17, 1863 (died December 15, 1874); and Maria B., October 12, 1865, who was married June 5, 1890, to Joseph S. Tower. (6) Isaac Smith, June 24, 1828, was twice married, first on August 28, 1851, to Julia Willson, who died May 22, 1858, and second on September 5. 1860, to Sarah Rebecca Willson. Three children were born of the first marriage: Eliza, September 19, 1852; Morgan, June 7, 1854, was married De- cember 14. 1876, to Virginia A. Bartlett, of Hampton, Va., and has two children, Maria V. and Miriam; Maria Bockee, November 21, 1856, was married, October 17, 1888, to Thomas C. Clark, of Grand Island, Neb., and has two sons-Henry C. and Isaac C. Of the second marriage three children were born: Willson, October 7, 1861, graduated from Yale in 1884; Julia, March 25, 1864; and Sarah Louisa, December 6, 1865. (7) Louisa S., November 26, 1830, was married July 21, 1851, to Abram Staats, of Red Hook, and had one daughter, Catherine Eliza, born May 23,

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 4

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