Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 57

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

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John J. Hebard, the father of our subject, was born in the town of Amenia, April 27, 1794, and during his boyhood days attended school at Sharon, Conn. On November I, 1818, he was married to Miss Harriet E. De- lano, who was born March 19, 1795, and died September 5, 1857. Their family consisted of six children, namely: Elizabeth, born July 23, 1820, died July 17, 1869; Jethro Delano, born May 7, 1822, died February 21, 1864; George, born May 8, 1824, died December 29, 1847; John, born July 14, 1827, died February 28, 1849; Harriet Salina, born January 21, 1831, died April 29, 1881; and Newton, sub- ject of this sketch, the only one now living. By trade the father was a silversmith and clockmaker, and was thus employed at Amenia Union at the time of his marriage. Removing to Poughkeepsie, he engaged in the same busi- ness there for a time, later engaging in the 20

manufacture of soap, and then conducted a store at that place. In 1862 he returned to the town of Amenia, where his death occurred in 1874, when he was aged eighty years. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, under Capt. Judson, New York State Militia.

The early school days of Newton Hebard were passed at Williamsburg, N. Y., and after graduating from the academy in that city, he clerked there in a store for four years. He was engaged in farming near Newburgh, N. Y., for the same length of time, after which he went to Brooklyn, and clerked in a hat store for two years, and then for two years and a half he was in the real-estate office with G. W. Kelsey. Coming to the village of Amenia in 1862, he was employed in the store of C. M. Benjamin until 1865, when he started a private bank under the firm name of N. Hebard & Co. In Febru- ary, 1867, the bank was blown open and robbed; but his good friends put him on his feet again, and in the following fall the First National Bank was purchased by the people of Amenia. Mr. Hebard then closed out his business to become clerk in that institution, and four years later he was made cashier, which important position he is still filling to the satisfaction of all concerned.

In Amenia, on October 5, 1864, Mr. He- bard was married to Miss Harriet E. Per Lee, daughter of Walter P. Per Lee. In 1858 our subject was initiated into the mysteries of the Masonic Order, and now holds membership with Amenia Lodge No. 672, F. & A. M .; in religious faith he is a member of the Baptist Church; politically he has always been an un- compromising Republican on National issues, although at local elections he votes for the one he regards as best qualified for the office to be filled. Personally he has no ambition for political preferment. He is vigorous and well-preserved, with a remarkable faculty for the conduct and dispatch of business, and in social as well as in business life stands de- servedly high.

0 LIVER WELDON BARNES, civil engi- neer, is a well-known resident of the village of Fishkill, Dutchess county, having settled there in 1867 while he was engaged in the construction of the Dutchess and Columbia railroad, of which he was the chief engineer .. Flis ancestors came from England in the seven- teenth century, settling in Boston, and later

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generations resided in Marlboro, Mass., where his father, Henry Barnes, was born in 1790. His mother, Marilla (Weldon), was a native of Connecticut, born in Hartford county in 1796. In 1825 they moved to Philadelphia.

Our subject was born in the town of Ber- lin, Hartford Co., Conn., May 15, 1823, and his education was begun there in early life. At sixteen years of age he was sent to Bur- lington College, Burlington, N. J., and he subse- quently went to Europe to complete his engi- neering studies. On his return, in April, 1847, he was appointed an assistant engineer in the first corps sent out from Philadelphia to survey the western division of the Pennsylvania railroad, extending from the summit of the Alleghany Mountains to Pittsburg. He be- carne the principal assistant engineer in charge of the field parties, and made the final location on the bold lines that distinguished that divi- sion as the first engineering work on this conti- nent at that time, and remained in charge of his division until its construction was completed in 1854. He was then appointed chief engi- neer of the Pittsburg & Connellsville railroad, extending from Pittsburg to Cumberland, now the Pittsburg division of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, and remained on that work until 1857, when he took charge of the construction of the last eighty-four miles of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad, and com- pleted it to Chicago in December, 1858. He then returned to Philadelphia, and built some branch lines for the Pennsylvania railroad. In 1866 he came to Dutchess county, surveyed. located and constructed the Dutchess & Col- umbia railroad, from Dutchess Junction to Millerton, fifty-eight miles in length, and sub- sequently was chief engineer on the surveys for the extension of the Boston, Hartford & Erie railroad, from Waterbury, Conn., to Fish- kill-on-Hudson, superintending the constric- tion of the work near the River Terminal until the suspension of operations consequent upon the financial difficulties of that company in 1869. Leaving the service of the Boston, Hartford & Erie Railroad Co., in 1870, he be- caine the promoter and chief engineer of the Connecticut Western Railroad Co., the sur- veys and location of that line from Hartford to the State Line of New York, near Millerton, being made under his personal supervision, and the work was subsequently constructed under his charge in 1870 and 1871.

He then became the president and chief

engineer of the New York City Central Under- ground Railroad Co., which was authorized by a special charter to construct a line of underground railway for rapid transit through the city of New York from City Hall Park to the Harlem river. He prepared the surveys and plans for the construction of the line; but the political obstructions of the Tweed com- bination rendered it impossible to secure the capital for its construction at that time. In 1872 the control of the company was trans- ferred to influential capitalists interested in the proposed New York & Montreal Railroad Co., who were intending to use its corporate rights for an entrance into the heart of the city, but were compelled by the financial panic of 1873 to abandon the scheme; the enterprise re- mained dormant until the Rapid Transit Com- mission was appointed in 1891, when the plans of the New York City Central Underground Railroad Co. were presented to the commis- sion by Oliver W. Barnes, who had again been appointed the chief engineer of the com- pany. These plans were favorably considered by the commissioners, but they finally adopted a more elaborate and enormously expensive four-track system, so costly, in fact, that the Supreme Court in May, 1896; refused to sanc- tion its construction, and declared it contrary to public policy for the City of New York to undertake it. In 1882 Mr. Barnes was ap- pointed chief engineer for the proposed South Pennsylvania railroad, which William H.

Vanderbilt and his associates undertook to construct as an extension of the Philadelphia & Reading railroad system, from Harrisburg to Pittsburg-a distance of 218 miles, through the southern tier of counties. The line was lo- cated on a bold direct route, which required the construction of seven tunnels, each a mile or more in length, and a large amount of other heavy work; construction was commenced, and the tunnels well advanced, when the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Co. persuaded Mr. Vanderbilt to abandon the completion of the line, and sell the financial control of the enterprise to that company. Litigation and opposition by the people of the State of Pennsylvania prevented the transfer of the property to the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Co. for several years; but it is now fully under its control and ownership, to be completed when the policy of that company requires it as a part of its system.

In 1884 Mr. Barnes was appointed the chief engineer of the New York, Lake Erie &

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Western Railroad and Coal Co., and built a line of railroad from the Erie railroad to the company's coal lands in Elk and Jefferson counties, Penn. It was a work of great en- gineering difficulty for the most part in the Alleghany Mountain range; on it was con- structed the celebrated Kinzua Viaduct, a steel structure 2,240 feet in length and 301 feet high. It has been a very successful line, and now carries a very large tonnage from the company's mines to its main line. ()n com- pletion of this work Mr. Barnes became the chief engineer of several other lines in Mary- land and Virginia, which were prepared for future construction; in 1885 he was appointed a commissioner of the New Croton Aqueduct and chairman of the Construction Committee. This position he held until 1887, when polit- ical changes caused a reorganization of the commission, and new men were appointed by the mayor of the city of New York.

Mr. Barnes was chosen, in the same year. as Chief Engineer of the New York & Long Island Railroad. Co., a corporation chartered by the State with authority to construct a double-track tunnel and railway from the west side of the City of New York at the Hudson river, eastwardly along Forty-second street at a depth of one hundred feet under the surface, to and under the East river to Long Island City, and thence to Brooklyn. The line has been surveyed, located and construction com- menced, and financial arrangements are now in progress for the active construction of the work. He is also chief engineer of the New York Connecting Railroad Co. (which will be a continuation of the New York & Long Island railroad), from Long Island City to the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad, and other lines in and near Port Morris in the Twenty-third ward of New York City. This line is now nearly ready for construction, and will be consolidated with other lines so as to connect all the trunk lines which now ter- minate in Jersey City with the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad on a termi- nal property near East Bay, at the Bronx river. Mr. Barnes is a member of the Ameri- can Society of Civil Engineers, the Union League Club of New York, the New England Society, also the Engineers Club of Philadel- phia, and his distinguished abilities and high character as a man have won for him an en- viable standing wherever he is known.

Mr. Barnes was married, while he was Res-

ident Engineer on the western division of the Pennsylvania railroad, to Miss Elizabeth Den- ny Harding, of Pittsburg, the ceremony being performed January 7. 1851, at Allegheny Arsenal, where her father, Major Edward Hard- ing, of the United States Army, was in com- mand as ordnance officer. Her mother's maiden name was Nancy Denny, and her fam- ily was one of the oldest in Pennsylvania; her father, Ebenezer Denny, when a young man, went from Carlisle in Cumberland county to reside in Pittsburg, prior to the Revolution. He was an aid on the staff of Gen. Arthur St. Clair during the whole period of the Revolu- tionary war, and frequently met Gen. Wash- ington. When the city of Pittsburg was in- corporated in 1816, he was chosen as mayor of the city. Mr. and Mrs Barnes have two daughters. and one son, Edward Harding Barnes, a civil engineer, in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., near Pittsburg.

E LI H. COLLIN, a prominent merchant of Red Hook, Dutchess county, was born January 22, 1860, in the village of Pine Plains, which had been for several generations the home of his family. 1

His grandfather, Eli Collin, was born there. and, with a brother, once owned and cultivated about 1, 000 acres of valuable farm land in the vicinity. Ile married Miss Betsy Finch, of Pine Plains, and reared a family of eight chil- dren: James, William, Henry, Bryant, Lydia, Myra, Sarah and Julia. William Collin, our subject's father, was reared upon his father's farm and educated in the neighboring schools, and in later life followed, like his ancestors, the calling of agriculture. He married Miss Carh- arine Conklin, a daughter of - Conklin, a leading citizen of Mt. Ross.

The subject of this sketch was the only child of this union, and at two years of age was taken by his parents to the town of North Easton, where he received his elementary edu- cation. Later he attended the Amenia Semi- nary at Amenia, and after graduating he man- aged his father's farm, relieving his later years of care. After his father's death he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, first in Hudson, where he remained two years, and later in Red Hook, where he established a millinery and fancy-goods store, of which he has made a success, ranking among the sub- stantial business men of that locality. He was

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married, September 21, 1887, to Miss Marian Rider, a daughter of Oliver D). Rider, a wealthy mason of Red Hook, and has two sons-Will- iam O., born in July, 1889, and Henry B., born in June, 1893.

Mr. Collin is an active member of the fra- ternal order of Odd Fellows, and is now past grand of Christian Lodge No. 379, of Red Hook, and financial scribe of Shiloh Encamp- ment No. 68.

A NDREAS VALETTE HAIGHT, a lead- ing printer and publisher of Poughkeep- sie, whose original and artistic work in color printing has won recognition among his craft both in Europe and America, is a native of Ellenville, Ulster Co., N. Y., born February 4, 1842.

Eburn Haight, from whom our subject's branch of the family comes in direct line, was a descendant of one Jonathan Haight, who was born 1670-1684, and lived at Rye, West- chester Co., N. Y. He was a man of prom- inence in his day, and served as high sheriff of Westchester county. One of his descendants, David, born in 1701, also lived at Rye, and died about 1798. Eburn Haight, above men- tioned, was born some time prior to 1754, and was a resident, like his immediate forefathers, of Westchester county, N. Y. His son, also named Eburn, was born about 1744 in that county, and married Joanna Fowler, of Ellen- ville, Ulster Co., N. Y. Of their eight children David was the father of the subject of these lines.

David Haight was born March 31, ISO1, in Plattekill, Ulster Co., N. Y., and on Feb- ruary 20, 1831, married Anna Barbara Valette, daughter of John J. Valette, of Plattekill, Ulster county. They were the parents of seven children, as follows: Caroline Adelia, married to George Warren, and living at Ellenville; Susan Van Wyck, wife of William H. Deyo, of Ellenville; Ruth, who died young; Phobe Jane, married to William Warren, and also living in Ellenville; Andreas Valette, our sub- ject; and Eburn Fowler and George Emory, both residents of New York City.

After completing his education in the schools of his native town, our subject began to learn the printer's art in the office of the Ellenville Journal, going thence to Rondout, and from that place to New York City, where he found employment, which, however, he

gave up to enter the army. He enlisted in the Ninth Regiment, N. Y. S. M., and soon after- ward was transferred to the 20th Regiment, N. Y. S. M., and on finishing his three-months' term of service he re-enlisted in the Fourth N. Y. Cavalry, from which he received an honor- able discharge in 1863. On his return from the field he went to California, where for some time he worked in the office of the San Fran- cisco Call, and later had charge of the job- printing department of the State printing works at Sacramento. In 1868 he returned to the East, and became a partner in the publication of the Ellenville (Ulster county) Journal, and began to make a reputation as a typographic artist. Of the quality of his work the " Ameri- can Art Printer " says: " He (Mr. Haight) was the first of our more modern printers to depart from the sometimes over-delicate tint work of pioneers like William J. Kelly (exquisite though the latter's was), and combine there- with more daring tones and even full brilliant dashes of rich coloring, that shot his work straight into admiring notice." In an article by John Bassett in an English journal, his work, in general, is highly praised, and made the text of a brief exhortation to the English artists in this line: "To wake from their period of Rip Van Winkleism, and put into their pages a little 'go,' which should stimu- late the coming generation of English Caxtons to emulate their cousin across the pond." He mentions especially Mr. Haight's new designs for type faces, several being among the most popular productions of the type foundries.

In 1874 Mr. Haight became superintendent of the Rondout Freeman, and later was pro- moted to its entire control, becoming a share- holder in the company and holding the offices of secretary and treasurer. In 1878 he re- signed his position on the Freeman, and opened an office in Poughkeepsie, where he has devel- oped an extensive business. He was a large exhibitor of specimens of printing at the Cax- ton Celebration in 1877, and also in the first two Printing Trades Exhibitions held in Lon- don, England. His " Specimens of Printing," published yearly, has won the praise of experts in his line, and reflects great credit upon the capabilities of his workmen as well as upon the designer. In 1886 the Public Printer at Wash- ington officially invited Mr. Haight to give.ex- pert opinion on matters in connection with the government printing office. At the time of the opening of the new bridge at Poughkeepsie the

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Eagle of that city published a souvenir edition consisting of forty-four pages, concerning which the proprietors gave notice that they intended to eclipse all previous efforts of the kind. The work occupied some months, and was executed in the Eagle office under the direct supervision of Mr. Haight. The frontispiece covered a superficial area of 216 inches, and was the largest which has ever appeared in a paper, and the entire paper, which contains many por- traits, one of Mr. Haight being among them, was an artistic success. As a contributor to various trade papers Mr. Haight has furnished many practical and original ideas to his breth- ren of the craft. Among other articles may be noted the following in the " Inland Printer:" "Does Good Printing Pay ?" "About Job Composition," and a series on "Colors and Color Printing."

Notwithstanding his activity in business, Mr. Haight finds time to take part in the social and political life of his city, and has served two terms as alderman and three as supervisor, displaying his characteristic energy and ability in his public duties. He is a member of the G. A. R., D. B. Sleight Post, of which he is past commander, and also belongs to the Masonic order, being a past master of Triune Lodge, F. & A. M .; past high priest (two terms) of Poughkeepsie Chapter, R. A. M .; deputy master of King Solomon Council R. & S. M. ; eminent commander for five consecutive terms of Poughkeepsie Commandery No. 43, K. T., and a member of Mecca Temple, Mystic Shrine, in New York City.

A M. DOTY, of the well-known drug firm of Doty & Humphrey, Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, was born in the town of Clinton, near Clinton Corners, Dutchess coun- ty, February 5, 1850. Until about sixteen years old he lived upon the old farm, attend- ing the district school, at which time, his par- ents moving to Poughkeepsie, he there finished his education, at the Riverview Military Acad- emy.

On September 17, 1869, Mr. Doty entered the drug store of Varick & Gerard, Pough- keepsie, where he remained less than one year, and then accepted a position with Van Valk- enburgh & Brown, who were also in the drug business in that city. Here he worked for six months, and then took charge of a branch store at the corner of Main and Bridge streets,

which he conducted for some time, purchasing a one-third interest in the business on Novem- ber 1, 18;2. On November 25, 1873, with William Bedell, Mr. Doty bought out the firm of Van Valkenburgh & Vreeland, at the old main store, taking Mr. Brown in as a partner, under the firm name of Brown, Doty & Co. This partnership lasted about two years, at the end of which time Mr. Bedell sold his interest, and the firm name became Brown & Doty, which lasted until 1881, when the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Doty continued the business in both the main and branch stores for several years. During the time he pur- chased the drug store of L. P. Hatch, of Mil- lerton, N. Y., which was run by him success- fully in connection with the above. When the firm name was Brown, Doty & Co., they bought out Peter M. Howard, at No. 265 Main street, and moved their stock from No. 249 Main street. In 1889 Mr. Doty took in his present partner, A. S. Humphrey, and in 1890 they moved from No. 265 Main street to the corner of Main and Crannell streets, which is much larger and better adapted to their rap- idly-increasing business. The store is hand- somely fitted up, and the firm deals wholesale as well as retail in drugs, medicines, sundries, paints, oils, glass, seeds, etc.

On September 8, 1880, Mr. Doty was united in marriage with the only daughter of R. W. Wing, of New York City. While on the streets of Poughkeepsie, viewing a fire- men's parade, September 22, 1890, Mr. Doty was struck by a stray bullet fired from a re- volver in the hands of some unknown drunken Eastman student. Mr. Doty was carried to his young wife unconscious, and remained in bed several weeks, having had a marvelous escape from instant death. One child, Her- bert A., born January 7, 1884, has blessed the union. Mr. Doty is an independent Demo- crat, and a public-spirited citizen. He has served as trustee of the Baptist Church at Poughkeepsie over fourteen years, and Mrs. Doty is a member of that organization. He has repeatedly refused many offers of public trust.

Thomas S. Doty, father of our subject, was born in 1810, in the town of Clinton, Dutchess county, where he married Miss Maria Wing, also a native of Clinton, born in 1815. a daughter of George and Mary Wing, who were also born in Dutchess county. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Doty settled on the

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old homestead farm, he following farming and stock raising until seven years before his death, when he lived a retired life in the city of Poughkeepsie, and died January 18, 1873. To him and his wife were born the following children: David, who is in the hotel business at Mound City, Kans .; Mary E., married to William Bedell, a farmer in the town of Clin- ton, once our subject's partner in the drug business at Poughkeepsie, she died in 1893; George, a farmer and stock dealer in Dutchess county; Carrie, wife of Frank E. Whipple, cashier of the First National Bank of Pough- keepsie; Amelia Devine, residing in Pough- keepsie; Alexander, who died in May, 1870; Agrippa Martin, our subject; Maria, the wife of Frank Palmer, of Princeton, Kans. ; Lavinia, wife of James Cookingham, the leading grocer of Clyde, N. Y .; and Thomas S., in the agri- cultural-implement business in Manchester, Iowa. In politics, Mr. Doty was a Democrat, and in religious faith he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He died in 1873; his widow is still living in Poughkeepsie.

David Doty, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Clinton, May 13, 1787. He married Miss Elizabeth Sands, who was born May 31, 1785, and they settled on the old homestead, where he followed farming up to his death, January 29, 1828; his wife passed away November 26, 1826. They were mem- bers of the Society of Friends, and he was an enthusiastic Democrat. The following chil- dren were born to them: Hannah, who became the wife of Alexander Wing, a farmer of Dutchess county; Mary, who became the wife of Moses Sands, at one time sheriff of Dutch- ess county, but now deceased (her present husband is George Hlowell, who is in the real- estate business in Jersey City); Esther, mar- ried to Jacob Smith, formerly a farmer, later a liveryman in Poughkeepsie, and now de- ceased; David A., our subject's father; and one that died in infancy. The Dotys are of Scotch descent, and the first of the family in this country came over in the " Mayflower."

J OHN CORCORAN, a prominent business man of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, a leading retail grocer and an active member of the Board of Trade, is a native of that city, born January 13, 1842.

He is of Irish parentage, and was named

for his grandfather, a lifelong resident of the Emerald Isle. His father, William Corcoran, was born there about 1815, and in early man- hood came to America with his wife, Ellen (Ryan), locating at Poughkeepsie, where he became a prosperous gardener and florist. He died in 1853, and his wife survived him until IS75.

John Corcoran, our subject, attended the public schools of his native place until he was thirteen years old, and, with the exception of one winter in a night school at Norwalk, Conn., his education was mainly self-acquired. His habits of reading and close observation have enabled him, however, to secure a range of practical information which some inen of wider opportunities might well envy. At thirteen he began working in a brass foundry, and later followed the trade of florist for twelve years. He spent three years in that business in Nor- walk, Conn., but since 1868 he has been en- gaged in the grocery business in Poughkeepsie, first at the corner of Mansion and Bridge streets, and for eighteen years past at the cor- ner of Mill and Bridge streets. His success is substantial, and, as he believes in making the most of life and its good gifts, he has invested some of his gains in a pleasant home for his family, his residence on Bain avenue being one of the finest in the city.

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 57

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