Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 68

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

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ruary 20, 1829, died unmarried. (7) Sarah A., born September 17, 1831, is the wife of our subject. (S) Henry, born September 11, 1835, married Bathsheba Barnes, and had six children Amy, single; Sarah E., wife of Wal- lace Freeman, of Norfolk, Va. ; Henry B., single: Mary L., wife of Albert H. Prentice; Edna G .; and Edward P. Henry, the father of these, has for the past twenty-eight years been a Presbyterian minister in Buffalo, where he has built a fine church, and has a congre- gation numbering over 1,200. 19) Martha, born November 4, 1837, died in infancy. (10) Edward, born January 14, 1840, wedded Mary Mygatt (whose parents were from Amenia, Dutchess county), and had three children- Charles and Clinton, both unmarried; and a daughter who died in infancy; Edward lives at Deposit, Broome Co., N. Y. Edward P. Ward, the father of this numerous family, died August 15, 1855, and his wife on April 17, 1 869.

Mrs. Philip Hoag has been a member of the W. C. T. U. of Dutchess county for the past twenty years; is serving her fifth year as vice-president of same; has been a delegate to the National Convention of that society, three times, and to the State Convention nearly every year.

E DWARD BUCHANAN MANNING, the superintendent of the extensive works of C. S. Maltby at Millerton, Dutchess county. was born November 1, 1847, on the Shenan- doah river in Jefferson county, W. Va., than a part of the Old Dominion. The family is of English origin, the first of the name settling in Virginia about the year 1774. Nathaniel Manning, our subject's great-grandfather, was born in New Jersey in 1738, was graduated from Princeton College in 1762, and became a physician and surgeon. Later he went to England and was ordained as a minister by the Bishop of London, and on his return to the colony settled in Hampshire county, Va., where he was in charge of a parish until his death in 1776.

Jacob Manning, our subject's grandfather, was born in New Jersey, and became a suc- cessful farmer. He married Miss Mary Ruth- erford, née Darke, a widow, the daughter of Gen. William Darke, an officer of the Revolu- tionary army, and a representative of one of the wealthiest and most aristocratic families in

the State. He was a large landholder, and his daughter inherited from him an immense estate. He took a prominent part in public affairs and in military operations at various times, and he and a son were with St. Clair at the time of his defeat in 1791, when the son was killed and the General wounded. Darke county, Ohio, is named in his honor. The fol- lowing extract from a biographical sketch of Gen. William Darke appears in Vol. XVII of Harper's Magazine: " His name belongs to the Biography of American Heroes; nor is it unknown in the early statesmanship of Vir- ginia. Gen. Darke was in the State Conven- tion of 1788, and voted for the Federal Con- stitution. He was badly wounded at St. Clair's defeat and his son, Capt. Joseph Darke, was slain. He served previously in the Revo- lution and suffered long as a prisoner. He was one of the Rangers of 1755 (then nineteen years old), serving under Washington in Brad- dock's ill-managed march toward Fort Du- quesne. He was born in Pennsylvania, but came to Virginia in 1741, when six years old. The splendid estate, where he reared his fam- ily, was on Elk Branch, Duffield's Depot be- ing included in it." This sketch also states that Darke was one of the few officers who served uninterruptedly throughout the Revolu- tionary war and the subsequent struggle with the Indians in the Northwestern Territory-a fact which is shown by the large grant of land in this county (Jefferson) made to him by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Jacob Manning was not active in public affairs, but was prob- ably a Whig in politics. He died about 1824 and his wife in 1842. They had four children: Jacob, Mary, Nathaniel W. and Monroc.

Nathaniel William Manning, our subject's father, was born in 1814, in the Shenandoah Valley, and followed the occupation of farm- ing, in which he was fairly successful. He was a man of fine intelligence and studious habits, and at one time studied medicine with Dr. Briscoe, a brother-in-law, although he never practiced. In the political affairs of his locality he was a leader, holding various offices, including that of sheriff of Jefferson county. He married Martha Craighill, daughter of Price and Eliza (Little) Craighill. This fam- ily was of Scotch descent and among the most prominent of that region. The eldest son, William Nathaniel Craighill, was the father of William Price Craighill, who is chief of engi- neers in the United States army with the rank

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of brigadier-general. He was second in his class at West Point and was a professor there for a number of years. The other children were Addison, Martha (Mrs. Manning), John Little, Samuel and Fenton. Mrs. Manning died in 1876, and her husband survived her only two years. Six children were born to Nathaniel William and Martha Manning: Fannie, Mary, William, Edward B., Addison and Lucy, all of whom are living.

Edward B. Manning was unfortunate in his early educational opportunities, as the war in- terfered with the schools of his neighborhood during the years when he inight have found thein most helpful. He had no schooling after the age of thirteen, but his naturally quick and . intelligent mind has enabled him to remedy the deficiency to a great extent and gain a good, practical education. Among his recol- lections of the exciting scenes of his boyhood. the trial and execution of John Brown are prominent and he also visited him in his prison cell. At the age of twenty he left home and secured employment as a fireman on the Balti- more & Ohio railroad, in the west division, and a year later he went to Jefferson county and for five years ran a steam sawinill in the Shen- andoah Valley, in which he had an interest. In the spring of 1873 he began to work for C. S. Maltby, as engineer at his iron furnace in Knoxville, Md., and in the fall of the same year he came to Millerton as assistant engi- neer. He soon became first engineer, and also founder in charge of the furnace. In 1884 he was appointed superintendent of the entire plant, and this responsible position he still holds with satisfaction to his employers and great credit to himself. The furnace is now closed and Mr. Manning takes charge of the mine. He is actively interested in public affairs and has a wide acquaintance with the leading men of his native State, ex-Postmaster General Wilson being one. Although he is known as a Democrat, he is inclined to be in- dependent, being an advocate of protection and sound money. He was elected highway commissioner in 1889, 1890 and 1891, and later was appointed to fill a vacancy, and he is now the nominee of his party for the office of supervisor. He belongs to the Masonic Order. Webatuck Lodge No. 48o, F. & A. M., of Millerton, of which he has been master for three years, and also to the Poughkeepsie Chapter No. 72.

In 1880 Mr. Manning married Miss Jose-

phine Traver, who was born in Frederick county, Md., and is the daughter of Freeman Traver, a well-known citizen of Columbia county. Mr. and Mrs. Manning have seven children : William, Lucy, Perry, Nathaniel, Virginia, Elizabeth and Freeman.

W ILLIAM B. PLATT (deceased). The subject of this memoir, who was for many years a prominent merchant of Rhine- beck, Dutchess county, and later was presi- dent of the First National Bank of that place, was a native of Poughkeepsie, born February 1, 1799. His family originated in England, and his father, John Platt, who served in the Revolutionary war, and was a farmer by occu- pation, was an early settler in Dutchess county, coming from Long Island, where a branch of the family had located some time before. He married Catherine Barnes, by whom he had three children, our subject being the second. Isaac, the youngest son, was a resident of Poughkeepsie, while Eliphalet became a prom- inent physician at Rhinebeck and was noted for his varied talents as well as for his skill in his profession. There was also a half brother, Henry.

William B. Platt engaged in mercantile business in Hyde Park at an early age and in 1830 removed Rhinebeck and opened a general store at the northwest corner of Montgomery and W. Market streets. After conducting it alone for several years he formed a partnership with Christian Schell, which lasted for a nutn- ber of years, when Mr. Platt retired. He then became interested in the First National Bank as director, and was soon after chosen presi- dent, which position he held with marked abil- ity until his death. He was never active in politics, although, first as a Whig and later as a Republican, he took keen interest in the questions of his time. In various religious and philanthropic movements he was a helpful fac- tor, and he was for many years a leading offi- cial in the Reformed Church.

On December 6, 1826, Mr. Platt was mar- ried to Miss Sarah C. Stoutenburgh, born in 1807, the daughter of John I. and Sally (Grif- fin, Stoutenburgh, of Hyde Park. Two chil-

dren blessed this union: John H. (deceased), born in 1827, was a well-known lawyer of New York; and Elizabeth, born in 1830, married Charles H. Adams, a prominent manufacturer of knitted goods at Cohoes, N. Y. They had

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two children - a daughter, Mary Egberts Adams, now the widow of Robert Johnston, who was interested in the Harmony Mills at Cohoes (she has one son, Robert, born in 1882), and a son, William Platt Adams, formerly in the knitting business, but now retired.

The subject of our sketch departed this life in 1879, his death bringing a sense of loss to all who had ever come within his influence. Nine years later his wife followed him, and the remains of both now rest in the cemetery at Rhinebeck. Thoroughly progressive, and ever loyal to the interest of his town, Mr. Platt was a leading citizen of his day, and was esteemed and loved by everyone for his mental ability and moral worth. His personal appearance was most prepossessing, his manners genial, courtly and refined, and his kind heart and well-stored mind made him a valued friend and companion.

J OHN G. WAIT, a prominent dairyman and agriculturist residing near Dover Plains, Dutchess county, was born July 8, 1829, in the town of Unionvale, where his family has been well known for many years. He was educated there, and in early manhood engaged in his present business, which he has conducted twenty-eight years, keeping as many as fifty cows. In local affairs he has taken an influential part, holding various township offices at times, and supporting the principles of the Republican party. He married Miss Catherine Van Wagoner, a descendant of one of the old families of Clinton, Dutchess county, and has had six children : Hattie, the wife of Arthur Benham; Sophia and Joseph, who are not married; Franklin, who married Sarah Schermerhorn, and they have one child-Eva; Minnie, who is at home; and Isaac P. (de- ceased).

The ancestors of the Wait family were carly settlers of Rhode Island, where Joseph Wait, our subject's grandfather, was born and educated. He settled in Unionvale, town of Dover, and he and his wife, Sarah (Draper), reared a family of eight children, of whom, Joseph Wait, our subject's father, was the eldest. Of the others, George married Lucinda Beatty; Patience married Robert Cornwall; Catherine married William McDowell; Mahalie never married: Helen was the wife of Beria Suthern; Mary married a Mr. Hall; and Sarah was the wife of Braria Austin.

Joseph Wait was born in the town of Unionvale, Dutchess county, in 1797, and after acquiring the education afforded by the time and locality he learned the carpenter's trade, and engaged in house building. He was the leading builder of the day there, having erected most of the houses in the township, besides the churches in Dover and the resi- dence now occupied by our subject. He mar- ried Miss Amelia Applebee, by whom he had ten children : Helen, Catherine, Edgar, Mary, Oliver and Nannie, all six now deceased; the others are: Charles, who married (first) Susan Bertram, (second) Anna Kelley, and (third) Sarah Porter; John G., our subject: William M., who married Louisa Russell, and James E., who married Carrie Rozell.

Mrs. Waite's ancestors have been engaged in agricultural pursuits in Clinton for several generations, and her grandfather, Solomon Van Wagoner, was born there. He married Hannah Ham, and had eight children, of whom two died in infancy; the six who lived to ma- turity were: Perlee, our subject's father; Alonzo, who married Mary Dart: Lewis, who married Polly Finks; Margaret, the wife of Stephen Harris; Mary, who never married; and Julia A., the wife of Stephen Hoag. Per- lee Van Wagoner was also a lifelong resident of Clinton, where he was well known and highly respected. He and his wife, Hattie (Traver), had four children, Mrs. Wait being the eldest; Mary J. married Chancey Isabell; Theron is not married; and Cornelia is the widow of Dyer Holdridge.

Our subject owns a fine farm of 219 acres of land at Lithgow, in the town of Washington, Dutchess county, which he farms in connection with the place of 365 acres, on which he has resided some twenty-one years. He has a beautiful home, and he can look upon his pos- sessions with pride, as he came by them through his own efforts.

F FRANKLIN LENT HAIGHT, a well-known teacher of this section, is at present the superintendent for castern New York and north- ern New Jersey of the business of the Central School Supply House, of Chicago, Ill., the largest dealers in school specialties in the United States. In this occupation, as well as in his previous career as a teacher, Mr. Haight has been eminently successful, his work in es- tablishing agencies, meeting school boards and

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superintendents, and others interested in the purchase of supplies, being performed with tact and ability, and the introduction of many new and valuable methods and appliances into the schools of this section may be attributed largely to his judicious exposition of their worth. Apparatus for teaching physiology, and a new series of relief forms showing the topographical features of the earth's surface, are the main specialties.

The Haight family appears to have de- scended from Baron Johanus Von Height, who went from Normandy to Britain during the thirteenth or fourteenth centuries. The imme- diate ancestors of the American branch were among the earliest settlers of Massachusetts, Simon Haight (or Height, as it appears on dif- ferent records), with his wife and three or four children arriving from England on the ship "Abigail," in 1628 or '29, and settling at Sa- lem, Mass., under Endicott. The descendants are now very numerous, and are located in various parts of the country, many of them, in past, as well as present times, occupying places of trust and honor.

Mr. Haight was born at Fishkill, Dutchess county, November 7, 1853, the son of Sylva- nus Haight, a well-known agriculturist. He was a native of Putnam county, N. Y., born March 20, 1823, and his wife, Margaret Lent, was born in Westchester county, September 17, 1825. Both are living, as are seven of their eight children, viz: Anna A., Mary Z., Eugene H., Frederick C., Franklin L., Sherman and Howard. Katie, the sixth child, died at the age of six years. After attending the Fishkill schools for a time Mr. Haight, in 1874, en- tered the State Normal School at Albany, and was graduated in 1876. He then taught suc- cessfully in the public schools of southern Dutchess county for nearly fifteen years, and in 1893 he accepted the position which he now fills so ably. In politics he is a Republican.

Mr. Haight has a charming home, known as "Sylvan Place," an estate of about twenty acres, located on Hopewell avenue, three- fourths of a mile east of Fishkill Village. The house is spacious, and the grounds in front of it, 125 × 225 in extent, are beautified by large maples and other shade trees. There are two orchards on the property, containing a variety of fruit, including seventy apple trees and five hundred peach trees, with some pear trees. Mr. Haight married Miss Anna Snook, daugh- ter of Gilbert Snook, a life-long resident of 24

Fishkill, and his wife, Antoinette (Young), formerly of Westchester county. Two chil- dren were born of this union: May Elizabeth, in 1883, and Clifford Lent, in 1884. Both Mr. and Mrs. Haight are active members of the M. E. Church at Fishkill, with which he has been connected as trustee and steward for several years.

J CORNELIUS HAIGHT. The Haight family, which has been prominent for many years in this section, both numerically and by virtue of their ability and energy in various lines of effort, is of Puritan ancestry, and the subject of this sketch, a well-known retired business man of Fishkill-on-Hudson, is of the eighth generation in direct descent from Simon Hait, or Hoyt, or Hoit, who was born in 1595, in Dorsetshire, England, and died September 1, 1657, at Stamford, Conn. He was one of the Puritans who left their native land for America on October 6, 1628, in the vessel "Abigail," with Col. John Endicott, who was afterward appointed Governor of the colony.

Second Generation: John Hoyt, the eld- est son of Simon, was born in Dorsetshire, England, in 1614, and died September 1, 1684, at Rye, Westchester Co., N. Y. He was fourteen years old when he landed in this country, and lived for some years in Massa- chusetts, later at Fairfield, Conn., and in 1665 moved to Westchester county, N. Y., being one of the grantees who purchased land of the patent of Thomas Pell. He married Mary Budd, and had five children: Samuel, Mary, Rachel, John and Simon.

Third Generation: John, the fourth child of John and Mary Hoit, was born at East Chester in 1665. On June 26, 1696, he was chosen town clerk of Rye, Westchester coun- ty ; as constable in 1702 ; as supervisor in 1711 ; served as a representative or member of the Assembly from 1712-13-14-15. In 1716 he was justice of the peace, and was honored with the distinctive title of "Mr." John Haight. He was again chosen supervisor in 1717-19-20. He was chosen churchwarden of Grace Church, at Rye, in 1719. He had been a vestryman in 1712. On February 11, 1715, he was one of a committee appointed to lay out the tract of land purchased from the. Indians, and on March 13, 1721, he obtained, from King George fI, Royal letters of Patent

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to the Charter of White Plains. His father, in company with Joseph Budd and Daniel Purdy, had also received letters of patent from the crowned King George I, to a large tract in Westchester county, containing about 1, 560 acres. Mr. John Hoit married Elizabeth Purdy, daughter of Daniel Purdy, and had eight children, as follows: John, Samuel, Jonathan, Joseph, Daniel, Elizabeth, Eunice and Mary.

Fourth Generation : Daniel, fifth child of John and Elizabeth Haight, was born about 1688, died at Yorktown, Westchester Co., N. Y., in 1772, a prominent Episcopalian. He married in 1718 Elizabeth Norton, daugh- ter of Joseph Norton, and had nine children: Joseph, James, William, Daniel. Jonathan, Rachel, Jemimah, Elizabeth and Charity.

Fifth Generation: Joseph, born at York- town, Westchester Co., 1719, died in Phillips- town, July 30, 1776; married Hannah Wright, daughter of John Wright, of Yorktown, West- chester Co., N. Y. They both died of smallpox on the same day, only an hour and forty-eight minutes apart. Their twelve children were: Mary (or Polly), John, Joseph, Sylvanus, Stephen, William, Daniel, Beverly, Hannah, Phebe and Esther (twins), and Martha. Phebe married Col. Zebulon Butler, of the Revolu- tionary army. Daniel, the father of Joseph, purchased a tract of land on the water lot of the Phillips patent, called Phillips Precinct, old Dutchess (now Putnam) county, in 1748, con- taining 640 acres. Joseph (his father having given him a deed in 1750) moved from Rye, Westchester county, to Phillipstown in 1751. and erected a log house by the old Indian path on the west side of Clove creek. In 1765 he built the first trame house on the cast side of Clove creek, all the material for it being made on the farm, which at that time contained a sawmill, blacksmith shop and car- penter shop. Joseph and two of his sons were carpenters.

Sixth Generation: Capt. John Haight, son of Joseph and Hannah ( Wright) Haight, was born at Rye, August 18, 1743, and on March 20, 1770, in the old Col. Beverly Rob- inson house, in Putnam county (from this house the traitor Arnold made his flight), was mar- ried to Merriam Swim, who was born Decem- ber 25, 1749, at Highland Falls, daughter of Cornelius Swim, of Highland Falls, Orange county. Mr. Haight was a prominent man, a captain in the Revolutionary army in the Sev-

enth Regiment, otherwise called Col. Henry Luddington Regiment John Haight, captain, date of appointment May 28, 1778), and served throughout the war. In 1807 and 1808, he was a member of the Assembly from Old Dutchess county (comprising both Dutchess and Putnam). In 1813 he was associate jus- tice of Putnam county, and in 1820 served as judge of the Putnam Court of Common Pleas. In religious affiliation he was a member of the old Presbyterian Church of Brinckerhoff, and held the office of ruling elder for forty years, which incumbency he filled with satisfaction to his constituents. Ilis death occurred July 15, IS36, in the old Haight homestead at Phillips- town, Putnam county. To. Mr. Haight and his wife were born the following children: James, Joseph I., Cornelius I., Sylvanus, Henry (deceased in infancy) John, Henry, Mary, Stephen, Jacob I., Hannah, and Miriam, widow of Capt. John Haight, March, 1842. Beverly Haight, son of Joseph and Hannah (Wright) Haight, and brother of Capt. John Haight. was born in 1763, and married Char- ity, daughter of Joseph and Sarah ( Larrabee) Hustis. They had eight children, as follows: Elizabeth, Joseph, Joshua, Mary, David, Esther, Beverly, and John.

Seventh Generation: Beverly Haight, son of Beverly and Charity ( Hustis) Haight, and father of our subject, was born at the old homestead in the town of Fishkill, Dutchess county, March 30, 1801, and passed his life there, being actively engaged in farming until his sixty-fifth year, when he retired. He served as assessor of the town of Fishkill, 1859 60. Ile was twice married, his first wife being Eleanor Burroughs Haight, who was the daughter of Cornelius I. and Hannah (Bur- roughs) Haight, granddaughter of Capt. John Haight. She was born February 10, 1800, in the town of East Fishkill. Dutchess county, and died January 24, 1866. in Phillipstown, Putnam county. They were the parents of our subject. For his second wife Beverly Haight was married, November 16, 1868, to his sec- ond cousin, Susan A. Mead, daughter of Rob- ert and Sarah (Purdy) Mead, of Newburg, Orange county. She died in Newburg Octo- ber 2, 1882, leaving no issue.

Eighth Generation: J. Cornelius Haight, our subject, was born at the old farm July 16, 1835, and was the only child of his parents. His early education was acquired in the joint district schools of Fishkill and Phillipstown, in

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the academy at Fishkill Village, and in the English Classical school kept by the Rev. Dr. Pingree, at Roseville, N. J. On completing his course of study, he returned home and worked for his father during the following season. The next two winters were spent in teaching at Davenport's Corners, Putnam county, and then, after a few months as clerk in the store of Daniel J. Haight, of Peekskill, N. Y., he went home for a time. He has been twice married: In the winter of 1858 he wed- ded Miss Sarah Jane, daughter of Henry Warren and Jane ( Mekee]) Haight, and a lin- eal descendant of Uriah Mekeel, one of the earliest settlers near Cold Spring, Putnam Co., N. Y. In the spring of 1859 Mr. Haight was employed in a store at Union Corners, near Hyde Park, but after a few months he moved to Matteawan and entered the service of the Seamless Manufacturing Co., of which D. W. Gitchell was manager. He remained there two years, when the attractions of the old home and the free life of a farmer led him to return to the homestead. His first wife, Sarah Jane, died December 4. 1873, and September 5, 1877, he married Julia Matilda Raynor, who was born in New York City September 9, 1842, daughter of John and Mary A. (Bijatall) Ray- nor, of the same city. One child, Willie Ray- nor, was born to this union, August 18, 1878. but died in infancy.

Until 1880 Mr. Haight assisted his father, and then bought a farm in the town of Wapping- er, for four years enaging in horticulture there. Selling out in 1884 he moved to Fishkill Plains for one year, and then to Arthursburg, where for a year he was in the dairy business, and for the year following was engaged in garden- ing, and in carrying the mails from Arthurs- burg to the station. In 1886 he went to Fish- kill village, spending a year with a son-in-law. John R. Phillips, then removed to Phillipstown, and lived at the homestead of his mother's family until May, 1895, when having purchased a tract of land in Fishkill-on-Hudson from Mrs. Sophia Grohl, and built a residence thereon, he removed to that place. He now owns ten building lots there.

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Commemorative biographical record of Dutchess County, New York, Part 68

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