USA > New York > Greene County > Dear old Greene County; embracing facts and figures. Portraits and sketches of leading men who will live in her history, those at the front to-day and others who made good in the past > Part 6
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He is a member and a trustee of Christ's Presbyterian Church of Catskill and a liberal supporter of all good causes in his home town. He is deeply interested in historical and genealogi- cal matters and has giyen much time to the preservation of his own family history.
Judge Chase married at Prattsville, New York, June 30, 1885, Mary E. Churchill, daughter of Addison J. and Elizabeth (Houghtaling) Churchill.
DEAR OLD GREENE COUNTY.
Office of King & Hallock, where Judge Chase studied law. Torn down to make room for Catskill Saving Bank.
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HON. ZADOCK PRATT.
Courtesy of Supervisor Elmer Kreiger (1853).
Hon. Zadock Pratt
The one man who stands conspicuous in the early history of Greene county whose name not only is inscribed on the ever- lasting hills of his native town, but in the records that are familiar to all is Col. Zadock Pratt of Prattsville, which town bears with honor his distinguished name. He was a great man in his native town, also foremost in the county and of national repute.
He was a great man in every sense of the word. The tan- nery built by him and operated for over 20 years was 550 feet long, 45 feet wide and had over 300 vats for the tanning of leather, the greatest industry of the county.
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This was started in 1825, and he employed in all over 30,- 000 men. He cleared 12 000 acres of land for the hemlock bark and lumber, tanned 2 million sides of leather. In 1825 he built the first grist mill, later on a hat manufactory.
Residence of Zadock Pratt (1848).
He was born at Stephentown, N. Y. in 1790, removed to Lexington in 1802, and in 1825 was Col. of the 116th New York Inf. and he commanded the escort of General Lafayette on the occasion of his visit to Catskill. He was congressman in 1836 and 1842, and had the distinction of moving the survey of the Pacific railroad.
He established a large number of tanneries, three of which were destroved by fire, one at West Kill and two at Windham.
Although he was a trustee and vestryman of the Episcopal church at Prattsville he is said to have paid one third of the ex- pense of the Reformed and Methodist churches. In 1836 he was an elector and cast his vote for Van Buren and Johnston. He died at the age of 80 years and his achievements were the most collosal possibly of any man who ever lived in this state.
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Col. Pratt also owned and operated a tannery at Windham, another at Big Hollow, the Palen tannery, Samsonville tannery, Westkill tannery, and Aldenville tannery.
The Windham tannery was burned in 1844 and also 1853, the loss being $12,000 each time. The Westkill tannery was burned in 1839 with a loss of $10,000. These were all insured.
Col Pratt moved to Windham in 1802, since Lexington and now Jewett. He commenced business in Lexington in 1812, and he made for the New York market 100,000 oars.
In 1820 he was captain of the 5th N. Y. S. Inf and uni- formed 100 men at his own expense. He was a passenger on the Robert Fulton on her first trip.
In 1824 he moved to Prattsville and built the tannery there and on completion of the dam Nov. 17 swam across it, though the water was forming ice.
In the recollections of ('ol. Pratt, an old resident of Catskill informs us that he remembers on one occasion in the early 50's ('ol. Pratt drove to Catskill on a very hot Fourth of July, with a span of white horses, sleigh, with bells and robes, and drew up in front of what is now the Smith House. The sleigh shoes were worn nearly through, he jumped out slapping himself in imitation of cold, handed the hostler 85 and told him to blanket the team and feed them good. On another occasion at the Cairo fair he is said to have raised a ruction with the exhibits in the display hall, and then pulled out a big check book and paid for it all in a manner that was most acceptable. He was a great joker, and a man who held the highest esteem of all. Everybody in Greene county knew the ('olonel and whats more they regarded him as the most wonder- ful man the county ever produced.
The view of Prattsville taken about 1850 which is from an old picture furnished us by Supervisor Elmer Krieger of Pratts- ville, and which is found on another page in this book, shows the old tannery and also the famous white horse which was one of the span he drove to Catskill on a Fourth of July, which we have re- ferred to.
The old grist mill and the church are to be seen in the picture also.
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Visitors to Prattsville today are shown with pride the rock carvings which he caused to be made in 1844. Carvings that have been photographed ten thousand times. They are on a ledge of rocks that tower 500 feet above the Schoharie creek. These carv- ings show busts of Zadock Pratt, and a view of the great tannery he built, with the announcement that he had tanned a million sides of sole leather in 20 years. There is a life size bust of his son, Col. George W. Pratt, and the inscription "Hon. Geo. W. Pratt Ph. D., Col. XX Regt. N. Y S. M. Ulster Co. Born April 18, 1832, wounded Aug. 30, 1862 at battle of Manassas. Good, braye, honorable." A horse, coat of arms, an arm and hammer, and a mass of inscriptions. These are visible for a considerable distance. There is also a monument which contains the names of horses and dogs that belonged to him, with their ages.
The descendants of Col. Pratt many of them are still found scattered throughout the mountain section, as well as throughout the country.
The tanning business has entirely passed, as well as the asheries and distilleries. The town of Windham had many of these early distilleries. So later did Ashland and Durham, and the whiskey jug was a regular companion of the men in the fields and the preachers appear not to have been adverse at all to the little brown jug.
One of the popular airs of the early day was "Little Brown Jug How I Love Thee." And it was all too true that the little brown jug went under the arm, when the farmer went to work upon his land or crops.
Charles L. Beach
One of the time honored landmarks of Greene county was Charles L. Beach, whose name is inseparably connected with many of the important enterprises of the county. He was born in what is now Lexington in 1808 in one of the old log houses that shelter- ed his grandfather and father who with about 40 families moved
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T
Catskill Mountain House.
from Goshen, Ct. in 1795 and settled in Lexington being the first settlers.
In 1813 he moved to Catskill with his father Erastus Beach and in 1823 commenced staging it to the Catskill Mountain House, which 21 years later passed to him as owner. On the oc- casion of General Lafayette's visit to Catskill his father drove the carriage which contained the illustrious general. His stage lines covered a distance of about 1500 miles. They made trips between New York and Catskill on either side of the river and connected with a line also that reached over the mountains to Delhi and to Ithaca. We understand that the ferries at Catskill and also at Athens were driven by horse power. Mr. Beach was prime mover in the Catskill Mountain railroad, in which he invested over $100- 000. His nephew Charles A. Beach was president of the road.
The Catskill Mountain House is still in the possession of the Beach family, with George H. Beach conducting it.
The Mountain House has been pictured by artists the world over and is one of the few pictures to be seen in the books of the early 20's. Judge Chase has among his collection pictures of the Mountain House, of North and South Lakes owned by the Mount- ain House and of Kaaterskill Falls which he is preserving because of their antiquity. The Mountain House for long years was visited by tourists from abroad, who regarded the view at that point as the greatest in the world. It had no rivals, and the great generals and statesmen considered that when they had been to the Mountain House there wasn't much else left worth the while.
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Exit Tannery Enter Cement
Of the early industries of Greene county it appears the greatest was tanning. It was in every section and some of these were timed to take care of 40,000 hides a year Millions of cattle were slain for their hides, hundreds daily at the Point in Catskill alone. Great hemlock trees in dense forests made music for the woodmen's axe, and the bark peeler. Great droves of oxen haul- ed these logs and bark to the markets and saw mills. Some of the timber found its way into the charcoal pits, and some into the homes of the pioneers. Old taverns even in Catskill, drew patrons to their hostelries by the hanging out of Bulls Head signs. There were tanner's stores, tanner's and trader's supply houses and even banks. It was the tanning industry that furnished the incentive to name Catskill's bank the Tanners Bank.
Near the head of Main street in Catskill may still be seen the remains of tanning vats in what was the Jones and Bagley tannery
The brick industry has remained, and is on the up grade yet, but tanning, once the subject for poetry and song has passed. The cattle industry has passed. But other industries have come, and the capital that represents them runs into the millions.
The last decade however has added what is destined to be- come the greatest of all industries, that of cement making.
There are three great plants in ('atskill, each costing millions of dollars, and each capable of turning out thousands of barrels of the finest cement in the world.
The Seaboard plant is still in process of completion, south of Catskill. and will likely get running this year.
The Alsen plant at Alsen is a German concern and has been doing a great business.
Reference will be found elsewhere to the allied industry of brick making, of which the several river towns have many im- portant yards, and to the manufacture of vitrified paving brick at the great Catskill plant.
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View of Alpha Cement Works.
The above illustration is a view of the Plant of the ALPHA Portland Cement Company as it appears with improvements com- pleted.
This plant, located at Cementon, is one of the largest in- dustries tributary to the town of Catskill. The original plant was built by the Catskill Cement Company, which was in- corporated in August, 1899. The officers of this company at that time were P. Gardner Coffin, President, James W. Kittrell, Secre- tary and Treasurer, both of whom are residents of Catskill.
These gentlemen operated this plant, gradually increasing its capacity from 350 barrels per day to something over 1000 barrels per day in 1909, at which time the control of the Catskill Company was purchased by the Alpha Portland Cement Company of Easton, Pennsylvania.
The Alpha Company immediately started in to extend the plant and since their control began in October, 1909, they have practically rebuilt the mill. They have also very greatly increas- ed its capacity, having spent, at this point in the last five years, over a million dollars.
The capacity of the plant at the present time is about 4000 barrels per day. It enjoys unusual shipping facilities, having private docks located directly on the Hudson River and also a private siding from the West Shore Railroad.
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An increasing quantity of the cement made in this mill is now being sold in South America the European War having cut off to a large extent the importation of Portland Cement from European countries and opened the way for a larger sale of Port- land Cement made in the United States.
The product of this cement plant enjoys a distinctive place in the engineering world because of the fact that the percentage of alumina is very much lower than that in most Portland Cements. A low-alumina cement is regarded as preferable for concrete work that is exposed to sea-water. Very large quantities of cement from the ALPHA Catskill plant have been used in building docks and wharves for New York City and for U. S. Government con- structions along the coast.
Some idea of the growth of the increase in the use of Port- land Cement may be gained from the fact that in 1900 only about eight and a half million barrels were manufactured in America, while the present yearly output is close to one hundred million barrels.
Originally Portland Cement was used mainly in the con- struction of great engineering jobs, such as bridges, dams, etc. During recent years the use of cement in making home and farm improvements has developed into an enormous field for the cement companies. The use of Portland Cement in the building of concrete roads has opened another great field.
The ALPHA Portland Cement Company follows an educa - tional policy in in its advertising and sends out free literature of various kinds to persons contemplating the use of cement in any way. The general offices of the Company are at Easton, Pa. The present officers are G. S. Brown, President, J. M. Lockhart, First Vice-president, F. G. McKelyy, Second Vice-president, F. M. Coogan, Secretary, and J. J. Matthes, Treasurer. N. D. Colburn, who is well known in this part of New York state, is the Superin- tendent of the Catskill ALPHA Plant.
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Courts and Records --- The Bar.
Greene county has always been wealthy in the array of legal talent that has come to the front to represent the several towns or fill the most important of the stations where much knowl- edge has been required. Some of these men have been legal giants to judge from their records. Men of the stamp of Judge A. Melvin Osborn, Judge Sanderson, Sidney Crowell, Rufus H. King, Lyman Tremaine, Danforth K Olney, Lucius Robinson, Malbon Watson, John A. Griswold, Lewis Benton and others were very conspicuous during their life time.
Of the old time lawyers we have mention of but two who held important State positions, and Lyman Tremaine, was one. He was born in the town of Durham and represented the county as speaker of the assembly at one time, and filled many important positions. He was one of the great lawyers of the state.
John Adams and James Powers were among the early pleaders. Later on we note Rufus King, Peleg Mattoon, Mitchell Sandford, D. K. Olney at one time was considered the head of the bar in Greene county. Adams and Powers, and Olney and King, and then King and Hallock. This firm later changing to Hallock, Jennings and Chase, and upon the election of Mr. Chase to the Supreme Court, to Osborn and Bloodgood. Later Mr. Wilbur be- ing admitted to the firm. Mr. Osborn was conspicious in the trial of a number of very important cases, the Quinn murder trial being one of them. Mr. Wilbur became district attorney and Mr. Chase has gone to the court of appeals bench. These men have all been connected with the banks of Catskill.
Hon. A. Melvin Osborn was another Greene county man who bore great distinction as a lawyer and who was soon elevated to the higher courts, where death claimed him in the prime of his work.
D. K. Olney, James B. Olney, Hon. John Olney, Hon.John A. Griswold, Hon. John Sanderson, Manly B. Mattice, Sidney Crowell, Pierre S. Jennings, Addison C. Griswold were among the lawyers who gained distinction and political honors, all passed to their rewards.
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Hon. Jas. B. Olney.
Other talented lawyers of the county who have passed are William E. Leete, Sidney Crowell, Addison C. Griswold, Henry Mott, Sheldon Givens, Charles Givens, Charles F. Bouton, Herman Winans, Lemuel C. Bennett, Charles H. Porter, Ebenezer Haight, J. C. De Witt, Augustus R. Macomber, Joseph Hallock, Arthur M. Murphy, Jacob I. Werner, Henry D. Shores, Charles G. Coffin, Augustus Sherman, Augustus Hill, A. Cowles, John B. Bronk, and Cicero C. Peck.
Among those who have gone to other fields are L. B. Cornell, Spokane, Frank H. Burroughs, New York, Jesse W. Olney, San Francisco, Eugene Raymond, Brooklyn, Herbert Niklewicz, New York, Fred Werner, Conneticut.
The most notable of the men who have been honored in recent years, is the Hon. Emory A. Chase who has for the past 17
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years been a judge of the supreme court, and for aconsiderable portion of the time justice of the highest branch of the court-the appelate division.
Pierre S. Jennings, former Dist. Atty.
Among the lawyers of the recent years perhaps the most successful has been Judge Tallmadge who for many years has been county judge and who handling thousands of cases that have come before him not only in the Greene county courts, but also in the courts of New York has never yet been reversed on a decision. Senator Bloodgood is another lawyer who has gained distinction in the courts and been honored with high official stations Attorney Judson A. Betts, also has been very successful and has held the office of county treasurer a number of times. At present he is associated with his son Lee F. Betis, who was sergeant at arms in the legislature under Gov. Sulzer. William W. Bennett is another
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rising young lawyer. He gained distinction by taking his command the 16th Sep. Co. to the front at the time of the Spanish American war.
Attorney Frank H. Osborn is regarded as one of the greatest pleaders in the state, and invariably successful in im- portant cases. But for the fact that the district is heavily republi- can, he would years ago have found his way to the highest courts.
Albert C. Bloodgood of the same firm is regarded as a law- yer of exceptional ability.
Then there is O. T. Heath, who has served Catskill in many ways. H. Leroy Austin has risen to an important railroad lawyer with offices in Albany, and he was a partner with former District Attorney Pierre S. Jennings, whose untimely death from consump- tion is still mourned. Another once brilliant lawyer was Egbert Palmer, who served as district attorney, and who in his last years gave way to the attack of disease.
J. Lewis Patrie has risen to the legislature and had the best record perhaps of all men who have represented Greene County. A natural born orator, and one whose opinion was foremost in the legislature for years.
Attorney H. Leroy Austin of the younger men who have risen fast has served the county as district attorney, and be- coming a great corporation lawyer was last fall elected to serve as a member of the State constitutional revision committee.
G. Howard Jones made a capable Distrist Attorney and has a fine practice.
Clarence Howland also has a splendid record and is doing well.
E. A. Gifford, of Athens, has risen to deputy attorney general.
Nor should we fail to mention Charles A. Nichols, election commissioner and former member of assembly. Hon. Ira B. Kerr the silver tongued pleader, and the brilliant D. H. Daley and E. C. Hallenbeck of Coxsackie, of the older men.
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George L. Rifenburgh, of Oak Hill, has had to extend his practice to Albany.
Of the young lawyers who have forged to the front and who are doing excellent, and very successful work, are Howard (". Wilbur, who has risen to district attorney, Seth T. Cole to state tax examiner, George W. Plusch to referee in bankruptcy cases, and James Reilly to an important position in the surrogate's office.
Percy W. Decker, John L. Fray, and J. Lewis Malcolm, of Catskill are doing well.
William E. Thorpe has been corporation counsel for Cats- kill, and is regarded as a very brilliant lawyer.
Curtiss and Warren of Coxsackie, Michael and Edward Lackey of Tannersville are rated very high. So also is Benjamin I. Tallmadge of Windham, brother of Judge Tallmadge.
We understand that no Greene County women have ever been admitted to the bar. although there have been a number who are doubtless competent, Miss Jackson, Miss O'Brien, Miss Sim- mons are stenographers of ability and Miss Simmons is doing court work right along.
Greene county was represented in the several constitutional conventions that have been held. In 1801 Martin Schuneman and David Simmons were named.
1821, Jehliel Tuttle and Alpheus Webster.
1846, Robert Dorlon and James Powers.
1867, Manley B. Mattice and Ezekiel Moore.
1873, Joseph B. Hall, editor Recorder.
1894, Hon. John A. Griswold
1915, H. Leroy Austin of Catskill.
The first Court of Common Pleas was held in the academy at Catskill and at the residence of John R. Vandenburgh at Cox- sackie.
The first county officers were:
Leonard Bronk, judge James Bill, clerk George Hale, sheriff John H. Cuyler, surrogate
John R. Vandenburgh and Thos. Croswell, coroners.
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Another View of the Court House.
The Judges of the county have been :
Garrett Abeel
1810 F. James Fitch 1855
Moses I. Cantine 1818 John A. Griswold 1863
John V. S. Scott 1821
John Olney 1867
Dorrance Kirkland 1828 A. Melvin Osborn 1870
Perkins King
1838 Manley B. Mattice 1870-82
Lyman Tremaine
1847 John Sanderson 1888
Alex. H. Bailey 1851 Josiah C. Tallmadge 1900-15
Surrogates
John H. Cuyler 1800 Dorance Kirkland 1808-11
John Adams 1810
Through the courtesy of Judge Chase we are able to present likenesses of most of the judges. A few are missing and will be for all time.
It is interesting to note that the early surrogates purchased their own books of record, and these subsequently were sold to
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their successors. Dorrance Kirkland refused to purchase the un- used portion of Book A. of Wills, from John H. Cuyler who was removed from office, and Cuyler thereupon took his knife and cut out all the unused leaves. This certified statement may be seen in the book today.
Those who have held the office of district attorney in th county are :
Date of Election
Date of Election
Alex. Frasier
1819
Erastus Barnes
1821
Lewis Benton
1824
Malbon Watson
1832.7
Lucius Robinson
1838
Danforth K. Olney 1840-5
Lyman Tremaine
1846 Rufus Watson
1847
Danforth K. Olney
1850
Peleg C. Mattoon
1853
John A. Griswold
1856
James B. Olney
1859-62
A. Melvin Osborn
1865
William E. Leete
1868
Sidney Crowell
1871
Addison C. Griswold
1874
Eugene Raymond
1877
G. Howard Jones
1880
Augustus Sherman
1883
Frank H. Osborn
1886
Josiah C. Tallmadge
1889
Edward A. Gifford
1882-5
Charles E. Nichols
1898
Egbert Palmer
1901
Pierre S. Jennings
1904
H. L. Austin
1909
Orin Q. Flint
1910
Howard C. Wilbur 1911
Washington Hunt, born at Windham, Aug 5, 1811, was Member of Congress 1843-1849, State Comptroller 1849, Governor 1850.
Lyman Tremaine was born at Durham and Attorney Gen- eral in 1846. County Judge 1847. Attorney General 1857.
Malbon Watson was justice of the supreme court 1848.
Lucius Robinson, also born at Windham, Nov. 4, 1810 was the only other man from Greene county who served the state as governor Mr. Robinson was District Attorney in 1837, Master of Chancery 1843, Assemblyman from Chemung county in 1859, Comptroller of State in 1861, 1863, 1875, and elected Governor Nov. 1876.
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A very successful lawyer who has retired from active prac- tice is W. I. Jennings, who for a number of years has devoted his time entirely to the Catskill Savings Bank of which he is prisident.
Dorville S. Coe is another Greene county boy who went out from Greene county and who is doing well in New York.
The present members of the Greene county bar are:
Austin, H. L.
Catskill Jones, Ambrose
Bigley, Charles J.
Jones, G. Howard
Bennett, William W.
Kerr, Ira B.
Betts, Judson A.
Malcolm, J. Lewis
Betts, Lee F.
Nichols, Charles E.
Bloodgood, Albert C.
Osborn, Frank H.
Bloodgood, Clarence E.
Palmatier, Willliam
Boyne, Harold J.
Patrie, J. Lewis
Chase, Emory A.
Philip, James P.
Cole, Seth T.
Plusch, George W.
Decker, Percy W.
Reilly, James H.
Fray, John L.
Tallmadge, Josiah C.
Heath, Orliff T.
Thorpe, William E.
Howland, Clarence
Van Gelder, James H.
Wilbur, Howard C.
Tannersville
Calkins, N. A. Curtis, H. McK.
Dibble, Flavius Lackey, Edward W. Athens
Daley. D. Henry
Hallenbeck, Edwin C.
Hiseerd, James W.
Warren, Leonard A.
Cairo
Durham Gardner, Harrison I.
Taylor, Frank
Chadderdon, Miles A. Van Vechten, Francis H. Hunter Cartwright, C. M.
Prattsville Daley, James B.
Oak Hill
Rifenburgh, George L. Windham Tallmadge, Benjamin I. 161
Jennings, W. Irving Coxsackie
Flint, Orin Q. Gifford, Edward A. Porter, O. Gates
DEAR OLD GREENE COUNTY.
Senator William P. Fiero.
DEAR OLD GREENE COUNTY.
The Hon. William P. Fiero who was elected to the State senate from Greene county in the fall of 1910 was one of the grand old men whom the county loves to honor. For more than 33 years he was a leading lawyer in the Westchester courts and assistant district attorney in the federal courts, where he had universal success winning over 400 cases. He had a wonderful interest in the county of his birth, and on the court house lawn may be seen the grand fountain given by him to the county. He carried Greene County by 1124 votes.
Charles G. Coffin, Lawyer, Fireman, Musician
Mr. Pinkney says he well remembers the Hon. Malbon Watson, of a very distinguished Catskill family, who was very slow and dignified in manner, but who had a fund of humor on occasion. It was in a case in justice court, where his opponent had been speaking in a very loud voice and earnest manner as though the trivial case was of the utmost importance. Watson came to the close of his summing up and said, "And now, gentlemen of the jury I leave my case in your hands and give you a chance to listen to a blast from the fountain of minds."
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