USA > New York > Warren County > Queensbury > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 33
USA > New York > Washington County > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 33
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
youngest, who is in his ninety-second year, and resides in Wisconsin. The Fennel fam- ily, of which Dr. Fennel is a member, is sup- posed to be of English extraction. Edward Fennel (1), the father of Edward (2), resided at Granville, Massachusetts, and was no doubt the founder and progenitor of the American branch of the family. Abigail (Gorham) Fen- nel was born in Poultney, Vermont, in 1796, and died in Illinois in 1864.
Mr. Fennel spent the first seventeen years of his life on the farm and in the district school. The next eight years he spent in teaching and study, principally at Castleton seminary, Vermont ; entering the Auburn Theo- logical seminary in 1840, he was graduated in the year 1843. In the following year he was ordained to preach by the Rutland county association of Congregational ministers. From 1843 to 1846 he was stationed at Groton, ,Tompkins county, New York, as minister in the Congregational church. · Middlebury col- lege conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts, and a few years later the degree of Doctor of Divinity was given him by the same institution. In 1846 Dr. Fennel was called by the Presbyterian church at Glens Falls, whence he removed, and became pastor of that church. He labored here most success- fully for forty-five consecutive years. In 1891, on account of breaking down of health and failure of strength, he resigned his pastorship to which the best years of his life had been most earnestly devoted. On arriving at Glens Falls, in 1846, Dr Fennel found an old, white dilapidated wooden church building, known in that early day as "Old White," which stood for some forty years. In 1848 it was torn down and upon its site was erected a fine brick edifice, which stood for fourteen years, when in 1864, in the great fire of Glens Falls, it was burned to the ground. It was super- seded by another fine brick structure, and in just twenty years from the time of its com- pletion it was consumed by the flames in 1884. The present handsome and fine church edifice
is one of the most costly and tastily con- structed buildings in northern New York.
Dr. Fennel was married in 1843 to Racilla A., a daughter of Philo M. Hackley, Esq., of Herkimer, New York. To his marriage has been born three sons, all living : Andrew Hackley, George Hawley, and Charles Henry.
Dr. Fennel is a man of fine scholarship, high ideals and culture, pleasing manners and an unselfish nature, and has given the best years of his life for the spiritual welfare of his fel- low men, as well as to the moral and religious uplifting of the human race. At his home in Glens Falls he is popular and beloved as a citizen and neighbor, where for nearly half a century he has been closely identified with the moral and religious progress of the village.
JOHN BROOKS, secretary of the Con- solidated Electric Company, of Green- . wich, and largely interested in the cattle busi- ness in the State of Wyoming, is the eldest son of Silas N. and Melissa (Burrows) Brooks, and was born May 31, 1852, at Bernardston, Franklin county, Massachusetts. His pater- nal grandfather, Dr. John Brooks, was a na- tive of Vermont, but for many years resided and practiced his profession at Bernardston, where he died in 1864, aged eighty-four. He was one of the leading physicians of Franklin county. In religion he was a member of the Universalist church, in which he frequently preached, and in political faith was a whig and republican. Dr. Brooks was elected a member of the assembly from Franklin county, and served for a number of years. He mar- ried Mary Bascom, by whom he had a family of one son and five daughters. His only son, Silas N. Brooks (father), was born at Bernard- ston, Massachusetts, in 1825, and was reared and educated at that place. After attaining manhood he engaged in the manufacture of agricultural machinery in his native village, and followed that business successfully until 1872. He then removed to the city of Chicago,
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and became a member of the manufacturing firm of Sargeant, Greenfield & Brooks, with factories at Chicago, Rochester, New York, and other places. He is a member of the Masonic order, a stanchi republican in politics, and while a resident of Franklin county was elected and served three or four terms in the State legislature. In 1847 he married Melissa Burrows, a daughter of Isaac Burrows and a sister to George Burrows, of the New York Central Railroad Company. To that union was born a family of four children, three sons and a daughter: John, the subject of this sketch ; Halburt G., in business with his father at Chicago ; Bryant B., a partner with his brother John in a cattle ranch in the State of Wyoming, at present member of the legis- lature of that State ; and Jennie M., living at home with her parents in Chicago. Both Silas N. Brooks and his wife are active mem- bers of the Universalist church.
John Brooks was reared in his native village and obtained a superior English education in the Powers institute, of Bernardston, Massa- chusetts. In 1868 he engaged with Bradford, Thomas & Co., wholesale dry goods merchants of Boston, as a traveling salesman, and has remained with that company ever since. He and his brother, Bryant B., own one of the largest cattle ranches in the State of Wyoming, containing forty thousand acres of pasture land, five thousand of which are irrigated. This ranch is stocked with the largest and best herd of Galloway cattle to be found in the United States. Mr. Brooks is also secre- tary of the Consolidated Electric Company, of Greenwich, where he resides, which posi- tion he has held since 1891. This company lights the villages of Greenwich, Cambridge, Schuylerville and Middle Falls, their power station being located at the last named place.
In 1889 John Brooks was united by marriage to Lena M. Haskell, a daughter of D. D. Haskell, of the village of Greenwich. To Mr. and Mrs. Brooks have been born two children, sons, named John B. and Kenneth B.
Politically Mr. Brooks is inclined to indepen- dence, voting for those he considers the best men. He is a member of John Abbott Lodge, of Summitville, Massachusetts.
H ON. HENRY G. BURLEIGH, who served with credit in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth congresses, is one whose success- ful efforts to develop the great transportation system of the Hudson river valley make it proper that some account of his life and la- bors should be placed upon the permanent historical record of the county. He is a son of Gordon and Elizabeth (Weeks) Burleigh, and was born at Canaan, New Hampshire, June 2, 1834. The Burleigh family is of English descent, and was planted in New England in 1640, by four Burleigh brothers, who settled respectively in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Maine. From the brother who settled in New Hamp- shire was descended General Joseph Burleigh, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. General Burleigh was a native of Dorchester, New Hampshire, in which State he died on his farm at Franklin, when in the seventy-fourth year of his age. He held an important com- mand under General Stark, and participated in the battle of Bennington. His son, Gordon Burleigh (father), was a native of Canaan, New Hampshire, and at the age of fifty-two years, removed to Ticonderoga, Essex county, this State, where he was engaged in the lumbering business until his death, which occurred when he was in the sixty-eighth year of his age. He married Elizabeth Weeks, who died at Ticonderoga in 1872, at seventy-one years of age. Mrs. Burleigh was of English lineage, and one of her ancestors built the " Weeks House," the first brick house erected in New England.
Henry G. Burleigh was reared at Concord, New Hampshire, received his education in the common, schools, and at fourteen years of
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age removed to Ticonderoga. He gradually enlarged his operations until 1866, when he found Ticonderoga did not control the volume of transportation that he was then prepared to handle, and accordingly came to White- hall as a better terminal to the large trans- portation business which he wished to estab- lish. He has continued successfully at White- · hall in the transportation business ever since, and continually enlarging the scope of his operations until he now requires from one hundred to one hundred and fifty canal and steamboats to carry the immense amount of freight which he handles. His transportation line extends from the cities of Ottawa, Quebec and Montreal, Canada, to New York and Philadelphia. He owns iron ore mines on Lake Champlain, from which he ships large quantities of ore, beside shipping lumber from Canada to New York, and coal from Pennsylvania to Canada. Mr. Burleigh em- ploys a large force of hands, and has built up one of the great transportation systems of this country, which has stimulated activity and awakened enterprise at numerous places. When he entered into his present business it was not a field full of brilliant promise or great expectation, but possessed only un- seen possibilities and plenty of hard work. That he has made the most of these possi- bilities is attested by his present success, and that he has worked hard to win commercial supremacy in his business stands recorded in the many severe struggles through which he has passed. The record of his business life would be incomplete if it only made mention of his transportation work, and while it is needless to speak in detail of his many other business enterprises, yet a reference to some of them is not out of place. He is presi- dent of the old National bank of Whitehall, and a director of the Commerce Insurance Campany, of Albany, the Bay State Furnace Company, of Port Henry, and the Lake Champlain and Port Henry Towing com- panies. In business operations Mr. Burleigh
has very fixed views and acts on any new ven- ture only after mature deliberation.
In 1869 Mr. Burleigh married Jennie E. Richards, of Ticonderoga, and they have three children : Henry Gordon, Charles Richards and James Weeks. Mrs. Burleigh is a daugh- ter of John and Elizabeth Richards. Henry G. Burleigh, in politics, has always been an active and leading republican. He was scc- retary of the first Republican convention held in northern New York, and served as a dele- gate to the Republican National convention of 1884 that nominated Blaine. In this con- vention Mr. Burleigh moved that the nomina- tion of Mr. Blaine be made unanimous at the request of President Arthur. Mr. Burleigh was also a delegate to the National Republican convention of 1888, which nominated Presi- dent Harrison the first time, and again in 1892 that placed Harrison in nomination for the second time. In 1861 Mr. Burleigh was elected supervisor of the town of Ticonderoga, and remained supervisor of that town during the rebellion. The full quota of men were always raised in that town under each call of the President made there, thereby preventing any draft. After coming to Washington county he was nominated and elected to the State assembly, serving in that body during the session of 1876, and was chairman of the com- mittee on canals, Samuel J. Tilden being gov- ernor. In 1883 Mr. Bnrleigh was elected from his district, composed of the counties of Washington and Renssalaer, to the forty- eighth congress, and at the end of his term he was re-elected and served through the forty- ninth. Being a clear-headed and able business manager, Mr. Burleigh was amply able to fully protect the industrial and commercial interests of his district, and to serve with ability and credit on different congressional committees appointed to look after the gen- eral business affairs of the country. For over thirty years Henry G. Burleigh has been one of the republican leaders of northern New York and the State.
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
A LFRED C. HODGMAN, the present proprietor of the oldest clothing house at Fort Edward, is a son of Lebbens and Amanda (Stearns) Hodgman, and was born at Fairfax, Vermont, January 2, 1842. His pa- ternal ancestors were of English extraction, and his father was a native of Vermont, where he followed farming chiefly up to the time of his death, which occurred June 14, 1889.
Lebbens Hodgman was a Methodist and republican, and wedded for his wife Amanda Stearns, by whom he had six children : Martha J. Meech ; F. L., a furniture dealer and undertaker in the State of Iowa ; Clifton H., Alfred C. (subject); Homer A., a clothing merchant of Bellevue, Michigan, and Flor- ence, who died in infancy. After the death of his first wife, Lebbens Hodgman married Mrs. Lucy Luscomb, but had no children by his second marriage.
Alfred C. Hodgman was reared on a farm, and after receiving a good English education in the public schools of his native State, chose for himself a business life instead of embark- ing in some agricultural pursuit. Leaving the farm in 1857 he came to Fort Edward, where he was engaged as a clerk for three years in a store next to his present business establish- ment, on Broad street. Three years later he embarked in the clothing and gentlemen's furnishing goods business, in the establish- ment which he afterward enlarged and still occupies.
With years of patient effort came an ample measure of success, and at the present time he has the largest house, in his line of busi- ness, in Fort Edward.
In politics he has been a republican since President Lincoln's first election, but gives his time largely to his business interests.
On August 17, 1864, Mr. Hodgman was united in marriage with Fannie A. Fowler, then a resident of Brooklyn, New York, and whose father, Samuel J. Fowler, a lamp man- ufacturer, died in 1888. To Mr. and Mrs. Hodgman were born five children, three sons
and two daughters : Dr. A. Frederick, a prac- ticing physician of Auburn, New York, for the last five years ; Fannie L., A. Harry, in the clothing business with his father ; Lil- lian, wife of James M. Northrop, a business man of New York City ; and Herbert A., who died in infancy.
R EV. JOHN JOHNSTON, pastor of the Baptist church of Fort Ann village, was born in the city of Peterborough, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, on April 11, 1865. He is a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Furgerson) Johnston. His father was a na- tive of Belfast, Ireland, emigrating from the land of his birth in 1836, and settled in the city of Toronto, and afterward changed his residence to Peterborough, where he resided until his death in 1871, at sixty-one years of age. He was a British sea-captain in the Royal Navy, and was of Scotch-Irish extrac- tion. He married Elizabeth Furgerson in 1858, who was also born in Belfast, of Scotch- Irish origin, and now resides in the city of Toronto, where she has lived since 1871.
Rev. John Johnston was reared and edu- cated in the city of Toronto, where his mother, with the family, removed after the death of her husband. Here Reverend Johnston at- tended the Jarvis Street college, where he took a three years' course of special studies, pre- paratory to his entering the active ministry, and at the age of twenty-two he began active work in the cause of Christ and humanity. His first pastoral charge was at Grafton, Rens- selaer county. He remained here a short time, when he went to Lebanon Springs, in Columbia county, where he efficiently labored for his denomination until March 30, 1891, when he received the call to Fort Ann. He is the pastor of the Baptist church of this place, and also has charge of the church at Comstock. The combined membership of the two churches number nearly three hundred, and they are in a prosperous condition.
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Reverend Johnston was united in marriage in October, 1888, to Susie M. Scriven, who was a daughter of Supervisor Alva H. Scriven, of Grafton, Rensselaer county, "who repre- sented his borough for seven consecutive years, acting as its chairman." He died in Mount Vernon, New York, in December, 1893. His family were among the early settlers of the town of Grafton. To Mr. and Mrs. John- ston three children have been born, one son and two daughters : Robert A., Ruth S., and Leone P.
Reverend Johnston has four brothers who are citizens of Toronto, Canada: Joseph, Maxwell, Samuel and Robert, and one sister, Jennie. Joseph Johnston is a wholesale book- binder, printer and stationer, of 105 Church street. Maxwell owns and operates one of the best cquipped job-printing establishments in Canada, at 78 Wellington street, Toronto. Samuel is a machinist by trade, and is con- nected with his brother, Maxwell, in business. Robert is a professional man, and for the last five years has been engaged in lecturing, and is joint debator for the conservative party.
H ON. WILLIAM D. STEVENSON,
who is one of the prominent men of the county, and president of the Washington County Agricultural society, was born in the village of North Argyle, Washington county, New York, December 11, 1847. He is a son of William and Susan (Terry) Stevenson. William Stevenson was a native of the town of North Argyle ; born in 1806, and died in 1852, aged forty-six years. He was a mem- ber of the United Presbyterian church, and a whig in his political principles. He carried on a general merchandising business in North Argyle, and was a son of John Stevenson, a native of Scotland, who came to this country when a young man with his two brothers, Wil- liam and Daniel. John Stevenson, soon after his arrival here, located in the town of Argyle, where he carried on farming until his death.
Mrs. Susan Stevenson, the mother of tlie subject of this sketch, was born in the same town in 1826, died in 1872, and was a consist- ent member of the United Presbyterian church. She was twice married ; her second marriage was to William Orr, of Troy, and in that city she afterward made her home until her death.
William D. Stevenson grew to man's estate in his native town and in Troy. On leaving the common schools he attended the Troy academy and a select school at Geneva, New York, taught by Dr. Reed. Leaving the school room Mr. Stevenson returned to the village of North Argyle. He has not been regularly engaged in any particular calling. He owns several valuable farms in the county and handles a great deal of real estate. In addition to his varied investments he is presi- dent of the Fort Edward and Argyle Plank road and of the Argyle and Fort Edward Telegraph Company, and is at present serving for the fourth time as president of the Wash- ington County Agricultural Society.
In 1869 Mr. Stevenson was married to Eliza- beth Livingston, daughter of Samuel Wallace, deceased, and has one child, a daughter, Anna May.
William D. Stevenson is a prominent repub- lican of Washington county, and wields a strong influence in the councils of his party. For two terms he had the important local office of supervisor of his town, and was honored by his fellow members with the chairmanship of the board. He was twice elected to the gen- eral assembly of the State, and served in the sessions of 1891 and 1892. Mr. Stevenson resides at the old homestead in the town of North Argyle, about two miles from the vil- lage of Argyle. The house having been built by his father, which is a large and handsome brick, is one of the model country residences of the county.
Mr. Stevenson is an affable gentlemen, and both socially and in his business intercourse with his neighbors, is popular and highly re- spected.
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
ROF. WILBER W. HOWE, superin-
tendent of the Whitehall Union school and an educator of State reputation, is a son of John and Maria (Wilber) Howe, and was born at St. Jolinsville, Montgomery county, New York, July 29, 1862. His paternal grand- father, Eli Howe, was of English descent, and removed in early life from his native State of Connecticut, to Otsego county, New York. His son, John Howe, the father of Prof. W. W. Howe, was born in Otsego county, and has been a resident for the last forty years of St. Johnsville, this State, where he follows hydraulic engineering. He married Maria Wilbur, who was a daughter of David Wilbur, of Otsego county, and who died June 14, 1877, when in the forty-fourth year of her age.
Wilber W. Howe was reared at St. Johns- ville, New York, and received his education in the public schools of that place and at the State Normal school at Albany. Leaving school, he taught Prang's system of drawing and Holt's system of vocal music for some time in connection with the principalship of the graded schools of Cleveland, New York, and North Bennington, Vermont. In 1890 he resigned his position in those graded schools to become State instructor of drawing in the county institutes of New York and Vermont, in which he did efficient work until 1891, when he resigned to accept his present position as superintendent of the Whitehall Union school. This institution occupies five large buildings and employs a corps of twenty-one teachers, and under the intelligent and able manage- ment of Mr. Howe is rapidly pushing for- ward to the front rank of the graded schools of the State.
On December 25, 1883, Professor Howe was united in marriage with Florence A. Wil- son, daughter of Simon B. Wilson, of Chase- ville, Otsego county, New York. They have one child, a daughter, named Majorie W.
W. W. Howe is a democrat in politics, and has been a member for several years of Garoga Masonic Lodge, of Rockwood, this State. He
is well liked as a citizen and popular as the superintendent of the village Union school. In May, 1893, at the teachers' institute at Whitehall, Professor Howe gave, "in a most intelligent and satisfactory way, his theory of teaching, and exemplified it by the actual performance of pupils from the Whitehall schools." His lecture and the admirable work of his pupils were warmly applauded. He believes in intelligent reading as the basis of a good education, and his aim in the low- est reading grade is to get at the thought, leaving other things of minor importance to take care of themselves. He also has his pupils, in all of the branches taught, to get a clear idea of what their subject is before they commence work on any lesson or subject. His advanced methods of instruction are fully appreciated at Whitehall, and the intelligent reading and improved work in all the branches in the Union school attest his ability as an educator of rare attainments.
CORNELIUS YOUNG, an experienced paper manufacturer and the superinten- dent of the Ondawa paper mills, of Middle Falls, is a son of John and Jennie ( Fisher ) Young, and was born in the city of Amster- dam, Holland, August 2, 1844. John Young was a native of the same city, born Septem- ber 20, 1813, and came in 1847 to Rochester, New York, where he was an engineer in a paper mill until 1862. In that year he pur- chased a farm in Livingston county, on which he remained seven years. He then returned to his position as engineer in the paper mill and served in that capacity until 1882. In September, 1893, Mr. Young retired from all active business pursuits. He is a republican, and a member and deacon of the Reformed church, and in 1836, married Jennie Fisher, who was born in Amsterdam in 1816, and is still living. They have eight children living: John, jr., a paper mill superintendent ; Mor- ean, a furniture dealer of Rochester city ;
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Maggie, wife of Abram Shought ; Samuel D., now in the furniture business at Rochester ; Cornelius ; Jennie, wife of Albert Lusick ; Ellen, wife of Frank Laroy, and Annie, wife of Matthew VanDame, all of Rochester.
Cornelius Young was reared in Rochester, where he became an errand boy in a match fac- tory at seven years of age, and two years later went to work in a paper mill. He attended the common schools a part of the time until he was ten years of age, and at fifteen became an apprentice to a large shoe manufacturing firm, with which he remained four years. He then returned to paper making, and in 1881 became superintendent of the Howland paper mills, at Sandy Hill, which position he re- signed in 1888 to accept the superintendency of the Bellows Falls paper mills, of Vermont. At that place he remained one year, and then removed to Fort Edward, where he served one year as superintendent of a paper mill. He then, in 1890, came to Middle Falls and assumed charge of the Ondawa paper mills, which he has superintended ever since. These. mills have a daily output of eight tons of manilla and box board paper, and furnish regular employment for a force of forty-eight operatives.
On March 4, 1866, Mr. Young married Mary E. O'Neil, daughter of James O'Neil, of Greenwich. They have had seven children: John F., M. H., Cornelius J., Mabel, Sarah (dead), Mary, and Grace. Of these children, John F. is eagaged at a paper mill in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, and M. H. is employed with his father.
On November 8, 1861, Mr. Young enlisted in Co. K. 98th New York infantry, and served sixteen months, being discharged at the end of that time on account of disability. He is a stanch republican, and is a member of the Royal Arcanum and a past vice-commander of the William M. Callen Post, 587, Grand Army of the Republic. He is an honorary member of the J. W. Wait Hose Company, of Sandy Hill, of which he served as presi-
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