USA > New York > Warren County > Queensbury > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 38
USA > New York > Washington County > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 38
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58
In 1879 Mr. Finch wedded Julia A. Rich- ards, of Sandy Hill. He is a democrat in politics, and holds membership with the Meth- odist Episcopal church.
R. O. BASCOM, lawyer at Fort Edward and a representative of one of the early settled and prominent families of New Eng- land, is a son of Samuel H. Bascom and Eliz- abeth Clark, his wife, and was born at Orwell, Vermont, November 18, 1855. The progeni- tor and founder of the Bascom family in Amer- ica came from England in 1734 or '35, and made his settlement in the vicinity of Dorches- ter, Connecticut, together with his wife and eldest daughter. He remained there for a time, when he removed from Dorchester to Northampton, Massachusetts, where he spent the remainder of his life and where many of his descendants now reside. Elias Bascom (paternal great-grandfather) was a native of Northfield, Massachusetts, where he lived and followed the trade of clothier. He was a sol-
dier in the war of the Revolution, was at the battle of Saratoga, and witnessed Burgoyne's surrender. In 1792 he removed to Orwell, Ver- mont, where he made his home until his death. He served as deacon in the Congregational church of Orwell, and was the father of four- teen children : Elias, Reuben, Eunice, Jeru- sha, Joseph (1), Joseph (2), Zina, Arteme- dorus, Elisha, Cynthia, Lucie, Rebecca, Ira, and Lucinda. Elias Bascom departed this life on November 29, 1833, at the age of ninety- six years. Artemedorus Bascom, the grand- father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Northfield, Massachusetts, December 19, 1774, and was for many years prominent in the Congregational church work and held the office of justice of the peace of his town. He wedded Chloe Hurlburd on March 11, 1800, by whom he had ten children : Thankful Cobb, Elvira Wilcox, Clarinda H., Emily Sanford, Oliver, Samantha, wife of Rev. H. H. Bates ; Dorus, William F. and Samuel H. The last named (father) was a native of Orwell, Ver- mont, where he at present resides and is engaged in farming. He was born on Febru- ary 18, 1819, and prepared himself during his earlier manhood for college, with the object in view of entering the ministry of the Congrega- tional church, but he was compelled to aban- don his labors on account of ill health. While ex-Senator Edmunds was speaker of the house of the Vermont legislature, he served as a member from his county in that body and took a leading part in its proceedings, and took a deep interest in the success of the Republican party in his county ; he was prominent in local affairs, and like his father and grandfather, he held the office of justice of the peace for many years ; he is at present deacon in the Congre- gational church of his village and zealously looks after the church's welfare. He wedded twice ; by his first wife, Elizabeth Clark, he had the following children : Anna, wife of C. N. North, of Shoreham, Vermont ; Samuel J., who resides in western Kansas; Wyman H. (deceased), Clarinda (deceased), George B.,
285
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
of Ticonderoga, New York, where he is super- intendent of a paper mill; Robert O., Jesse (deceased), and Cassius Clay, of Orwell, Ver- mont.
Robert O. Bascom received his elementary education in the high school at Brandon, and at Newton academy, Shoreham, Vermont, and was afterward graduated from the Fort Edward Collegiate institute in 1876. In the same year he entered the office of Don D. Winn, of that village, as a student at law, and was admitted to the bar to practice in all the courts of New York State in 1883. He resides at Fort Ed- ward, where he has built up a very substantial practice in the law.
On December 20, 1882, Mr. Bascom was married to Mary Larrabee Platt, of Larrabee's Point, Vermont, and has two children : Wy- man and Robert Platt. He is a member and vestryman of the Saint James Episcopal church of Fort Edward, and a member of Jane McCrea Lodge, No. 267, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mrs. Bascom is a daughter of Myron Platt, who is descended from Richard Platt, who came from England in 1638, and settled at New Milford, Connecti- cut ; among others of his descendants are Sen- ator Orville C. Platt, of Connecticut, and ex- Senator Thomas C. Platt, of New York, and the Platt family who founded and settled Platts- burg, New York.
YMAN EDWARD MONTGOM-
ERY, one of the leading business men of Fort Edward and Washington county, is a son of Adelman and Elizabeth (Richmond) Montgomery, and was born at Middle Falls, Washington county, New York, December 13, 1863. The Montgomerys are of Irish des- cent and Colonel Robert Montgomery, who served in the war of 1812, was the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Colonel Montgomery married, and one of his sons was Adelman Montgomery (father), who
followed coopering at Greenwich, this State, and Middle Falls, this county, for many years. He is a man of good business ability and has held several local offices. A republi- can and Baptist, he has been trusted alike by his party and his church, in which he is now serving as trustce. He married Elizabeth Richmond and their family consists of two children, a son and a daughter : Nellie, wife of George Wells, a liveryman and bottler of Fort Edward, and Lyman Edward.
Lyman E. Montgomery received his early education at the hands of private teachers, and then after attending the Island Grove school, from which he was graduated, he en- tered Union College in 1882, with the inten- tion of fitting himself for the profession of civil engineering. After some time spent profitably in studying at Union College, his eyesight became so impaired as to compel him to leave school and abandon all thought of civil engineering. He then turned his atten- tion to business pursuits, and after serving for four years as book-keeper for the lumber firm of Sherman & Green, of Glens Falls, this State, he came to Fort Edward and became a partner with his father in the firm of A. Mont- gomery & Son. In 1889 he succeeded his father and has constantly enlarged his busi- ness, until now it is the largest of its kind in the village, if not in the county.
Mr. Montgomery has his main office on No- tre Dame street and his up-town office at the corner of Broadway and Mill streets. He does a large wholesale and retail business in coal, wood, salt, flour, feed of all kinds and lime and cement, being agent for the finest kinds of cement, plaster and fertilizers. He also does a very large produce shipping busi- ness to the Boston and New York markets by the canal and railroads. He employs as high as fifteen men in his business, which is continually increasing. Mr. Montgomery is a republican politically. He is vice-president of the Satterlee Hose Company, and in many other ways is useful to his fellow townsmen.
286
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
ON. NELSON W. VAN DUSEN,
a prominent and well-known citizen of Glens Falls, was born at West Mountain, in the town of Queensbury, Warren county, New York, February 27, 1843, and is a son of Wil- liam and Betsy M. (Ward) Van Dusen. He was reared to manhood in his native town and was principally educated at the Glens Falls academy. After leaving school he as- sisted his step-father, Zenas Van Dusen, in the lumber business, with whom he remained up till within a short time before the latter's death, when the business was sold to George H. Freeman, of Troy.
Mr. Van Dusen is one of the leading demo- crats of the town of Queensbury, and served as supervisor of that town in 1881, and again in 1884 ; in 1882 he was elected to the State ยท assembly, where he bore a conspicuous part in the proceedings of that body. In 1868 he was united in marriage to Mary A, a daughter of Alfred E. Metcalf, of Worcester, Massachusetts ; to their union has been born one son, Alfred- M.
Mr. Van Dusen is a member of the Glens Falls Masonic Lodge, No. 121, Glens Falls Chapter, No. 44, and Washington Comman- dery, No. 33, Knights Templar, at Saratoga Springs.
William Van Dusen, the father of the sub- ject of this sketch, was also a native of the town of Queensbury, where he was born in the year 1807; and in 1842 associated with his brother Zenas, engaged in the general lumber manufacturing business, their mill be- ing located on the upper Hudson, at the feeder dam. He continued business here up to the time of his death, which occurred Oc- tober 15, 1847. William Van Dusen was a son of John Van Dusen, who was born in Dutchess county, New York, on February 16, 1775. He removed when a young man, with his brothers, Robert, David and Abraham, to the town of Queensbury, where they became early settlers in that section. They were all engaged in farming, and Robert served in the
war of 1812. The family is of Holland Dutch descent. William Van Dusen wedded Betsy M. Ward, who was a native of Vermont, where she was born October 29, 1817, and died in 1881. After the death of her husband she married his brother, Zenas Van Dusen. The latter was born March 6, 1809, and died at the feeder dam, February 22, 1889.
E DWARD REED, sheriff of Warren county, was born in the county of Wash- ington, New York, July 11, 1857. He re- mained in his native county until he had reached the age of ten years, when he went to live in the village of Glens Falls, where he has ever since resided. He attended the pub-" lic schools of the village until he was fourteen years old, when he became an employe in the grocery store of Peck & De Long, remain- ing with them for one year. After leaving their employ he commenced to learn the butcher business, which he followed most of the time up to the year 1879. In this year he was appointed to the police force of the vil- lage, discharging his duties in a most satis- factory way to the authorities of the village until 1885, when he was appointed deputy sheriff of Warren county, by George F. Bry- ant. He served in this capacity one year and a half, when he was promoted to the place of under-sheriff, where he remained until the expiration of Mr. Bryant's term. Bryant was succeeded in office by Joseph B. Mills, who continued Mr. Reed as his under-sheriff dur- ing nearly his full term. In the fall of 1891 Mr. Reed was elected sheriff of the county, as the regular nominee of the Republican party, for the term of three years. He is the present incumbent of the sheriff's office, and is popular with the people and conscientiously discharges every duty imposed upon him.
On May 29, 1878, Mr. Reed was married to Mary E., a daughter of David Norton, of Glens Falls. To their union has been born one child, Nellie E.
-
287
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
Edward Reed is a stockholder in the Glens Falls Printing Company, in the Merchants' National bank, the Glens Falls Agricultural society, and the Glens Falls Breeding associa- tion. He is a member of the Masonic frater- ' nity and of the Horricon Lodge of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows ; also the Red Men and Elks. Mr. Reed has for many years been actively engaged in politics, and enjoys the fullest confidence of the people of both parties. He has been the architect of his own fortune, and deserves considerable credit for having won his way to the front.
. WILLIAM H. GAYGER, an old and prominent citizen of the village of Glens Falls, and a retired business man, is a son of Beverly Gayger and Elizabeth (Ray) Gayger, and was born in Willsborough, Essex county, New York, October 1, 1815. Beverly Gayger was a native of Rensselaer county, and when a young man removed from there to Essex county, where he resided until 1843, when he came with his family to Glens Falls and lived until his death, which occurred in 1868, in the eighty-third year of his age. He was a black- smith and farmer by trade and occupation, a whig, and afterward a republican in politics ; and was of Holland Dutchi descent. He wed- ded Elizabeth Ray, who was born in the town of Greenwich, and lived to be eighty-four years of age.
William H. Gayger remained in his native county until he had reached manhood, attend- ing the common schools of the neighborhood until at the age of twenty, when he com- menced to learn the trade of blacksmith with his father. Remaining there but a short time, he went to Keesville, in Essex county, where he worked at his trade for one year. In the spring of 1836 he came and located in Glens Falls, where he followed his trade for five years, when he opened out in the manu- facture of carriages, which business he car- ried on very successfully for twenty-five years.
Some of his carriages were shipped as far west as California, but on account of failing health, at the end of this time, he had to close out his business, and has since lived practically a retired life. At present Mr. Gayger deals to some extent in real estate.
William H. Gayger has, for the past thirty- five years, been a director in the First National bank at Glens Falls, which is one of the safe and solid financial institutions in northern New York. He is also a stockholder in the Glens Falls Insurance company, a company known throughout the United States as one of the most reliable and conservative insurance com- panies in existence.
In 1841 Mr. Gayger was united in marriage to Julia A. Newman, a daughter of Lewis Newman, of Glens Falls ; she died December 25, 1896, and was a member of the Presby- terian church. William H. Gayger is a repub- lican in his political opinion, and is one of the conspicuous self-made men of the flourishing and beautiful little city on the falls of the Hudson.
RANKLIN T. PEMBER, who has made a fortune as a fur dealer and orange grower, and is widely known as a naturalist, is a native of Washington county, and has his summer home at Granville. He is of English descent, and comes of a family planted in America two centuries ago. His paternal grandfather, Frederick Pember, was a native of Connecticut, and was taken by his parents when only seven years of age to Rut- land county, Vermont, where he grew to man- hood and received such education as was af- forded by the country schools of that day. After attaining his majority he engaged in farm- ing, and spent a long and active life in agricul- tural pursuits in his adopted State, dying in Rutland county at an advanced age. One of his sons was Reuel Pember, father of the subject of this sketch, who was born in Rutland county, Vermont, in 1811, and was reared and educa- ted there. In 1833 he married Maria R. Tan-
-
288
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
ner, a native of Washington county, and a daughter of Joseph Tanner, and soon after- ward removed to this county, and settled in the town of Granville. Here he engaged in farming and dealing in cattle and horses, which lie followed successfully for many years, and here he continued to reside until his death in 1873, when in the sixty-second year of liis age. He was a whig and republican in politics, and during his more active years took a prominent part in the political affairs of his locality. For many years he served as justice of the peace in the town of Granville, and occupied other positions of trust and responsibility. He was a strict member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was always active in support of the various denominational interests of that body. By his marriage to Maria R. Tanner he had a family of children. Mrs. Pember was born in the town of Granville in 1816, and died at her home here in 1892, aged seventy- six years. She was a life-long member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Franklin T. Pember, son of Reuel and Maria (Tanner) Pember, was born on the old home- stead in the town of Granville, Washington county, New York, November 2d, 1841. His boyhood days were spent on the farm and his primary education was received in the public schools, after which he took a preparatory course of study with a view to entering college, but did not do so. Leaving school he en- gaged in farming in the town of Granville, and followed that occupation until 1874. In con- nection with his farming operations he also began dealing in furs, which latter business increased in importance until by 1874 it had become so large as to demand his whole at- tention, and he abandoned farming and re- moved to New York city, where he gave his en- tire time to the fur trade until 1885, purchas- ing furs from all parts of the United States and exporting them in large quantities to the European markets.
Having been extremely successful in this line, and built up a large trade, he disposed of
the business in the fall of 1885 and went to southern California, where he purchased a large tract of land. He at once began planting orange groves, and has also sold a large quan- tity of land to other parties for similar pur- poses, and at a handsome profit. He now has fifty acres of orange groves at Riverside, some sixty miles south of Los Angeles, which are now all in bearing condition. These groves form one of the most valuable properties in that section, and were all set out and brought to their present state of perfection by Mr. Pem- ber, who, together with his wife, spends the winter season among his California groves, though he passes his summers principally in New York, having a handsome residence at Granville, which has always been his home. In addition to his orange groves Mr. Pember also has some banking interests in California, and owns considerable property in the oil and gas fields of Ohio. He has crossed the United States from the Pacific to the Atlantic some eighteen times, beside other extensive travel in this country, and in 1882 he visited Europe and spent several months in sight - seeing through the principal countries and capitals of the continent.
From his earliest years Mr. Pember was in- terested in birds and animals, and has become a naturalist of considerable note. He has one of the finest collections of birds and bird's eggs to be found in America, gathered at great expense of time and money from all parts of the world. The eggs range all the way from that of the ostrich to the smallest humming- bird, and in addition to these collections he also has a number of others, pertaining to and illustrating various branches of natural history.
In 1868, Mr. Pember was married to Ellen J. L. Wood, a daughter of David Wood, of Granville. He is a republican politically, and while residing on the farm held the office of justice of the peace for several years. He is a member and trustee of the Baptist church in Granville, and president of the Mittowee Val- ley Cemetery association of this place, of which
291
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
association he was one of the principal organ- izers. He is also treasurer and general mana- ger of the Carver Manufacturing company, a young but successful corporation, doing busi- ness in Granville, New York.
C HARLES LYON, who has been the architect of his own fortune in the truest sense of that term, and now president of the People's National bank of Salem, was born in the village of Bennington, Vermont, Janu- ary 4, 1817. He is a son of Freman and La- visa (Pease) Lyon, and for many years has been widely known throughout the county for his remarkable business ability and integrity. His father, Freman Lyon, was a native of Westminster, Massachusetts, who in early life was brought by his parents to Bennington county, Vermont, where he lived, and died in the fall of 1866, at the age of seventy-seven years. A prominent farmer of his county and a whig in politics, he represented his county in the legislature of his adopted State, and several years served as justice of the peace of his town. Deacon Seth Lyon, grandfather, was one of the pioneers of the town of Peru, Bennington county, having settled there from Massachusetts, his native State. He was one of the organizers of the Congregational church in his town, and upon its completion he and his brother-in-law, Thomas Wyman, were elected and served as first deacons, which of- fice the former filled for about forty years. He led an exemplary christian life, and was a man well liked and highly respected by all who knew him. He died in 1844 at Peru, aged eighty-two years. The Lyons are of English extraction, but the family has long been resi- dent of this country. Mrs. Lavisa (Pease) Lyon was born at Weston, Windsor county, Vermont, in 1786, dying in 1828, aged forty- two years, and leaving seven children.
Charles Lyon was, at the death of his mother, only eleven years of age. His father being in
rather limited circumstances, he was com- pelled at that early age to begin the struggle of life alone. For about nineteen years he worked by the month and piece, principally in woolen factories at Hoosic, Salem and other points, giving his earnings to his father, and at the age of nineteen years he sent his father a hundred and fifty dollars to recompense him for the time until he would come of age. He attended school but little on account of his carly struggles against poverty, and while his educational advantages were limited, his sub- sequent learning came from the great school of a successful business career. In 1848 hc branched out into the business world for himself, engag- ing in the woolen manufacturing at Rexlie, this county, which he carried on for about ten years, when he sold it, and in 1858 bought a woolen mill at East Salem, where he had for- merly worked as an employe. This he suc- cessfully conducted until 1869, when this mill changed hands and he purchased the mill at Shushan, changing his residence to that place, removing from East Salem in 1870. Here he ran this mill until 1885, when he sold it out to his nephews. In 1890, to secure himself, he foreclosed the mortgage on the East Salem mill, and has ever since owned and conducted this plant. For twenty years previous to his becoming proprietor, he acted in the capacity of foreman in a woolen mill, a position he held up to the time he went into business, and in his own mills he has always filled that position himself. Some seven or eight years ago he was elected president of the Peoples' National bank of Salem, and owns stock in other banks and a great deal of valuable real estate. In politics he is a liberal republican, and has often been solicited by his friends to accept town offices, and this he has always refused to do with one exception, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of supervisor of his town.
Charles Lyon was married in 1861 to Mrs. Susan Abbie (Burton) Hatch, of Manchester, Vermont. He has been a total abstainer from
292
BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
the use of tobacco or whisky during his whole life ; liberal to the worthy poor of his neigh- borhood, and contributor to the Methodist church.
JAMES WOOD CARVER, a success- ful business man and well known inventor of the county and promoter of manufacturing enterprises, was born in the Town of Pawlet, Rutland county, Vermont, November 26, 1858 and is a son of Chester L. Carver and Emeline (George) Carver. Chester L. Carver was a native of the same place and resided in that town during his entire life, his death occurring in the sixty-fifth year of his age, in 1863. He followed the occupation of a farmer, and at one time of his life was considered a very wealthy man. He was a son of Nathaniel Carver, who was a native of the State of Con- necticut, removing from Canterbury, in that State, in 1780, to the State of Vermont, set- tling on a farm in the town of Pawlet, in Ver- mont, where he resided up to the time of his death, in 1805, in the fifty-second year of his age. The Carvers are of English descent, and the progenitor and founder of the family in this country was John Carver, who was at one time Governor of Massachusetts. In company with him, in his voyage over, were two of his brothers, from one of whom the sub- ject of this sketch has descended.
Chester L. Carver wedded Emeline George, who was born in Massachusetts, is now a resident of Pawlet, and is in the seventy-first year of her age.
James Wood Carver grew up in his native town of Pawlet, on the farm, and after reach- ing manhood continued on the farm up to 1886, since which time he has been devoting his entire attention to invention, and has at the present time two hundred and thirty in- ventions gotten out wholly by himself, and has had issued to him patents from the different governments on a great many of them. When the Carver Manufacturing company was or- ganized in 1892, he was elected vice-president,
but he has since sold his patents that this company was interested in, to his brother, George H. Carver, the sale including only patents prior to June 4, 1891. Mr. Carver is now industriously engaged in manufacturing in Granville, New York, of farm implements, fire arms, etc. Nathaniel Carver (grand- father), reared a family of seven children: John, Betsy, David, Chester L., Lucy, Lydia and Olivia.
James W. Carver in 1882 was united in marriage to Fannie W. Soullard, of Pawlet, Vermont. To them has been born three sons, Chester E., Merritt and Hascall; the two last named have died. Chester E. is also an in- ventor and has several valuable patents, and is only twelve years of age on July 4th, 1894. Mr. Carver is a member of the Congregational church, and in his political belief endorses the principles of government advocated by the Re- publican party. As an inventor Mr. Carver ranks high, and is destined to be classed among the leading inventors of his day.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.