USA > New York > Warren County > Queensbury > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 48
USA > New York > Washington County > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 48
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JOSEPH WILSON, architect and builder, who is prominently identified with the business interests of Whitehall, was born within two miles of that village, in Wash- ington county, New York, June 9, 1822, and is a son of Joseph and Mabel (Weller) Wilson. Joseph Wilson (father) was born on the occan
while his parents were en route to this country from Ireland. He grew up on the farm, and was engaged in farming during his whole life, dying at the age of sixty-five years, in 1832. The father of Joseph, sr., Robert Wilson, was also a native of Ireland, who emigrated to the United States in 1767, and in the same year settled on a farm in the town of Whitehall. Joseph Wilson, sr., wedded Mabel Weller, a native of Connecticut, and whose death oc- curred in 1852, at the age of seventy-two years.
Joseph Wilson remained on his father's farm until he had reached the age of fifteen years, and attended the common schools of the neighborhood. At that age he came to White- hall, where he commenced learning the trade of carpenter with Jeremiah Lockwood, and afterward worked at his trade until 1840, when he began contracting and building on his own account, which he has continued most suc- cessfully down to the present time. In addi- tion to his contracting and building work he also does architecturing, having designed and constructed a large majority of the best houses and principal buildings in the town. He is the oldest contractor in active business proba- bly in the county. For a few years, in con- nection with his regular work, he was engaged in running a sash and door factory.
In 1848 he was united in marriage to Fannie Penfield, a daughter of John Penfield, who was a citizen of Pawlet, Vermont, until 1840, when he removed with his family to White- hall To Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have been born three children, two sons and one daughter. The daughter, Florence P., is the wife of Charles Emerson, of Yonkers, New York ; Fred and Charles.
Joseph Wilson is a democrat in politics, and has served as assessor of his village, and is now a member of the village trustees, in which body he has served for the past ten years. Whatever best subserves the true interests of his village satisfies him. In business he is shrewd and successful, and is an affable and pleasant gentleman.
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C. L. MOREY, principal of the Union schools of the village of Greenwich, and one of the leading and best known educators of the county, was born in the village of Chap- inville, Ontario county, December 13, 1859, and is a son of Andrew F. and Mary J. (Ben- nett) Morey. Andrew F. Morey was a native of Schodack, Rensselaer county, and was for many years a minister in the Methodist Epis- copal church, belonging to the Genesee confer- ence, and after thirty years of successful min- istry retired in 1888. He filled the office of presiding elder several times, and was pastor of some of the most prominent churches in the Genesee conference. His wife was Mary J., a daughter of Stephen Bennett, residing near Penn Yan, this State. To their marriage were born two sons and one daughter : Eugene, who is now pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at Fonda, New York; Clayton L., and Grace W. Stephen Bennett resided in Renns- selaer county, and was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was the father of Mrs. Mary J. Mo- rey. Benjamin Morey, the paternal grand- father of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Rensselaer county, where he owned and operated a large farm.
C. L. Morey received his education at the Lockport High school, at Wesleyan seminary, and at Syracuse university, and later took a post-graduate course in the Wesleyan univer- sity of the State of Illinois. For the past thirteen years he has been engaged in the pro- fession of teaching-the first year as princi- pal of the Warrensburg academy, when at the end of that time he came to Greenwich and ac- cepted the principalship of the Union High school of the village, making twelve years he has acceptably filled this position. During this period the school has nearly doubled in attend- ance, numbering at present between five and six hundred pupils. Pupils are prepared for col- lege in these schools, and many from outside of the school district attend. Under Prof. Morey's supervision these schools rank among the best in the State, and employ a corps of
eleven teachers. Mr. Morey is a member of Ashlar Lodge of Masons, and is a member of the Methodist church. He is a director in the Union Water Works company, and a repub- lican in political belief.
On December 23, 1885, he was wedded to Lillian H., a daughter of Nathan Phelps, of Lockport, New York. To their marriage have been born two children: Lawrence A. and Willis B.
C HARLES R. PATTERSON, ex-dis-
trict attorney of Warren county, and a lawyer of enviable standing in his profession, of Glens Falls, was born in the town of Bethle- hem, a village suburb of the city of Albany, New York, March 28, 1855. His parents were Rev. Robert Patterson and Sarah (Annesley) Patterson, the former being a native of Ire- land, of Scotch-Irish descent, who came to the United States, locating at Albany when quite young, where he was principally reared and educated. After thoroughly preparing him- self he entered the Methodist ministry, and labored most successfully in the cause of Methodism at various places over northern New York until some two or three years ago, when he retired from his work in the cause of the Master, and removed to the village of Glens Falls, where he is now residing, in the sixty- eighth year of his age. His father was a native of Ireland, who served as a soldier in the Eng- lish army, and, while en route to the United States, where he intended to reside in the fu- ture, he sickened and died at Montreal, Can- ada. Rev. Robert Patterson married Sarah Annesley, who was a native of Montreal, but was principally reared in the city of Albany, where her parents removed when she was quite young. She is now in the sixty-seventh year of her age, and a valued member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. Her two brothers, William and Lawson, were leading merchants of the cities of Albany and Montreal.
Charles R. Patterson grew to manhood in the vicinity of Albany, New York, and after
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receiving an academical education, he entered the State Normal school of that city, from which institution he was graduated in the year 1878, and was the youngest member of his class. After graduation for some two or three years he was engaged in teaching school ; for some time taught in one of the city schools in Topeka, Kansas, and afterward taught the village school in Janesville, in Saratoga county, and closed his career as a teacher at Poultney, Vermont, where for some time he had charge of the commercial department of the Troy Conference academy. Choosing the profes- sion of law as his future field of work, he ac- cordingly commenced the study in the office of W. S. Kelley, formerly a well known law- yer of Albany, but is now deceased. After taking the required course of study, he entered the well known Albany Law school, and from which he was graduated in 1878. In the fol- lowing year Mr. Patterson located at the vil- lage of Glens Falls, where he has since been engaged in the active practice of his profes- sion, and where at present he enjoys a very lucrative and extensive general law business. He has served two terms as village clerk of Glens Falls, and two terms of three years each as district attorney of Warren county, filling the last named office with rare ability, giving general satisfaction to the people. Charles R. Patterson, in 1887, was married to Frances C. Porter, of Chicago. To their marriage has been born two children: Allen A. and Robert.
B. P. CROCKER, who has been many years identified with the merchantile in- terests of the village of Cambridge, was born in the town of White Creek, Washington county, New York, July 22, 1817, and is a son of Benjamin and Cylinda (Norton) Crocker. Benjaman Crocker was a native of Tolland county, Connecticut, and was brought to this country with his parents, when one year old. He received a good common school education in the town schools, and was afterward engaged
in general farming, owning two or three hun- dred acres of land, which he got from his father, and was an extensive wheat raiser. For a number of years he was a member and an elder in the Presbyterian church ; also for a number of years filled the office of justice of the peace ; he also filled the office of supervisor and was a member of the State assembly one term. His wife, Cylinda, was a daughter of William Norton, of the town of White Creek; he was an officer in the Revolutionary war of 1776. To their marriage was born the follow- ing children : N. S. P., who died in Monroe county, New York, in 1892; Mary, the widow of Nelson R. Simpson, residing in the village of Cambridge ; B. Porter ; R. King, a lawyer and editor, was on the Washington Post, also was a member of the legislature, and died in 1891 ; Cylinda, of this town; Harriet, wife of Hon. Frederick Julian, of Greene, Chenango county, New York; Rev. James, who is a minister in the Presbyterian church, and William, who died in infancy. In addition to the family of Benjamin Crocker, there was an adopted son (infant Asahel Buckingham), who knew no other parents, was always as one of their own, by the name of Asahel B. Crocker, who was a minister and pastor of the Eastern Congre- gational church, New York city, and died in 1850. Benjamin Crocker died in 1874, and his wife passed away at the age of eighty-nine years in 1882 ; she was a member of the Pres- byterian church. Eleasor Crocker (grand- father) was a native of Connecticut, who immi- grated into the town of White Creek when a young man, where he owned a large farm, which at that time was covered with forest, which he cleared and improved and cultivated. He was one of the organizers of the Presby- terian church, and was a whig in politics. His wife was Susanna Hinkley, of Connecticut. They were the parents of five children : Elea- sor ; Benjamin ; Francis; Elizabeth ; Roena, who was the wife of Eliakim Akin, of this town. Francis was a colonel in the old State militia.
B. Porter Crocker grew to manhood on the
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farm, and received his education mainly in the Cambridge Washington academy. After leav- ing this institution, he taught school for a few years, and when at the age of twenty-one years he engaged in general merchandising in the village of Cambridge, associated with Oren Kellogg as a partner, under the firm name of Kellogg & Crocker, and Rice, Walkley & Crocker. These partnerships lasted for ten years, up to 1851, when the railroad was built through Cambridge, when he built his present storeroom and engaged in business alone, he was principally engaged in buying and for- warding produce and carried on an extensive trade up to 1893, since which time he has de- voted himself to his grocery and hardware department. Mr. Crocker owns a number of fine village lots and other valuable village property. For many years an honored mem- ber of the Presbyterian church and one of the valued directors of the village bank, the latter institution, which he assisted in organizing, and was one of the organizers of the Wood- land cemetery. Of this bank and cemetery, Mr. Crocker is the only one living, of the or- ganizers, that have an interest in them. In political opinion he is a republican, and was postmaster of the village for sixteen years, serving longer in this office than any other man since its establishment ; and was for four years postmaster of North White Creek postoffice. During the Rebellion he was an ardent union man, but could not enlist on account of his health ; but after the battle of Chancellorsville he went to Washington to look after and care for the wounded.
On June 18, 1868, he wedded Sarah Jose- phine Weston, of Cohoes, New York, a na- tive of New Hampshire.
EONARD C. PISER, the large shirt manufacturer of Shushan, who has given to that village a standing in the business world which larger and more highly favorcd commu- nities may well envy, is one whose life-work
clearly shows what great results energy and perseverance may win. He is a son of Martin P. and Mary E. (Church) Piser, and was born at Pittstown, Rensselaer county, New York, October 1, 1849. His grandfather, Peter Piser, was a native of Germany, and came to America with his brother Martin. They settled on the Hudson, where they lost their land through a defective title, when they went to New York, in which city they were robbed by a dishonest partner. From there they directed their steps to Pittstown, and purchased a tract of Royal land, on which they resided until their final summons came. Peter Piser married, and his son, Martin P. Piser (father) was born at Pittstown, this State, in 1804, and died in 1866. He was a farmer and a republican, and a mem- ber of the Disciple church. He married Mary E. Church, who died at Shushan in June, 1882, aged sixty-two years. Her father, Leonard Church, was a lawyer, and an early aboli- tionist ; her grandfather, Bethuel Church, was an early pioneer, and built the first house at Shushan.
Leonard C. Piser was reared on the farm, and received his education at Fort Edward Collegiate institute. In 1872 he came to Shu- shan, where he has resided ever since. He was employed in a clothing house until 1877, when he engaged in selling sewing machines and in having shirts manufactured by many of those to whom he sold machines. After four years thus spent, in 1881, he rented and remodeled Hedge's mill for a shirt factory. Mr. Piser's venture proved successful, and to-day he em- ploys nearly two hundred hands and furnishes employment to several hundred at their homes. In 1891 he was mainly instrumental in securing the present electrical light plant of his village.
In May, 1872, Mr. Piser married Emily Halstead, a daughter of James Halstead, of Pittstown, this State. They have four child- ren : Theodore H., Arthur L., Walter N. and Ralph H.
In politics Mr. Piser is a strong republican, and has served for nine years as justice of the
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peace for his village. We condense from a published account of Mr. Piser's life the fol- lowing of his struggles and triumphs in the business world : " The unassuming little shirt business thus quietly begun, soon increased far beyond the expectations of its projector. In eight years from the time the first machine was put in motion in the factory, over a quarter of a million of dollars was paid out by Mr. Piser for help alonc. Public spirit, like all other healthy manifestations of life, grows by what it feeds on, and under the leadership of Mr. Piser, the Shushan people became greatly in- terested in electric lighting, which became an accomplished fact on July 4, 1891. It was the first electric light plant erected on the line of the railway between Troy and Rutland. Perse- verance conquers everything, and that this is a true saying and one worthy of all accepta- tion, Mr. Piser's life, preaching and practice fully exemplify."
w ILLIAM H. CRANDAL, the well known and popular clothing and gen- tlemen's furnishing goods merchant of Green- wich, who is also prominent in the Masonic circles of this section, and a very successful business man, is the only surviving son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Latham) Crandal, and was born November 9, 1861, in the town of Greenwich, Washington county, New York. The Crandals are of Scotch descent, and the family was planted in America by Simeon Crandal, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, who left his native Scotland while yet a young man, and coming to America set- tled in Rhode Island in the latter part of the seventeenth century. He was a farmer, and married Ann Smith, of Rhode Island, by whom he had seven children : Mary, who married a Mr. Linn ; Asa, John, who was for many years keeper of Blackwell Island prison ; Simon, Thomas (grandfather) Catharine, who mar- ried a man named Ott, and James. Thomas Crandal (grandfather), was a native of Rhode
Island, but came to the town of Easton when a young man, where he passed the remainder of his life. He was a farmer and small law- yer, who in addition to conducting an exten- sive farming business, frequently acted as at- torney and legal advisor for his neighbors and others. In politics he was a Jacksonian demo- crat, and married Wealthy Ann Bell, by whom he had eight children : Simeon, Jonah, John, Thomas, Asa, George, Phoebe A., who mar- ricd Samuel Skiff, of this town, and Elizabeth Eliza, who is now the sole survivor of the family.
Thomas Crandal (father) was born in the town of Easton, this county, in 1820, where he followed farming and merchandising until he was thirty-five years of age. He then re- moved to the village of Greenwich, where he was employed as clerk in a mercantile estab- lishment for the space of five years, after which he embarked in the hardware business and fol- lowed that until his death, October 30, 1883, when in the sixty-third year of his age. Hc built and occupied the store room adjoining the Hill block on Main street. During the Civil war he served as recuiting officer for his town, and was a stanch republican in politics, taking an active interest in the success of his party at the polls. At the age of eighteen he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and adhered to that faith all his life. He was always active in support of denomi- national interests, and for many years served as Sunday school superintendent. In 1843 he married Ursula Latham, a daughter of Benja- min Latham, of Port Byron, New York. She died in six months after marriage, and some time later Mr. Crandal married her sister, Elizabeth E. Latham, by whom he had two sons and two daughters : Albert, Ursula, wifc of Frank Hawthorne, of Hoosick Falls, this State ; Endora, deceased, and Willam H. Mrs. Crandall died in January, 1862, at the age of thirty-one, and in 1864 Mr. Crandal married for his third wife, Sarah Lewis, daughter of Samuel Lewis, a farmer of the town of Jack-
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son. By this union he had one son, Samuel L. Mrs. Sarah Crandal died in December, 1891, aged sixty-three.
William H. Crandal was reared in his native place and obtained his education in the graded school of Greenwich. At the age of seven- teen he entered the clothing and gentlemen's furnishing store of D. S. Ensign as clerk, in the building in which his own store is now lo- cated, and remained with him some six months. At the end of that time Mr. Crandal went to Kansas, but after a short time spent in that State he came back to Chicago and obtained a position as clerk in a large hardware store in that city. There he remained for some time, when sickness necessitated his resignation, and he returned to his home at Greenwich. After recovering his health he became a clerk in this village and followed that occupation until 1888. In that year he formed a partnership with Joseph H. Sarard, under the firm name of Crandal & Sarard, and engaged in the cloth- ing and gentlemen's furnishing goods business at No. 83 Main street, Greenwich. These gentlemen remained in partnership until No- vember 13, 1893, when Mr. Crandal purchased his partner's interest and has since conducted the business alone and in his own name. He still occupies and now owns the room in which he began business, and carries a stock aggre- gating nearly thirteen thousand dollars in value. His annual sales amount to about twenty thousand dollars, and the business is still grow- ing. In addition to his business property, Mr. Crandal also owns a handsome residence on College street, this village. For three years previous to engaging in business for himself, he had charge of the clothing and furnishing departments of W. H. Stewart's large store at Glen's Falls, this State.
On December 10, 1884, Mr. Crandal was married to Anna Bertha Curtis, a daughter of John W. Curtis, of the village of Greenwich. To them have been born two children, one son and a daughter : Mary E. and Karl C. John W. Curtis (father-in-law) came to Greenwich
in 1840, and began the publication of the Peo- ple's Journal on borrowed capital. He met with such marked success that within two years he had paid off the entire debt and owned the paper. He died in Greenwich in 1889, aged sixty-seven years.
Politically, William H. Crandal is a republi- can, and in religion a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, which he is now serving as financial secretary. He is a member of Ashlar Lodge, No. 584, Free and Accepted Masons; Schuylerville Chapter, Royal Arch Masons : Washington Commandery, Knights Templar, of Saratoga Springs, and of the Ori- ental Temple, of Troy.
F RED W. ALLEN, of Middle Gran- ville, although still a young man, has had a varied and successful career in business, and ranks with the leading young business men of this part of the county. He is a son of Wil- liam H. and Helen E. (Smith) Allen, and was born April 11, 1868, in the village of Middle Granville, Washington county, New York. The Allens rank among the oldest families of New York, where its members have been prominent citizens for more than a century. Gilbert Allen, paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Johns- town, Fulton county, this State, and a cloth manufacturer by occupation. He was ener- getic and enterprising in the prosecution of his business, and to him belongs the honor, it is claimed, of having introduced and put into successful operation the first carding machine ever used in the State of New York. Other improved devices were also brought into requisition by him, and for a number of years he stood at the head of the cloth manufactur- ing business of this section. He died at his home here in 1856, at an advanced age. His son, William H. Allen (father), was born at North Granville, in 1827, but spent his boy- hood days principally at Schaghticoke, Rens- selaer county, and came to Middle Granville
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when a young man. Here he engaged as clerk in the general merchantile house of his brother-in-law, George N. Bates, but soon became a partner in the concern, and success- fully conducted the general mercantile busi- ness here until his death, February 28, 1885, when in the fifty-eighth year of his age. He also engaged for a time in the manufacture of red slate for roofing purposes, and was one of the pioneers in that line of production. Politically he was an ardent democrat, and during President Buchanan's administration he served as postmaster of Middle Granville. He also served for three years as supervisor of the town and was one of the founders of Elmwood cemetery, in which his ashes repose. At one time he was a prominent candidate for a seat in the State assembly, but was defeated because his party was greatly in the minority. In religious faith and church membership he was a Presbyterian, and always active in sup- port of the various interests of his denomina- tioe. He wedded Helen E. Smith, a native of Bristol, Vermont. They had a family of children. Mrs. Allen was a member of the same church as her husband, and died in August, 1887.
Fred W. Allen was reared and received his elementary education in the village of Middle Granville. At the age of sixteen he left the public schools of his native place and took a two years' course of training in the Peekskill Military academy. At his father's death he returned home and took charge of his interests in the store, where he remained until July, 1886. In 1887 Mr. Allen went to Europe and spent considerable time in sight seeing, visit- ing many of the leading countries of the old world, and especially points of great historic interest and the magnificent art collections in many European capitals. Upon his return in the fall of the same year, he accepted the post of shipping clerk in the establishment of James B. Lyon, State printer, at Albany, and continued to discharge the duties of that posi- tion for two years.
In December, 1891, Mr. Allen was united in marriage to Lu M. Brown, eldest daughter of Clayton E. and Amanda Brown, of Middle Granville. On January 1, 1892, he engaged in the grain and feed business at the latter village, and in July of that year added the grocery business, in all of which he was very successful. In April, 1893, he purchased his present grist mill, which has one of the finest water powers in Washington county. Since purchasing the mill he has added improve- ments to the plant aggregating more than eleven thousand dollars, and it is now con- ceded to be one of the best equipped grist mills in the county and one of the most valu- able mill properties in this part of the State. On account of the growth of his mill and feed business requiring nearly all his time and at- tention, Mr. Allen sold his grocery establish- ment in July, 1893, and since then has devoted much of his energy to the grist mill and to the manufacture of red slate flour, which is used for backing oil cloths and for pigment paint and coating out-buildings. Mr. Allen is also the inventor of the well known imperial polish, and is now treasurer and manager of the Im- perial Polish Company, of Middle Granville, which is exclusively engaged in the manufac- ture and sale of this excellent preparation. In addition to these various business enter- prises he also owns considerable real estate in that village.
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