USA > New York > Warren County > Queensbury > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 50
USA > New York > Washington County > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 50
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ISAAC A. GOODSON, a member of the well known dry goods firm of Goodson Brothers, of Glens Falls, was born in the same village, Warren county, New York, January 10, 1856, and is a son of Oliver Goodson and Julia Hoague. He was brought up in this village, attending the public schools, and at the age of nine years commenced work with his father, who at that time was engaged in running a stove factory at this place ; here he worked through the summer, and in 1872 en- tered the mercantile house of B. B. Fowler, in the capacity of salesman, in whose employ he continued without intermission for seventeen years. At the expiration of this time he formed the partnership composed of himself, his brother, William F., who was a clerk at Fow- ler's for thirteen years; George E., of the Boston dry goods house, and Thomas L., who for six years was with G. F. Boyle & Co. In this firm are also interested three sisters of the Goodsons, and the wife of Isaac A. This firm has been phenominally successful from its inception ; bringing into their business the
varied mercantile experience of many years. Their present store was established and opened in September, 1889, where they handle exclu- sively dry goods, and do a business in the neighborhood of ninety thousand dollars an- nually. They employ fifteen salesmen, and claim to be the only strictly one price house in Glens Falls. The Goodson brothers have one among the largest businesses and carry one of the finest and most careful assortments of stock found in northern New York.
Isaac A. Goodson was married in 1880 to Anna M. Donnelly, a daughter of Patrick Donnelly, of this village. She died in 1884, leaving one child, Mary Helena. In 1888 Mr. Goodson wedded for his second wife Mary J., daughter of Edward Gay, of Dun- ham's Basin, Washington county. To Mr. and Mrs. Goodson have been born two chil- dren, Mary Geraldine and Joseph Edward.
Mr. Goodson is now serving as a member of the board of trustees of the village, and is a member of St. Mary's Catholic church, and a democrat in politics. Oliver Goodson (father) was born near Three Rivers, Canada, and came to the United States before he came of age and settled in Vermont. In 1845, on May II, he came to this village, where he has ever since resided, and is now in his seventy- first year. He is a member of Saint Alfonsus Catholic church, a democrat in his political opinion, and since coming to Glens Falls has worked at his trade - that of stone-mason. Ambrose Goodson, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in the vicinity of Three Rivers, in the district of Montreal, Canada. He came to the United States in the same year as his son Oliver, and died here in 1872, at the remarkable age of one hundred and seven years. He was very abstemious in his personal habits, having never used tobacco or whiskey in any form, and retained all his faculties up to within a few days prior to his death. His father was killed at the battle of Quebec during the Revolutionary war. The Goodsons originally came from France. Mrs.
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Julia Goodson is a native of Heminsford, Canada, and is now in her sixtieth year ; is a member of St. Alfonsus Catholic church, and a resident of Glens Falls.
A NDREW T. SPRAGUE, a well known
citizen of Middle Falls, who is connected with the Battenkill Paper Mills company and other industrial enterprises, is a son of Nathan and Sarah (Andrews) Sprague, and first saw the light of day at Hinsdale, New Hampshire, February 13, 1841. He received his education in the public schools of Hinsdale, and after- ward learned the trade of machinist, which he followed for many years. In recent times his health has been so indifferent as to compel him to abandon all hard labor, and he has em- ployed his time principally in looking after his interests in the Battenkill paper mills and the shank mill, in both of which he is part owner. (For description of these mills see sketch of W. N. Sprague, elsewhere in this volume. )
On February 24, 1870, Mr. Sprague was united in marriage with Josephine L. Mans- field, a daughter of Charles and Lucy (Bur- bank) Mansfield, of Winchester, New Hamp- shire, and a sister of H. M. Mansfield, treas- urer of the Battenkill Paper Mill company of Middle Falls, whose sketch appears on an- other page of this work, which see for ances- tral history of Mrs. Sprague's family. To Mr. and Mrs. Sprague was born a family of four children, only one of whom now survives : Jessie, deceased ; Minnie, deceased ; Charles H., living at home with his parents ; and Lulu, deceased. Mrs. Sprague early received a good musical training, and afterward studied in Bos- ton under the private instruction of some of the best musical educators of that city. She has been church organist most of the time since her thirteenth year, and now occupies that posi- tion in the Greenwich Episcopal church. She also gives private lessons in both vocal and in- strumental music, and is regarded as one of the
finest musicians in this section. She is a mem- ber of the Baptist church, and served as post- master of Middle Falls under the Harrison ad- ministration.
Andrew T. Sprague is a stanch republican in politics, and has held a number of local offices in the town. He enlisted in the Fed- eral service as a member of Company A, 14th New Hampshire infantry, but was afterward discharged on account of ill health. He is a member of the Baptist church, and of the So- ciety of Christian Endeavor, in the affairs of both of which he takes an active and promi- nent part. He ranks with the best citizens of the county, and enjoys, in an eminent degree, the respect and esteem of all who know him.
T HOMAS FLOOD, whose usefulness as a builder of railways and public works in the States of New York and Vermont and the Dominion of Canada, has associated his name with the business men of his State, is a son of Owen and Elizabeth (Victory) Flood, and was born at Sandy Hill, . Washington county, New York, November 29, 1829.
Owen Flood was born and reared at Long- ford, Ireland, where he left when a young man to make his settlement in this State. In a short time after arriving in New York city he came to Sandy Hill, where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1885, at eighty-four years of age. He was employed for over forty years by the State, as a watchman and fireman on the Glens Falls feeder, which was a branch of the Champlain canal. Mr. Flood was a Cath- olic and a democrat, and married Elizabeth Victory, a native of Longford, Ireland; she died in 1883, at seventy-three years of age.
In his native village Thomas Flood grew to manhood, and after attending the common schools for several years, went on the canal, where he was engaged in boating for seven- teen years. During this period he owned sev- eral boats, which he ran from Sandy Hill to Albany, Troy and New York city, and beside
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handling freight he dealt in coal, of which he furnished all that was used at Sandy Hill for over ten years. Leaving the canal he went to Brooklyn, where he was engaged for two years in the manufacture of naval supplies. Dis- liking the character of this business Mr. Flood sought a different field in which to use his energies. Accordingly, in 1867, he engaged in contracting and building, under Col. John M. Wilson, who had received contracts from the government, between Albany and Troy, on the Hudson river. Completing his work there in a satisfactory manner, he formed a partnership with James H. Sherrill and Thomas Strong, and they built the present stone dam across the Mohawk river, at Cohoes, for the State, whose construction required four years' time. This work was so well done that it es- tablished Mr. Flood's reputation as a contrac- tor and builder of public works, and his next venture was one of importance, being the con- struction of fifty-two miles of a branch of the Canadian Pacific railway. In that enterprise he associated with himself Alfred Charleboies, Mellette and Shanley, of Montreal, J. C. Monty, of Glens Falls, G. M. Monty, of Sandy Hill, U. B. Cooper, of Fort Edward, and George Shannan, of Argyle, under the firm name of Flood & Charleboies. Mr. Flood built this railroad in 1878, under contract with the Canadian authorities at Ottawa. He had to cut the road through a dense forest, while his supplies of all kinds had to be brought over two hundred miles by water from the nearest railroad station. These supplies had to be distributed by means of sleds hauled by dogs, on account of the roughness of the country through which the road was to pass. He prosecuted this great work with his usual energy and perseverance, and built a first-class road that gave entire satisfaction to the Cana- dian authorities. Returning from Canada Mr. Flood formed a partnership with James P. Buck and E. H. Crocker, and built a lock on the Glens Falls feeder of the Champlain canal. Since the completion of that contract he has
been continuously employed on public works for the State and many of the villages of New York, and at the present time is associated with his son, James E., and James D. Sherrill in the construction of water works for Fort Ethan Allen, of Vermont, where they are also macadamizing the principal streets. This firm also employs a regular force of one hundred men upon their contract work in various places. Thomas Flood is a Catholic and a democrat, and has frequently served as a trustee of his village, where he is well known as a substan- tial and prompt business man.
In 1858 Mr. Flood was united in marriage with Rosa Dougherty, of Fort Ann. To their union have been born four children, one son and three daughters : James E., Katie M., 'Rose E. and Grace R. The son, James E. Flood, is now actively engaged in the con- tracting business, being a member of the firni of Flood & Sherrill.
W ILLIAM M. PALMER, a success- ful business man and an extensive grist and saw mill operator of the village of Green- wich, is a son of Nathan and Olive (Hotch- kiss) Palmer, and was born in Delaware county, New York, October 3, 1817. His early school advantages were meagre, and in early life he was apprenticed to learn a trade with Caleb T. Winston, at Waterford, Saratoga county, New York, where he re- mained for four years ; he afterward came to Middle Falls, where he leased the grist mill of that place, and which he operated for eight years on the shares. In 1852 he removed to Greenwich and purchased the mill property known as the Greenwich Village mills, which he has conducted successfully ever since. These mills are the oldest and best known in the county. In addition to owning and oper- ating the grist mill he purchased a saw mill adjoining at the same time, and also a machine shop. He is the proprietor of six dwelling houses in the village, and from them he re-
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ceives a handsome rental. Mr. Palmer is a republican in politics, and an old and highly respected member of the Baptist church of the village. During his residence in Waterford he was a member of the Light infantry of the State militia.
On October 2, 1843, William M. Palmer was united in marriage to Mary McChesney, a daughter of Adam McChesney, of Brunswick, New York. To their marriage has been born three children. Mr. Palmer's life, now extend- ing over three quarters of a century, has been active and useful in his community and to the country. He has accumulated a competency for this world's needs; has won the respect and good opinion of his neighbors, and wields an influence for good which is felt throughout his section.
JAMES H. BURDETT, a member of the well known wholesale lumber firm of , Burdett Brothers & Co., of Whitehall, and a prominent secret society man, is a son of El- liott and Mary (Luther) Burdett, and was born September 19, 1855, in the village of Whitehall, Washington county, New York. The Burdetts are of English extraction, and are one of the early settled families of this country, having originally located in Massa- chusetts, where they remained until after the Revolutionary war, when Vermont became their adopted State. Ebenezer Burdett, great- . grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born and reared at Lancaster, Massachusetts. When only sixteen years of age he enlisted with an older brother in the American army, under General Washington, but was soon afterward attached to a privateer then fitting up for the protection of American commerce. This vessel put to sea and soon captured a British ship which had been making trouble on the Massachusetts coast. The ship was blown up and destroyed. When the war closed Ebenezer Burdett returned to Lancaster, Mas- sachusetts, and in 1785 married Ruth Love-
land, of Gilson, New Hampshire, and settled in that town. Later he removed to Vermont, and died at Pittsford, that State, in 1831, aged seventy years. He was the father of ten children, of whom one was Israel Burdett (grandfather), who was a native of Vermont, in which State he was reared and educated. In later life he removed to Washington county, New York, and resided at Fort Ann for many years. He died at Whitehall at an advanced age. He was a democrat politically, and mar. ried and had a family of children. One of his sons was Elliott Burdett (father), who was born at Grafton, Vermont, in 1815, and died at Whitehall in 1886, aged seventy-one years. He was a boat-builder by occupation, and made that the principal business of his life. For many years previous to his death he had resided at Whitehall, and was well and favor- ably known throughout this part of the State. Politically he was a democrat, and filled a number of local offices here. He married Mary Luther, a native of Castleton, Vermont. To them was born a family of children. Mrs. Bur- dett was a member of the Methodist Episco- pal church, and died in 1876, at the age of sixty years.
James H. Burdett was reared in his native village of Whitehall, where in the public and private schools he obtained an excellent Eng- lish education. In 1871 he engaged as a " tally boy" in the lumber yards of W. W. Cook & Sons, of Whitehall, and remained in the em- ploy of that firm for a period of seventeen years. He rapidly rose from one position to another until within the space of three years from the time he began, when still only eigh- teen years of age, he was made book·keeper and general superintendent of the yards, and from that time until 1888 was head man in the lumber office of Cook & Sons. This long ex- perience amply prepared him for doing busi- ness on his own account, and in 1888 he formed a partnership with his brother, Allen M. Bur- dett, under the style of Burdett Brothers, and the new firm embarked in the lumber trade at
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the village of Whitehall. In 1891 their cousin, William H. Havens, was admitted to an inter- est in the business, and the firm name became Burdett Brothers & Co. They do a large wholesale and retail business in dressed and undressed lumber, deal in everything con- nected with the lumber trade, and have met with the most gratifying success. In 1876 James H. Burdett was married to Julia F. Hyatt, a daughter of Louis Hyatt, of White- hall. Mr. and Mrs. Burdett have three chil- dren now living : James H., jr., May and Lyda.
Politically Mr. Burdett is a stanch republi- can and protectionist. He has served as trus- tee and clerk of the village of Whitehall, and also as clerk of the board of trustees and trus- tee of the village school, in which latter office he is now serving his second term. He is a member and trustee of the Baptist church of Whitehall, and is likewise connected with Phoenix Lodge, No. 96, Free and Accepted Masons ; Champlain Chapter, No. 25, Royal Arch Masons, and Whitehall Lodge, No. 5, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
M AJ. GEN. DANIEL E. SICKLES,
often called the hero of Gettysburg, is a son of George G. Sickles, and was born at or near Glens Fall. He studied law and was ad- mitted to the bar in New York city, where he was an active Tammany leader for several years. He served in the assembly and in the State senate, and represented the third New York district in the XXXVth and XXXVIth con- gresses of the United States.
General Sickles was instrumental in raising the celebrated Excelsior Brigade, won distin- guished honors in the late Civil war, and lost a leg at Gettysburg, where he led a daring charge. He was one of the few civilians who succeeded in gaining the rank of major general during the late war. He served as minister to Spain in 1869, and has been more or less con- spicuous in the political field since 1866.
J JOHN C. EARL, who is prominently identified with the general insurance and other business interests of the village of Whitehall, is a son of Joseph and Mary (Brownell) Earl, and was born in the village of Florida, Montgomery county, New York, October 19, 1824. Rev. Joseph Earl was a minister in the Baptist church, and a na- tive of Monroe county, New York, where he was born in the year 1809. He removed to Washington county, and was for thirteen years pastor of the Baptist church at Fort Ann, and labored for nine years at Granville. Afterward he removed to the village of White- hall, where he resided some six or seven years, dying in 1886, at the age of seventy-seven years. His father was Joseph Earl, who removed to Monroe county, this state, where the greater part of his life was spent, and died at the age of ninety-six years. He was a Revolutionary soldier, serving in the capacity of body guard to General Washington. Joseph married Mary Brownell, who was a native of Florida, Mont- gomery county, whose death occurred in 1883, in the seventy-sixth year of her age.
John C. Earl removed from his native county in 1857, and located at Fort Ann, where he remained for one year, he then went to Whitehall, where he has since resided, with the exception of four years' residence at Ticonderoga, Essex county. His early educa- tion was received at the public schools, and afterward became a student at the Amster- dam academy, and on leaving the academy entered the Madison, now known as Colgate university. Leaving this well known institu- tion of learning, he engaged in teaching school, at which he continued very success- fully for a period of about twenty years, and for three years of which he was the principal of one of the public schools of Whitehall ; for one term principal of the academy at Ti- conderoga, and the remainder of the time he taught in Montgomery and Schenectady counties. Mr. Earl was elected school com- missioner of Washington county in 1860, and
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served efficiently in that office for the term of three years. He then accepted the position of bookkeeper with H. G. Burleigh, with whom he continued for three or four years. At about this time he began to do a general insurance business incidentally, and since 1871 he has been in the front rank of insurance firms doing business in his village. In addition to this, he has been engaged, for the past fif- teen years, in the boot and shoe business, and for a short time carried on quite an extensive wholesale coal trade.
In January, 1861, Mr. Earl was united in marriage with Helen M. Day, a daughter of Henry J. Day, of Hartford, Connecticut. To this marriage have been born three children : Henry J., Helen M., and Edward B.
John C. Earl is a member of Phoenix Lodge, No. 96, of Masons, of his village, and is past master of his lodge. He is an ardent republican in political opinion, and has filled the office of assessor and school trustee of Whitehall.
H IRAM L. MASON, the efficient general superintendent of the Allen Brothers' pa- per mills, and a well known citizen of Sandy Hill, was born in that village, Washington county, New York, September 16, 1851, and is a son of Lyman S. and Eliza J. (Johnson) Mason. The family from which Mr. Mason has descended is one of the old and early set- tled families of this county, and is of Scotch descent. Isaac Mason (grandfather) was a native of Washington county, born in 1812, and died in 1878, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. He was a carpenter and builder by occupa- tion, and was well and favorably known in his day. Lyman S. Mason (father) was a carpen- ter by trade, and built the paper mill owned and operated by the Waits of Sandy Hill, and also erected the large paper mills now owned and conducted by the Allen Brothers of the same village. For thirty years he was the general superintendent and manager of the
mills last named, and only relinquished his association with the Allen Brothers in Febru- ary, 1893, when he removed to his farm in the town of West Granville, where he at present resides, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. He is a member of the Baptist church, and in his political principles is a republican. He wedded Eliza J. Johnson, a member of an old family of the county, where she was born in 1829, and died in 1879, aged fifty years.
Hiram L. Mason was principally reared in his native village, where he received a good practical common school education in the Un- ion school, and after leaving school entered the employ of the Allen Brothers as a carpen- ter, and has remained with them ever since, and on the retirement of his father in Febru- ary, 1893, he succeeded him to the position of superintendent of the mills, having for several years previous to this time acted in the capac- ity of assistant superintendent to his father.
On May 11, 1871, Mr. Mason was married . to Elizabeth Norton, a daughter of William Norton, of Granville. Mr. Mason is a mem- ber of the Baptist church, of the Royal Arca- num, and a republican in his political belief.
H ON. OLIVER BASCOM, who at one time served as State canal commissioner, was a son of Josiah and Betsy (Bottom) Bas- com, and was born at West Haven, Vermont, June 13, 1815. He came to Whitehall in 1823, and after serving for some time as a clerk, launched for himself on what proved to be a most remarkable business career. He was a self-made man, of unquestioned integrity and great firmness. Mr. Bascom at one time was one of the original thirteen democrats that were in the town, and in 1868 he was elected canal commissioner upon the Democratic State ticket, an office that he held with honor to himself and his party. Oliver Bascom, on January 4. 1842, married Almira Tanner, and died November 7, 1869. He was greatly missed in the town and county.
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D AVID FILKINS, president of the vil- lage of Sandy Hill, and one of the lead- ing veterinary surgeons of Washington county, was born in the city of Troy, Rensselaer county, New York, March 20, 1840, and is a son of Henry and Martha (Dyer) Filkins. Henry Filkins was a native of East Nassau, Rensselaer county, and afterward removed into the town of Galway, Saratoga county, in 1844, where he died in 1850. He followed the occul - pation of farming, and wedded Martha Dyer, who was born in West Troy, New York. The grandfather Filkins, of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Massachusetts, and of German descent.
David Filkins was principally reared in his native city, where he attended the city schools, and after leaving school, became a student of veterinary surgery in a school taught at Wells- boro, Pennsylvania, and after taking the regular three years course, was graduated from that institution in 1859. Prior to his en- tering this school of veterinary surgery, he at- tended select schools, and for a while was at the academy at Warrensburg. Dr. Filkins has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession at Sandy Hill since 1860, and he has a large and lucrative practice and an enviable standing in his line. In June, 1863, when Lincoln made his additional call for troops, he enlisted in the 2nd New York cavalry regiment, serving in that body as a veterinary surgeon, receiving an honorable discharge from the service at Talladega, Ala- bama, on November 9, 1865. During his two years and five months service, he was with his regiment in all the principal battles in which it fought.
In the fall of 1860, Dr. Filkins was united in marriage with Phœbe Jane Jackson, a daugh- ter of George Jackson, of the town of Bolton, Warren county. To their marriage have been born three children: George, Lutheria and Martha. Dr. Filkins is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and of Collins Post, Grand Army of the Republic. In his
political opinion he is an ardent republican, and in the village election of March, 1892, was elected president of the village, and re-elected to the same office in March, 1893.
YMAN JENKINS, a well known and successful lawyer of the village of Glens Falls, and the present district attorney of War- ren county, was born in the city of Schenec- tady, New York, April 26, 1852, and is a son of Samuel and Almira (Anderson) Jenkins. Samuel Jenkins was a native of the town of Queensbury, and was for many years a learned and popular minister in the Universalist church. His death occurred at Glens Falls in 1872, in the fifty-seventh year of his age. He wedded Almira Anderson, who was a native of the town of Bolton, Warren county, and resides at present at Glens Falls, and is a member of the Universalist church of that village. Pal- mer B. Jenkins (grandfather) came from his native State of Connecticut to New York State when a young man, and located in the town of Queensbury. He was a miller and farmer, carrying on a successful business for many years, and died in that town. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and of Welch descent.
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