USA > New York > Warren County > Queensbury > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 56
USA > New York > Washington County > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 56
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WALTER G. ROGERS, one of the most popular and successful young busi- ness men of Glens Falls, and a stockholder in the J. & J. Rogers Company, was born at Au Sable Forks, Essex county, New York, August 21, 1858, and is a son of James and Susan C. (Geer) Rogers. James Rogers was a native of Fort Edward, Washington county, and when a young man removed to Essex county, and died at Au Sable in 1880, at the age of seventy- four years. He was a member of the Episco- pal church, and on political questions was a democrat. He was one of the organizers of the J. & J. Rogers Iron Company, of Au Sable, who were engaged in the manufacture of horse- shoe nails, and with whose welfare he was closely identified until his death. After his death the J. & J. Rogers Iron Company was succeeded by the J. & J. Rogers Company.
James Rogers (grandfather) was a native of New York State, and for several years resided at Fort Edward, where he died at the early age of thirty-three years. The Rogers family are of English origin. James Rogers (father) married Susan C. Geer, who was born in Schaghticoke, Rensselaer county, whose death occurred in 1880, aged seventy years. She was a member of the Episcopal church, and a daughter of Walter Geer, who was a native of New York State, and removed, many years ago, to the village of Glens Falls, where he bought a farm of one hundred and seventy acres, which is now inside of the village cor- poration. He was a lumber merchant and farmer here up to the time of his death, which occurred when he was sixty years of age.
Walter Geer Rogers was reared in his native village of Au Sable, receiving his education at a boarding school at Burlington, Vermont, and at Gray Lock institute, South Williamstown,
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Massachusetts, and for a while was at Cornell university. After leaving college Mr. Rogers visited Europe, and in 1880, after the death of his father, he, with his mother, purchased the old Geer homestead from A. C. Geer, an unele of Mr. Rogers, where he has resided ever since. He has made many improvements on this farm, and has a very fine residence, which is now inside the village limits. There is seventy-five acres left of the original one hundred and seventy acre tract ; it is located inside the corporate limits of the village, and is being rapidly sold off in building lots. Since his moving on this farm, Mr. Rogers has been engaged principally in farming and breeding Jersey cattle. He is also one of the stock- holders in the J. & J. Rogers Company, who are now engaged in the manufacture of sul- phite pulp. Mr. Rogers is a member of the Roman Catholic church, is a republican in political belief, and was never married. At his home he is hospitable, and always glad to meet his friends, and nobody can number more of them than Mr. Rogers.
SCAR F. DAVIS, a well known mem- ber of the Washington county bar, who has been in successful practice for a period of forty-four years, during all of which time he has resided at Whitehall, this county, is a son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Preston) Davis, and was born at Brattleboro, Vermont, Octo- ber 16, 1820. The Davis family is of Welch extraction and among the oldest in the United States, having been settled at Concord, Mas- sachusetts, long prior to the Revolutionary war. Capt. Isaac Davis, great uncle of the subject of this sketch, was the first American killed at the battle of Concord in the war for independence Jonathan Davis (father) was a native of Massachusetts, born near Concord, where he resided until after his marriage, when he removed to the State of Vermont. After a few years' residence in Vermont, he came to New York, and finally settled at Granville,
where he resided for forty years, dying here in April, 1869. He was a mechanic and farmer by occupation, and became quite successful. His wife, Elizabeth Preston, was a native of Massachusetts, and was born in 1793. She died in 1845, at the age of fifty-two. She and her husband were both members of the Pres- byterian church of Granville.
Oscar F. Davis grew to manhood princi- pally at Granville, and received an academic education at that place. He then read law with John H. Boyd, of that village, and com- pleted his legal studies with Judge James Gib- son, of Salem. In the spring of 1850 he was admitted to the bar, and the same year located at Whitehall for the practice of his profession. Here he has remained in the active practice of law to the present time - a period of nearly forty-five years - during which he has had a large general practice in the courts of this and ' adjoining counties. In addition to his law practice he was also engaged in the lumber business here for some ten years.
In 1854 Mr. Davis was married to Charlotte T. Rowe, a daughter of Rufus Rowe, of the village of Granville. To their union was born one son and two daughters : Rufus R., Char- lotte T. and Pauline B.
In his political affiliations Mr. Davis is an ardent democrat, and is now serving as one of the village trustees, which office he has held for many years. He is also president of the village, and has held that office about six years. As a lawyer he has won high standing at the bar, and as a citizen he ranks with the most public spirited and useful in the community. He is universally respected for his noble man- hood and uprightness of character.
SAMUEL M. SKIFF, dealer in coal, feed, flour, grain, and all kinds of country produce, and shipper of potatoes, hay and straw, was born in the town of Cambridge, Washington county, New York, May 19, 1850, and is a son of John F. and Lydia (Butler)
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Skiff. John F. Skiff (father) was a native of the town of Easton, where he was born All- gust 29, 1820. He was an extensive farmer of that town, where he owned in the neighbor- hood of three hundred acres of land, and made a specialty of dairying. He was a man of good business qualifications, and accumulated considerable wealth. In about 1846 he wed- ded Lydia, a daughter of Moses Butler, a farmer of the town of Easton. To their mar- riage were born four daughters and three sons : Rhoda B., wife of F. E. Hoxie, of the village of Cambridge; Samuel M., Mary (dead): Etta (dead), the late wife of A. Baker, of Gran- ville; Alonzo M., of Easton; Emma, wife of Henry Becker, also of Easton, and Edward J., of the same place. John F. Skiff's death occurred May 4, 1890. His wife. who still survives him, was born in 1829, in the town of Easton. She is a devoted member of the Society of Friends. John F. Skiff was an officer in the old State militia, and a son of Samuel Skiff (grandfather), who followed his trade, that of blacksmith, for some years in the town of Easton, dying there when a com- paratively young man, and leaving a widow and two children. His widow, who was for- merly a Miss Fish, married, for her second husband, Charles Herrington, of the town of Easton, bywhom she had two children : Mar- tha, who became the wife of Edward Brownell, of Cambridge, and Charles. The pioneer of the Skiff family in Washington county mi- grated from Rhode Island.
Samuel M. Skiff was reared on the farm, educated in the district school, and followed farming up to 1879. From that date up to 1883 he was engaged in operating a threshing machine. In the last named year he branched out in his present business at the village of Buskirks, where his business has steadily grown until it now amounts to between thirty and forty thousand dollars annually. He owns a comfortable home, located on thirteen acres of land in the southwest corner of the town of White Creek, and also owns some valuable
property just across the line in Rensselaer county. Mr. Skiff is a member of Cambridge Valley Lodge, No. 481, Free and Accepted Masons. In politics he is a republican, and has filled some of the town offices.
On January 1, 1872, he was wedded to Mar- tha A., a daughter of Peter Eddy, of the town of White Creek. To their marriage have been born three children : Hattie A., John P. and Charles.
E MORRIS PRATT, a prominent and well known business man and merchant of Buskirk's Bridge, is a son of Jesse and Mary E. (Corey) Pratt, and was born in the town of Cambridge, Washington county, New York, July 27, 1843. Jesse Pratt was a native of the same town, where he was born March 7, 1818, and died September 25, 1881. He was reared on the farm, receiving a common school education, and during the early part of his life followed farming in his native town of Cambridge. In 1850 he started up in the mer- cantile business at Buskirk's Bridge, in the storeroom now occupied by his son, De Mor- ris Pratt. The remaining years of his life were spent here engaged in general merchan- dising. He was a good business man and popular as a citizen in his community. He was one of the charter members of Cambridge Val- ley Lodge, No. 4SI, Free and Accepted Ma- sons, and was also a member of the Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics, in the days of the old American party he was a warmı supporter of its principles, and on the deatlı of that party he became an ardent re- publican, taking an active interest in the suc- cess of that organization. He filled the office of postmaster at Buskirk's Bridge from 1862 up to his death. On May 7, 1842, lie wedded Mary E., a daughter of Philip Corey, a car- penter of the town of Easton. To this mar- riage were born two children : De Morris and Lucina. Mrs. Mary E. Pratt was born in the town of Easton, February 2, 1823, and is a member of the Presbyterian church, and with
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her daughter resides at Buskirk's Bridge. For information concerning Jesse Pratt (grand- father), we refer the reader to the sketch of John L. Pratt, jr., of Cambridge, on another page of this work.
De Morris Pratt received his education in the common schools, the Washington academy of Cambridge, and Eastman's Business col- lege, of Poughkeepsie, New York, graduating from the latter institution in 1861. He then returned home, where he was engaged with his father in the store up to 1868. In that year he went to New York city, and was there en- gaged in the commission and produce business on the corner of Thirty-third street and Eleventh avenue, where he carried on an ex- tensive business in that line for a period of ten years, with the exception of a short time en- gaged in general merchandising at No. 64 Park Place. On account of his father's failing health Mr. Pratt, in 1878, sold out his inter- ests in the city, and returned home to take charge of his father's interests, which he did up to 1883, when he purchased the other heirs' part of the estate, and has successfully carried on the business up to the present time.
In 1885 Mr. Pratt erected a handsome resi- dence, which is one of the most comfortable homes of that section. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, holding membership in the Cambridge Valley Lodge, and is a member of Apollo Commandery of Troy, New York. In his political opinion he is a stanch republican, and since the death of his father, has held the office of postmaster of his village.
On September 25, 1867, Mr. Pratt was mar- ried to Ada A., a daughter of Kinsley Allen, of North Hoosick, New York. To their marriage were born two children : Ada Frances and Mary Leo, both now deceased.
E LIJAH CHASE, one of the leading and successful farmers of the town of White Creek, was born in the town of Hoo- sick, Rensselaer county, New York, January
6, 1824, and is a son of Beverly and Elizabeth (Spaulding) Chase. Beverly Chase was born in the same town July 6, 1786. Both his pa- rents died when he was a small child, and he was afterward brought up by a farmer by the name of Mosley in the town of Hoosick, with whom he grew to manhood and received a good common school education. He taught district school at times, but was principally en- gaged in farming. Removing in early life to the town of Cambridge, he lived there on a rented farm for five years. He then went to the town of White Creek in 1834, and was there for six years, when he returned to his native town and farmed four years. Later with his son, Elijah, he purchased a farm in this town, which they conducted for a few years, when they returned to the town of White Creek, and there Beverly Chase died, March 7, 1861. He was an officer in the old State mili- tia, and a member of the Baptist church at Wait's Corners, in the town of White Creek, the pastor of which, Rev. Turkham, baptized him, married him and preached his funeral discourse. In political belief he was a whig, and held some town offices. He wedded Eliza- beth Spaulding, and had nine children : Hiram (dead); Sallie, the widow of John Abbott, now residing in Wyoming county, this State ; Polly (dead), was the wife of Benjamin Brown, for- merly of Cambridge; Eliza, widow of John Sherwood, of Johnsonville, New York; Lu- cina, widow of Jefferson Chase, of Saratoga county ; Jane (dead); Caroline, widow of Joseph Cronk, of Oklahoma; Elijah, and Delia M., wife of W. Akin, of Pittstown, New York. Mrs. Elizabeth Chase was born January 6, 1788, and died August 30, 1850. She was a devoted member of the Baptist church.
Elijah Chase grew to manhood on the farm, attended the district schools, and has always been engaged in general farming. In 1850 he located on the farm of one hundred and fifty acres where he now resides, which he farmed for six years before purchasing it, and is now well improved and one of the most
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valuable farms in the town of White Creek. It lies in the vicinity of Buskirk's Bridge, in the western part of the town. Mr. Chase has for some years past made a specialty of sheep raising, for which much of his land is well adapted. The farm contains a good dwelling, barn and other out buildings. In politics he is a stanch republican, and has held some of the town offices and for fourteen years the office of school trustee. On January 4, 1849, Elijah Chase was united in marriage with Maria, a daughter of Silas Stark, of Pittstown, New York. To their union have been born two children : Henrietta M., the wife of Webster Pratt, a produce dealer of Buskirk's Bridge ; and Edgar B., a farmer in the town of Cam- bridge.
C' HARLES A. JENKINS, a well known and successful dentist of the village of Cambridge, was born in the town of Hebron, Washington county, New York. His family was among the prominent and early settlers of that town. Dr. Jenkins received his edu- cation at the Cambridge Washington acad- emy, and after leaving school he engaged as a salesman for Carpenter & Livingston's dry goods store of Cambridge, with whom he re- mained for four years, when he enlisted as a soldier in the late Civil war. After he returned home from the war he clerked in a drug store for a year in the same village. In 1867 he commenced the study of dentistry with Dr. Joseph Stewart of this village, with whom he remained as a student for three years, taking the required course of study. In 1870 Dr. Jenkins went to New York city, where he be- gan the practice and remained for one year ; thence he removed to Amenia, in Dutchess county, and remained there for one year. In 1878 he returned to the village of Cambridge, where he has ever since resided and practiced his profession with satisfactory success. In political opinion he is a republican, and has been clerk of the village board of health for . the past three years. At the breaking out of 25
the late Rebellion Dr. Jenkins offered to enlist but was rejected on account of his age. He was finally accepted on August 6, 1862, when he joined Company I, 123rd New York vol- unteer infantry. Through his efforts and de- votion to the cause of the Union, Company I received nineteen volunteers, who enlisted principally through the solicitation of Dr. Jenkins. He was honorably discharged at the close of the war, on June 8, 1865, at Wash- ington, D. C. In all Dr. Jenkins participated in twenty-one engagements, and was with the army of the Potomac at the battles of Chancel- lorsville and Gettysburg ; after the last named fight was transferred to the army of the Cum- berland, fought through the Carolinas, and was with Sherman in his famous march to the sea. He is a member and has been adjutant of John McKie Post, No. 309, Grand Army of the Republic of this village.
Charles A. Jenkins, D. D. S., is a son of John and Sally Ann (Howard) Jenkins. John Jenkins was a native of the town of Hebron. He received a common school education, and after leaving school learned the trade of carpen- ter, which occupation he afterward followed the most of his life, doing considerable contract- ting and building. Many of the best houses in this section of the county were constructed under his supervision ; among the number are the Methodist church building of Cambridge, two churches in Salem, and other prominent buildings. In about 1840 he started a wagon shop in the village of Coila, remaining there but a short time, when he came to Cambridge and operated a flouring and saw mill. Finding that unprofitable, he again commenced work at his trade, at which he continued up till 1866. In that year he opened a wagon shop at Cam- bridge, which he is conducting at the present time. Formerly a republican, he is now an ardent prohibitionist, and is a member of the Sons of Temperance, and was at one time dep- uty grand master of that order. In 1863 he enlisted from Cambridge in Co. I, 123rd New York volunteer regiment, and was discharged
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at Washington in 1865. He was with Sher- man's army in all the principal engagements from Chattanooga to the close of the war. His wife was Sarah Ann, daughter of Silas Howard. To their marriage was born three sons and one daughter ; Laura M., wife of W. J. Morgan, of Newburg, New York ; John, a veteran of the late war, who is now residing in Cambridge ; Dr. Charles A., and Nicho- las L.
Philip Jenkins (grandfather), founder of the family in Washington county, was a native of the State of New Hampshire, who became one of the early settlers in the town of Heb- ron, where he owned and operated a saw mill. The Howards, the maternal kin of the subject of this sketch, are descended from Sir Walter Howard of England.
C HARLES E. BLASHIFIELD, the
leading furniture dealer and undertaker of Salem, Washington county, New York, and one of the prominent young business men of that section, was born in that village July 24, 1862. He was reared in his native place and principally educated in the Washington acad- emy. After leaving the academy he entered Eastman's Business college at Poughkeepsie, from which he was graduated. Subsequently he accepted a position as book-keeper for a firm at Troy, New York, which he held for two years, when he went to Kingston and worked there as an accountant for one year and a half. Upon the death of his father in 1886, he re- turned to Salem and assumed charge of his father's business interests, and has since con- ducted the business successfully. In 1891, he built his present brick storeroom, on the site of the old one, which had previously burned. He keeps a well selected stock of furniture and carries on an undertaking department.
In 1884 Mr. Blashfield was wedded to Katie E. Pulis, of Troy. To their marriage have been born three children : Harold, Elizabeth M., and Helen T. He is a member of the
Salem Masonic Lodge, No. 391, and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of the same village. In political belief he is a re- publican, and upon the death of his father, succeeded to the position held by him as trustee of the Evergreen Cemetery association of the village.
Charles E. Blashfield is a son of James R. and Maria M. Blashfield. His father was born in Wadsboro in 1816, and remained there un- til the age of fourteen years, when with his parents he came and settled on a farm in the town of Salem. He received a good common school education for that day, and carried on farming until 1853, when in that year he en- gaged in the furniture and undertaking busi- ness at Salem, at which he continued up to the time of his death in 1886 at the age of seventy years. He was a successful business man, public spirited and progressive and took great interest in the development and advance- inent of the village. For many years he ac- ceptably filled the position of trustee of the Evergreen Cemetery association, and for nearly forty years was engaged in the furniture and undertaking business, and was highly respected by all who knew him. He was an active mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church of Sa- lem. His wife was Maria M. Heth, by whom he had three children : Charles E .; Merrill C., in business in New York City, and Albert J., who is engaged in business in St. Louis.
T THOMAS LOGAN WARD, a well known young physician of the village of Cambridge, who has won success in his chosen profession, is a son of Peter and Mary (Logan) Ward, and was born at Newburg, Orange county, New York, November 8, 1862. Peter Ward was a native of New York State and an extensive railroad contractor, and was senior member of the firm of Ward & Logan, whole- sale ship chandlers, of Newburg, where they own an entire block of buildings and carry on a large business. In early life Peter Ward
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was division superintendent of the New York & Lake Erie railroad. His first railroad con- tracting was in Tennessee ; constructed a new branch road for the New Jersey & New York Railroad company ; also built a number of miles of the West Shore; a road from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Paris, Texas ; and fifty miles of the New York, Ontario & Western railroad. He became successful and accumu- lated wealth. He was a leading democrat in politics, and twice served as mayor of the city of Newburg, and at the death of State Senator Low of that district he was elected to fill the unexpired term, in a district which was one of the republican strongholds. He was a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and in 1857 wedded Mary Logan, of New Windsor, New York. To their union were born two sons and four daughters : Carrie A., who is now the wife of Royal C. Vilas, president of the New York Air Brake company, of the city of New York; Mary L., wife of Charles Duffy, of Newburg ; Sarah E., wife of Theodore Wentz, also of New York city; Dr. Thomas L., Charles L., who became his father's successor in the ship chandlery business at Newburg, and Mar- garetta, who is the wife of Ives Smith, of New York city.
Hon. Peter Ward's death occurred at New- burg in March, 1890, in the sixty-fifth year of his age ; his wife preceded him to the grave in 1888, at the age of sixty-two years.
Thomas Ward (grandfather) was a native of New Jersey, who removed to the State of New York when a young man and located on a farm for a few years. He then removed to New York city, where he followed his trade and lived up to his death. His wife was Mary Daken, by whom he had thirteen children. The Wards are of Holland extraction, and the Logans are old settlers in this country. The grandfather Logan of the subject of this sketch was a brother of Major Logan, of Revolution- ary fame.
Thomas L. Ward, M. D., received his edu- cation in a boarding school at Cornell, New
York, and the Newburg academy, and was graduated from the latter institution in his twentieth year. Soon after leaving the acad- emy he commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Charles H. Wilkins, of New York city, and graduated from the Dratsmouth Med- ical college in the class of 1888. After leaving this institution he supplemented his medical education by spending one year at the Man- hattan hospital, also in the department of the Manhattan Eye and Ear hospital, and spent some time in the dispensary there. At the ex- piration of this time he became physician in charge of the Manhattan for a period of one year and a half.
In 1890 he commenced the general practice of medicine on Eighty-fourth street of that city, remaining there until 1893, when he re- moved to the village of Cambridge, where he commands a leading practice. Doctor Ward is a member of the New York County Medi- cal society, and of the New York Physicians' Mutual Aid society ; he is also examining phy- sician for the Manhattan Life, and Equitable Life Insurance companies.
In 1892 Doctor Ward was united in mar- riage to Linda, a daughter of Peter J. Engell, of Sharon Spring.
w ILLIAM HI. DENNIS, one of the most advanced school teachers of the county and a resident of Greenwich, is a son of Darenzo and Sarah (Hill) Dennis, and was born April 7, 1859, in the town of Greenwich, Washington county, New York. The ances- try from whom Mr. Dennis has descended is supposed to have come from Wales. Thomas Dennis, a native of Massachusetts, removed prior to the Revolution to the town of Easton, where he afterward became a very prominent citizen, served as justice of the peace and as- sociate county judge, and many of his de- scendants are still living in this town.
George Dennis ( great - grandfather ) died when his son, Marvin (grandfather), was a
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