USA > New York > Warren County > Queensbury > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 57
USA > New York > Washington County > History and biography of Washington county and the town of Queensbury, New York > Part 57
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
very small boy. He was born in the town of Hoosick, Rensselaer county. Marvin Dennis was a farmer by occupation, and a flax mer- chant. Later in life he removed to the town of Easton, where his death occurred. He was a member of the Greenwich Baptist church, married, and had four children : William, Eliza- beth Campbell, Darenzo, and Adelaide Conley. His death occurred May 2,. 1884, at the age of eighty-eight years.
Darenzo Dennis was a native of the town of Easton, followed the occupation of farm- ing all his life, and for several years was en- gaged as a flax merchant. In political opinion he was a republican, and served as road com- missioner for ten years. He was a member of Ashlar Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. He was twice married. By his first wife, Sarah Hill, he had two children : Willam H. and Sa- rah Jane (deceased). Mrs. Dennis was born July 1, 1836, and died October 13, 1861. By his second wife, Martha Adelaide Spencer, he had two children : Jessie (dead), and Watie.
William H. Dennis received his education principally in the Greenwich academy, and after leaving there taught four terms of school, and in September, 1883, he entered the State Normal school, at Oswego, New York, where he took a thorough classical and English course, and since leaving that institution has been engaged in teaching. He has taught twenty-seven terms, teaching both summer and winter. In 1893 Prof. Dennis was elected school commissioner, being one of two elected to superintend the public schools of the county. He is a republican in politics, and takes an active interest in the success of his party. On August 21, 1889, he was wedded to Hattie, a daughter of James Howden, formerly of this county. To his marriage has been born one daughter, Retta S.
The Howden family is of Scotch origin, the immigrant ancestor of whom in this country was the great-grandfather of Mrs. W. H. Den- nis. He came from Scotland, and it is sup- posed that he located in the vicinity of Can-
bridge, this county, with his family, one of whom was Alexander Howden (grandfather), who was a Scotch Presbyterian clergyman and spent his life in the work of the ministry in the neighborhood of Cambridge. He married Margaret Wells, and had nine children : Wil- liam, Lewis, Alex, Kittie, Helen, James, Mag- gie, Cornelia Morse, and Olive Brown.
James Howden was a native of Cambridge, where the early part of his life was spent. He was captain of a company in the Civil war; was a Knight Templar in Masonary. His wife was Marie Smith, and they had one child, Mrs. Dennis.
The great-grandfather and immigrant above mentioned, was Ręv. William Howden, who was a man of many excellences and a devoted Christian worker. Before leaving his native land he did a great deal of missionary work in the North of Ireland. He came to the United States in 1828, and subsequently had pastoral charge of the Reformed church of Cambridge.
JOHN GANLY, one of the leading mer- chants of the village and superintendent of Section Two of the Champlain canal, was born at Fort Edward, Washington county, New York, March 29, 1849, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (McGann) Ganly. Michael Ganly, the founder of this family in America, was the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch. He followed mercan- tile pursuits, and was a leading member of the Catholic church. He married and had a family of five sons and three daughters : Mi- chael, who was a merchant in Ireland ; Thomas, who emigrated to this country and resided in Brooklyn ; John (dead), who was a merchant ; William, Julia, Mary, and Eliza, the wife of William Plant, of Brooklyn. Wil- liam Ganly was a native of Ireland, who im- migrated with his wife and one child and loca- ted in New York city for a short time, when he removed with his family to Fort Edward,
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where the remaining days of his life were spent. He was a democrat in politics, and a Catholic in religious belief, and was a man of very temperate habits, using neither tobacco nor intoxicating liquor. He married Eliza- betli McGann, of Ireland, and by whom he had the following children : Patrick, who was killed in New York city at the age of twenty- one years ; the second child died in infancy ; Mary A. (dead) ; Elizabeth (dead) ; John, Ju- lia, Catharine, and William. Mrs. Elizabeth Ganly died January 2, 1886, at the age of seventy-three years.
John Ganly received his education in the public schools of Fort Edward ; leaving school at the age of seventeen years he began clerk- ing in stores of that place and in New York city. After serving three years in that capacity lie started up in the mercantile business for himself at Fort Edward, taking in James Low- ber as a partner in 1870, with whom he con- tinued for three years, when Mr. Ganly took his brother, W. F. Ganly, in as partner, and this firm has been doing a successful business ever since on Mill street in Fort Edward, where they carry a full line of groceries, pro- visions, etc. Mr. Ganly is a leading democrat of his village, and served as collector of tolls on the canals ; for five years he filled the office of treasurer of the village, and that of trustee of the village for four years. On March 24, 1890, he was appointed superintendent of public works and of Section Two on the Champlain canal, which comprises the ter- ritory between Saratoga dam and Dunham's basin, and also includes Glens Falls, the feeder dam, and nineteen locks. Mr. Ganly is a member of the Catholic church, and is trustec and treasurer of St. Joseph church of this village. On March 24, 1875, he was wedded to Frances E., a daughter of Patrick O'Connor, of the town of Kingsbury. To their marriage have been born three chil- dren : John M., born July 18, 1876; Francis L., born July 11, 1882 ; and Albert Cleveland, born December 1, 1884. Mrs. Ganly's father 25a
was a native of the town of Kingsbury, where all the years of his life were spent in agricul- tural, pursuits. He owned two large farms, and was extensively engaged in cheese dairy- ing. He belonged to one of the old Wash- ington county families, and was one of the official members of the Catholic church. He was the father of a family of seven, three sons and four daughters : Ann, of Glens Falls ; Mary, Margaret (deceased) ; Thomas, Frances E., and Eugene. Patrick O'Conor died Feb- ruary 8, 1881, at eighty-three years of age, and his wife departed this life September 10, 1861.
O WEN D. JONES, a successful young
business man and dealer in household furniture, etc., of the village of Granville, is a son of David E. and Hannah (Owens) Jones, and was born in the village of Amesville, Washington county, New York, July 20, 1865. David E. Jones (father) was born in Wales, emigrating from there to this country in about 1859, and locating in this county, where he resided for about ten years. He was first employed in book-keeping, and later en- gaged in the manufacture of roofing slate. He subsequently removed to Poultney, Vermont, where he resided up to his death in 1874. In church membership he was an Episcopalian, and was a member of the Masonic fraternity. After arriving in this country he married Han- nah, a daughter of Owen Owens, and who was the widow of John James, of Fairhaven, Ver mont. To her first marriage were born three children: John, William and Laura, the latter now the wife of John E. Jones, of the village of Granville; and to her second marriage were born two children : Owen D. and Ella, the latter now the wife of David O. Owens, of Granville. Mrs. Jones resides in the same village, and is a member of the Congregational church.
Owen D. Jones, after leaving the common schools, entered Saint John's Episcopal school at Poultney, Vermont, and after leaving there entered the Troy Conference academy, from
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which institution he was graduated in the class of 1882. On leaving here he accepted the po- sition of book-keeper for G. A. Eagus, of Pittsford, Vermont, at which he continued for a period of five years, and at the expiration of this time took a like position with R. E. Lloyd, of Fairhaven, in the same State, remaining in this capacity for two years. He then became a traveling salesman for a manufacturing com- pany of Pittsford, and remained for two years. He was next employed with Chappel, Chase, Maxwell & Co., of New York city, for one year in the same capacity. In 1891 he lo. cated in Granville and started up in his pres- ent business at No. 23 Main street, where he carries a well selected stock of furniture of the latest and most modern designs. and in addi- tion to his general furniture store he has a well equipped undertaking department. In his lines of business he is the successor of the Potter Furniture company. His present stock is val- ued at about four thousand dollars, and the aggregate amount of his business annually averages from ten to twelve thousand dollars.
Mr. Jones is a member of Lodge No. 55, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Tribe No. 256 Improved Order of Red Men. He is a re- publican in politics.
C APT. JOHN LARMOND, who has for many years been an active and well known business man and sheriff of the county, was born in Centre Cambridge, Washington county, New York, May 5, 1829. He was reared to manhood on the farm : received his education in the district school, and afterward attended Cambridge Washington academy. After leaving here he returned to farming in the towns of Cambridge and White Creek, and was successfully engaged at the same time in carrying on the produce business at Eagle Bridge up to 1874. In that year he was elected sheriff of Washington county, and served the full term of three years. In 1878 he started in the produce business at Salem, which he
carried on for four years. In 1883 Mr. Lar- mond removed to the village of Cambridge, where he has been extensively engaged in the real estate business and in buying and selling wool, handling from one hundred to two hun- dred thousand pounds annually. He also does considerable auctioneering, managing many of the public sales in his locality. He owns a valuable farm in the town of Cambridge. In 1847 -8-9 he served as captain in the Washing- ton county regiment of the State militia ; is a member of the Cambridge Valley Lodge of Masons, and of the Salem Chapter. In politi- cal opinion he is a stanch republican, and in addition to having held the office of sheriff, has held the offices of town clerk and super- visor of White Creek.
On September 12, 1854, Mr. Larmond was married to Laura F., daughter of John King, a farmer and miller of Eagle Bridge. To this marriage were born eight children : John K., a lawyer of Cambridge ; Charles W., Alexan- der (dead) ; William E. (dead) ; Mary L., Robert, (dead) ; Harry, (dead) ; and Frank. 1
Jolın Larmond is a son of Alexander and Ruth (Cory) Larmond. Alexander Larmond was a native of Centre Cambridge, this county, where he was born in 1803. His education was received principally in the old Cambridge Washington academy, and he afterward fol- lowed the occupation of farming in Centre Cambridge during his whole life and was suc- cessful. In the old State militia he served as captain, and for nearly twenty-five years he was an official member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he was a whig, and held some of the town offices. In about 1825 he wedded Ruth, a daughter of William Cory, a carpenter of Centre Cambridge. To their marriage were born nine daughters and four sons : Eliza (dead), who was the wife of David English, a farmer of Cambridge ; Free- love (dead), John, Catharine (dead), Eleanor (dead), William C., retired, now of Salem ; Mary (dead), who was the wife of D. Esmond, of Pittstown, New York ; Harriet (dead), was
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the wife of Francis J. Whedon, of Easton ; Hugh (dead); Ruth, the widow of the late Walter Henry, of White Creek ; Nancy (dead); Alexander, a farmer of Jefferson county ; and Fanny (dead). Alexander Larmond died in May, 1849, at the age of forty-seven, and his wife died in 1845, at the age of about forty- four.
Hugh Larmond (grandfather) was a native of Scotland, who came to this country in about 1772, while yet quite a young man, and became one of the pioneer settlers in the town of Cambridge. By trade he was a cabinet maker, but did not work at it much after his arrival here, but was engaged in farming, owning a farm of two hundred acres, which cost him twenty shillings per acre. His farm is located in Centre Cambridge, on which the subject of this sketch was born. For a number of years he was an active member of the Scotch Pres- byterian church. He married Catharine Laux- ier, of Dutchess county. To them were born eight sons and four daughters. His death Qc- curred in about 1831, at the age of about eighty-one years.
A USTIN HALL, a successful and well known farmer residing at Buskirk's Bridge, was born in the town of Cambridge, Washington county, New York, November 2, 1817. His parents were William and Mary (Thomas) Hall. William Hall was a native of the State of Rhode Island, born on a farm, and received a good common school educa- tion. In about 1792 he left his native State, coming to the State of New York, and locat- ing on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres he had purchased in the town of Cambridge, and where he became one of the successful farmers of his day. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, a regular attendant of the Quaker meetings, and in political opinion was a democrat. His wife was Mary, a daughter of Captain Alexander Thomas, of Rhode Is- land, a captain in and a veteran of the Revo-
lutionary war, who served five years in that struggle as captain of a company of minute men. To William Hall's marriage with Mary Thomas were born eleven children: William (who died young); Ruth, who was the wife of Isaac Abrahams, of West Troy, and is now dead ; Joseph (dead); Benjamin (dead); James (dead); William (dead); Lovinas (dead) ; Henry (dead); George (dead); Capt. Oren, a veteran of the late war, and now residing at Granville; and Austin. William Hall (father) died on his farm in the town of Cambridge in 1852, his wife having preceded him to the tomb in 1851 ; she was a member of the Pres- byterian church.
George Hall (grandfather) was also a native of Rhode Island, where he lived and died, having followed the occupation of a farmer. He was a leading member of the Society of Friends, and a "select man " prior to the war of the Revolution. He married a Miss Den- nis, by whom he had seven children : William, Benjamin, Joseph, Ruth, Hannah, Ann, and one other. The Hall family is of English ex- traction, and its founders in this country were three brothers who came from England, two of whom located in Rhode Island and the other went into Connecticut and was never afterward heard of.
Austin Hall grew to manhood on the farm, receiving the rudiments of his education in the common schools, and later attended the Union Village academy at Greenwich. Leav- ing school he became a clerk for his brother James, in a general store at Centre Cambridge, where he remained for one year ; he then re- turned to the home farm and continued to re- side there until 1854; in that year he sold the farm, buying and removing to another in the same town ; since that time he has owned sev- eral farms in the town at different times. In 1879 he purchased his present home farm, con- taining one hundred and forty-three acres, and has since added to that tract until he now owns one hundred and ninety acres of good and well improved land in the southern part of the
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town of Cambridge, near the Rensselaer county line, and is regarded as one of the successful farmers and business men of that section. In politics he is a democrat. In 1849 he wedded Desire, a daughter of Erick Brown- ell, a farmer of the town of Easton. Two children have been born to this union : How- ard, residing on the farm with his father, and Anna May, deceased. Mrs. Desire Hall died, and on march 13, 1879, Mr. Hall married for his second wife Lizzie E., a daughter of Hugh Geddes. To this second marriage lias been born one child, Charles L. Hugh Geddes was born in Ireland, November 14, 1826, and at the age of sixteen years came to this country and located in New York city, remaining there for nine years. At the end of that time he removed to the town of Cambridge, where he followed blacksmithing and farming ; a demo- crat in politics, and a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church. His wife was Eliza- · beth, a daughter of Samuel McCune, of the town of Easton. To this marriage were born five children : William, Lizzie E., Mary, Nel- son and Emma.
H' IRAM H. PARRISH, teller of the Cambridge Valley National bank of the village of Cambridge, and a young man who has already achieved considerable business success, is a native of the town of Jackson, Washington county, New York, and was born July 3, 1858. He is a son of Henry H. and Mary M. (Parrish) Parrish. He was reared to manhood on his father's farm, and received his education principally in the Cambridge acad- emy and the Hudson River institute. Leaving school he returned to the farm and successfully carried on farming for two years, when, in Oc- tober, 1879, he came to the village of Cam- bridge and accepted employment as a clerk in the Cambridge Valley National bank, and in a business way has been intimately associated with this banking house ever since. To his devotion to its interests and his ability as a
financier, his promotion to the position of teller is principally due. Mr. Parrish is the largest stockholder in the bank residing in the village, and the second largest stockholder outside of the village. He is one of the bank's most influential directors, and has been for the past seven or eight years. The Cambridge Valley National bank was originally a State bank, which was succeeded in 1865 by the National charter, and has so existed up to the present time. The present capital stock is fifty thousand dollars with a surplus of twenty- five thousand dollars.
Hiram H. Parrish is an elder in the United Presbyterian church of the village, and for the past five years has been the treasurer of the church. He is also a member of the Cam- bridge Hose company, and in politics he is a republican ; he has served as village clerk for eight years, and was three times elected presi- dent of the village. On October 8, 1890, he was united in marriage with Ella Maxwell, a daughter of John Maxwell, a retired farmer living in the town of Salem. To their mar- riage has been born one child, a son, named Malcom M.
Henry H. Parrish (father) was born in the town of Hebron, this county, March 8, 1828, and early in life removed to the town of Jack- son, where he has for many years been engaged in farming. His present home farm contains one hundred and thirty-five acres. He is a leading member of the United Presbyterian church, and for a number of years has held the office of trustee of the same. On January 25, 1856, he wedded Mary M., a daughter of Leonard Parrish, of the town of Hebron. Their marriage was blessed by the birth of four children : Hiram H., Jennie C., George L., and John F. Mrs. Parrish's death oc- curred January 17, 1892, in the fifty-sixth year of her age. For many years she was a con- sistent member of the United Presbyterian church.
Hiram H. Parrish ( paternal grandfather ) was also a native of the town of Hebron, and
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an elder in the United Presbyterian church. He married Cyrena Whitney, by whom he had six children : William, a retired farmer of Iowa ; Susanna, wife of Alfred McLansey, of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania ; Joel (dead); Henry H .; John, and Sarah, the latter now the wife of Alfred Soutenberg, of Penn Yan.
The paternal great-grandfather of the sub- ject of this sketch was a native of Scotland, who emigrated to this country and became one of the pioneer settlers in the town of He- bron, where he purchased a thousand acres of land in the woods, located on the old turnpike between the villages of Salem and Hebron.
WILLIAM J. ASHTON, a successful young business man of the village of Cambridge, and senior member of the firm of Ashton & Brownlee, millers and dealers in flour, grain, meal, feed, etc., is a son of James W. and Sarah (Armstrong) Ashton, and was born at "Ash Grove," in the town of White Creek, Washington county, July 26, 1866. (See sketch of father, James W. Ashton, on another page.)
William J. Ashton grew to manhood at the old homestead of the Ashtons, where he was engaged principally in the lumber business, and received his education in the Putnam and Cambridge Union schools. In 1890, associ- ated with Alexander McMorris, he engaged in the lumber business in the village of Cam- bridge, under the firm name of Ashton & Mc- Morris, at which they continued until January 1, 1894, doing a business annually of about twelve thousand dollars. On that date the firm closed out their business. Previous to this, on October 15, 1893, Mr. Ashton formed a partnership with C. A. Brownlee, and en- gaged in the feed business, and has since clos- ing out his lumber interests, devoted his entire time to his rapidly increasing business in this line. In addition to this, Mr. Ashton has an interest in the Building and Loan association, at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He is a mem-
ber of the United Presbyterian church of the village, and also of the Young People's Chris- tian union, of the same place. In political belief he is a republican, and is destined to make a success in his business undertakings.
R EV. FREDERICK H. T. HORS-
FIELD, the popular rector of Saint Luke's Episcopal church of Cambridge, was born in the city of New York, July 8, 1852, and is a son of Dr. Israel and Maria (Kuhn) Horsfield. He received his education in the private schools in the city of New York, and subsequently entered Saint Stephen's college, at Annandale, on the Hudson river, and was graduated from the latter institution in 1873, and received the degree of M. A. from the same college in 1885. In 1876 Reverend Horsfield was graduated from the Theological seminary of New York city, and was made deacon in the same year, and immediately took charge of the Protestant Episcopal church at Suffern, Rockland county, New York, where he labored for eighteen months, and was or- dained priest in the Episcopal church in 1878, and then became rector and was stationed at Hyde Park, Massachusetts, where he continued in his ministerial labors up to 1880. In that year he was transferred to Cambridge, New York, where he took charge of Saint Luke's Episcopal church, and has since been the rec- tor of that congregation. Since Reverend Horsfield's pastorate in this village, he has completely rebuilt the church edifice, making it new, inside and out, and is at present clear of all indebtedness.
. On October 18, 1883, he was united in mar- riage with Marriana, a daughter of Dr. John Moneypenny, of the village of Cambridge. To their marriage have been born three chil- dren : Margaret B., Frederick G. (dead), and Mary M.
Dr. Israel Horsfield was a native of the city of New York, and was born February 29, 1832. His education was received mainly in
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the private schools of that city, and his medi- cal education at the New York State Medical College of Physicians and Surgeons, from which well known college he was graduated in the class of 1854. He began the practice in his native city, where he remained for three years, at the end of which time, on account of ill health, he removed to Fordham (now a part of the Twenty-fourth ward of New York) and engaged in the drug business. He continued to follow this, doing but little work in his pro- fession the remainder of his life. In the lat- ter years of his life he gave up all attention to business, and removed to Flushing, Long Is- land, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred December 28, 1887. He was an active member of the Protestant Episcopal church, and was junior warden of Grace church at Port Jarvis, and in political thought he was a democrat. In 1851 he wed- ded Maria M., daughter of Frederick Keeler, a hat manufacturer of New York city. To that marriage were born two children : Rev. Fred- erick H. T. and Sarah J., widow of the late Rev. John Gardener Rosecrantz, formerly rector of Saint Peter's church at Port Chester, New York. Mrs. Israel Horsfield's death occurred November 10, 1886, at the age of fifty-three years. Thomas W. Horsfield, M. D., (grandfather) was also born in the city of New York, and was a graduate of the New York State College of Physicians and Sur- geons. He began the practice in Alabama, but the most of his life was spent in his native city, where he became one of the founders of the Academy of Medicine and of the Episco- pal church of the Advent. In 1864 he retired from business, and in the same year removed to Manhasset, Long Island, where he died February 19, 1868, in the sixty-fourth year of his age. His wife was Sarah A. Peiarte, a native of England. They were the parents of five children : Tondsen, Israel, William, Mary and Sarah. His wife's death occurred July 9, 1890, aged eighty-seven years. Israel Hors- field, the great-grandfather of Rev. Hors-
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