History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns, Part 37

Author: Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett, 1825-1894. cn; Wiley, Samuel T. cn; Garner, Winfield Scott
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : Gersham
Number of Pages: 662

USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 37

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Charles O. McCreedy was reared at his na- tive village, Schuylerville, New York, received his education in the public schools and Gil- more's academy of Ballston Spa, and then served for several months as a clerk in the Schuylerville postoffice. At the end of that time, in 1865, he came to Ballston Spa, where he served as a clerk for three years with M. L. Williams, who was postmaster and kept the postoffice in his drug store. When the three years time was up, in 1868, Mr. Mc- Creedy and James O. Leach, postmaster formed a partnership, under the firm name of C. O. McCreedy & Co., and purchased the drug store, which they operated successfully until 1877, when Mr. Leach withdrew from the firm. Mr. McCreedy then continued in the drug business by himself up to 1885, when he disposed of his drug store. In June of that year he was appointed postmaster of Ballston Spa by President Cleveland, and held that position for four years and six months. After retiring from the postoffice he was variously employed until June, 1891, when he was appointed by Gov. David B. Hill to his present position of secretary of the New York State Forestry commission. The work of this commission is one of great interest and enduring value to the great Commonwealth of New York. The object of the commission is to maintain and preserve sufficient forests to increase the rainfall and liold a sufficient volume of water in the streams to protect the State from drought. As secretary of this com- mission Mr. McCreedy has a large amount of

C HARLES O. McCREEDY, secretary of the New York State Forestry commis- sion, and one of the proprietors of the "Lithia Spring," is an energetic business man, and has been for many years a leading and influential democrat of the county. He is a son of Charles and Sarah J. (Collamer) McCreedy, and was born in Schuylerville, in the town of Saratoga, Saratoga county, New York, June 1, 1848. His paternal grandfather, John McCreedy, was of Scotch descent, and came from Platts- burg, New York, to Saratoga county, where he ended his days. His son, Charles Mc- Creedy, the father of Charles O. McCreedy, was born in 1815, at Schuylerville, where he grew to manhood. He served as superintend- ent of the Victory mills for several years, and in 1865 removed to his present large farm in the town of Malta. He is a democrat in poli- . important business to transact. In the per-

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formance of his responsible duties he has been prompt and accurate, and in many cases the successful discharge of these duties were ac- complished by his good judgment and wise discretion.

On October 11, 1871, Mr. McCreedy mar- ried Caroline F. Scott, and to their union have been born four children, three sons and one daughter: Gordon Scott, Charles O., jr .; Rob- ert C., and Lucy Lee. Mrs. McCreedy is a daughter of George Gordon Scott, whose an- cestors were English colonists in Ireland in the reign of James I., and came to America in 1773, from County Londonderry, and settled on a farm in the town of Ballston, this county. George Gordon Scott was a graduate of Union college, studied law and practiced at Ballston Spa for many years. He served as judge of the county court, member of the assembly, State senator, and for nineteen terms as su- pervisor of the town of Ballston. At the cen- tennial celebration in 1876 he prepared and read the historical address, and presided on the occasion of the centennial celebration of the battle of Bemus Heights, in 1877. He mar. ried Lucy Lee, a daughter of Joel Lee, of Ballston Spa, by whom he had a family of six children, the youngest daughter being Mrs. McCreedy.

In politics Mr. McCreedy is and always has been a democrat of the Jacksonian type. He was chairman of the Democratic county com- mittee for several years, and has served as clerk and as treasurer of his village, is now president of the village, president of the Balls- ton Spa Democratic club, and a member of the board of education. Mr. and Mrs. Mc- Creedy are useful and influential members of Christ Episcopal church of Ballston Spa, and are ever active in all parochial work.

H ON. JOHN H. BURKE, Inspector of the New York State Forest commis- sion, and senior member of the well known law firm of Burke & Person, at Ballston Spa,

New York, was born August 21, 1856, in the town of Half Moon, Saratoga county, New York, and is a son of Patrick and Ellen (Pur- cell) Burke, both of whom were natives of County Waterford, Ireland. They left the Emerald Isle in 1842, and coming to the United States, settled at Mechanicville, this county. Patrick Burke died on the 2d day of April, 1865, at the early age of forty-eight years, when the subject of this sketch was but nine years old. His widow is still living at Mechanicville, being now in the sixtieth year of her age. They had a family of five chil- dren, four sons and one daughter: William N., John H., James, Margaret A. and Michael P.

John H. Burke was reared on the farm un- til his fifteenth year, and received his primary education in the public school. Later he at- tended the Mechanicville academy, where he finished his preparation for college, having spent the fall and winter terms of the years 1875 and 1877 at the Fort Edward collegiate institute. He entered Williams college in 1880, with less than $150 in money, it is said, worked liis way through college and was graduated from that institution in the class of 1884. In the fall of that year he began the study of law in the office of L'Amoreaux, Dake & Whalen, at Ballston Spa, and was thus engaged for a period of two years. He has already taken considerable interest in local politics, and in the fall of 1886 was prevailed on to become a candidate for member of as- sembly from Saratoga county. During the progress of the campaign he made an active per- sonal canvass of the district, and in November was elected to a seat in the State legislature, being the first democratic assemblyman from this county since 1878. Shortly after his election, in the fall of 1886, he was admitted to the bar of Saratoga county, and after the expiration of his term in the assembly he opencd a law office at Mechanicville, where he practiced for three years. On January I, 1891, he removed to the county seat, and formed a law partnership with John Person,

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under the firm name of Burke & Person. They purchased the extensive law library of A. C. Dake, and taking the suite of rooms formerly occupied by Mr. Dake, began a suc- sessful general law practice, that has gradually increased until they now have a large and lucrative business. In 1889 Mr. Burke was appointed inspector in the Forest commission of this State, and has held that position ever since, acting also as attorney for the commis- sion, in actions brought against parties for trespassing on lands belonging to the State. His partner, John Person, is district attorney of the county.

On February 10, 1891, Mr. Burke was united in marriage to Minnie A. Christopher, youngest daughter of J. G. Christopher, of Ballston Spa.

For a period of three years Mr. Burke has been the efficient chairman of the Democratic County committee, and takes a prominent part in local politics. He is a member of the Catholic church. While at college Mr. Burke was president of his class in the Sophomore year, and also at commencement, and was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, which he was instrumental in reorganizing at Wil- liams college.

JOHN H. MASSEY, an active, industri- ous business man and well known mer- chant tailor and clothier of Mechanicville, is a son of John and Mary A. (Pyers) Massey, and was born in Worcestershire, England, Decem- ber 15, 1837. He received his education at St. Luke's school, of Kidminster, in his native country, and then learned the trade of tailor, which he followed at various places in Eng- land until 1856, when he came to America with his father, they landing at New York city on August 9th of that year. Two years later, after working at several places, he established his present prosperous merchant tailoring business at Mechanicville. His shop and salesroom on Main street are fitted up in a

neat and tasteful manner, and on liis shelves are displayed a large variety of foreign and domestic fabrics. Mr. Massey is a man of good taste and successful experience in his line of useful business, and has always enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his many patrons. He can be depended upon for a perfect fit, elegant styles and perfect finish in his suits.

On July 4, 1861, Mr. Massey married Anna FitzPatrick, daughter of John FitzPatrick, of Mechanicville, New York. To their union have been born eleven children, three sons and eight daughters: Mary A. Camfield, Leona (deceased), Lamira Cocoran, Ella (deceased), John, Hattie G., James, Edward, Lilah, Juliet and Gertrude. Hattie G. is well educated and has been serving for some time as vice principal of the Mechanicville Union schools.

John H. Massey, while strictly attending to his business, yet has found sufficient time to take an active part in the political affairs of his town and village. He is a democrat, and has served continuously as justice of tlie peace since 1883, his second term of four years ex- piring in the present year. He owns some valuable property in the village, and has al- ways ranked as an active and useful citizen. He is a member of the Episcopal church, of which he served as vestryman for twenty years, and in whose interests he has ever been a zealous worker.

In nationality Mr. Massey is English, and his paternal grandfather, Joseph Massey, was a native and life-long resident of Norton, Eng- land, where he followed tailoring during the active years of his life. He reared a family of seven children, five sons and two daugli- ters : William, John, Henry, Sarah Bingham, Thomas, Elizabeth and Edward. John Mas- sey (father), was born at Norton, and after- ward removed to Kidminster, where he was engaged in the merchant tailoring business until 1856. On August 9th of that year he landed at New York city, which he soon left to locate at Mechanicville. Two years later he went to Ballston Spa, at which place he

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died July 16, 1872, aged sixty-eight years. He was a democrat and an Episcopalian, and was twice married, first to Mary A. Pyers, and after her death to Selina Bennett. By his first marriage he had eleven children: Joseph, John, Samuel, Henry, Josiah, Charles, Mary A. (deceased), Oliver and Mary A. (2). Mrs. Mary A. Massey was a daughter of James Pyers, of Kidminster, and died February 16, 1857, at Mechanicville, aged forty-seven years.

SEYMOUR AINSWORTH was born in the town of Woodbury, Vermont, on the 17th day of May, 1821. His ancestors, on the paternal side, were of English, and on the maternal side, of Scotch origin, and were among the New England pioneers who settled in the valley of the Connecticut at a very early day. He was one of twelve children, all of whom lived to be more than fifty-five years of age. His early life in the Green Mountain State developed traits which influenced him throughout his future career. He imbibed a fondness for woodland sports and became ex- pert in the use of the rifle. He was a dead shot. In later life he was generally on hand at local shooting matches to try his skill, and was the despair of the proprietor of many a "turkey shoot." It was owing to these early influences, doubtless, that he was led to culti- vate the friendship of many. tribes of Indians and to deal extensively for many years in the products of their skill. His educational ad- vantages were limited to a few months in the common district school during his boyhood days. Intent on learning some trade whereby he could secure a respectable livelihood, at the age of fourteen he left the paternal home under a contract with his father by which he purchased his minority and at once appren- ticed himself to Asaph Town in the business of builder and carriage maker. He served the usual period of apprenticeship and took his position as foreman of the shop in which he had learned his trade and continued such

for two or three years. When nineteen years of age he left his native State and migrated to Saratoga Springs, where he began business for himself without an acquaintance or a friend to aid him, and no other capital than his trade and a fair character with which to start. He soon found employment with R. & W. Put- nam, then the proprietors of the Union Hall, one of the leading hotels, where for several years he was the chief artisan and director of the improvements about that establishment ; and finally became one of its proprietors. In its management he was successful, and retired at length only to embark in other fields of action. He was always awake to every enter- prise and improvement designed to build up the town in which he lived and promote its prosperity. He was one of the originators and first directors of the Commercial bank, afterwards the Commercial National bank of Saratoga Springs. He was instrumental in the erection of more edifices of a public and private nature than any other man in Sara- toga. He was at one time largely engaged in the manufacture of brick and made the brick used in the erection of several of his own buildings and those used in the erection of the present United States hotel, one of the largest of the great summer hotels of Saratoga. He had for a time the largest bakery in Sara- toga, noted for the excellence of its products. For many years and almost up to the time of his death he had an extensive retail store, in which were sold many kinds of elegant fancy goods and notably articles of Indian manu- facture, such as bows and arrows, snow-shoes, deer-skin moccasins, porcupine quill and moose hair embroideries and basket work. During later years he spent much time in the culture of flowers and made a specialty of roses and rare water lilies, and was very successful in raising the famous Egyptian lotus.

He speedily rendered himself acquainted with the details of every business in which he embarked, and his self-reliance and enterprise usually won him success. His courage and

Engraved by J R.Rice & Sons. Philada,

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enterprise were well illustrated by several in- cidents in his life worthy of mention.

About the year 1866 he discovered that a peculiar sort of trinkets made from braided or woven horse hair was having a great sale at Niagara for souvenirs. He procured some of the goods and found them saleable in his own store. After considerable trouble and inquiry he found that these articles were all made in one convent in Dublin. He therefore obtained a letter of recommendation from Father Cull, the priest of St. Peter's Roman Catholic church in Saratoga, had it endorsed by the Bishop of the. Diocese, and armed with this document went to Ireland and made a con- tract for the entire manufacture of the con- vent in question, and on his return brought with him one young woman who had been taught at the convent and who was skillful in manufacturing the articles of which he thus obtained a monopoly. In a similar manner he monopolized the entire product of several Indian tribes which he found by experience manufactured the best moccasins, the best snow-shoes, or exhibited special proficiency in the manufacture of any of the classes of goods in which he dealt. For a considerable time he had the entire product of the fragrant grass which is extensively employed by the Indians in their basket and fan work. He was extensively acquainted with Indian tribes from Maine to the remote northwest.

Mr. Ainsworth had an unusual genius for invention. Some twenty or thirty patents were issued to him at different times for de- vices and processes connected with his various lines of business. The most valuable was for a process of manufacturing feather fans, from which he realized a considerable sum by way of royalties from other manufacturers, and which gave him a virtual monopoly in the manufacture of fans from ostrich feathers. For a number of years he furnished A. T. Stewart & Company and Lord & Taylor and other large houses with all the feather fans of this kind that they sold. He imported the

sticks from China, where they were made ex- pressly for his use, and the feathers from the Cape of Good Hope. In connection with this branch of manufacture he introduced among the farmers of Saratoga a breed of new white turkeys, fr. m eggs which he imported from Spain. The feathers he used in the manu- facture of fans and he made a good profit from the birds, which, though small in size, were of special excellence for the table.

In 1865 Mr. Ainsworth, in company with the late W. H. McCaffrey, purchased the High Rock Spring, the earliest discovered of all the famous mineral fountains of Saratoga. It was remarkable as being the spring to which the Indians brought Sir William Johnson, prior to his death in 1774, to be cured of rheuma- tism, with which he was afflicted. The rock which gave the name to the spring was a de- posit of calcareous tufa weighing several tons, of a conical shape, with a round orifice in the top through which the waters once flowed. Before its discovery by the white man the waters had found a channel below the surface of the rock through which they escaped. Mr. Ainsworth conceived the idea of closing this channel and compelling the waters to resume their ancient course over the top of the rock. He accordingly lifted the immense mass of stone and after tubing the spring to a great depth, replaced the rock and caused the waters once more to flow over the top. This under- taking engaged the interest and attention of the citizens of Saratoga in an unnsal degree. and its completion was celebrated by a great public meeting of citizens, which was addressed by the venerable Chancellor Walworth, Wil- liam L. Stone, esq., and others.

Mr. Ainsworth held various public offices, such as town assessor and village trustee, and was a member of several boards or commis- sions having in charge important municipal improvements. He was the first assistant assessor of internal revenue for his district under the laws of the United States. In 1870 he represented his district in the assembly .

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His election was a remarkable evidence of his popularity. It was the first election of a democratic member in his district for fifteen years. The republican majority in his district was about one thousand, but he was elected by a majority of four hundred and thirty, and an adverse majority of one hundred and sixty- seven at the preceding election in his own town he changed to a majority of five hundred and sixty-seven in his favor. He was the chairman of the committee on affairs of vil- lages and a member of the committee on civil divisions and roads and bridges. During his term of service in the assembly many acts of the legislature were passed through his influ- ence for the promotion of important municipal improvements in his own town, which pro- voked violent opposition at the time, but the wisdom of which was demonstrated in after years.

An episode which occurred at this time in the legislature brought Mr. Ainsworth into great notoriety and has passed into history. Thomas C. Fields, who represented the Nine- teenth assembly district of the city of New York, rose in his place in the assembly and declared that Mr. Ainsworth had offered his vote, and that of ten men at whose head he claimed to be, in favor of a measure of Fields, if Fields would " make it convenient for him." Mr. Ainsworth promptly denied this charge and demanded an investigation, at the same time charging that Fields had violently and with oaths threatened that, if he did not vote for his, Fields', bill, he would defeat every bill that Mr. Ainsworth had before the legis- lature. A committee of five was appointed to investigate the charges, and they reported to the assembly that Mr. Fields had admitted using the language attributed to him, in a moment of anger, but they acquitted Mr. Ainsworth of the charges made against him.

Mr. Ainsworth died at his residence in the village of Saratoga Springs on the 22d day of December, 1890. He had suffered from im- paired health for several years, though the

immediate cause of his death was acute pneu- monia, which developed from a cold he had taken a few days before. His remains were interred in Greenridge cemetery. He was at the time of his death a member of the Epis- copal church, from which his funeral took place on the 27th of December, 1890. He left a widow, Mrs. Catharine Ainsworth, to whom he had been devotedly attached during the many years of his married life.

JOHN W. FORD, the founder and now the secretary and treasurer of the well- known Ford Manufacturing Company, of Waterford, this county, whose superior pro- ducts may be found in any first-class furnish- ing or dry goods store in this country, is a son of John and Vilda (Wheeler) Ford, and a na- tive of the town of Edinburg, Saratoga county, New York, where he was born May 15, 1848. The Fords are of English extraction, and rank with the old families of the Empire State. The paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, John Ford, was a native of En- gland, but settled in Saratoga county at an early day, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying in 1809, at the age of eighty- two years. He was a farmer by occupation, and very enterprising and successful. One of his sons was John Ford (father), who was born in this county in 1807, and after attaining man- hood also engaged in farming in the town of Edinburg, in which business he beame pros- perous. Some fifteen years ago he disposed of his farm, and removed to the village of Northville, Fulton county, this State, where he has since lived a retired life, being now in the eighty-fifth year of his age. In political faith he has always been a stanch democrat, and served as justice of the peace for many years in the town of Edinburg, this county. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, in whose support he has been active and lib- eral, and in 1830 he married Vilda Wheeler, a daughter of Syril Wheeler, of this county.

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To their union were born a family of eleven children, six sons and five daughters : Clark, Moses T., Zopher C., Jolin W., Herbert, James B., Helen, Anna M., Relief, Hattie A. and Helen D.

Mrs. Vilda Ford was born in Saratoga county, was for many years an exemplary mem- ber of the Presbyterian church, and died in March, 1890, at the advanced age of seventy- seven years.

John W. Ford was reared principally on his father's farm in Edinburg township, thiis county, where he obtained a good practical education in the public schools. In 1868, at the age of twenty years, he left the farm to accept a position as clerk in the office of the Cohoes Water-power Company, at Cohoes, Albany county, this State. There, in addition · to his duties as clerk, he began the study of civil engineering under the personal instruc- tion of that eminent engineer, D. H. Van- Auken, and others, and after acquiring pro- ficiency in that line was engaged for a time in civil engineering in that city. In 1870 he was elected city engineer for the city of Colioes, and served as such until 1882, with the excep- tion of one year. In 1882 he formed a part- nership with J. H. Pynes, then pay clerk in the Harmony mills at Cohoes, and they pur- chased the Ludlow Valve works at Waterford, Saratoga county, and converted the property into a knitting mill, for the manufacture of underwear and other knit goods. They suc- cessfully conducted this enterprise from 1882 to July, 1891, wlien Mr. Ford sold liis interest to his partner. In the following December Mr. Ford and others organized the Ford Manufac- turing Company, with a capital stock of twenty- five thousand dollars, for the purpose of making a fine grade of knit underwear for the markets of this country. Their plant is located on Fourth street, Waterford, and is ciglity by fifty feet in dimensions and three stories high. Here they employ a force of eighty skilled op- erators in the production of all kinds of fine knit underwear, and their goods find a ready

sale in all the markets of the United States. The value of their annual output is nearly one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and the product of their mills lias a superior reputa- tion among dealers and consumers in all parts of the country.

On September 28, 1873, Mr. Ford was united in marriage to Minnie S. Peverly, youngest daughter of Lidell Peverly, of the village of Waterford, and to thiem has been born two children, one son and a daughter : Nellie and Peverly.

Politically John W. Ford is a stanch re- publican, and is now serving as school trustee in the village of Waterford. He has also served as village trustee, discharging his offi- cial duties in a manner entirely satisfactory to the general public. Mr. Ford is a member of Clinton Lodge, No. 140, Free and Accepted Masons, and a regular attendant on the services of the Presbyterian church. He is pleasant and affable in his intercourse with others, and ranks with the most enterprising and prosper- ous citizens of the county.

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History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns, Part 37

Author: Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett, 1825-1894. cn; Wiley, Samuel T. cn; Garner, Winfield Scott Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago : Gersham Number of Pages: 662

Author: Sylvester, Nathaniel Bartlett, 1825-1894. cn; Wiley, Samuel T. cn; Garner, Winfield Scott
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : Gersham
Number of Pages: 662