USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 41
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S AMUEL YOUNG, one of the promi- nent and leading public men of Saratoga county for over thirty years, and closely identified for the same length of time with the organization and history of the Democratic party of the State of New York, was born in the town of Lennox, Berkshire county, Mas- sachusetts, in 1779. He came about 1783 with his parents to what is now Clifton Park. He read law, was admitted to the bar of the su- preme court, and in 1813 was elected to the assembly by the democrats. He was reelected in 1815, served as speaker of the house, and was afterward appointed by the governor as an aide on his staff with the rank of colonel.
In 1819 Colonel Young was elected to the State senate, and was afterward reëlected to that body in 1834, 1837 and 1845. He also served a second term in assembly, serving in
1826, and being speaker of the house. Colonel Young served for twenty years as a canal com- missioner, was a delegate to the State Consti- tutional convention of 1821, and in 1824 ran as the democratic candidate for governor against "DeWitt Clinton, but was defeated. At the close of his official career in 1847, Colonel Young retired to his residence at Ballston Spa, where he died November 3, 1850. He married Mary Gibson, and in many of his views was in advance of the times, especially on the rights of women. He was fearless and bold, and was styled by General Jackson, as "the Cato of the New York senate."
GEORGE H. PATRICK, an intelligent citizen and active and successful farmer and dairyman of the town of Saratoga Springs, is a son of Henry and Mary Ann (Rouse) Patrick, and was born on the farm on which he now resides, in the town of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga county, New York, July 12, 1840. He grew to manhood on the pater- nal acres, received his education in the com- mon schools, and then engaged in farming, which he has followed successfully ever since. He now owns his father's homestead, to which he has added by successive purchases until he now owns a fine and well improved farm of two hundred acres of land, on which is a nice residence and commodious barn. In connec- tion with farming Mr. Patrick operates a dairy. He is a republican in politics and a member of Rising Sun Lodge, No. 103, Free and Accepted Masons, and has always been known as a pleasant and agreeable man and good citizen.
On December 18, 1861, Mr. Patrick mar- ried Nancy M. Chase, daughter of John Chase, of the town of Malta. Mr. and Mrs. Patrick have two children : Anna and Gertrude. Anna married William Carrigan, of the town of Sar- atoga Springs.
George H. Patrick is of Irish descent, and
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a grandson of Isaac Patrick, whose father, Isaac Patrick, was a native of Ireland, and came to America when a young man. Isaac Patrick was a farmer, and came from Still- water to the town of Saratoga Springs, where he died in 1863, aged eighty-two years. Of his sons, one was Henry Patrick, the father of the subject of this sketch. Henry Patrick was a native of the town of Stillwater, and went at an early age to Oneida county, where he was engaged in the lumber business, which he followed until his death in 1885, at seventy- seven years of age. He was a large lumber dealer, a successful farmer, and a leading dairyman of the section in which he resided. Henry Patrick was a republican in politics, and wedded Mary Ann Rouse, who lived to be seventy-six years of age, dying on October 22, 1886. Mrs. Patrick was a daughter of David Rouse, of Northumberland.
W ILLIAM J. CASE, a prominent citi- zen of Saratoga Springs, and a mem- ber of the well known firm of Case Brothers, contractors and builders, is a son of Mortimer and Martha (Henderson) Case, and was born at Fort Edward, Washington county, New York, August 16, 1844. The family is of re- mote French origin, and is among the oldest in the United States. The paternal grand- father of the subject of this sketch, Sanford Case, was born in Connecticut, and passed most of his active life at Fort Edward, where he was engaged in lumbering and owned large tracts of timber land. He was an earnest patriot, served as an officer in the war of 1812, and being a man of considerable wealth and an active disposition, became quite prominent in that section. His death occurred October 30, 1829, when in about the sixtieth year of his age. He married Lovenia Scovell, and reared a large family, among his sons being Mortimer Case (father), who was born at Fort Edward in 1810, and passed his entire life there, dying in 1884, at the advanced age of seventy-four
years. After attaining manhood he engaged in agricultural pursuits, and in 1839 married Martha Henderson, a daughter of James Hen- derson, of Fort Edward. She was of Scotch descent, a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and died in 1877, aged sixty-four years. Mr. Case was a member of the same church as his wife, and took an ac- tive interest in church affairs. Politically he was a whig and republican, and for many years a member of the old State militia, in which he served as lieutenant of his company. By his marriage with Martha Henderson he had a family of three children, two sons and one daughter: Julius F., William J. and Martha E. Case.
William J. Case was reared at Fort Edward, and received a superior English education at the Fort Edward institute. Soon after leav- ing school he learned the carpenter trade, and followed that occupation until 1874, when he formed a partnership with his brother, Julius F. Case, under the firm name of Case Broth- ers, and engaged in contracting and building at Saratoga Springs, this county. Being en- ergetic and enterprising in disposition, and thorough masters of their business, they soon had plenty of work, and have successfully con- ducted a gradually increasing business ever since. A large number of substantial business houses and private residences in Saratoga Springs and elsewhere attest their skill as builders, and stand as monuments of their handiwork. They employ from thirty to sixty men, and do work all over the adjacent coun- try. In addition to their business as contrac- tors and builders, they deal to some extent in real estate, and have also been very successful in this line of enterprise.
On July 20, 1869, William J. Case was mar- ried to Frances A. Stead, youngest daughter of Henry and Harriet Stead, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Case have been born three children, two sons and a daughter: Frank W., Arthur J. and Bertha H., all living at home with their parents.
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In politics Mr. Case is a stanch republican, but the demands of his growing business leave him little time to devote to political matters. He and all his family are members of the Epis- copal church at Saratoga Springs. Mr. Case is a member of Rising Sun Lodge, No. 103, Free and Accepted Masons; Rising Sun Chap- ter, No. 131, Royal Arch Masons; and Wash- ington Commandery, No. 33, Knights Tem- plar. He is also a member of Cryptic Council of Saratoga Springs, and Oriental Temple of Troy.
USTAVUS W. EDWARDS, one of
the public spirited business men of Sara- toga Springs, and a substantial citizen of the county, who is favorably known for his energy and enterprise, is a son of Hon. Edward and Lodise (Martin) Edwards, and was born in the town of Corinth, Saratoga county, New York, March 14, 1836. The Edwards family is of English lineage, and Isaac Edwards, the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Connecticut, which he left in the latter part of the seventeenth cen- tury to settle in the town of Corinth, where he purchased a large tract of land, on which he resided until his death in 1848, at eighty-three years of age. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and of the sons born to him in his Saratoga county home, one was Hon. Edward Edwards (father), who became very prominent in the political affairs of the county. Edward Edwards owned over one thousand acres of land, was a successful mer- chant and operated a large flouring mill. He was a faithful attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a well informed man on the current issues of his day, and died February 11, 1885, when in the eighty-second year of his age. In politics he was a whig and a republican, and represented his county in the assembly in 1844 and again in 1864 and in 1865. He married Lod se Martin, who was born in 1806, and died August 30, 1889. Mrs. Edwards was a daughter of Bosworth Martin,
who was a native of Rhode Island and settled in the town of Corinth, where he died in 1864 at eighty years of age.
Gustavus W. Edwards was reared on the farm, received his education at Castleton sem- inary, of Vermont, and then was a partner with his father in the mercantile and milling business in the town of Corinth until the death of the latter in 1885. He then succeeded to the entire business, and the next year came to Saratoga Springs, where he established his present large coal and wood yards and lime and cement storage houses at No. 82, on Con- gress street. He has two offices, the main one at the yards and the branch or Broadway office at 429, West side. Mr. Edwards still con- tinues his mercantile and milling business in the town of Corinth, where he owns a thous- and acres of land which he largely devotes to farming and grazing purposes.
In 1857 Mr. Edwards married Mary E. Rugg, who was a daughter of Sylvanus Rugg, a tan- ner of Corinth, and who died September 13, 1867, at thirty-two years of age, leaving three children : Kittie, now dead ; and Fred M. and William R., who are in business in New York city. On July 26, 1870, Mr. Edwards wedded Mrs. Lavinia Latham, daughter of William A. Medbery, of the town of Greenfield, and by this second marriage he has one child, Edward M., who was born May 27, 1875.
In political opinion Mr. Edwards is a re- publican. He served for two terms as super- visor of the town of Corinth, where he was postmaster for twelve years at the village of Corinth. He is a faithful attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has achieved business success by energy, industry and honesty.
L EMUEL B. PIKE, a retired lawyer of Saratoga Springs, who won distinction in his profession, and while he remained at the bar was the acknowledged peer of any practitioner in eastern New York, is a son of Matthias A. and Sarah T. (Bush) Pike, and
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was born April 7, 1830, at Fort Ann, Wash- ington county, New York. He grew to man- hood in his native county, and received a su- perior English education in the public and private schools of Fort Ann and Whitehall. Soon after leaving school he became a clerk in the office of the collector of canal tolls, then occupied by his father, and remained as his assistant until 1851, when he entered the office of Hon. E. D. Culver, in New York city, and began the study of law. Here he met and became intimately acquainted with Chester A. Arthur, afterward president of the United States, but at that time a law student in Judge Culver's office. Mr. Pike completed his law studies with Judge Hay and Judge A. Bockes, of Saratoga Springs, the latter of whom was subsequently justice of the supreme court of the State. In the spring of 1854 he was admitted to the bar of Saratoga county, and soon afterward formed a law partnership with Joseph A. Shondy, of Saratoga Springs, under the firm name of Pike & Shondy, and began the practice of his profession. This firm con- tinued to do business in this county until 1856, when Mr. Shondy removed to New York and became a member of the firm of Hill, Wing & Shondy, of that city. After 1856 Mr. Pike conducted a general law business in his own name at Saratoga Springs until his retirement from active practice in 1888. Up to 1876 he was extensively engaged in criminal practice in the courts of this county, and during his extended career conducted thirteen murder trials, and had more important cases of rob- bery-bank, express and general-than any other lawyer in eastern New York, with the possible exception of Hon. Charles Hughes, of Sandy Hill, with whom Mr. Pike was fre- quently engaged in important trials. In 1876 he tried his last criminal case, which grew out of the forging of one hundred and thirty- eight thousand dollars of Saratoga county war notes, by the then county treasurer, Henry A. Mann. Having defended him successfully, and finding that criminal practice paid more
in public clamor and denunciation than in cold cash, Mr. Pike abandoned that part of his profession, and devoted himself to civil prac- tice thereafter. His talents were equally marked in this branch of legal science, and in it he met with such financial success that he soon accumulated a handsome fortune, and in 1888 retired from the practice of law and has since devoted his time chiefly to closing up his extensive business, turning over his prac- tice to the law firm of Foley & Wing, two ex- cellent young men who have been in Mr. Pike's office for many years. After arranging his business affairs, Mr. Pike traveled in this country and Europe, enjoying that relax- ation and rest, the title to which had been so hardly won by a long, active and eminently successful career in his chosen profession of the law.
On January 29, 1859, Mr. Pike was married to Mary E. Bottum, a daughter of Bishop Bottum, of Orwell, Vermont. To Mr. and Mrs. Pike were born two children, one son and a daughter : William L. and Emma C., the latter now the wife of Henry M. Leveng- ston, jr., whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume.
The Pikes are of English lineage, and the earlier generations were seafaring men, own- ing and sailing their own vessels, and trading in every known port. A branch of the family was early planted in New Hampshire, and in that State John Pike, paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born and lived for a time. Later in life he removed to Ver- mont, where he died. He was a farmer by vocation, and reared a large family, one of whom was Matthias A. Pike (father), who was born in 1798, and was a native of Vermont, where he lived until '1823, when he removed to Washington county, New York. There he resided until 1852, at which time he came to Saratoga Springs, and made this village the place of his residence until his death, which occurred in 1874, when in the seventy-sixth year of his age. He was a man of more than
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ordinary ability, a prominent member of the Baptist church, and an ardent whig and repub- lican. From 1848 to the time of his death he continuously filled political offices in his adopted State, and was for many years collec- tor of canal tolls at Whitehall, Washington county. He served as police justice of Sara- toga Springs for sixteen years, and always took an active and important part in local pol- itics. In 1824 he marrried Sarah T. Bush, a daughter of Lemuel T. Bush, and a native of Fort Ann, Washington county, this State. She was an excellent and capable women, a member of the Baptist church, and died in 1878, aged eighty-one years. They were the parents of a family of three children, two sons and one daughter. The success and achieve- ments of their son, Lemuel B. Pike, whose career has been outlined in this sketch, adds additional lustre to the name, and proves that later generations of the family are worthy suc- cessors of the earlier; in other words, that " blood will tell."
J AMES M. OSTRANDER, proprietor of the finest merchant tailoring house in the city of Saratoga Springs, or Saratoga county, is a gentleman who has occupied a number of official positions here, and is now serving his third term as supervisor of the town of Saratoga Springs. He is a son of John and Rebecca (Southward) Ostrander, was born February 29, 1832, in the town of Still- water, Saratoga county, New York, and is de- scended from an old German family that was planted in America during the colonial period. His paternal grandfather, John Ostrander, was a native of Duchess county, this State, where he spent his boyhood and received the best education afforded by the schools of that carly day. After attaining manhood he removed to Saratoga county, becoming one of the pioneers in the neighborhood where he settled; and taking up a large tract of land, spent the re- mainder of his life in agricultural pursuits in
this county. He died about 1807, at the age of forty-four years. He had a family of ten children, one of his sons being John Ostrander (father), who was born on the old homestead in the town of Malta, this county, in 1788, and reared and educated there. After reaching man's estate he engaged in farming, and ulti- mately became very prosperous and well-to-do. He continued his agricultural operations with great success until 1853, when he sold his farm and removed to the village of Saratoga Springs, where he passed his declining years in quiet comfort, dying here in 1872, aged eighty-four years. He was a whig and re- publican in politics, and married Rebecca Southward, a daughter of Stephen Southward, of Massachusetts. She was born near Bed- ford, that State, in 1790, and died at her home in Saratoga Springs in 1881, in the ninety- second year of her age. Her father, Stephen Southward, maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Massachusetts, and one of the revolutionary patriots. He took part in the battle of Bemus Heights, this county, and was present on the historic oc- casion of Burgoyne's surrender. While serv- ing as a soldier in the Continental army he was so favorably impressed by the natural advan- tages of this section that he never forgot the place, and after the war closed he returned to Saratoga county and purchased land in the town of Stillwater, in sight of the old battle- ground where he had fought some years be- fore. There he passed the balance of his days, and reared a large family, to become useful and honored members of society.
James M. Ostrander was reared on his father's farm in the town of Stillwater, where he re- mained until he had reached his majority, and then came to Saratoga Springs in the summer of 1853. His primary education was received in the district schools of his vicinity, and later he entered the academy at Jonesville and after- ward Fort Edward, and took a full course of training in those excellent institutions. After completing his studies he engaged in teaching
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during the winter season for nine years, being otherwise employed during the summer. In 1860, he embarked in the merchant tailoring business at Saratoga Springs, and has ever since successfully conducted that enterprise, with a patronage that has increased until it is now conceded to be the largest and most prosperous business of the kind in this city if not in the entire county. His stock is at all times large and complete, consisting of the latest and best productions of this and foreign coun- tries in the line of fabrics for men's clothing, and all kinds of gentlemen's furnishing goods. The style and fit of garments made in this establishment have long been proverbial, and have had not a little to do with creating its extensive business prosperity. Truly this substantial success has not been won by acci- dent, but is the result of energy, enterprise and the strictest integrity in every transaction connected with an active business career now extending over the third of a century. Of all the men in business here when Mr. Os- trander began, only three or four remain as landmarks in the commercial history of the village.
In his political faith and affiliations Mr. Ostrander has always been a republican, and has frequently been called to serve in official positions of trust and responsibility. He has been town clerk and a member of the board of water commissioners, and is now serving his third term as supervisor of the town of Saratoga Springs. In all these stations he has discharged every official duty with the same conscientious ability that has marked the conduct of his private affairs. He is a member of Rising Sun Lodge, No. 103, Free and Accepted Masons, and unmarried.
W ILLIAM B. GAGE, one of the pro- prietors of the world-renowned United States hotel, belongs to that class of representa- tive business men of Saratoga Springs who have largely made the "Queen of the Spas"
what she is to-day in wealth and prosperity. He is a son of William B., sr., and Amanda M. F. (Ackerman) Gage, and was born in the city of Schenectady, in Schenectady county, New York, May 24, 1842. William B. Gage, sr., was a native of Connecticut, and when an infant was taken by his parents to Ohio, where he was reared on a farm. When a boy he displayed great mechanical ability, and before he had reached his twentieth year he planned and erected a grist mill, which is still running. When he attained his majority he came to New York, where he worked for a short time with an uncle of his, who was an artesian well-borer, and then entered the employ of George Law, the celebrated boat and railroad contractor and builder. With Law he found sufficient opportunities and full scope to de- velop his unusually great mechanical ability. After working successfully for nearly twenty years upon Law's contracts in various parts of the State, he became master mechanic on the Saratoga & Whitehall (now Delaware & Hudson Canal Company) railroad at its open- ing in 1849. He held that position until his death in 1873. In 1850 he removed his family to Saratoga Springs, where he resided until his death, which occurred February 22, 1873, when he was in the sixty-fourth year of his age. He was a whig in politics until the com- mencement of the late civil war, and after that great struggle supported the Democratic par- ty. He was of English lineage, and married Amanda M. F. Ackerman, of New York city. To Mr. and Mrs. Gage were born four children, two sons and two daughters. Mrs. Gage was a member of the Episcopal church, and passed away August 29, 1882, when in the seventy- third year of her age.
William B. Gage was reared principally at Saratoga Springs, although passing a part of his boyhood days in Albany and New York cities, and received a good academic educa- tion. Leaving school he was employed during the summer seasons of 1862 and 1863 as a clerk in the office of the old United States
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hotel, and then went to New York city, where he held the position of cashier in the New York hotel for three years. At the end of that time he became cashier at Willard's hotel, Washington city, where he remained from 1866 to 1869. In the last named year he re- turned to Saratoga Springs, and was cashier in Congress Hall hotel until the close of the summer season, when he accepted the cashier- ship of the Fifth Avenue hotel of New York city, which position he held up to 1873. He then resigned to become a member of the firm of Tompkins, Gage & Perry, who pur- chased, in 1874, their present United States hotel, at a cost of over one million dollars. The old United States hotel was built in 1824, and was burned in 1865. The present United States hotel, which is almost as famous as the great watering place itself, was completed and opened to the public in 1874. This grand and imposing building, six stories high, covers and encloses seven acres of ground. ¿ It is in the form of an irregular pentagon, fronting two hun- . dred and thirty-two feet on Broadway and six hundred and fifty-six feet on Division street, with "Cottage Wing " on the south side of the plaza, extending west from the Broadway front for five hundred and sixty-six feet. It is Norman in style of architecture, and ranks as one of the most elegant and beautiful hotels in the world. This magnificent building con- tains over one thousand rooms, which are superbly furnished, from the great dining hall, elegant drawing room, beautiful parlors and grand ball room, to the hundreds of sleeping apartments. This great Hudson valley resort hotel contains all the modern conveniences, is now open from June to October of each year, and has always been patronized by the best families of the land.
On September 29, 1875, Mr. Gage was united in marriage with Caroline B. Marvin, the third daugliter of Hon. James M. Marvin, of this county. To their union have been born four children, two sons and two daugli-
ters : William Marvin, Augusta W., Rhoby Marvin, and James Marvin.
William B. Gage is a republican in politics, and has been for several years a vestryman of Bethesda Episcopal church. He has always taken interest in the financial affairs of the village, and is now serving as a director of the First National bank of Saratoga Springs. In 1881 Mr. Gage erected a very handsome resi- dence in this village, so noted for beautiful residences. His residence is on North Broad- way. Early in life Mr. Gage exhibited a spe- cial fitness for the present line of business in which he is so successfully engaged, and by energy and ability has won his way, step by step, from the humble position of a clerk to the proprietorship of a great hotel. He is a courteous and affable gentleman. He has witnessed the growth of Saratoga Springs with a watchful eye for the last twenty years, and has always been found identified with the best interests of the place.
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