USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 49
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
influential member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Since 1892 he has been superinten- dent of the Sunday school at Waterford, and has always taken great interest in Sunday school work. He is a member of Montgom- ery Lodge, No. 504, Free and Accepted Ma- sons, of Stillwater, and of Montgomery Chap- ter, No. 257, Royal Arch Masons, of the same place. He is also connected with Gilbert Thomas Post, No. 480, Grand Army of the Republic, at Stillwater, and has served as com- mander of that post for a period of two years.
IRAM H. MARTIN, a citizen of Sar- atoga Springs, New York, and the leading undertaker of that village, is a son of Hiram H. and Sarah (West) Martin, and was born there September 15, 1838. His paternal grandfather, Robert Martin, was a native of New Jersey, but was one of the very early set- tlers of Saratoga Springs. He served his country in the second war with England in 1812, and died soon after as a result of ex- posure. His father was a native of the town of Greenfield, Saratoga county, but when three years of age his parents removed to Saratoga Springs, and there he resided until his death, which occurred in 1887, when he was eighty- one years of age. He was for a number of years a consistent member of the First Baptist church, held the office of overseer of the poor for more than thirty years, and served one term as supervisor. He was a democrat, popu- lar in his party and valued in the community. He was a wheelwright by trade and followed that business. He married Sarah West, who was a native of the southern part of New York, and came to Saratoga Springs when quite young. She was of Dutch descent, was a member of the First Baptist church, and died in 1882, at the age of seventy-six years.
Hiram H. Martin was reared at Saratoga Springs, and received his education in the com - mon schools of the town. Leaving school lie entered his father's place of business to learn
the trade of wheelwright, after which he be- came his father's partner, and continued with him until 1861, when he left to engage in the business of undertaking, which he has contin- ued till the present time. He has a large trade, keeps four hearses, and carries on em- balming in all of its branches. He was treas- urer of the Saratoga County Undertakers so- ciety for some time, and afterward its president for two years. When that organization was merged into the Saratoga, Washington and Warren Tri-County society he held the position of president for two years, was treasurer for two years, and is now president of the Tri-County Undertaker's association. His son, W. M. Martin, is now connected with him in the undertaking business, under the firm of H. H. Martin & Son.
On November 15, 1865, Mr. Martin was united in marriage to Ellen M., daughter of Edmund S. Barber, of Poultney, Vermont. Their family consists of two children, a son, William M., and a daughter, Viola G. B.
Hiram H. Martin is a member of the Bap- tist church, as were his ancestors for several generations before him. He is a member of High Rock Council, No. 652, and Hathorn Lodge, No. 241, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and has been an Odd Fellow for twenty- three years, held deputyship in encampment branch two years and six years in Rebekah. In politics, a strong democrat, he is a good citizen, thoroughly alive to the welfare of his town, and interested in its improvement. He is at present a member of the board of educa- tion, in whose transactions he takes a great interest.
The Martin family is of German descent and ranks as one of the old and worthy families of Saratoga county.
C HARLES A. STEWART, of Water- ford, is one of that class of representative business men upon whose efforts and enter- prises largely depend the prosperity of the
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city, village or community in which they re- side. He is a son of Alexander and Susan (Drake) Stewart, and was born at the village of Waterford, Saratoga county, New York, April 24, 1831. The Stewart family was planted in New England by John Stewart, of Scotland, who married Elizabeth Kennedy, of Glasgow, that country, and settled in one of the New England colonies. Their son, Sam- uel Stewart, was born on shipboard while his parents were on their way to this country. Samuel Stewart settled in Connecticut, where his son, Maj. John Stewart (grandfather), was born. Maj. John Stewart served as an officer in the Revolutionary war. He married, and of his sons were: Gen. Samuel, who served in the war of 1812; John, and Alexander, the father of the subject of this sketch. Alexan- der Stewart was born at Sterling Hill, Con- necticut, November 22, 1798, and in early life came to Waterford, where he resided almost continuously until his death, January, 1883, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. He was engaged in the general mercantile busi- ness for over half a century, and enjoyed the proud distinction of being one of the celebrated " 49ers" of California gold fame. He went to the Pacific slope in 1849, and returned in 1851 to Waterford, where he served as col- lector of canal tolls from 1851 to 1853. He was an honorable and straightforward man, who was popular in the community where he resided. He was a Presbyterian and a repub- lican, and wedded Susan Drake, who was a daughter of Elizabeth Drake, of Waterford, and who passed away March 2, 1848, when in the sixty-ninth year of her age.
Charles A. Stewart grew to manhood in his native village and received his education in the public and private schools. Leaving school he became a clerk under his father, in the office of the canal toll collector, where he remained until 1854. In that year he engaged with his father in the grocery and crockery business, under the firm name of A. Stewart & Son. This firm continued up to 1883, when
his father died and he succeeded to the busi- ness, which he has conducted very successfully up to the present time. His commodious and well arranged establishment is on Broad street. He carries a large stock of plain and fancy groceries, comprising the choicest and most desirable goods in the market. In crockery ware he has made a specialty for years of keeping the finest of both imported and do- mestic wares. Mr. Stewart has evinced busi- ness capacity of a high order, while his excellent goods and established trade are characteristics as creditable as they are indica- tive of further enlargement and increased prosperity in the future.
Charles A. Stewart is a republican in poli- tics, and has been serving for some time as a village trustee and as the president of the school board. In the financial affairs of his village Mr. Stewart has always taken an active interest. He served as director of the Saratoga County bank during the latter years of its existence. He is a member and trustee of Waterford Presbyterian church. Mr. Stew- art is a man of good judgment, clear percep- tion and determined action, and has honorably earned the competency which he has acquired.
JOHN CLUTE, who resides near the vil- lage of Waterford, in this county, is one of the original partners in the firm of Camp- bell & Clute, which for thirty years has con- ducted a successful business in the manufac- ture of knitting machines at Cohoes, Albany county. He is a son of Andrew and Maria (Hemstreete) Clute, and was born in Mont- gomery county, New York, August 10, 1830. The family is of Holland descent, the pater- nal grandfather of John Clute having been born and reared in that country, which he left while yet a boy to settle in the United States. He was accompanied to this country by his two brothers, and was a farmer by occupation. After coming to America he located in Albany county, this State, and resided there until his
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death, at an advanced age. One of his sons was Andrew Clute (father), who was born in the county of Albany in 1799, and about 1820 removed to Montgomery county, where he re- sided until 1842, and then, returning to his native county, spent the remainder of his life there, dying in 1849, aged about fifty years. After attaining manhood he engaged in farm- ing, and spent his life in agricultural pursuits. Politically he was a whig, and in religion a firm adherent to the old Dutch church. He married Maria Hemstreete, a native of Albany county, this State, by whom he had a family of seven children, three sons and four daugh- ters. She was a devoted member of the same church as her husband, and passed from earth in 1864, in the seventieth year of her age.
The maternal grandfather of John Clute, Charles Hemstreete, was also of Dutch de- scent, and a native of Albany county, where he owned the farm on which the greater part of the village of Cohoes was afterward built. Having disposed of that property, he removed to Saratoga county and purchased a farm near Mechanicville, where he resided for a num- ber of years. He died in 1847, at the resi- dence of his son, Philip Hemstreete, in Wat- erford, this county, lacking only eight years of being a centenarian. He was a very active man up to the time of his death, and had ac- cumulated considerable property. He mar- ried, and one of his daughters was the mother of the subject of this sketch.
John Clute was reared principally in Mont- gomery county, where he received a good practical education in the public schools, and at the age of seventeen came to Waterford, this county, and in 1847 he started in to learn the trade of machinist with George Gage. He remained until 1852 at Waterford, and then removed to Cohoes, Albany county, where he began working at his trade as a journeyman in the machine shop of the Cohoes Company. He continued to work for wages until January 1, 1863, when he formed a partnership with George Campbell, under the name of Camp-
bell & Clute, and embarked in business on his own account. They opened a machine shop at Cohoes, and engaged in the manufacture of knitting machines, finding a ready sale for their superior product in the numerous knit- ting mills of that and near by villages. This firm has continued to do business from the date of its establishment to the present time, a period of more than thirty years, and their present works stand on the same ground oc- cupied by their first small shop. At first their business was not large, but both the proprie- tors were earnest workers and liberally en- dowed with health, strength and indomitable pluck. They literally rolled up their sleeves and began their business career with the de- termination to succeed in defiance of all ob- stacles. They worked steadily in the shop, and when occasion demanded traveled on the road to introduce the machines and push the sale of their wares. By degrees the business increased and their machines became popular, and for many years they have enjoyed a large and lucrative patronage, receiving and filling orders from nearly every State in the Union and from many foreign countries. They man- facture all kinds of knitting machinery, and their machines are now in use in all parts of the world, and stand deservedly high on ac- count of the superiority of the workmanship and material used in their construction. This business, which has been built up from a small beginning, now employs about fifty skilled workmen the year round, and is among the most important industries at Cohoes.
In 1852 Mr. Clute was married to Adaline Winne, a daughter of Robert Winne, of the town of Waterford, this county. She died in 1865, leaving two daughters, the eldest of whom, Elizabeth, is now the wife of George H. McDowell, senior member of the firm of George H. McDowell & Co., proprietors of the Cascade knitting mills at Cohoes. The youngest daughter, Adeline M., married H. S. Green, also a member of the firm of George H. McDowell & Co. In 1868 Mr. Clute was
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again married, wedding Cornelia Brewster, daughter of David Brewster, of Waterford. She passed away in 1870.
In political faith Mr. Clute is a stanch re- publican, and served as water commissioner for fourteen years at Cohoes, being chairman of the reservoir committee, and one of the fire commissioners of that village for two years. He was one of the organizers and is now pres- ident of the Mechanics' Savings bank of Co- hoes, and also is a director of the Manufac- turers' bank of that place. In addition to his interests in these institutions and his knitting machine works he also owns considerable other property at Cohoes. In 1887 he pur- chased the fine farm of one hundred acres on which he now resides, situated on the river road, one mile and a half from the village of Waterford, and has greatly improved it since taking charge. In personal appearance Mr. Clute is large, and is pleasant and affable in his intercourse with others. He is a great admirer of fine horses, and owns some excel- lent specimens himself. Beginning as a poor boy, he has steadily fought his way upward until he now ranks with the most prosperous business men of northern New York. But he does not forget the early days of his long and active business life, and frequently indulges in reminiscences of the times when he and his partner were engaged in laying the foun- dations of their present successful business.
JESSE S. MOTT, the well known civil engineer, and member of the engineering firm of J. S. Mott & Son, of Saratoga Springs, is a son of Hon. Samuel J. and Amelia (Wright) Mott, and a native of the town of Saratoga, this county, where he was born October 6, 1839. The family is descended from French Huguenot stock, and was planted on Long Island at an early day, by emigrants who left their native land to escape religious persecu- tion. James Mott, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born on Long
Island in 1709, was a Quaker in religion, and after attaining manhood settled in Duchess county, this State, where his son, Jesse Mott (grandfather), was born in 1761. The latter was reared and educated in his native county, but soon after reaching his majority, in 1782, he came to Saratoga county, where he passed the remainder of his long and useful life, dy- ing here in 1847 at the advanced age of eighty- six years. He was a farmer by vocation, own- ing a fine farm in the town of Saratoga, and became very successful and prosperous. Polit- ically he was a whig, and being a man of fine natural ability and great public spirit, he was elected to the State legislature, and accept- ably represented Saratoga county in the as- sembly for several terms. He also occupied the position of supervisor of his town, and filled a number of other minor offices. Al- though reared in the Quaker faith, he became a member of the Reformed church, and was a man of the strictest integrity in every relation of life. He married Amy West, and was the father of a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters, all now deceased. One of these sons, Samuel J. Mott (father), was born on the old homestead in the town of Saratoga, in 1802, and grew to manhood on the farm, receiving his education in the com- mon schools of that day. Inheriting a love for agricultural pursuits, he became a farmer and carried on his operations on an extensive scale. He also took a prominent part in pub- lic affairs, and in the fall of 1856, at the close of the Fremont campaign, was elected on the republican ticket to a seat in the State assem- bly. He served in that body with distinction, was supervisor for several terms of the town of Saratoga, and occupied the position of justice of the peace for a number of years pre- vious to his death, which occurred in 1864, when he was well advanced in his sixty-second year. He was a prominent member of the Reformed church of Schuylerville, and in 1820 married Amelia Wright, a native of this county, and a daughter of Reuben Wright, who was
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
of English extraction, and who was born in Massachusetts, but came to Saratoga county when a young man. By this union Samuel J. Mott had a family of five children, two sons and three daughters: Anna, wife of M. F. Dunmy, of Moreau ; William H., Sarah and Amelia, the last three being deceased ; and Jesse S. Mrs. Amelia Mott was a member of the Reformed church, and died in 1845, at the age of forty-two years.
Jesse S. Mott was reared principally on the old homestead in the town of Saratoga, and received his education at private schools in Washington county and at the Albany acad- emy. After leaving school, where he had studied surveying and higher mathematics, he learned civil engineering with P. H. Green and others, of Saratoga Springs. About this time his father died, and he purchased the old homestead and engaged in farming for several years. In 1871 he removed to the village of Saratoga Springs, and began reading law with Charles M. Davison. He passed the usual examination and was duly admitted to the bar of Saratoga county in May, 1881. But the business of civil engineer seemed to possess greater attractions for Mr. Mott than did the intricate science of Blackstone, and for the last seven years he has devoted his attention mainly to civil engineering. In 1887 he formed a partnership with L. H. Cramer, village en- gineer of Saratoga Springs, under the firm name of Cramer & Mott, which firm was dis- solved February 1, 1893, and Mr. Mott formed a partnership with his son, under the firm name of J. S. Mott & Son. Mr. Mott is at present chief engineer of the Saranac & Lake Plaid railroad and the Union Electric railway of Saratoga, beside doing a large business in their line in all sections of eastern New York.
On January 27, 1859, Mr. Mott was married to Jane Lasher, a daughter of Jonas Lasher, of the town of Saratoga, and to their union has been born three children, of whom two are living : Sammel J. and Cora ; Sarah J., the first, having died February 18, 1881.
Mr. Mott is a stanch republican in politics, though taking no very prominent part in po- litical campaigns, and in religion is a strict member of the Presbyterian church, in which he has served as deacon for a number of years. He is also a member of Hathorn Lodge, In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, of Saratoga Springs, and takes rank with the best and most popular citizens of Saratoga county.
T HOMAS O'CONNOR, a young and rising lawyer of Saratoga county, is one whose success in his profession is due to his own ability and efforts, and is not the re- sult of accident or favoring circumstances. He is one of the seven surviving children of Michael and Johanna (Barry) O'Connor, and was born at Waterford, in the town of Water- ford, Saratoga county, New York, October 6, 1865. Michael O'Connor was born March 15, 1830, at Clonmell, in County Tipperary, prov- ince of Munster, Ireland, and came in 1844 to Waterford, where one of his paternal uncles lived at that time. Here he resided until his death, which occurred May 26, 1891, when he was in the sixty-second year of his age. He was a contractor and builder by occupation, a democrat in politics, and a Catholic in religious faith and church membership. He married Ellen Dunn, August 31, 1850, but she died December 16, 1861, and on December 25, 1864, he married Johanna Barry, who was a native of Knocklong, County Limerick, Ire- land, who came in 1858 to Waterford, where she passed away on June 22, 1892, at fifty- five years of age.
Thomas O'Connor took advantage of the opportunities offered him to obtain an educa- tion, and by working before and after school as a carpenter, was enabled to secure a good education in the public schools of Waterford. From the time he entered school he at once advanced to the head of his class. He main- tained that position until he completed his stndies, in 1882, and it is safe to say that no
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student ever left the Waterford school more respected by his teachers and associates than Thomas O'Connor. When he left school, the principal, Professor E. E. Ashley, said that it gave him pleasure to bear testimony to the uniform uprightness of Mr. O'Connor's con- duct, both in and out of school, and that he knew him to be worthy of all confidence. After leaving school he worked for his father. He did not sit down and wait for something to turn up in his favor. He knew very well that success for him in life required hard work and plenty of it. An opportunity was soon offered him to study law, and he entered the office of Hon. Isaac C. Ormsby, with whom he read for four years. In November, 1886, he was admitted to the bar of Saratoga county, as an attorney and counsellor at law, and soon afterward opened his present law office in the town hall building. Although young in years Mr. O'Connor has secured a fine practice. In May, 1887, he was unanimously elected as village attorney of Waterford, and served so satisfactorily that he was chosen for a second and a third term. During this time many very important causes were successfully de- fended by him. The Hon. N. C. Moak, of Albany, said of Mr. O'Connor, in the case of Keane against Waterford : " The statement of facts has been prepared by my associate. It embraces as brief, clear, pointed and accu- rate a statement as has ever fallen under my observation, and evinces talents which show he is destined to achieve a high place in the profession."
On November 17, 1890, Mr. O'Connor was united in marriage with Margaret Fitzsim- mons, daughter of George Fitsimmons, of Warrensburg, Warren county, this State, and their union has been blessed with one child, a son, Thomas, jr., but he died February 19, 1893.
In politics Mr. O'Connor is a democrat, and although no politician, yet in 1890 he accepted the nomination for member of assembly for the first assembly district of Saratoga county,
and at the ensuing election was defeated by a very small majority, though the district was heavily republican.
He is a member of the New York State Firemen's association, and has served on the committees on law and legislation. Because of his conspicuous ability and habits of indus- try, Mr. O'Connor has won the respect and esteem of his fellow townsmen, and they have always been ready to honor him. He is the president of the Knickerbocker Steamer Com- pany, has served for six consecutive terms as clerk and treasurer of the board of education, and holds many other important trusts for the people of his native town. He is trusted be- cause he is trustworthy, admired because of his ability, and universally respected because he has achieved success through his own efforts. He is able, honest, hard-working and conscientious, and his future career promises to be one of honor and achievement.
A BEL PUTNAM, jr., a third cousin of the celebrated Israel Putnam, of Revo- lutionary fame, and the proprietor of the world renowned Royal spring of Saratoga, is a man of great inventive ability, and has been prom- inently identified with the material interests of Saratoga Springs by over a quarter of a century's residence and active business life within its village limits. He is a son of Capt. Abel and Lydia (Gould) Putnam, and was born in the town of Windham, in Windham county, Vermont, March 16, 1819. He was reared on the farm, received his education in the common schools and Chester academy, in his native State, and at twenty-one years of age engaged in the general mercantile business at a village in the town of Windham. Six years later he went to Londonderry, Vermont, where he was engaged in the milling business for six years. At the end of that time, in 1852, he disposed of his mill property, and went to Chester, in his native State, where he turned his attention to inventions and the
a. Intrame, for
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
handling of patented articles. From a boy he had been noted for inventive ability, and his first successful invention was made when liv- ing in Vermont, and was a practical clothes- pin, made by Newton & Thompson, of Bran- don, Vermont. He made his headquarters at the Weston hotel, New York city, and for ten years did a large and successful business in the manufacture and sale of patented goods. While he was thus successfully engaged the late war commenced, and he was appointed as a recruiting officer for the town of Chester, whose full quota of soldiers he raised. The press of his business and the labor and cares connected with his recruiting office affected his health, and in 1864, by advice of his phy- sician, he came to Saratoga Springs for rest and to try the virtues of its medical springs. The result more than justified his expecta- tions, and being restored to health, he was so favorably impressed with the village that he gave up his idea of returning to his native town. He purchased a residence on Van Dam street, where he has resided ever since. In 1866 he purchased an interest in the Star spring, of which he was general manager for several years. In 1873 he disposed of his interest in that spring, in order to give more of his time to the management and super- vision of sixty-five hundred acres of prairie land, which he had entered in 1856, with sol- diers' land warrants, at Decorah, Winneshiek county, Iowa. In a short time he had sold over five thousand acres of that land, and then engaged largely in dealing in patents and in real estate, which combined business he has followed ever since. In 1878 he purchased St. Nicholas hall, which, in 1882, he remod- eled and changed into the fine opera house now known as Putnam Music Hall. He also owns the handsome Putnam brick business block on Broadway street, and the Royal spring, which he drilled in 1886.
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