USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 50
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On the 10th of October, 1843, Mr. Putnam married Hannah P. Harris, who was a daugh- ter of Judge William Harris, of Windliam,
Vermont, and who died July 29, 1888, leaving five children : Abel A., now one of the largest wholesale boot and shoe merchants of the city of Chicago; Lizzie H., wife of Hon. B. D. Stone, of -Camden, New York ; Mary U., who married Guy E. Pierson, of Saratoga Springs ; Louisa C., and Loa L.
Abel Putnam, jr., is a straight republican in politics, and has been for many years a mem- ber of Rising Sun Lodge, No. 103, Free and Accepted Masons. In 1886 he conceived the idea that there was a good vein of water through his lot at the corner of Lake avenue and Henry street, and drilled for a spring. On September 25 of that year the drill, at five hundred and eighty feet, struck the vein of "Royal spring water" that has been flow- ing ever since at the rate of twelve hundred gallons daily. This celebrated water is not excelled either in alkaline elements or in nat- ural gas by any other mineral water. It con- tains alumina, silica, traces of phosphate and biorate of soda, sulphate of potassa, trace of fluoride of calcium, iodide and bromide of sodium, chlorides of sodium and potassium, and bicarbonates of lithia, soda, ammonia magnesia, lime and iron. This water is inti- mately combined with free carbonic acid gas, has splendid medicinal properties, and has been used ever since its discovery as a table water in many of the States and territories of the Union.
As an inventor Mr. Putnam ranks high, and out of thirteen applications that he has made for patents on his inventions he has received twelve. He is the inventor of the "Putnam Soapstone Heat Retainer." It is one of the best and most saving of heat devices of the age. This heater takes tlie place of a stove, costs nothing for fuel, and can be used over either coal or wood stoves to lieat upper or adjoining rooms. "Mr. Putnam is a hale and liearty old gentleman, with a pleasant, genial disposition. His conversation is at all times mirth-provoking, with an undercurrent of dry humor. He is blessed with good health and
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unimpaired mental faculties, thus enabling him to transact all of his business at his office, where he spends several hours daily." Soon after the war he invented what is known as the army blanket hook, and sold one-half in- terest to the Monitor Company for twenty-two thousand dollars, and realized in all about thirty thousand dollars from this one little patent. The Putnam family is of English lineage, and was founded in New England by three brothers, John, Nathaniel and Thomas Putnam, who came in 1634 from Buckingham- shire, England, and settled at Danvers, Essex county, Massachusetts. From one of these brothers was descended Captain Daniel Put- nam, the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Capt. Daniel Putnam was a cousin of the distinguished Gen. Israel Put- nam, under whom he fought during the Revo- lutionary war. Captain Putnam was a farmer, and in 1812 removed to Windham, Vermont, where he died at fifty-five years of age. Of his twelve children, one was Capt. Abel Put- nam (father), who was born in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, January 8, 1794, and died in Chester, Vermont, July 2, 1878, at eighty-four years of age. He was an extensive farmer, a strong and active whig and republican in politics, and from early life had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, although he attended a Congregational church for many years, on account of his own denomination at Windham being too weak in number to organ- ize either a class or a church. He was a jus- tice of the peace, had served as a captain in the war of 1812, and married Lydia Gould, who died July 22, 1868, at seventy-two years of age. Mrs. Putnam was a daughter of Capt. John Gould, who served as an aide on Gen- eral Washington's staff during the Revolution- ary war. Captain Gould was of English de- scent, and removed from his native State of Massachusetts to West Minster, Vermont, where he established the first newspaper that was ever published in the "Green Mountain State." A lot of his type and a type-board
which he used is now in the possession of his grandson, Abel Putnam, jr., whose name ap- pears at the head of this sketch.
C HARLES F. SEE, a man of business ability and experience, and the chief en- gineer of the Saratoga Springs fire depart- ment, is a son of George W. and Margaret Caroline (Jones) See, and was born in the town of Corinth, Saratoga county, New York, June 19, 1852. The Sees are of German descent, and Martin See, the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Duchess county, New York, but resided for many years in the town of Wilton before his death, which occurred November 23, 1876, at eighty years of age. His son, George W. See, was born November 28, 1825, and died February 28, 1874, at forty-eight years of age. He was a democrat in politics, and served for several years as a stationary en- gineer. Mr. See wedded Margaret Caroline Jones, who was a daughter of Isaac Jones, and passed away August 27, 1873, at forty- seven years of age. To their union were born two children, both sons.
Charles F. See was reared on the farm, re- ceived his education in the public schools, and then was engaged in farming until he was twenty-four years of age. He then went to Greenwich, in Washington county, where he spent two years in working at the wagon- making business. From Greenwich he came to Saratoga Springs and accepted a position with D. Lohnas, in the grain, feed and dressed beef business. Ten years later, in May, 1889, he became a permanent employee of the Sar- atoga fire department, and on April 1, 1892, was appointed chief engineer, which position he has held ever since.
On August 27, 1871, Mr. See was united in marriage with Annie E. Wilcox, daughter of Cyrenus Wilcox, of the town of Wilton.
Charles F. See is a member of Saratoga
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Lodge, No. 15, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Home Lodge, No. 398, Free and Accepted Masons ; and Rising Sun Chapter, No. 131, Royal Arch Masons, of Saratoga Springs. He is also a member of Cryptic Council, No. 31, of Saratoga Springs, New York. He is a republican in politics, but does not take any decided part in political affairs, although he is ever active in the true interests of his party. Mr. See is a descen- dant of a revolutionary soldier, his paternal great-great-grandfather having been an Amer- ican soldier who fell in battle during the move- ments against St. Ledger in the Mohawk val- ley in 1777.
L ADY HARRIET ACLAND, whose name as written in English biograph- ical works, was Lady Christiana Henrietta Fox Acland, was a daughter of Stephen, first earl of Ilchester, England, and was born Jan- uary 3, 1750. In 1770 she married Major John Dyke Acland, who was a brave but rash man. When her husband came with Burgoyne, she accompanied him and nursed him while sick and afterward when wounded and a captive in the American camp. Her devotion to her hus- band and the privations of war which she en- dured, as well as the dangers of the battle of Saratoga that she passed through, have pre- served her name in history as a noble and brave woman.
Major and Lady Acland returned in 1778 to England, where he died the same year. They had two children : Sir John and Elizabeth Kitty, wife of the earl of Carnaruron. Lady Acland died of cancer on July 21, 1815. Her portrait, painted by Reynolds, shows her face to be one of great determination of character. In person she was highly graceful and delicate, and her manners were elegantly feminine. "The narrative of her sufferings during the Burgoyne campaign forms one of the brightest episodes in the history of the Revolutionary war."
W ILLIAM S. WATERBURY, of
Ballston Spa, an active and intelligent citizen of the county, and chief clerk in the office of the secretary of State, is a son of Rev. William - E. and Mary (Fay) Waterbury, and was born in East Greenbush, Rensselaer county, New York, May 1, 1848. He comes of stanch old English stock, and his English ancestors came to the United States in the latter part of 1600, and located at Stamford, Connecticut, where his great-grandfather, David Waterbury, was born. Early in life David Waterbury removed to Rensselaer county, where he became one of the earliest settlers. Ezra Waterbury (grandfather) was but an infant when David, his father, settled in Rensselaer county. He was a farmer dur- ing his entire life, and had been a member of the Baptist church for many years before his death. Rev. William E. Waterbury (father) was born in Rensselaer county, New York, but in 1820 removed to Galway, in Saratoga county, where he lived until 1829, when he located in Ballston Spa, and there he re- mained until his death, which occurred in 1885, at ninety-two years of age. He was a Baptist minister, the second pastor of that church in Ballston. He was quiet and unas- suming in his manner, greatly devoted to his profession, and lived only to do good to others. He was one of thirteen children born to Ezra Waterbury. In politics he was a strong dem- ocrat. His wife, Mary (Fay) Waterbury, was a native of Providence, Rhode Island, and of English and Welsh descent. She died in 1883, at the age of eighty years. Her grand- father, Rev. Joseph Cornell, was one of the first Baptist ministers of Providence, Rhode Island. He afterward accepted a charge in Galway. Cyrus Fay, father of Mrs. Water- bury, was a native of Galway. He was a tanner, and lived during the greater part of his life in the town of Northampton, Fulton county, New York.
William S. Waterbury was reared princi- pally in the village of Ballston Spa, received
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his education at home and learned the print- er's trade in that place. At the age of eighteen he bought the office of the Ballston Spa Demo- crat, a weekly newspaper, which he edited and conducted for twenty years. In January, 1886, he was appointed chief clerk to the secretary of the State, which position he still holds.
The well-preserved, large frame house in which Mr. Waterbury resides was built for hotel purposes in 1797, and is interesting, aside from its age, having been the temporary stopping place of Washington Irving in 1802, on which occasion he scratched his name on one of its windows. The pane containing the precious relic is carefully preserved by Mr. Waterbury.
William S. Waterbury is a democrat, and as an editor did much in the interests of his party in his county.
H ORACE J. MEDBERY, who has been prominently identified for the last decade with the material interests of Mechanicville, is one of the progressive and representative business men of the county. He is a son of Stephen B. and Sarah M. (Clark) Medbery, and was born in the city of Schenectady, Schenectady county, New York, August 10,
1845. His paternal grandfather, Stephen Medbery, was of Scotch and English descent. He was born and reared near Providence, Rhode Island, the early home of the Medbery family, and after attaining his majority, he removed to Greenfield, this county, where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1844. He was a farmer by occupation, and a Jack- sonian democrat in politics, well earning and worthily sustaining the name of the democratic school with which he was affiliated. He mar- ried Lydia Martin, of English Pilgrim ances- try, who died in 1886, aged ninety-nine years and nine months, and to them were born thirteen children : Allen, William, Julianne Alcott, Sylvanie Van Vranker, Nathan, Ste-
phen B., Amasa, Daniel, Pamelia, Lydia, Lu- cinda, Rhoda, Lovinia, and Stephen B. Med- bery (father), the third son, was born August 4, 1815, at Greenfield. He received a good education, and after some time spent as a clerk in a bank in Schenectady, this State, he removed in 1846 to Ballston Spa, where he was in the hotel business for several years. He still resides there. He is a republican and an Episcopalian, and has been twice married. For his first wife he married Sarah Clark, who was a daughter of Nathaniel and Sarah (Bis- sel) Clark, and who died in 1872, at fifty-two years of age. By this marriage Mr. Medbery had six children : Horace J., Stephen C., Abba Verbeck, Sarah, now dead; Minnie, wife of Dr. F. J. Sherman, and George, now dead.
Horace J. Medbury received his education in the public schools and Professor Babcock's institute, of Ballston Spa, and then became an assistant in the county clerk's office, which he left in February, 1864, to enlist in Co. D, 192d New York infantry. He participated in numerous skirmishes, and served in one cam- paign in the Shenandoah valley against Mosby, acted for some time as private secretary to Gen. Stephen Thomas, and was honorably discharged from the Federal service at Albany, this State, September, 1865. Returning from the Union army, he was engaged for four years in the wholesale notion business in New York city, and then became a member of the paper and paper collar manufacturing firm of Medbery & Mann, of Ballston Spa, which continued in existence until 1876, when Mr. Medbery removed to Newburg, this State. He there became a member of the firm of James A. Townsend & Co., that was engaged in the manufacture of writing papers, for two years. At the end of that time, in 1879, he came to Mechanicville, where he rented the Howland paper mill, which he ran until 1881, when he organized the Hudson River Water Power and Paper Company and erected a dam eight hundred feet long across the Hudson
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river and one of the largest chemical fibre and paper mills in the United States. In nine months this dam and mill was erected, and in its construction three and a half millions of brick were used, while the mason work was estimated at thirty-three thousand yards of stone in the dam alone, being the largest amount of masonry ever finished on a single piece of work in that length of time in America. For four years he acted as secretary and gen- eral manager of the company, and in 1892 embarked in his present prosperous and rap- idly increasing fibre business. The business is now conducted by the Fiberite Company, in which Mr. Medbery is president and retains a controlling interest. They make a specialty of fibre pipes for interior conduits for wiring buildings for electricity, etc. This cheap but durable pipe is made of wood fibre, and was patented by Mr. Medbery, who is the inventor of it. He has also invented and patented an improved fibre pail, for the manufacture of which he will soon erect works that when completed, will furnish regular employment for over one hundred and fifty hands. His inventions are not confined to replacing wood with paper, but in the electrical field he has experimented with good success, inventing an insulator to be used on electric street railway overhead line work. He is also the inventor of a substitute for hard rubber and celluloid, which is stronger and much cheaper, and very largely in use. He has done much for the progress and prosperity of his village, and is a man of activity, energy and determination.
On February 21, 1868, Mr. Medbery mar- ried Alicia Montrose, daughter of Nathaniel and Ann (Smith) Montrose, of Ballston Spa, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Medbery have four children : R. Montrose, Aileen, H. Stuart and H. Malcom.
Horace J. Medbery is a stanch republican in politics, but has never been an aspirant for office. He is a member of Franklin Lodge, No. 90, Free and Accepted Masons, and Mc- Kittrick Post, Grand Army of the Republic.
Few men have more rapidly won their way from comparative obscurity to honorable po- sition and commanding influence in their home section than Horace J. Medbery, whose re- markable success is due to his own efforts.
R OBERT S. ATWELL, a highly re- spected citizen of Schuylerville, and a substantial business man and prominent Ma- son of Saratoga county, is a son of Rev. Paul P. and Nancy (Nichols) Atwell, and was born at Milton, Saratoga county, New York, Jan- uary 23, 1831. His paternal grandfather, John Atwell, was a son of the immigrant an- cestor of the Atwell family, who came from Scotland to New Hampshire. John Atwell was a farmer by occupation, and married and reared a family of eight children : Rev. John, Dr. William, Bertha Cochran, Rebecca, Rev. Samuel, Chase, Stebbins, and Rev. Paul P. The youngest son, Rev. Paul P. (father), was born at Groton, New Hampshire, March 28, 1801, and died at Schuylerville, June 13, 1873, aged seventy-two years, two months and fif- teen days. He read medicine and was grad- uated from Castleton Medical college, of Vermont, in the class of 1827. After gradua- tion he practiced at Amsterdam, New York, and at Milton, in this county, for some time ; then conceived it to be his duty to preach the gospel, and while continuing still to practice he took a theological course. He was ordained to the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1843, in the city of Troy, and for thirty-three years held charges and did effi- cient pastoral work, in several instances having a circuit whose extent required six weeks of daily service to reach all of its appointments. Efficient as a minister, and successful as a physician, he lived a life of usefulness. He was a whig and republican in politics, served as postmaster for several years of Rexford's Flats, and was a school inspector for some time at Schuylerville. Reverend Atwell was a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 22, Free
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and Accepted Masons, and St. John's Chap- ter, No. 113, Royal Arch Masons. He wedded Nancy Nichols, a daughter of Caleb and Abi- gail Nichols, and who died on February 14, 1882, at seventy-five years of age. To Rev. and Mrs. Atwell were born ten children, five sons and five daughters : Lucy A. Seeley, Richard N., Julia R. Kitridge, Charles H., Robert S., Mary J. Stephens, John E., Eliza- beth A., deceased, Fannie N. Hulbert, and George O.
Robert S. Atwell was reared in his native county, and received his education at Castle- ton, Vermont. He entered Castleton Medical college, but ill health prevented him from complying with certain technicalities in passing through the final examinations, and on that account the faculty refused to allow him the degree of M. D., although certifying to his proficiency in his course and his ability to successfully practice medicine. Leaving Cas- tleton he returned to Schuylerville and formed a partnership with his brother, under the firm name of R. N. & R. S. Atwell. They con- ducted a book and stationery store for some time, and then removed to Victory Mills, where he and C. H. Atwell were engaged in the general mercantile business until 1890, when Mr. Atwell retired from active life. He has since 1882 been resident of Schuyler- ville, where he has a pleasant and comfortable home.
On February 14, 1855, Mr Atwell married Phebe A. McCready, daughter of Gamaliel and Nancy (Marshall) McCready. Mr. and Mrs. Atwell have an adopted daughter, Ka- tie A.
Robert S. Atwell is a liberal democrat in politics, and served for thirty-two years as postmaster of Victory Mills. He was ap- pointed by President Buchanan in 1858, served under democratic and republican administra- tions alike until 1890, when he resigned, and there are undoubtedly but few men in the United States that have served longer as a postmaster than Mr. Atwell. He and his
brother, R. N. Atwell, published the Battle Ground Herald from 1853 to 1857, and while it was under Mr. Atwell's editorial charge it ranked as one of the liveliest and newsiest papers of the county. Mr. Atwell is one of the substantial men of the county. He owns two good farms in the town of Saratoga, be- sides a large tract of farming land in Minne- sota, and considerable valuable property at Schuylerville. He is a member of the Re- formed church, and enjoys the confidence and respect of all who know him. He is a charter member and a present officer of Schuylerville Lodge, No. 676, Free and Accepted Masons, and Home Chapter, No. 176, Royal Arch Masons, and has represented his lodge in the State Grand Lodge, and his Chapter in the State Grand Chapter.
M AJ. GEN. PHILIP SCHUYLER,
soldier, patriot and statesman, was born at Albany, New York, November 22, 1733, and his ancestry will be found in the history of the Schuyler family, which is given else- where in this volume. By the law of primo- geniture he inherited his father's estate, but generously divided it with his brothers and sisters. In the French and Indian war he commanded a company under Johnson and a regiment under Lord Howe, and after peace was a member of the assembly, in which he advocated the cause of the colonies. He was a member of the Continental Congress of 1775, was appointed a major-general, and the same year invaded Canada, but, becoming sick, turned the command over to General Mont- gomery. Recovering, he organized the de- partment of the north, and in March, 1775, was superseded without cause by Gates. He was reinstated in May, and in the summer when he was ready to strike a decisive blow against Burgoyne, he was again superseded by Gates, who received the laurels of victory that should have been General Schuyler's. He demanded a court of inquiry, which gave
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him a highly flattering verdict, and then re- tired from military life, although offered an important command by Washington. He afterward resided in Saratoga county, where he died. He was a member of Congress, served in the State senate, and was twice elected to the United States senate. Lossing says of him : " In 1803 his wife, the compan- ion of all his joys and sorrows, died ; and in July, 1804, his spirit was terribly smitten by the murder of his son-in-law, Alexander Ham- ilton, by the duellist's hand. Pure patriotism, unselfish benevolence, unflinching integrity, unwavering public and private virtue, were the marked characteristics of Philip Schuyler."
JOHN T. RICE, a pleasant and popular business man of wide acquaintance, a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and the efficient supervisor of the town of Corinth, is a son of Lieut. Philip and Martha (Stead) Rice, and was born at Port Henry, in the town of Moriah, Essex county, New York, February 9, 1849. He was reared principally at the town of Corinth, received his education in the common schools and Palmer Falls insti- tute, and became a clerk in a Philadelphia grocery house, where he remained for a few years. He then returned to Corinth, where he taught school and was variously employed until January, 1871, when he became travel- ing salesman for the dry goods house of T. J. Roberts & Co., New York city. He now rep- resents the well known house of J. C. Hieber & Co., Utica, New York. As a commercial traveler he has been successful, and during his twenty years of active work he has gained an extensive knowledge of business, and made the acquaintance of a large number of the best business men of every town in this and many other counties of the great Empire State. He is a public-spirited citizen, and was one of the first men to suggest and work for the present splen- did Union free school of Corinth. He also early advocated a system of water works, and
is now a director of the Dunn Water Supply Company, and in many other ways has been active for the prosperity and growth of his village. Mr. Rice is a stanch republican, whose zeal in behalf of his party never flags in the hour of adversity. He has served two terms each as collector and inspector of elec- tions, and one term as village trustee, and in 1870 was United States census enumerator for the towns of Corinth, Wilton and Moreau. In February of the present year (1893) he was unanimously nominated by the republicans of his town for supervisor, and at the ensuing election was chosen for the place by a hand- some majority.
On October 1, 1873, Mr. Rice married Agnes Downie, of Schaghticoke, New York, and their union has been blessed with one child, a son named Philip E., who was born December 24, 1878.
John T. Rice is an active and capable busi- ness man, thoroughly qualified to hold his present office or any other office in his town or county with which the financial interests of his fellow-citizens are directly connected. He is a member of Corinth Lodge, No. 174, In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows; Camp Al- exander Walker, No. 228, Sons of Veterans ; and the First Presbyterian church, of which he has been an elder for several years. Mr. Rice is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, being a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 22, Free and Accepted Masons ; St. John's Chapter, No. 103, Royal Arch Ma- sons ; Washington Commandery, No. 33, Knights Templar ; and Oriental Temple, No- bles of the Mystic Shrine."
The Rice family is of Welsh-Irish descent, and was founded in New York about the com- mencement of the present century by Thomas Rice (grandfather). He was a shoe dealer of the city of Albany, where he died in 1847, at forty years of age. His son, Philip Rice (father), was born in 1822, and came, in 1834, to Albany, which he left in 1846 to settle in Essex county. He left there in 1852, and
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