USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 56
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H ON. HUGH WHITE was a conscien- tious and high-minded man, who dared to do right regardless of consequences, and ably represented his district in Congress from 1845 to 1851. He was a son of Judge Hugh White, and was born at Whitestown, Oneida county, New York, December 25, 1798. He was graduated from Hamilton college in 1823, and in 1830 came to Waterford, where he died October 6, 1870. He was largely interested in manufacturing enterprises, and attained to a high position in the political affairs of his county. He was elected to Congress in 1844 and re-elected in 1846 and 1848, serving in all three continuous terms. He was a whig and republican in pol- itics, and had "a righteous hatred for all that was wrong, contemptible and mean." He was a Presbyterian, and lived a life of usefulness, honor and distinction.
C ORNELIUS SHEEHAN, the popular
president of the Congress Springs Com- pany at Saratoga Springs, who has been for many years an honored citizen of this county, was born August 27, 1819, in the city of Lim- erick, Ireland, where he grew to manhood and received a good practical education. After leaving school he learned the merchant tailor- ing business in his native city, and in 1836 bid farewell to the land of his birth and started for America, landing in the city of Quebec, Canada, where he resided for some years. After a trip to New York city to visit some relatives, and a few years' residence in the city of Troy, New York, he finally, in 1847, estab- lished himself in the clothing, furnishing and merchant tailoring business in the village of Saratoga Springs, New York, and soon there- after built up a prosperous business, which he successfully conducted until 1860, when he be- came interested in the Congress Spring Com- pany, with which he has ever since been iden- tified. In 1870 he was elected vice-president and general manager of the company, and served in that capacity until 1885, when he became president, which position he still oc- cupies. He is the largest stockholder in the company, and to his able and energetic man- agement is due much of the wonderful success of this enterprise in later years.
Congress Spring is perhaps the most famous of all the mineral springs in this vicinity. It was discovered in 1792 by a man named Gil- man, who had been a member of Congress, and it is said to owe its name to the latter fact. Title to the land runs back to the old Kayadrossera patent, and the prop- erty has been owned successively by Rip Van Dam, Jacob Walton, Isaac Low, Anthony Van Dam, the Livingstons, Dr. John Clarke, Wil- liam B. White, Mrs. Eliza Sheehan and the Congress Spring Company, its present owners. Dr. Clarke, who purchased the property in the spring of 1823, was the first to develop the spring, laying out a beautiful park, locating streets, building cottages and preparing the
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foundation for all the subsequent growth and prosperity of the place. In 1825 he began bottling the water from Congress spring, and now more than one hundred thousand dozen bottles of this water are sold every year, and it is known in all parts of the civilized world.
Of the park connected with the springs and owned by the Congress Spring Company, a writer says: " It was originally a forest, pos- sessing many natural attractions, but has been materially improved by grading, draining, and the addition of many architectural adornments, until it now presents a most beautiful appear- ance, and is one of Saratoga's greatest charms. During the year 1876 the company expended nearly one hundred thousand dollars on vari- ous improvements, until now it surpasses all other parks of equal size in the United States. The interior is artistically laid out in pleasant shady walks, and in the evening a band dis- courses sweet music from an artistic pavillion in the center of the lake. The grounds are thoroughly lighted at night by the Westen- house electric light, rendering them available as an evening resort. The scene in the even- ing, on the occasion of one of the grand con- certs, is remarkably brilliant and charmingly fascinating."
In 1860 Mr. Sheehan was married to Mrs. Eliza (Clarke) Thayer, daughter of the late Dr. John Clarke, formerly proprietor of Con- gress spring, and who practically created its commercial value. He was a native of York- shire, England, and married Mrs. Eliza White, by whom he had three children: Eliza, now Mrs. Sheehan ; Thomas and George B. Dr. Clarke died May 6, 1846, aged seventy-three years. To Mr. and Mrs. Shechan was born three children, one son and two daughters : Eliza Clarke, Thomas Clarke and Mary Louisa.
Politically Mr. Sheehan is an ardent demo- crat, and during his more active years took quite an interest in local politics. He is a pleasant, affable gentleman, and an intelligent, patriotic and highly esteemed citizen of Sara- toga county.
H ON. JOHN W. TAYLOR, one of the most distinguished men in political life that Saratoga county has ever produced, and the only citizen of the State of New York who has ever held the third place in the govern- ment of the United States, was a son of Judge John Taylor, and was born in what is now the town of Charlton, Saratoga county, March 26, 1784. He was graduated from Union college in 1803, then read law with Samuel Cook, and in 1806 entered upon the practice of his pro- fession as a partner of Mr. Cook. His polit- ical career commenced in 1811, when he was elected to the assembly, and from that on he rose rapidly. He was re-elected to the assembly in 1812, and in the autumn of that year was elected to Congress. For ten consecutive terms Mr. Taylor represented the district of which his county was a part in Congress, and twice during that time was chosen speaker of the house of represen- tatives, first in 1821, as Henry Clay's succes- sor, and again in 1825, for the full term of the Nineteenth Congress. Mr. Taylor was elected to the State senate in 1840, but resigned in in 1842, and in a short time afterward removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where he died, September 18, 1854, when in the seventy-first year of his age. His remains now rest in the Ballston Spa cemetery.
E EDGAR T. GRIFFING, the popular telegraph operator and railroad agent at Hadley, this county, is a son of Hon. Duncan and Mariah (Stackhouse) Griffing, and was born June 7, 1857, at Warrensburg, Warren county, New York. There he grew to man- hood and received his education in the public schools and the Warrensburg academy. After completing his academic studies he taught one term in the district school, and then entered the employ of the Northern New York Tele- graph Company, at Schroon Lake, Essex county, where for two years he was telegraph operator and express agent. He then returned
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to Thurman, Warren county, his home at that time, and occupied the position of railroad agent at that place for a period of four years. On March 14, 1881, he came to Hadley, Sar- atoga county, as general station agent, and has occupied that position ever since. His combined duties here include those of tele- graph operator and also the general manage- ment of the express, freight and passenger business of his road at this point. In addition to this he is also engaged in the coal business here, and is building up a nice trade in that line. He is active, energetic and accommo- dating, and has become very popular.
On December 22, 1880, Mr. Griffing was united in marriage to Effie A. Green, a daugh- ter of David A. Green, of Thurman, New York. In politics he is a stanch democrat, and although in no sense a politician is yet an active worker in the interests of his party. Mr. Griffing is also a leading member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and in 1893 served as delegate from Cascade Lodge to the Grand Lodge of that order, which met in the city of Syracuse. He is likewise prominently con- nected with the Improved Order of Red Men.
The Griffing family is of ancient Scotch lineage, and the coat of arms which they were entitled to use in the olden time is still in pos- session of the family. The exact date of their coming to America is not known, but tradition places it at a very early period. Col. William Griffing, paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of what is now Thurman, Warren county, this State. He was an extensive farmer and lumberman of that section, and represented that district in the State legislature for two terms, being elected by the Democratic party, of which he was a leading member. His title of colonel came from his commission as commanding officer of a regiment in the old State militia, in which he was also prominent and active for many years. He d.ed in Thurman, Warren county, May 22, 1867, aged seventy-five years. In early manhood he married Jane McEwan, and
reared a family of seven children, one of his sons being Hon. Duncan Griffing (father), who was born at Thurman, Warren county, in 1818. He grew up at that place and spent his entire life in Warren county. For many years he conducted the Warren hotel at Warrensburg, but is now retired from active business and is passing his declining years in quiet comfort at his home in that city, being in the seventy-fifth year of his age. He is a democrat in pol- itics, belonging to what is known as the Jacksonian school, and has taken an active part in political affairs nearly all his life. In 1870 he was elected a member of the State assembly from his district, and served with distinction in that honorable body. He is a member of the Episcopal church at Warrens- burg, and has been prominent in support of the various interests of that religious organi- zation. In 1842 he married Mariah Stackhouse, a daughter of Samuel Stackhouse, of Omar, . New York, and by this union had a family of five children, four of whom are now living : Mrs. Daniel B. Howard, nee Miss Louisa L. Griffing ; Orville S., and Charles H. Mrs. Griffing is now in her seventy-third year, and has been an exemplary member of the Metli- odist Episcopal church nearly all her life.
H ON. THOMAS C. MORGAN, who was a successful manufacturer of Waterford, was a son of William Morgan, and was born at Chatham, Columbia county, this State, August 19, 1809. He became a practical man- ufacturer of leather, and in 1832 came to Wa- terford, where he died March 5, 1871. He commanded the 104th New York militia for several years, and in 1847, with Hon. Joseph Daniels, represented the county in the assem- bly. Mr. Morgan was a whig and republican, and in 1838 married Frances Alida VanDen- burgh, a daughter of Gysebert and a grand- daughter of Winant Van Denburg, who wedded Sarah VanSchoonhoven.
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THADDEUS T. TEFFT, the present proprietor of the Tefft house at Saratoga Springs, is a son of Charles H. and Olive Ann (Cozzens) Tefft, and was born April 16, 1857, in the village of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga county, New York. The Teffts are of direct English descent, but have been native Amer- icans since the beginning of tlie seventeenth century, about which time the family was planted in the new world. They settled first in Rhode Island, and afterward came into Washington county, New York, among the earliest settlers of that section, where the family is now quite numerous. In that county was born Nathan Tefft, paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch. After attain- ing manhood he engaged in farming in the town of Greenwich, that county. Besides farming he devoted several years of his life to the milling business. He died at his Washing- ton county home in 1848, aged nearly seventy- two years. He was married November, 1805, to Betsey Buck, of Hartford, Washington county, New York, daughter of Levi and Isabel Buck. Levi Buck was a soldier in the Revo- lution. His native place was Vermont. He enlisted in his seventeenth year, was ever loyal to his country, and died in 1846, his wife dying in 1848. Nathan Tefft reared a family, among whom was Charles H. Tefft (father), who was born in 1821 on the old homestead in the town of Greenwich, where he lived until after his marriage. He then removed to Schuylerville, where he lived three years, and from there to the city of Buffalo, this State, and remained there for a period of six years, engaged in the milling business, which he had learned while a young man. From Buffalo he came to Sar- atoga Springs, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying November, 1888, at the ad- vanced age of sixty-six. After coming to this village he spent several years in the milling business, and then established a boarding house, which he successfully conducted for nearly a quarter of a century, having been a citizen of Saratoga Springs for forty years
previous to his decease. He was a member of the First Baptist church of this village for more than thirty years, and widely known for his upright character and kindly disposition. In politics he was first a whig and later a re- publican. Soon after reaching his majority he married Olive Ann Cozzens, a daughter of Capt. W. J. Cozzens, of Greenwich, Washing- ton county, this State. By this marriage he had a family of six children, three sons and three daughters : Josephine, Charles H., Hi- ram C., Annie E., Thaddeus G. and Hattie. Mrs. Tefft was a native of Greenwich, a con- sistent member of the Baptist church nearly all her life, and died at Saratoga Springs, July 6, 1889, in the sixty-sixth year of her age. Capt. W. J. Cozzens, paternal grandfather, was also of English lineage, though a native of Newport, Rhode Island. He was a sea- faring man, and for many years commanded a merchant vessel, being widely known in the marine service of that day. He perished at sea. His wife's maiden name was Mary Ann Mowry, and to them was born a family of thirteen children, of whom Mrs. Cozzens was the youngest. Their family history can be traced back for eight or ten generations.
Thaddeus T. Tefft was reared in the village of Saratoga Springs, and received a superior English education in the public schools of this place. After leaving school he accepted a po- sition as clerk in a large men's furnishing goods store of this village, where he remained for several years. At the death of his father, in 1888, he succeeded him in the management of the boarding house which the former had been conducting, and has been successfully engaged in that business ever since. This house is located on Franklin street, is known as the Tefft house, and has long been among the most popular and best patronized boarding houses of Saratoga Springs. It is a three story brick structure, and can accommodate about seventy-five guests.
In his political affiliations Mr. Tefft is a stanch democrat, though never taking any
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active part in politics. His only brother, Charles H. Tefft, jr., is a practicing lawyer at Saratoga Springs.
R OBERT HARCOURT, editor and pro- prietor of the Stillwater Journal, and who served as a Union soldier along the South Atlantic coast and under Sheridan and Grant in Virginia, is a son of John and Anna (Powis) Harcourt, and was born at Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, December 30, 1842. John Harcourt is a native of England, where he has always resided. He was graduated from the world-renowned Oxford college, in the department of law, and during the active years of his life was engaged in the successful practice of his profession as a counsellor. He retired some years ago from active life, and has now passed the ninety-first milestone on life's rugged pathway. He is a member of St. Peter's Episcopal church in his native county, where for over half a century his voice and pen and best efforts in every way were given for the good of the church and the ad- vancement of morality and Christianity. Mr. Harcourt has been twice married, and by his second wife, Anna ( Powis) Harcourt, who died December 18, 1862, aged fifty-eight years, he had two children : Robert and William. Mrs. Anna Harcourt was a daughter of Squire Littleton Powis, a native of Tilltenhall, Staf- fordshire, England, and a gentleman of prop- erty and social standing in his county.
Robert Harcourt received an academic edu- cation and then was articled to learn civil engineering and surveying, but before com- pleting his profession abandoned the idea of following it for a life pursuit, and came to this country in 1862 to seek his fortunes where the avenues to success and achievement were not so crowded as in the old world, with its teem- ing millions and limited opportunities. Soon after landing at New York he enlisted on No- vember 6, 1862, in Co. K, 4Ist New York in- fantry, and served until December 24, 1865,
when he was honorably discharged from the Federal service at Cumberland Court House, Virginia. He served along the South Atlantic coast, was in the siege of Charleston, saw hard fighting in the Shenandoah valley under Sher- idan, and then did fatiguing and dangerous siege duty at Petersburg. Returning from the army in December, 1865, Mr. Harcourt came to Stillwater. He was variously engaged at carpentering, wagon making and house and sign painting until 1887, when he started in the job printing business at Stillwater. In June, 1892, he issued the first number of the Stillwater Journal, a non-partisan sheet, devoted to gen- eral and current information and home and local news. His job office is well equipped and does a large amount of work, while his paper is rapidly gaining a wide circulation. Mr. Harcourt makes the Journal bright, newsy and accurate, and has won public commenda- tion and appreciation for his paper.
Robert Harcourt, on August 15, 1866, was united in marriage with Mary J. Bratt, and to their union have been born eight children, ยท all of whom are deceased except one daugh- ter, Mary, who is now engaged in the millinery business at Stillwater. Mrs. Harcourt is a daughter of Nicholas and Jeanette (Goslin) Bratt, and a granddaughter of Nicholas Bratt, sr., who lived to reach the remarkable age of one hundred and three years.
In political opinion Mr. Harcourt is a re- publican. He is a member of Second Baptist church and Gilbert Thompson Post, No. 480, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he was adjutant for five and commander for two years. In the organization of Gilbert Thompson Post, in 1883, Mr. Harcourt took an active and use- ful part, and ever since has been a zealous and earnest worker for its continued success and prosperity.
THE BATCHELLER FAMILY is one of the early settled families of Edinburg, and was founded by Ambrose Batcheller, who
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came, in 1808, from Vermont, and settled about one mile from the site of Batchellerville, which bears his name. To Amos and Sally Batcheller were born five children. Their son, Sherman, was the father of Gen. George S., who served in the late war, and went to Egypt, where he became a judge in the Khe- dive's court. Rensselaer, another son, had three children, one of whom is Lt. Com. Oli- ver H. Batcheller, who served with distinction in the late civil war.
H' IRAM OWEN, who for twenty years has been superintendent of the Grand Union hotel at Saratoga Springs, and who, as a contractor and builder, was also closely iden- tified with the growth and development of the village from 1849 to 1873, was born in the town of Berne, Albany county, New York, on Sep- tember 20, 1819, and is consequently now in the seventy-fourth year of his age. He is a son of Henry and Lucinda (Tubbs) Owen, and was reared principally in his native town, where he secured a good practical education in the common schools. His father died when he was only ten years of age, and he was thus early thrown on his own resources. In 1838, at the age of nineteen he came to the village of Saratoga Springs, this county, which has been his home ever since that time. He learned the carpenter trade when a young man, and worked at that occupation until 1849, when he engaged in contracting and building on his own account. He continued that business successfully until 1873, and during that time erected a large number of the finest houses now in the village of Saratoga Springs. Among them may be mentioned the Congress Hall hotel, the large residence of E. R. Stephens on Washington street, the residence of R. J. Mulligan, corner of Philadelphia and Circular streets; the Female seminary building, and many other fine specimens of architecture, all of which attest his ability and skill as a builder, and his honesty and integrity as a contractor.
In 1873, on retiring from the business of a contractor and builder, he became superinten- dent of the Grand Union hotel, and has ac- ceptably filled that position ever since.
During the years of 1862 and 1863 Mr. Owen was in the employ of the United States government as foreman in the engineering de- partment at Fortress Monroe and Fort Wool. While at Fortress Monroe he witnessed the historic battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac. Politically he is a republican, and has occupied a number of local offices here, including that of water commissioner, mem- ber of the school board and superintendent of the village. He also superintended the con- struction of the water works at Saratoga Springs, and to his ability and sound judg- ment is due much of the excellence of these works. In religion he is a Baptist and a prom- inent member and trustee of that church at Saratoga Springs.
In 1842 Mr. Owen was married to Catherine M. Van Dorn, a daughter of Nicholas Van Dorn, of the village of Saratoga Springs. She died in 1858, leaving three children, two sons and a daughter : Frederick N .; Lucinda E., now the wife of Jerome Pitney, of this vil- lage ; and John G. In 1859 Mr. Owen was again married, wedding for his second wife Charity S. Wilson, a daughter of George C. R. Wilson, of Burnt Hills, this county. By this union he had one child, a daughter named Catherine Sophia, who married William S. Gutierrez, of New York city, where they now reside.
The Owen family is of Welsh descent, and was planted in America at an early day, but the time of their coming is unknown, and much of their subsequent history has been lost through frequent removals and neglect to keep proper records. Henry Owen (father), when a young man, resided for a time at Sara- toga Springs, from whence he removed to Al- bany county, and settled in the town of Berne. There he died in 1829, at the early age of forty years, when the subject of this sketch was in
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his tenth year. He was a carriage and wagon maker by trade, and carried on an extensive shop in Albany county, where he at once be- came noted for the excellence of his work. He married Lucinda Tubbs, of Albany county, and had a family of six children. Mrs. Owen was a native of the town of Berne, that county, and died in 1867, at the advanced age of sev- enty-two years. Her father, a Mr. Tubbs (maternal grandfather), was descended from one of the old families of that part of New York, and served with distinction as an officer in the Revolutionary war.
STEPHEN WOOD, a highly respected citizen and substantial and reliable busi- ness man of Stillwater, is a son of Thomas I. and Hester (Helicker) Wood, and was born at Fishkill, in Duchess county, New York, November 22, 1812. He enjoyed but limited educational advantages, and at an early age engaged in farming, which he soon quit to en- ter the employ of Rufus Barton on the Cham- plain canal, as captain of one of his boats running between Whitehall and Troy, at a sal- ary of "thirty-five dollars per month and found," which was the highest wages then paid on the canal or river. At the end of seven years he left the canal to embark in farming and real estate speculations in the town of Lansing burg, Rensselaer county, where he remained until 1844, when he purchased his father's farm of three hundred and seven- teen acres of land in the town of Stillwater. He also purchased another farm there, some years later, for eight thousand dollars, and after residing on it until 1871, he disposed of it for fifteen thousand dollars. In the last named year he commenced dealing in lumber, coal, flour and feed at Stillwater, and has con- tinued successfully in that line of business ever since, beside establishing his present planing and saw mills in 1876, and buying and selling large quantities of potatoes. In all of his business enterprises and speculative ventures
Mr. Wood has been remarkably fortunate. A republican in politics and a Baptist in relig- ion, his life's career has been one of activity and usefulness. In the days of " general train- ing " he was lieutenant of a military company at Lansingburg, under Colonel Miller. He has been a deacon of the Second Baptist church of Stillwater for a quarter of a century, and for fifty years has been an earnest Chris- tian worker.
Stephen Wood, on January 5, 1843, was united in marriage with Temmy Ingham, who is a daughter of Josiah and Temmy (Haines) Ingham, of Hoosic, and was born November 25, 1818. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have two chil- dren : Dr. Edward I. and Stephen Francis. Dr. Edward I. Wood was graduated from Al- bany Medical college in the class of 1865; after practicing a short time was induced by his father to assume charge of a portion of the latter's business ; is a prohibitionist and a Baptist ; and on January 15, 1867, married Louise Cornwell, daughter of John H. Corn- well, by whom he has one child, Mary M. Stephen Francis Wood is a republican and a Baptist, assists his father in several of his business enterprises, and on May 6, 1875, wedded Addie Hiney, daughter of Jacob Hiney, by whom he has two children : Kate L. and Emma M.
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