USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 60
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Thomas Howland, eldest brother of Jona- than, was elected to the State assembly from Saratoga county, and acceptably served one term in that honorable body. He was a dem- ocrat in politics, and was serving as one of the custom house inspectors in New York city at the time of his decease, January 1, 1847, and his death was caused by ship fever, contracted while in the discharge of his official duties as inspector.
JANTHUS G. JOHNSON, M. D., a
prominent and successful physician of Greenfield Centre, this county, who has been in continuous practice since 1853, is a son of Darius and Alma (Barney) Johnson, and was born at Greenfield Centre, Saratoga county, New York, March 1, 1830. His ancestors were of Scotch lineage, the family being planted in America by Elkanah Johnson, great-grand- father of the subject of this sketch, who left his native Scotland on account of religious persecutions, and after arriving in this country settled in Rhode Island. His son, Edmund Johnson (grandfather), was born at Coventry, Kent county, Rhode Island, May 4, 1741, and resided in that colony until after the Revolu- tionary war, in which he served as captain of a company of Rhode Island volunteers. In the fall of 1783 he left his native State and removed to New York, settling in Stillwater, Saratoga county, where the family has ever since resided. He was an extensive farmer, married Sarah Potter, and reared a family of nine children, one of his sons being Darius Johnson (father), who was born at Coventry, Kent county, Rhode Island, October 20, 1783, and was brought to this county by his parents, while yet an infant in arms. Here he grew to manhood, received a good common school education, and afterward studied medicine with Dr. Asa C. Barney, of this village. At the age of twenty-four he passed his examin- ation, and at once opened an office at Green- field Centre, where he continued the success- ful practice of his profession for nearly sixty years, and until his death, December 7, 1866, when in the eighty-second year of his age. Originally a democrat, he became a republican at the outbreak of the civil war, and ever after- ward gave that party an earnest support. He served as surgeon of the 59th New York State militia, and was for many years a prominent member of the Masonic order. On October 28, 1815, he married Alma Barney, a daughter of Reuben Barney, of the town of Arlington, Bennington county, Vermont. They had a
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
family of five children, three sons and two daughters : Delia, who married Preston Den- ton, now deceased, in the State of Missouri ; George F., now deceased, who for many years was a practicing physician at Stillwater, this county ; Dr. Lyman B. W., formerly of Wis- consin, now deceased ; Ianthus, the subject of this sketch, and Elizabeth G., wife of Lewis Salisbury, and now deceased, of the town of Stillwater. Mrs. Alma Johnson died April 2, 1877, aged eighty-three years.
Ianthus G. Johnson spent his boyhood days in his native village of Greenfield Centre, re- ceived a good English education in the public schools here, and then studied medicine with his father. Later he matriculated at the AJ- bany Medical college, Albany, New York, and was duly graduated from that institution in the spring of 1853, with the degree of M. D. He soon afterward began practice in the vil- lage of Greenfield Centre, but after two years located in Washington county, this State, where he remained a short time, and then re- moved to Dundee, Kane county, Illinois. In that State Dr. Johnson remained for the space of two years, after which he returned to New York and again located at Greenfield Centre, where he has been successfully engaged in the .practice of his profession ever since. He is widely known and highly esteemed both as a physician and citizen.
Dr. Johnson is an active member of the New York State Medical association, and was connected with the County and Tri-County Medical societies until they went out of ex- istence. He is a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 22, Free and Accepted Masons, of Green- field Centre; St. John's Chapter, No. 103, Royal Arch Masons, and Washington Com- mandery, No. 33, Knights Templar, of Sara- toga Springs. Politically he is a stanch republican, and has served as supervisor of the town for a period of two years.
On December 17, 1862, Dr. Johnson wed- ded Amanda F. Wing, a daughter of Isaac Wing, of the town of Stillwater, this county.
To the Doctor and Mrs. Johnson were given two sons, the elder of whom, Arthur W., was born February 8, 1864, studied medicine with his father, was graduated from the Albany Medical college March 6, 1888, and is now engaged in practice with his father. He is a republican and takes great interest in political affairs, has served as clerk, and is a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 22, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, and of St. John's Chapter, No. 103, Royal Arch Masons. The younger son, Byron S., was born September 25, 1868, was educated at Poultney, Vermont, and is now engaged in the mercantile business at Porter's Corners, New York. He is also a republican in politics, is a Royal Arch Mason, and on May 24, 1892, married May Helen Lane, a daughter of William H. Lane, of the county of Saratoga.
R OBERT WELLER, who has been suc- cessfully engaged in the bottling and manufacturing business at Saratoga Springs, this county, since 1869, and is also connected with the farming interests of Saratoga county, is a son of Jacob and Mariah (Taylor) Weller, and was born November 23, 1833, in the town of Princetown, Schenectady county, New York. The Weller family is of Holland extraction, but can justly lay claim to being one of the oldest in this part of the country. William Weller, paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Holland, and spent most of his life in Schenectady county, exten- sively engaged in agricultural pursuits. He died there about 1844, at the advanced age of eighty years. He married Margaret Passage, and reared a family of eight children, one of his sons being Jacob Weller (father), who was born at the old homestead in Schenectady county in 1793. There he grew to manhood and received a good practical education in the country schools of that early day. After leav- ing school he engaged in farming and spent all his active life in that occupation, becoming
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quite prosperous and wealthy. He died at his home in that county in 1872, having attained the full measure of man's allotted four score years. In political matters he was a firm and uncompromising democrat, while in religion he adhered to the Dutch Reformed church, of which he was an active member during most of his life. He first married Amy Taylor, by whom he had six children : John, Henry, Wil- liam, James, George and Schuyler. He next married Mariah Taylor, a daughter of John Taylor, and a native of Schenectady county, this State, and by that union had a family of five children, three sons and two daughters : Frances, Silas, Robert, Harriet and Jacob H. He married for his third wife Marion Patter- son, who is still living, by whom he had one daughter. Mrs. Mariah Weller died in 1841, at the age of thirty-six years.
Robert Weller was reared principally on the old Weller homestead in Schenectady county, and received a good English education in the public schools of his neighborhood. After leaving school he engaged in farming, and made that his main occupation until 1869. In that year he removed from Schenectady to Saratoga county, and settled in the village of Saratoga Springs, where he engaged in the bottling business and the manufacture of soft drinks. He has successfully conducted that enterprise ever since, building up a fine trade, which requires a large number of wagons to supply during the busy season. In addition to his bottling business, which has become large and important, Mr. Weller also owns and op- erates an excellent farm in the town of Sara- toga Springs, located one mile east of this vil- lage.
On the 10th day of August, 1864, Mr. Weller was united in marriage with Eliza Ketchum, of Schenectady county, this State. To Mr. and Mrs. Weller has been born a family of three children, two sons and a daughter : Jacob Henry, born December 5, 1865; Martha T., born July 28, 1867; and Robert G., born March 4, 1878. In his political affiliations
Mr. Weller has always been a democrat, and while never taking a prominent part in public affairs, has always given his party a firm and loyal support on questions of both State and National policy. He is active, energetic and enterprising in business, and is rapidly accu- mulating a handsome competency of this world's goods.
WILLARD J. MINER, a well known and successful criminal lawyer of Sara- toga Springs, New York, and a prominent and popular lecturer on the principles and teach- ings of Odd Fellowship and Pythian Knight- hood, is a son of Marvin and Rebecca Ann (Mitchell) Miner, and was born at the city of Cohoes, Albany county, New York, February 19, 1848. Of those who left the shores of the old world during the eighteenth century to seek a home in lands beyond the sea, one was Rob- ert Miner, sr., of Scotland, who settled near New Haven, State of Connecticut. His son, Oliver Miner (grandfather), was an infant in his mother's arms when the family left Scot- land, and on becoming of age settled at Col- umbia, in Herkimer county, New York. He served in the war of 1812, and was killed some years afterward by being run over by a run- away team at the town of his adoption. He married Sarah Clark, and of their children, one was Marvin Miner, the father of the sub- ject of this sketch, who was a wheelwright by trade, and early in life removed from Colum- bia to Cohoes, in Albany county, where he placed the machinery in the first knitting mill of that place, and where he served for many years as foreman of one of the Gilbert car shops. On January 4, 1867, he died of chol- era, aged fifty-seven years. He was a skilled mechanic, and a democrat in politics. He married Rebecca Ann Mitchell, who was a na- tive of West Troy, this State, and passed away February 20, 1857, when in the thirty- first year of her age. They were the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters :
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William J., a twin of this subject, and who died aged eighteen months ; Eveline May, who died, aged two years ; and Alida Jessie, now Mrs. Frederick Oliver, of Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Willard J. Miner was reared principally at Canajoharie, Montgomery county. He at- tended school but very little, and after barely learning to read words of two syllables, with the help of Rev. B. B. Loomis, he obtained his education by self-study and observation. At an early age he entered the Gilbert car shops, where he learned the trade of car builder, at which he worked for eleven years, when he became unable to stand physical labor, and came to Saratoga Springs. Here he read law with Van Rensselaer & Hill, and was admitted to the bar of Saratoga county, January 28, 1881, since which time he has been in active practice. He was admitted to practice in the supreme court of the United States in 1884, and has a fine criminal practice. In 1889 he defended and cleared three men indicted for murder in the first degree, and one charged with the burning of a dwelling house in which an infant perished in the flames. He also de- fended the murderer of Henrietta Wilson (Martin Foy, jr.), and the child poisoner, Car- rie Green, who was acquitted. He has tried many other important criminal cases, and has generally been successful. He ranks high as an attorney and counsellor at law, and has his office at No. 10, in the town hall.
On October 15, 1884, Mr. Miner was united in marriage with Ella A. Gallop, of Orleans county, Vermont.
In politics Mr. Miner is an unswerving dem- ocrat, has served his village as justice of the peace, and believes that the Democratic party stands for the whole people and not for a class. He is a past-grand, and is the representative to the Grand Lodge and the Grand Encamp- ment of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows of the State of New York, for Saratoga district, and is district deputy grand patriarch
in and for Saratoga district ; also commander of Canton T. J. Marvin, and a trustee of Yaddo Rebekah Degree Lodge, No. 85, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has delivered sev- eral lectures before the Odd Fellows and Knights that have been published. Three of his prominent Odd Fellow lectures are : "Why I Became an Odd Fellow," "Odd Fellow- ship," and "Why I Remain an Odd Fellow." Before Saratoga Lodge, No. 15, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and six other invited lodges, on June 1, 1891, he delivered the me- morial address-subject, "What is Death? " And on June 19, 1892, he delivered the me- morial address before Chrystal Lodge and four other invited lodges-subject, " After Death, What?" From Mr. Miner's second memorial address we extract the following : " After death, what ? If a man die shall he live again ? This is the anxious self of man. This unan- swered question is life's cruel task master, and the most interesting of all subjects to every man who gives thought to it. This is the po- lar star, the magnetic center around and about which every aspiration of the soul of a think- ing man finally revolves, the ultimatum of every life to attain. All human beings are destined, as we believe, to a continual exist- ence in a future state. We should make a right use of all the means obtainable for de- veloping completeness and beauty of charac- ter, perfecting ourselves as well as we may in knowledge, wisdom and love one for another, these being the foundation stones of our be- loved order, grounded as they are in the doc- trines and teachings that the human race is one family, or brotherhood, whose interests are forever inseparable, and that it is the duty of each individual not to refrain only from whatever would wrong or harm another, but also to live for the common good of all, seek- ing especially to aid the unfortunate, the ig- norant and the inharmonious, and to relieve suffering of whatsoever kind or upon whatso- ever race of man it may chance to fall."
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
W ILLIAM J. HAMMOND, an officer of the late war, a leading contractor and buflder of Saratoga Springs, and one of its active, earnest and successful business men, was born in Evans, Erie county, New York, September 7, 1842, and is a son of John E. and Maryett (Lewis) Hammond. John E. Hammond is a native of Fulton county, New York, having been born near Johnstown, and when a young man he moved to Erie county, and until 1856 he made his home in Erie and Wyoming counties, pursuing the business of a contractor in stone work and farming. In 1856 he went with his family to Northumberland, Saratoga county, remaining there until 1860, when he sold out his business and removed to Saratoga Springs, where he still continues to reside. He is now in the seventy-sixth year of his age. In politics he is republican. He married Maryett Lewis, of Conestoga, this State, who died at Saratoga Springs in 1884, at sixty-seven years of age. Benoni Hammond, the grandfather of the sub- ject of this sketch, was born in 1784, Febru- ary 16th, and died at Brant, Erie county, New . York. He was a teacher and surveyor, and was a graduate of Union college, where he had for room-mate Martin Van Buren, after- ward to be honored with the office of chief magistrate of the United States. Benoni Ham- mond's father, Paul Hammond, was born in England, December 27, 1757, and came when young to the United States. He died August 8, 1838, in the town of Webster, New York.
William J. Hammond was reared on the farm of his father, and was educated in the common schools. In 1861, at the commence- ment of the war of the rebellion, he enlisted · in Co. G, 77th regiment New York infantry, served three years as a sergeant, and during that time participated in most of the battles in which his regiment was engaged. He was honorably mustered out of the Federal service on December 12, 1864, at Saratoga Springs. After the war he went to work at Saratoga Springs as a carpenter, and has been in that
business ever since, but for the past fifteen years has given his time largely to contract- ing. During the last twelve years he has also been engaged in the lumber business, employ- ing from twenty-five to thirty men constantly. He owns a well equipped planing mill on Spring avenue, which he successfully operates. Sixteen years ago he formed a general busi- ness partnership with Charles W. Mosher, but in February, 1892, he bought Mr. Mosher's share of their different enterprises, and since then has been alone in his various business operations, which he now conducts upon quite a large scale.
William J. Hammond married, on Decem- ber 24, 1873, Arabelle E. Ward, daughter of Benjamin Ward, of Saratoga Springs. Five children have been born to them, three sons and two daughters : Harry, Ernest, Morris, Fannie and Edith.
In business life Mr. Hammond has been alike very energetic and successful. He is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church of Saratoga Springs, and Wheeler Post, No. 92, Grand Army of the Republic. In pol- itics he is a prohibition republican.
H ON. CHESSELDEN ELLIS, who was a resident of Saratoga county for many years and served in Congress from 1843 to 1845, was born at New Windsor, Vermont, in 1808. He was graduated from Union col- lege in 1823, read law with Hon. John Cramer, of Waterford, and was admitted to the bar in 1829. He served as district attorney from 1837 to 1843, when he resigned to take his seat in Congress, to which he had been elected by the Democratic party of his district. In 1845 he removed to New York city, where he practiced law until his death in 1854.
He was a vigorous debater, warmly admired John C. Calhoun, and had great personal in- fluence with President Tyler. Mr. Ellis was a man of splendid physique, great intellectual ability and fine literary tastes.
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
THOMAS FINLEY, a justice of the
peace of Ballston Spa, and for a number of years closely connected with the business interests of this village, is the eldest son of Terrence and Mary (Farrell) Finley, and a native of the town of Milton, Saratoga county, New York, where he was born February 5, 1850. His father, Terrence Finley, was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1799, and when forty years of age emigrated to the United States, settling in the town of Milton, this this county. In 1848 he removed to the vil- lage of West Milton, where he purchased a farm of two hundred acres, and was engaged in farming until his death in 1885, when in the seventy-sixth year of his age. He was a dem- ocrat in politics, a Catholic in religion, and became quite successful as a farmer and stock raiser. Soon after coming to this country he married Mary Farrell, who was a native of Dublin, Ireland, but came to America with her parents when only three years of age. They had a family of nine children, seven sons and two daughters. Mrs. Finley is a member of the Catholic church, and resides in Ballston Spa, being now in her sixty-seventh year, and still quite active for a woman of her age.
Thomas Finley was reared on his father's farm near West Milton, this county, and ob- tained his education in the public schools of his native town and at Ballston academy. He remained on the farm assisting his father in its management until twenty-one years of age, and then engaged in teaching during the win- ter season, while handling cattle and beef in summer. In this manner he occupied his time until 1884, when he came to Ballston Spa, and embarked in the grocery and meat busi- ness, which he has successfully conducted in this village ever since -- a period of nearly ten years. He now has a large and steady trade, and does an extensive and lucrative bu- siness. He is also executor of his father's estate, and manages the operations on the old homestead, besides which he is constantly
dealing more or less in real estate, and now owns a considerable amount of that kind of property in this village.
On June 27, 1888, Squire Finley was united in marriage with Margaret J. Griffin, a daugh- ter of Jeremiah Griffin, of the village of Balls- ton Spa. To them has been born one child, a son named George T., now in his third year.
Keeping in line with the political traditions of his family, Squire Finley is a stanch dem- ocrat. In 1892 he was elected to the office of justice of the peace, and is now discharg- ing the duties of that position with great ac- ceptability to the general public. At one time or another he has occupied about all the vil- lage offices, and in every place of trust and responsibility has acquitted himself with credit and honor. He and Mrs. Finley are members of St. Mary's Catholic church at Ballston Spa, and both are extremely popular among their friends and acquaintances.
W ILLIAM B. NEILSON, a member of the manufacturing firm of Neilson, Lee & Co., of Mechanicville, is one of the suc- cessful and representative business men of the county. He is a son of Charles and Eliza- beth (Reed) Neilson, and was born at Bemus Heights, in the town of Stillwater, Saratoga county, New York, December 3, 1847. His paternal grandfather, John Neilson, was a son of Samuel Neilson, who was killed by Indians. Jolin Neilson was a native of New Jersey, and came to Bemus Heights, where his son, Charles Neilson (father), was born September 6, 1787. Charles Neilson received his education at Union college, and was successfully engaged in farming in his native town during his life- time. He was a republican and held various town offices, and after having served efficiently as justice of the peace for several years, was continually employed by his neighbors and others to write wills, draw deeds and settle up estates. He was a member of the Presbyterian
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church, and died April 2, 1869. Mr. Neilson was twice married. By his first wife, Eliza- beth Strang, who died September 9, 1829, he had seven children : Courtney, George, Abigail Smith, Henry, Lydia Chabb, Sandford and Elizabeth Fort. For his second wife he mar- ried Elizabeth Reed. By his second marriage he had six children : Ellen Newland, Maria Dennison, Louisa Newland, Ann Aurelia Baker, Howard, and William B., the subject of this sketch.
William B. Neilson attended the common schools, and then engaged in farming on the ho nestead place, where he has resided ever since and which he now owns. In 1875 Mr. Neilson became a member of the firm of Mc- Cowett & Neilson, of Amsterdam, Montgom- ery county, which was engaged for three years in the manufacture of knit underwear. At the end of that time he retired from the firm, but three years later formed a partnership with Rial and Henry Newland, under the firm name of Newland & Neilson, at Mechanicville, where they opened a mill for the manufacture of knit underwear. This mill they have enlarged and. refitted throughout until it reached an annual capacity of thirty thousand dozen pieces, and furnished employment to ninety men, yet a year ago it was found to be not sufficiently large to turn out the goods needed to supply their trade. Neilson, Lee & Co. and the members of the new firm immediately pro- ceeded to the erection of the new mill, which is one of the largest, finest and most com- pletely equipped knit underwear mills in the United States. This new mill is a handsome five-story brick structure, modern in design and of architectural beauty, sixty by eighty- five feet in dimensions, with two wings, one thirty by forty feet, and the other forty by sixty feet. When in full operation it will furn- ish employment for over one hundred and fifty men. Mr. Neilson has constantly been in- creasing the quantity and improving the quality of his products until they are in all the leading markets of the country, where they have high
standing for durability and thorough finish. Mr. Neilson originated the idea of placing the mills at Mechanicville, and this thriving indus- try has largely added to the wealth and pros- perity of the village.
On February 16, 1875, Mr. Neilson was united in marriage with Isadore Fowler, a daughter of Hiram Fowler, of Pittstown, New York. To their union have been born three children, two sons and one daughter: Charles, Willie B. and Aurelia.
In politics William B. Neilson is a repub- lican, has served his village as school director, trustee and supervisor, and has always taken active part in the support of his party. He is a member and deacon of the Baptist church of Mechanicville, and has always been known as an honorable citizen and a hospitable and generous man.
H ON. JOHN WILLARD, a distin- guished jurist of great learning and ability, served with distinction as a justice of the su- preme court of New York from 1846 until 1854. He was born at Guilford, Connecticut, May 20, 1792, and was descended from two of the Puritan families that founded Guilford in 1639. He was graduated in 1813 from Mid- dlebury college, and after reading law was ad- mitted to the bar of the supreme court of New York in 1817. He first practiced in Washing- ton county, where he became first judge of the court of common pleas. In 1836 he was ap- pointed circuit judge, and in 1846 was elected as one of the justices of the supreme court. Judge Willard was a democrat in politics, served in the State senate in the session of 1862, and died at his residence at Saratoga Springs, September 4, 1862. While in the senate Judge Willard brought about needed changes in the murder and marriage laws of the State. "As an advocate, a judge, a legis- Jator, he was alike eminent and accomplished; and in his private life irreproachable and blameless."
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