USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 78
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enlistment, and at once returned to New York. Mr. Safford is a stockholder of the First Na- tional bank and the Werner Brewing Company of Mechanicville, and has been for several years one of the active business men of his village. He is a democrat in politics, and served six years as an excise commissioner of Stillwater, and two terms as a trustee of Mechanicville. He is a member of Mechanicville Baptist church ; Half Moon Lodge, No. 493, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows; Ellsworth Lodge, Ancient Order of United American Workmen ; and Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth Post, No. 619, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he is a past commander, and the pres- ent delegate to the Grand State Encampment. Mr. Safford married Eliza Conkling, a daugh- ter of David Conkling, and a relative of Roscoe Conkling. They have four children : Alvero, Henry D., Walter J. and Sadie Best.
Henry D. Safford received his education in the public schools, and was then employed successfully as a clerk in H. S. Miller's hard- ware store and the Mechanicville postoffice. Leaving the postoffice he learned telegraphy, and was successively employed as operator and agent at Fitchburg station, westbound freight operator at Troy, check clerk and after- ward train dispatcher for the Panama railroad, train dispatcher for the Boston, Hoosic Tun- nel & Western railroad, and operator and sta- tion agent at a number of their stations. Leaving the employ of the railways after nine years of continuous service, he visited New Orleans anl the Pacific coast, and then, in 1886, engaged in his present prosperous hard- ware business at Mechanicville. He is a stock- holder in the Bridge Company and the Wer- ner Brewing Company. Mr. Safford is a democrat in politics and a regular attendant at the Baptist church. He is a member of Mont- gomery Lodge, No. 504, Free and Accepted Masons; Half Moon Lodge, No. 493, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows; and Tenan- daho Tribe, No. 154, Improved Order of Red Men. He has been treasurer of his village.
In 1891 he was elected supervisor of the town of Half Moon by ninety-seven majority, when the town was republican by fifty votes. In 1892 he was reëlected by one hundred and thirty-nine majority, and again reelected in 1893 by seventy-three majority.
In 1880 Mr. Safford married Minnie M. Mat- son, of North Pownal, Vermont, who died in 1883. After her death he wedded, on August 27, 1884, Lucy Hakes, a daughter of Joshua Hakes. By his second marriage he has two children : Minnie M. and Lizzie J.
F FRANKLIN A. SIVER, proprietor of the Russell hotel at Round Lake, this county, is a son of Andrew J. and Mary J. ( Russell) Siver, and was born at Bethlehem, Albany county, New York, October 4, 1855. The family is of Holland extraction, and its founders in America were among the earliest settlers of Albany county, this State. In that county Peter Siver, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born and reared, and spent his entire life engaged in agricul- tural pursuits. His son, Peter Siver (grand- father), was also a native of that county, and after attaining manhood became a veterinary surgeon and followed that business success- fully for many years. He was a democrat in politics, and became prominent in the county, which he served as high sheriff for one term, beside holding a number of minor official po- sitions. During the war of 1812 he served as a soldier in the American army, and took part in a number of the leading engagements of that contest. He was a member of the Dutch Reformed church, and died in 1865, at the advanced age of seventy-four years. He married Maria Jakebson, and reared a family of twelve children, one of his sons being An- drew J. Siver (father), who was born March 18, 1825, in Albany county, this State, where he grew to manhood and received a superior common school education. After leaving school he learned the blacksmith trade, which
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he followed successfully for many years, but has now retired from active life and is living quietly at his home in Williamstown. He is a republican in politics, and a strict member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1848 he married Marry Jane Russell, a daughter of Asa Russell, of Williamstown, Massachusetts, and by her had a family of three children, two sons and a daughter : Henry R., Franklin A. and Nellie M., who became the wife of Whar- ton B. Huff, of Sliter's, Rensselaer county. Mrs. Mary J. Siver was born at Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1830, and is a member of the Methodist church.
Franklin A. Siver was reared principally at Bethlehem, and acquired a good practical ed- ucation in the common schools. Leaving school he engaged in farming in Schodack, and followed that occupation successfully un- til 1892, when he removed to Round Lake and embarked in the hotel business, in which he is still engaged. His hotel is known as the Russell house, is located on Third street and Asbury avenue, and is becoming quite popu- lar with the traveling public.
In political sentiment Mr. Siver is a stanch republican, always ready to do his part toward securing the success of his party, and he and his wife, Hester L., are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Siver is a daughter of Thomas Clarke, of the city of Albany, and she and Mr. Siver were married in 1885. Thomas Clarke, father of Mrs. Siver, was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and came to this country from County Cork, Ireland. He was born in 1825, was a saddler and harnessmaker by trade, and did a large business at Albany for many years. He died in 1863, while serv- ing in the Federal army, having enlisted in 1862 in Barne's battery, at Rochester, New York.
Franklin A. Siver's maternal great-grand- father, Asa Russell, was a captain in the Con- tinental army during the Revolutionary war, and it is related that while he was in the army the tories on one occasion undertook to despoil
his property, but his wife bravely defended her home, shooting through the hat of one of the assailants. It is said she aimed at his head, but shot a little too high. The shot had the desired effect, however, for without stop- ping to recover the hat, the party hastily with- drew and never again molested the family.
Harriet A. Russell, Mr. Siver's aunt, was born in Pownal, Vermont, and came to Round Lake in 1873, where she built a cottage and kept summer boarders for a time. She after- ward sold the cottage and erected the fine hotel known as the Russell house, where she died January 16, 1893, at the age of sixty-five years. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of Troy, and took an active part in the church and business affairs of the village of Round Lake.
H ON. JOHN W. CRANE, ex-county judge and an able lawyer, is one whose successful career in life has been characterized by mental ability and unswerving devotion to duty. He is a son of Justus and Betsey (Bridges) Crane, and was born at West Milton, in the town of Milton, Saratoga county, New York, September 30, 1827. The Crane family is of English origin, and was founded in the United States at an early day by three brothers, who settled respectively in New Jersey, Mass- achusetts and New Hampshire. One of the descendants of the brother who made his home in New Hampshire was James Crane, the grandfather of Judge Crane, who served in the Revolutionary war and died in the town of Surry, near Kean, in the Granite State, in 1799, at ninety years of age. His son, Justus Crane (father), was born in New Hampshire, and in 1820 came to Saratoga county, where he was engaged in farming in the town of Milton for ten years. He then removed to Saratoga Springs, where he resided until his death, which occurred in August, 1860, when he was in the sixty-second year of his age. He was a successful farmer and a strong dem-
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Judge John W. C.
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ocrat. He married Betsey Bridges, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, and reared a family of two sons and one daughter. Mrs. Crane, who died October 20, 1884, at eighty-five years of age, was a daughter of William Bridges, who was of English descent, and settled at Ballston Spa, in 1810.
John W. Crane was reared on the farm until he was sixteen years of age, and since then has been a resident of Saratoga Springs and the town of Saratoga. After attending the public schools he received a good classical and scientific education in academies of Sara- toga Springs, which institutions of learning were successively under the charge of the celebrated Prof. William J. Hancock. Leav- ing school in 1847, he immediately entered the law office of Hon. William A. Beach, under whose instruction he read until September, 1852, when he was admitted to practice in the courts of Saratoga county. Two years after his admission to the bar he became a member of the law firm of Avery, Hoag & Crane, which continued until Mr. Avery retired, and then Mr. Crane was a partner of the succeed- ing firm of Hoag & Crane that existed up to January 1, 1859, when he withdrew to take his seat as county Judge. When his term of office expired on January 1, 1864, Judge Crane returned to the practice of his profession, in which he has been successfully engaged ever since, except six years, from 1876 to 1880, when he served a second term as county judge. He now confines himself in his practice chiefly to land cases and real estate affairs, in the trial and settlement of which he is very suc- cessful. He is one of the best counsellors and conveyancers in the county, has a fine law library, and practices in the higher courts of the State and in the supreme court of tlie United States, to which he was admitted in 1861. Judge Crane has always been inter- ested in the prosperity of his village. He is a stockholder in the First National bank, and the United States hotel and Congress Spring companies. He was one of the board of
commissioners which introduced the Holly system of water works, and Saratoga is to-day one of the best protected places in the world against fire. He was also one of the build- ing commissioners who erected the present handsome town hall, and is chairman of the building committee now erecting Convention hall, which, when completed, will have the largest seating capacity of any hall in the State, and will be beyond doubt one of the finest halls in the United States.
On October 4, 1852, Judge Crane married Mary E. Martin, daughter of Daniel Martin, of Granville, Washington county. They have one child, George M., who has been engaged for some time in business with his father.
In politics Judge Crane is and always has been a strong democrat. He served as super- visor of his town in 1863 and again in 1868 and 1869, beside holding various other of- fices of his town and village. In 1858 his party nominated him for county judge, and although the democrats were in the minority in the county, yet he was elected by a major- ity of forty-three over the combined vote of Alembert Pond and Lemuel Pike, his repub- lican and American opponents for the office. He served with credit as judge, and at the end of his four year term returned to the practice of his profession, from which in 1876 he was called against his expressed wish to become again the Democratic nominee for county judge. Although it was a presidential year, when party lines were drawn very closely and the county was republican by fifteen liundred, yet Judge Crane's popularity was such that he was elected by a good majority. His services during his second term of six years were as highly appreciated as they were dur- ing his first term of four years, and in 1883 he retired from the bench with the respect and esteem of the bar and the public. Judge Crane could neither be flattered or bribed while on the bench, and has never sacrificed his independence by shaping his opinions to suit the designs of partisans or win the favor
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
of those in power either in State or National affairs.
Integrity, success and popularity are words to be written over against the name of John W. Crane, whose career is one of which his county may be justly proud. Pleasant, courteous and patriotic, his public life has made a lasting impression on the minds of the people of his county. True to his coun- try and his conscience, he has never sought for advancement, and in his public and private life has always been the modest, dignified American gentleman.
R EBECCA JONES, or "Obstinate Becky," as she is called by her acquaint- ances in New York and Europe, is a daughter of Aaron and Polina (Cronkright) Jones, and is a native of Schoharie county, this State. The Jones family is of Welsh descent, and its early members were among the first settlers in the town of Galway, this county, where they became large farmers. Josliua Jones, paternal grandfather of "Obstinate Becky" Jones, was a native of that town, where he grew to manhood and received the limited education afforded by the country schools of that early day. After attaining manhood he engaged in agriculture and I ecame a prosper- ous and extensive farmer, following that oc- cupation until his death at the ripe old age of eighty-six years. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, married Rebecca Northrop, who died December 18, 1847, aged ninety-five years and ten months. They reared a family, one of whom was Aaron Jones (father), who was born in the town of Galway, this county, in 1790, and after attaining his major- ity removed to Schoharie county and remained there until 1840, when, while the subject of this sketch was yet a small child, he returned to Saratoga county and settled at Ballston Spa, where he died in 1848, age sixty-two years. He was a shoemaker by trade and worked at that business nearly all his life. He was
a whig in politics and a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. He married Polina Cronkright, a daughter of Stephen Cronk- right, and they had a family of children, the youngest of whom was Rebecca, the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Jones was of Holland descent, born in the city of Albany, this State, and during most of her life was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church. She died in 1858, aged sixty-two years.
"Obstinate Becky" Jones spent her girl- hood in the village of Ballston Spa, received a common school education, and while yet in her "teens" accepted a position as assistant nurse in the wealthy family of A. G. Hamers- ley, of New York city. She soon became a favorite in the family and remained with them for a period of nearly forty years, eleven of which were spent in traveling in different parts of Europe, during which she crossed the At- lantic four times. Since 1886 she has resided at Ballston Spa, where she owns a comfortable home.
The sobriquet " Obstinate Becky," by which she is now so widely known, was won in New York city in 1884, during the legal contest over the will of L. C. Hamersley (son of A. G. Hamersley), who died in 1883, leaving a will which gave his entire estate, valued at between six and seven million dollars, to his widow, Mrs. Lilla Price Hamersley. Other members of the family contested this will, and among other witnesses had Rebecca Jones summoned to testify in their behalf. But when she appeared on the witness stand she absolutely refused to answer any question. After all attempts to compel her to answer had utterly failed, she was committed to Lud- low street jail for contempt of court. There she remained for forty five weeks, the only woman in the prison, always as firm in her refusal to answer as upon the day she was committed. During her incarceration she was approached by persons in the interest of the contestants, and was offered the snug fortune of fifty thousand dollars if she would
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
agree to answer four questions. She obstinately refused, and remained within those gloomy prison walls, though she knew that her free- dom and fifty thousand dollars would be hers on any day she chose to speak.
"When a woman will, she will, You may depend on't ; And when she won't, she won't, And there's an end on't."
For forty-five long, dreary weeks she re- mained in the old historic jail, paying fifteen dollars a week for her board, and as there was still no indication that her stock of endurance or obstinacy was exhausted, the supreme court issued an order directing that she be dis- charged, and on March 28, 1885, she stepped out into the sunlight, once more a free woman. The court that committed her, however, never heard any answer to the questions first pro- pounded, but from that hour the unresponsive witness was known as "Obstinate Becky Jones," and she came in time to take a sort of pride in the well-earned title. She is yet re- markably active, and during her experience with the New York city courts, demonstrated the possession of her full share of the sturdy characteristics that distinguished her Welsh ancestry. Most of her life has been spent in New York city and in traveling in this country and Europe.
D AVID CRAW, a skilled and successful machinist, who is now engaged in farm ing and the creamery business in the town of Saratoga, is a son of William and Polly (Knapp) Craw, and was born at Middle Falls, Washington county, New York, June 9, 1822. The earliest account of the American ancestry of the Craw family, of which we have any knowledge, relates to David Craw (grand- father) who was a native, a miller and resident for many years of Stonington, Connecticut. He was a democrat and a Free Will Baptist, and when he died in 1842, was in the ninetieth year of his age. He married and reared a
family of two sons and one daughter: Mehi- table, Nathan and William. William Craw ( father ) was born in Dartmouth, Massachu- setts, received a good English education in the excellent New England schools of that early day, and then learned in Washington county, this State, the trade of blacksmith, which he afterward quit to engage in jobbing on constructions of various kinds of building work. He opened his first blacksmith shop at Middle Falls, where he worked for twenty- five years, and then after following jobbing on contract work for some time, came to Schuylerville, this county, at which latter place he died November 4, 1843, at forty-nine years of age. He was a democrat in politics and a Friend, or Quaker, in religion. He wedded Polly Knapp, who was a daughter of Obad ah Knapp, with whom he learned his trade. Mrs. Craw died in 1836, aged forty- three years. To Mr. and Mrs. Craw were born seven children, three sons and four daughters: Hannah White, Benjamin, Mary Russel, Jane Smith, Mehitable Cooley, Wil- liam N., and David, the subject of this sketch.
David Craw received but a limited educa- tion, but being possessed of great natural mechanical ability, made excellent use of his time while at school in the study of those branches of learning that in any way offered information upon the subject of mechanics, and at the close of his brief school days en- tered a cabinet shop, where he worked for a short time. He then took up blacksmithing, but soon left that and entered a machine shop at Schuylerville, where he became in due time an expert and skilled machinist. He worked at various places for nearly twenty years, and was quite noted for his great success in rig- ging, equipping and adjusting all kinds of difficult and complicated machinery. In 1862 he started a foundry at Schuylerville, which ran two years under the firm name of D. Craw & Co., and then was operated until 1886 under the title of Craw & Dennis. In that year Mr. Craw sold his interest, and the
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BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY
foundry to-day is run by Baker & Sherlin. Upon retiring from the foundry business Mr. Craw purchased the Finch farm of eighty acres in the town of Saratoga a few miles from Schuylerville. His farm is well improv- ed, and his residence is neat and tasteful, being modern in design, well heated and supplied with water. He also owns some valuable property at Schuylerville, and in connection with farming and stock raising, has some fine dairy buildings and keeps several cows. He is a democrat politically, and has been a member for many years of the Metho- dist Episcopal curch of Schuylerville, and is president of the board of trustees. He has always been a liberal supporter of the church and a contributor to all worthy and praiseworthy objects.
David Craw, in 1845, was united in marriage with Lucina R. Prouty, daughter of Allen and Lucina (Randal) Prouty. Mrs. Craw was born March 7, 1823. To Mr. and Mrs. Craw were born three sons and three daughters: Anna E., born January 18, 1846; Frances L., May II, 1848; David H., May 5, 1854; Fred- erick, May 1, 1856; Edison, March 2, 1860; and Cora H., December 21, 1863.
D AVID D. EGGLESTON, postmaster and justice of the peace at South Corinth, and a well-known merchant and lumberman of this section, who by industry, enterprise and good business management has become quite successful, is a son of Daniel C. and Deborah (Hodges) Eggleston, and was born March 26, 1854, at South Corinth, New York. The family is of English origin, and was planted in America by two sons of Bigot or Bogot Eggleston, who came to this country About 1630, and settled in Middletown, Con- n cticut, where they lived and died. A son of one of these emigrants was Samuel Eggle- ston, who was born at Middletown, Connecti- cut, about 1658, where he passed all his life. He had a son, Samuel, (great-great-grand-
father), who was born about 1705, and who removed to Salisbury, Connecticut, and later to Dutchess county, New York. His children were: John, Martha, Abigail, Samuel, Nich- olas, Prudence, Benjamin and Joseph (great- grandfather), the latter of whom removed to Saratoga county, New York. Many of his descendants are scattered through Michigan and other western States. He lived near what is now Doe's Corners, and during the war of 1812 a passing army stopped at his place and killed all his stock except a yoke of oxen, which he declared he would defend with his life if necessary. Among his sons was Stephen Eggleston, who resided for many years at Luzerne, Warren county. On one occasion his cattle strayed into the present limits of the town of Corinth, and while look- ing for them he was so favorably impressed with the country here, though still a wilder- ness, that he left his cattle, and returning home built a raft and floated his family and household goods down the river to where the village of Corinth now stands, and located here, being the first settler in this section. Silas Eggleston (paternal grandfather) was a native of the town of Ballston, this county, where he spent the early part of his life, but afterward removed to the village of Corinth, of which he was a resident at the time of his death, in 1872, when in the seventy-third year of his age. While in the country he was engaged in farming. He was a whig and republican in politics, and married Lucy Barrows, of Corinth, New York, and by her had a family of eight children: Daniel C., father of the subject of this sketch; Lydia Howe, Mary J., Ruth Clothier, Reuben, Mary L., Hiram and Joseph R. Daniel C. Eggleston (father) was born in the town of Corinth, this county, April 1, 1827, was reared on the farm and educated in the common schools. After attaining manhood he engaged in farming and lumbering, and has resided all his life near the village of South Corinth, being now in the sixty-sixth year of his age.
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OF SARATOGA COUNTY.
In politics he is a republican, and has held a number of local offices, including the position of assessor of the town. December 31, 1848, he married Deborah Hodges, a daughter of Jonathan and Rhoda (Ford) Hodges, and to them was born a family of eight children, two sons and six daughters: Thorn S., Lucy Ann, who married Nelson Kinsley and is now deceased; David D., whose name heads this sketch; Ella Kingsley, deceased; Sarah Clay- ton, Fannie Boyce, Lydia and Bertha. Mrs. Deborah Eggleston was of French extraction.
David D. Eggleston grew to manhood in the town of Corinth, this county, attended the district schools of his neighborhood, and after completing his education engaged in farming and lumbering in this town. This combined occupation he followed until his twenty-sixth year, when he embarked in the milling business at South Corinth, which he conducted for five years, and then, in 1887, purchased the general mercantile establish- ment of G. W. Edwards, at South Corinth, where he has continued to do a large and paying business ever since. He is also ex- tensively engaged in lumbering -- cutting and preparing logs for the mill-and owns an improved farm of one hundred and forty acres adjoining the village of South Corinth.
In political sentiment Mr. Eggleston is a pronounced republican, and is now serving . his second term as justice of the peace. In 1889 he was commissioned postmaster at South Corinth by John Wannamaker, and is still serving in that capacity. He has always taken an active interest in the success of his party, being considered one of its ablest local leaders. Mr. Eggleston is a member of Charity Lodge, No. 821, Independent Order of Good Templars, and of Greenfield Centre Lodge, No. 308, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In religious faith he is a Methodist, and for more than seventeen years he has served the Methodist Episcopal church of South Corinth as a trustee, and has been class leader two years. He is active in every
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