USA > New York > Saratoga County > History of Saratoga County, New York : with historical notes on its various towns > Part 85
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J AMES A. WILSON, a remarkably suc- cessful business man of Northumberland and a leading citizen of the county, was born in the town of Easton, Washington county, New York, May 7, 1822, and is a son of Chris- topher D. and Cynthia (Nichols) Wilson. Christopher Wilson was a farmer by occupa- tion, and served in the late civil war, being under the command of General Roberts. He was known as one of the prudent and success- ful farmers of Washington county, where his life was passed in the town of Easton. He married Cynthia Nichols, and they had four children : Mary A. Bennett, Jobe, James A., and Charles, who was drowned while in the act of crossing on the ice, over Sisson's pond.
James A. Wilson was reared on a farm, and after obtaining a good common school educa-
tion engaged in farming and lumbering, which he followed extensively and with good success up to 1885. In that year he retired from those active and difficult lines of business, in which considerable physical labor was necessary to insure any measure of success, and established his present grocery house at Northumberland, where he has prospered in that branch of mer- cantile life. He has a heavy and well selected stock of goods and has secured a first-class and remunerative trade. He also owns a farm of thirty acres of well improved land near the village of Northumberland, where he has re- sided since 1862. Mr. Wilson was actively engaged in the lumber shipping business for over forty years, and during that time shipped more lumber to New York city than any other man in the State. He has also been engaged in other business enterprises, and at one time was the contractor on repairs of the Lake Champlain canal between Northumberland and Waterford.
In 1823 James A. Wilson married Sophia Hurd, who was a daughter of Joseph and Sallie Hurd, and who died in November, 1891, aged sixty-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson had two children: Hannah M. Vannomen and Amanda M. Graham.
In politics Mr. Wilson is a democrat, but never took any prominent part in political matters, although he has ever been active in the support of his party and served one term as commissioner of highways of his town. He is a member of Buena Vista Lodge, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, of Gansevoort, this State.
J. B. ORCUTT, an energetic and progres- sive business man and the proprietor of the Orcutt sash and blind factory of Schuyler- ville, is a son of Benjamin and Clarissa (Stol- licke) Orcutt, and was born in the town of White Creek, Washington county, New York, September 25, 1836. He recived his educa- tion in the common and district schools and then became an employee in a cotton factory
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at Centre Falls, in his native county, which he left in a few months to enter the service of Eddie & Dyers, manufacturers of agricultural implements at Greenwich, in the same county. After some time spent at the latter place he learned house painting, which he followed for two years, and then entered the employ of K. P. Cool & Co., sash and blind manufacturers of Glens Falls, Warren county, with whom he remained for two years. He then worked with Cornell & La Dow, sash and blind manufactur- ers of Stillwater; was in the wagon making business at Pottersville, this State, where he also operated a tannery ; and then went to Crown Point, at which place he conducted a sash and blind factory for twelve months. At the end of that time, in 1878, he removed to Mechanicville, and after working for four years with Cornell & La Dow, and nine years with Barnes & La Dow, he established his present sash and blind manufacturing business. His factory has been specially arranged and thor- oughly equipped for his particular line of manufacturing. Mr. Orcutt employs fifty hands at a weekly expense for wages of four hundred dollars, while his daily output is three hundred and fifty pair of sash and one hun- dred pair of blinds. Beside his factory he owns the shirt manufactory of Miller, Hurd & Hartwell, and furnishes them with their motive power. Mr. Orcutt is one of the largest real estate owners and tax-payers of his village and town. Among his valuable properties are the mill operated by Rice & Holland, the large business block occupied by the Young Men's Christian association, Botts & Cady's hard- ware stores and Mace's furniture emporium, and Ward's wagon making establishment. He is a republican in politics, but aside from sup- porting the cardinal principles of his party votes for men and measures independent of polit- ical consideration. He is a member of Ells- worth Lodge, No. 192, Ancient Order of Uni- ted Workmen; and Mechanicville Methodist Episcopal church, of which he has been a steward and a class leader for several years.
J. B. Orcutt married Lucinda Smith, daugh- ter of Sharon and Helen J. Smith, and to them were born three sons and three daughters : Adelbert D., married Ella Best, is in partner- ship with his father in his large business inter- ests at Mechanicville, and ranks as a remark- ably able business man; Ida, who died in childhood ; Paul, now dead ; Amanda, wife of Fred Packer ; Alice, and Charles W.
Benjamin Orcutt (father) was a native of Vermont, but at an early age came to the State of New York, where he resided at various places. He died in 1846, at thirty-six years of age. He was a carpenter by trade and followed housebuilding and joiner's work. Mr. Orcutt was a strong democrat, and married Clarissa Stollicke. They were the parents of ten chil- dren, five sons and five daughters, of whom were : Lucy A. Sibley, Jane Burrows, John, Lodisa Lyons, J. B. (subject), Amanda, Adel- bert (dead), and Charles.
ILLIAM K. YOUNG, proprietor of the High Rock spring, the oldest and in some respects the best of all the wonderful mineral fountains of Saratoga Springs, is a son of John S. and Jane M. (Kibbie) Young, and was born April 28, 1839, at Johnstown, Fulton county, New York. The Youngs are of English extraction, but have been residents of this country since early times. Maley Young, paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, spent most of his life in Montgomery county, this State, where he died at an ad- vanced age. He was a farmer and miller by occupation, and carried on these combined in- dustries in Montgomery county for many years. He married and reared a family of children in that county. His son, John S. Young (father), was born in Montgomery county, in March, 1799, and grew to manhood there, receiving his education in the early schools. Soon after attaining his majority he removed to Fulton county, where he engaged in the mercantile business at Johnstown until 1837, when he
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returned to Montgomery county, engaged in the milling business, and passed the remainder of his life in his native county, dying in Octo- ber, 1867, at the advanced age of sixty-eight years. Politically he was a democrat, and while a resident of Fulton county was elected and served one term as high sheriff of that county. He married Jane M. Kibbie, a daugh- ter of Judah Kibbie of Johnstown, Fulton county. Mrs. Jane M. Young was born at Johnstown, that county, in 1804, and died at her home in Montgomery county, in 1867. Her father, Judah Kibbie (maternal grand- father) was one of the early settlers of Johns- town, where he died at the age of ninety-eight. He was a teamster in the American army during the Revolutionary war, and his twin brothers, Simeon and Levi Kibbie, were sol- diers in that war. They both lived to be over one hundred years of age, and both died in the same year.
William K. Young was reared principally in Montgomery county, this State, and acquired a superior English education in the public schools of his native place. Leaving school he came to Saratoga Springs, this county, in 1853, and engaged as clerk in a mercantile house in this village. In January, 1856, he became a partner in the business, the firm name being F. W. Fundy & Co., and three years later withdrew from that establishment and embarked in the mercantile business here on his own account. He remained in business two years, and in November, 1861, enlisted as a private in Co. G., 77th New York infantry. On November 26th of the same year he was promoted to be second lieutenant of his com- pany, and as such had command of the com- pany for a time. He served until the expira- tion of his term of enlistment, and then re- turning to Saratoga county, accepted a position as clerk in a mercantile house in this village. In 1868 he became a traveling salesman for a wholesale house in New York city, and re- mained on the road for a period of fourteen years. He then accepted a position as agent
for the Hathorn springs of this village, and traveled extensively in its interest for several years, holding a like connection with the Con- gress spring for a time. In 1885 Mr. Young became proprietor of High Rock spring, the oldest in point of discovery of all the now famous mineral springs of this village, and has since that time devoted his energies and acknowledged ability to developing the busi- ness and making more widely known the won- derful curative properties of this justly cele- brated fountain of healing waters.
High Rock spring is located on Spring ave- nue, in the northern part of the village, and was the only mineral fountain known to the Indians and the first of all to be seen by a white man. As early as 1767 Sir William Johnson was brought to this spring by his Mohawk Indian friends, where he was cured of his malady, and from that time its virtues have been known and widely celebrated. It is thirty-two feet in depth, the water being discharged from the top of a cone-shaped rock known as calcarious tufa, which is twenty-four feet in circumference at the surface of the ground, and has grown up about the spring from the precipitation through countless ages of the mineral substances contained in the water. This rock is justly considered one of the greatest curiosities in the world, and is annually visited by large numbers of people. The analysis of High Rock spring water made by Prof. C. F. Chandler, Ph. D., of the Col- umbia college school of mines, shows it to be heavier in mineral substances and to contain a larger quantity of carbonic acid gas than any of the various other mineral fountains of Saratoga Springs, and demonstrates the won- derful medicinal properties of this water and its great value as a remedial agent. It purifies and renovates the entire system, thus clearing and beautifying the complexion and prolong- ing life. Since passing into the control of Mr. Young the utmost care has been exercised to keep out impure and less valuable waters, and in bottling to preserve all the fixed car-
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bonic acid gas for which this spring is so justly celebrated.
In 1859 Mr. Young was married to Martha E. Henry, daughter of Sylvester Henry, of Waterbury, Vermont. She died in 1869, and in 1885 Mr. Young was wedded to Mary E. Southall, a daughter of George A. Southall, of North Carolina. By this second marriage he has two children, one son and a daughter : William K., jr., and Carrie. Politically Mr. Young is an ardent democrat, and in religion a strict member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
G EORGE B. LAWRENCE, a promi-
nent republican and Mason of Stillwater, and one of the most successful lawyers of Sar- atoga county and eastern New York, is a son of Isaac and Ann M. (Fry) Lawrence, and was born at Smithtown, in the town of Half Moon, Saratoga county, New York, December 28, 1849. The Lawrences are of English descent, and Ezekiel Lawrence, the paternal grand- father of the subject of this sketch, came from England to Connecticut, which State he soon left to settle in the town of Stillwater, where he passed the remainder of his life in agricul- tural pursuits, dying at an advanced age. He married and reared a family of six children, four sons and two daughters: George, Delilah, Sibley, Isaac, Lydia Woodruff, Walter, and one other. "Isaac Lawrence (father) was born on the Stillwater farm in 1813, and died in the town of Half Moon, September 25, 1888. He was a democrat politically, and passed the greater part of his life in the town of Half Moon, where he held several local offices. He was an engineer by profession, serving as such for a number of years in a surveying corps on the Erie canal, where he also served as an in- spector of construction and repair work. Isaac Lawrence married Ann M. Fry, and to their union were born six children, four sons and two daughters: George B., C. Edward, Ida B., Mary F. Steamburg, Isaac F., and Fred W. Mrs. Lawrence was born in 1821.
George B. Lawrence received his element- ary education in the common schools, and pursued his academic studies in Half Moon academy, of Middletown, then under charge of Professors Benton and Barlow, and Water- ford academy, where he prepared for college, but gave up his idea of a collegiate course on the solicitation of the then district attorney, I. C. Ormsby, who wished him to become a law student in his office. So in deference to Mr. Ormsby he entered his office at nineteen years of age, and after four years of close ap- plication and careful reading he was admitted to the bar at Albany, and to practice in the several courts of the State of New York. Im- mediately after admission he was made assist- ant district attorney of Saratoga county, and although the youngest man up to that time to hold that office, yet he soon gained a reputa- tion as a criminal lawyer. He assisted in the prosecution of the celebrated "flat iron " mur- der case, being largely instrumental in secur- ing a verdict of murder in the second degree, and in 1892 assisted District Attorney Pear- sons and Judge Russell in the Wilson murder case, in which he rendered efficient service in securing a verdict of murder in the second de- gree. Soon after commencing the practice of his profession he went to Palmyra, in Wayne county, where he remained for three years, and during that time held the offices of town clerk, police justice, and justice of the peace. From Palmyra he came to Stillwater, where he has been engaged ever since in the active and continuous practice of his chosen profession.
On October 7, 1876, Mr. Lawrence married Josephine Curtis, who dicd in 1882, and left one child, Kenneth.
On April 28, 1887, Mr. Lawrence wedded Charlotte Mungor, and has by his second mar- riage one child, a daughter, namcd Marion.
In politics Mr. Lawrence has always been a republican, and has ever been a leader in his party, while his services as a political speaker have always been in demand in eastern New York. He is a prominent Free Mason, being
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active in masonic circles, both as a worker and as a speaker. He is a member of Mont- gomery Lodge, No. 504, Free and Accepted Masons; a past high priest of Montgomery Chapter, No. 337, Royal Arch Masons; and a past officer of Washington Commandery, Knights Templar. He has always taken an interest in the Grand Army of the Repub- lic, as his two uncles, Peter and Oscar Fry, went out into the Union service at an early day in the late war, and the former was cap- tured and died of starvation in Andersonville. Mr. Lawrence has had a remarkably success- ful career as a lawyer, having never lost a case that was appealed to the higher courts in all his years of practice, and during the last five years has lost but two cases out of the many that he has tried in the different courts in which he practices.
A DONIRAM J. FENTON, a promi- nent and leading undertaker at Ballston Spa, who is also well known in the secret so- ciety circles of northern New York, is a son of Calvin and Harriet (Burdick) Fenton, and a native of Greenwich, Washington county, New York, where he was born April 17, 1848. This family is of direct Scotch origin, and its immi- grant ancestors were among the earliest set- tlers in Washington county, where their de- scendants have become quite numerous. Jos- eph Fenton, paternal grandfather of the sub- ject of this sketch, was born and reared in Cambridge, that county, and died at his Wash- ington county home in 1848. He married and reared a family, one of his sons being Calvin Fenton (father), who, after attaining manhood, engaged in the furniture and undertaking busi- ness at Greenwich, that county, where he con- tinued to reside until his death, March 10, 1879, at which time he was in the sixty-second year of his age. He was a man of great activ- ity, and became quite prosperous. Politically he was an old-line whig and republican, and for many years a prominent member of the
Bottskill Baptist church. He married Har- riet Burdick, of the town of Easton, Washing- ton county, this State. Mrs. Fenton is a mem- ber of the Baptist church, and now resides in her pleasant home at Greenwich, Washington county. Her people came to New York from Rhode Island at an early day.
Adoniram J. Fenton spent his boyhood in the town of Greenwich, Washington county, and received a good practical education in the public schools of his native place. Soon after leaving school he formed a partnership with his father in the furniture and undertaking business at Greenwich, which continued until the death of the latter, in 1879, when A. J. Fenton succeeded to the entire business, and successfully conducted the enterprise until January 1, 1888, when he disposed of the es- tablishment to his brother, Fred H. Fenton. In April, 1890, Adoniram J. Fenton removed to the village of Ballston and embarked in the undertaking business here, which he has suc- cessfully conducted ever since. He keeps all kinds of trimmings, ornaments for coffins, plumes, robes, caskets, and other undertakers' supplies, and is prepared to do embalming by all the leading processes at short notice. By quietly and carefully attending to each sepa- rate detail of his business, and thus demon- strating his entire mastery in every depart- ment of an undertaker's duty, he has won pub- lic confidence and secured a large degree of popularity and an extensive patronage.
In 1869 Mr. Fenton was united in marriage with Mary Wheeler, youngest daughter of J. M. Wheeler, of the village of Ballston Spa. To this union was born an only child, a daugh- ter, named Carrie. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton are members of the Baptist church, and liberal in support of its various interests. In politics Mr. Fenton is a stanch republican, and was once elected president of the village of Balls- ton Spa, the duties of which position he dis- charged with acceptability to the public and credit to himself. Mr. Fenton is prominent in a number of fraternal organizations in this
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section, being a member of Ashler Lodge, No. 584, Free and Accepted Masons, of Greenwich; Home Chapter, No. 179, Royal Arch Masons, of Schuylerville; Kayaderrossera Lodge, No. 270, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Herimon Lodge, No. 90, Knights of Pythias; Wiconia Tribe, No. 179, Improved Order of Red men; and of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, and also of Star Association, No. 1, Patrons of Industry.
w ILLIAM ANNESLEY PATTER-
SON, M. D., a graduate from the uni- versity of New York, who has been engaged in the successful practice of medicine at Ganse- voort, this county, since 1887, and is now serv- . ing as supervisor of the town of Northumber- land, is the youngest son of Robert and Sarah (Annesley) Patterson, and was born May I, 1863, at Fairhaven, Vermont. The Pattersons are of Irish origin, and the earliest representa- tives of the family in the United States were of Canadian nativity, coming into Albany county, New York, at an early day. Robert Patterson (grandfather) served as a soldier in the English army and after his retirement was in receipt of a pension from the British gov- ernment. He died from cholera in 1833, and his widow, who was a Miss Allen, afterward came to Albany county, where she died in 1876, aged ninety-one years. Their children were: John, Thomas, Robert, James and Mary, who married a man named Wilson. Robert Patterson (father) was graduated in the theo- logical course at Concord college, and immedi- ately entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was an active member of the Troy conference for half a century, and in the discharge of his duties as an itinerant preacher became well known within the bounds of that conference. In 1890 he retired from active duty and now resides at Glens Falls, Warren county, this State. He is republican in political faith, and married Sarah Annesley, a daughter of William Annesley. To them
was born a family of five children, four sons and a daughter: Mary, who married Joseph Sawyer, a merchant of Glens Falls; Charles, now a practicing attorney at Glens Falls; Rob- ert, James and William A., the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Patterson is a native of this State and a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
William A. Patterson acquired his prelimi- nary education in the public schools and at the high school in Elizabethtown, Essex county, and in October, 1880, entered the medical department of the university of New York, from which he was graduated with the degree of M. D., in 1887. The same year he opened an office at Gansevoort, this county, where he at once began his professional career, and now enjoys a large and lucrative practice. Dr. Patterson recently purchased a fine farm of two hundred and eighty acres, in the town of Northumberland, which he has greatly improved by additions to the buildings, and otherwise. This farm is well watered and is considered one of the best in the town of Northumberland.
In political sentiment Dr. Patterson is an ardent republican, and has always taken an active interest in local politics. In 1889 he was elected clerk of the town of Northumber- land, and reëlected the following year, serving two terms. In 1893 he was elected supervisor of the town, and is now occupying that impor- tant position.
On June 4, 1890, Dr. Patterson was united in marriage with Charlotte Ryalls, a daughter of William and Charlotte (Rogers) Ryalls, of this State. To Dr. and Mrs. Patterson has been born one child, a daughter, named Eliz- abeth.
James Patterson, uncle of Dr. Patterson, married a nicce of ex-Governor Morgan, of New York, and removed to Iowa, where he became prominent in the politics of that State, from which he was appointed minister to Bra- zil, and ably discharged the duties of that im- portant position for some time previous to his
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death, which was caused by yellow fever, in that country, while representing this govern- ment at the capital of Brazil.
EVERETT W. ALLEN, a quiet and unassuming but prosperous and highly respected farmer of the town of Malta, who ranks as one of the leading agriculturists of his section, is a son of David and Phœbe (VanAmie) Allen, and was born in the town of Malta, Saratoga county, New York, October 14, 1848. The ancestors of the Allen family were of English Quaker stock, and settled in Connecticut at an early day. In that State the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch was born and reared, but removed to New York about one hundred years ago, set- tling in the town of Galway, Saratoga county, where he followed farming until his death, at an advanced age. He was a Quaker and reared his family in that faith. His son, David Allen (father), was born in 1808, in the town of Galway, this county, where he grew to man- hood, received his education, and resided until about 1850, when he removed to the town of Malta. He was a farmer, and fol- lowed that occupation up to his retirement from active life, some ten years previous to his death, in 1892, at the advanced age of eighty- four years. In politics he was a whig and re- publican, and during his active years held a number of local offices in his town. He had been reared in the Quaker faith, and held to their doctrines, but never took an active part in church affairs. He married Phoebe Van- Amie, a daughter of Moses VanAmie, and reared a family consisting of four sons and five daughters. The sons were Alfred W., Everett W., William H., and Oscar E.
Everett W. Allen was reared principally on the farm, and received a good practical edu- cation, studying first in the public schools and completing his educational training in a select school at Malta. After leaving the school room he devoted himself to farming,
and has spent his life in agricultural pursuits. He owns a fine farm of one hundred and thirty- five acres of valuable land, all well improved and located within a mile of the village of Malta.
On December 24, 1874, Mr. Allen united in marriage with Mary C. Marvin, youngest daughter of William D. Marvin, a prosperous farmer of the town of Malta, this county. This union was blessed by the birth of one child, a daughter, named Olive, who is living at home with her parents.
In his political affiliations Mr. Allen has been a republican all his life, and has been elected frequently, without any solicitation on his part, to fill various town offices. He is now serving his second term as supervisor of the town of Malta, and was assessor for five years. Several years ago he was elected to the office of justice of the peace, but its duties were not congenial to him and he refused to accept the position. He is a member of the Baptist church at Malta, and is also a member of Franklin Lodge, No. 32, Free and Accepted Masons of Ballston Spa, and of Enterprise Lodge, No. 1492, Patrons of Industry. Mr. Allen is a man of positive character, but un- assuming in manner, and believes thoroughly in that old doctrine of the fathers, now so. frequently ignored, that no man can have a claim to public office, but that the office may have a claim on a good citizen, and that in all cases the office should seek the man and not the man seek the office.
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