Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume I, Part 19

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866-1934, ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 656

USA > New York > Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume I > Part 19

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Mr. Blessing's mechanical training had de- veloped many novel and useful inventions, among them steam engines, steam pumps, steam traps, steam boilers, valves, steam pack- ing, pump governors, steam and oil separa- tors, friction clutches, boiler purifiers, water filters and many other useful contrivances which the firm manufactured. The breadth of his training and experience led many per- sons busily engaged upon inventions to come to him, and it was often the case that his as- sistance, freely given, helped to bring about the perfection of a mechanical appliance

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which had failed to work until he gave it his attention. Often people came to him, that at his word credence would be placed in their work.

Before his election as mayor of Albany, he had held but one public office, that of supervisor. He represented the fifth ward on the board in the years 1894-95, and during the latter year was the president of that body. After the mayoralty term he retained an in- terest in politics; but having declined to ac- cept a second nomination, because of the time demanded from his business and through im- paired health, he sought no other office, yet continued as vice-president of the Fifth Ward Republican organization, and was a delegate from his ward to the convention nominating Mayor McEwan. He was elected the sixty- first mayor at the election held November 7, 1899, heading the Republican ticket, and was the first man of that party to be elected mayor for a period of some twenty years. The sig- nificance of this is that he accomplished what a dozen other leading Albany Republicans had failed to achieve. Out of the total of 22.848 votes cast, he received 12.364, and Judge Thomas J. Van Alstyne, Democrat, 9,995 votes. He had turned a continuous Demo- cratic majority into a handsome Republican victory, and took office on January 1, 1900, officiating through two full years. He was the first mayor to serve under the new char- ter granted to cities of the second class, and while experimental in some ways, his admin- istration has gone into municipal history as one of the most successful and satisfactory.

During his term, among many important civic events were the city's endeavor to cope with the serious strike of the traction line, Public School No. 12 was completed, the first public bath opened, the city draped in mourn- ing for McKinley, reconstruction of the Cen- tral railroad's bridge across the Hudson, the chamber of commerce organized, an enor- mous ice gorge at Cedar Hill threatened the business interests, the freshet being the great- est in forty-three years, and being twenty feet above the normal required city relief by the police navigating the streets in boats, the Pruyn Library given to the city and accepted in a speech by him, the Albany Institute uni- ted with the Alhany Historical and Art So- ciety, a children's playground inaugurated in Beaver Park, the cruiser "Albany" placed in commission, reconstruction of the Central railroad's viaduct crossing Broadway, coal famine because of the strike in Pennsylvania fields, Albany County Bar Association incor- porated, curfew law advocated at common council hearings, the new and costly union

railway station opened, Albany connected? with Hudson by an electric line, Chinese Min- ister Wu Ting-fang. LL.D., a guest of the. city, the John Marshall centennial ceremonies . held in the assembly chamber, annexation of Bath to Rensselaer, Dana Park opened and! dedicated by Mr. Blessing, the Schenectady railway running its first electric cars into Al- bany, statistical record at the filtration plant inaugurated, completion of the resurfacing of Madison avenue with asphalt, the Humane. Society acquired its own building. and im- provements instituted in many of the schools. These constitute the affairs with which he was directly concerned, either because of his ad- vocacy and consideration in some form as the city's executive, or through his personal solic- itude, and they go to show the advancement of the city's interests in various directions as affected by his connection therewith, while in many minor ways there was a steady im- provement in which all citizens benefited. In these ways his term will remain memorable.

Mr. Blessing was a member of the Amer- ican Society of Mechanical Engineers, of the Albany Institute, and the Capital City Repub- lican Club. He was an attendant of the Baptist church, and resided at No. 107 Eagle street.

Mr. Blessing married (first) at Albany, September 15. 1857, Martha Hutson, who died July 17, 1866; children: Martha, mar- ried Charles W. Backus, and died in New York City, January 5, 1907; Lucinda, died in infancy. Mr. Blessing married (second) at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, November 9, 1870, Mrs. Mary (Gilson) Judd, residing in Albany in 1910. County Treasurer John WV. Wheelock married Miss Judd, a daughter of his second wife, and both residents of Al- bany. Mr. Blessing had also two sisters liv- ing in Albany, Miss Lucretia Blessing and Mrs. Sarah J. Laning.

Mr. Blessing was not a man of robust health, although active in attention to busi- ness, and after suffering for a little more than a week with an attack of grip, at the end sank rapidly and died early in the morning of February 21, 1910. Having always lived a quiet, domestic life, the funeral was held at his home to avoid public demonstration, the Rev. Creighton R. Storey, pastor of the First Baptist Church, officiating, and Mayor James B. McEwan issued a proclamation, or- dering: "As a mark of appreciation of the impress made by him upon the life of our city, it is ordered that the flags be placed at half staff upon all the city's public buildings, tintil after his funeral, and that the heads of city departments and members of the Com-

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"mon Council attend his funeral with the May- "or in: a body."

The bell in the tower of the City Hall tolled, and as the solemn cortege moved slowly through the streets, the people stood in throngs with uncovered heads, show- ing all possible honor to one whom they had unreservedly respected and who had served them well as their executive.

FLANDERS The first and only Flanders to emigrate to America in the early period was Ste-

phen, who came with his wife Jane to Salis- bury, Massachusetts, between 1640 and 1646, and were among the first settlers of that town. He was admitted a townsman in Feb- ruary, 1650. His will was dated April 4, 1684, and he died June 27 following. His wife Jane died November 19, 1683. Chil- dren : Stephen (2), see forward ; Mary, Phil- ip, Sarah, Naomi and John. Deacon John, the youngest son, settled in South Hampton, New Hampshire. He was in the fight at Turner's Falls, and died in his eighty-seventh year.

(II) Stephen (2), son of Stephen (I) and Jane Flanders, was born March 8, 1646. He married. December 28. 1670, Abigail Carter, daughter of Thomas and Mary Carter. He was a resident of Salisbury, Massachusetts, where he died in the latter half of his ninety- ninth year, October 6, 1744. Children : Thom- as, Stephen (3), Thomas (2), Daniel, see for- ward; Joseph, Philip. Sarah, Philip (2), Jane Jeremiah and Abigail.

(III) Daniel, son of Stephen and Abigail (Carter) Flanders, was born March 16, 1675. He lived in Amesbury, Massachusetts. He married and 'had issue: Daniel (2) and Je- dediah.

(IV) Jedediah, son of Daniel Flanders, was born April 13, 1705. He married, Jan- uary 3. 1728, Eleanor Barnard. Children : Sarah, Timothy, Hannah, Daniel, Barnard, Eleanor and Jedediah, see forward.

(V) Jedediah (2), son of Jedediah (1) and Eleanor ( Barnard) Flanders, was born Au- gust 29, 1748. In 1795 he removed to Corn- ville, Maine, where he purchased a large tract of land, built a mill and lived to be seventy- five years of age. He died December 6, 1823, aged seventy-five years.

He married, February 8, 1770, Judith Tewksbury. Children : I. Molly, born June 8, 1770. 2. Jonathan, October 8, 1771. 3. Thomas, October 20, 1773. 4. Sarah, February 25, 1776. 5. William, November 19, 1778. 6. Jedediah (3), March 18, 1781. 7. Jacob, April 17, 1783. 8. Judith, June 1, 1785. 9.

Eleanor, May 4, 1787. 10. Daniel, see for- ward. II. Moses, June 23, 1791.

(VI) Daniel, son of Jedediah (2) and Ju- dith (Tewksbury) Flanders, was born April 28, 1789. He removed either from Corn- ville, Maine, or Salisbury, Massachusetts, and settled in New Hampshire along the Connec- ticut river. Prior to 1830 he removed to Bomhay, Franklin county, New York, thence to Parishville, St. Lawrence county, where he died. He married Fannie Flanders, a kins- woman (second cousin). Children: Parker, Martha, Arthur, (sce forward) ; Albert E., Caroline.

(VII) Arthur, son of Daniel and Fannie (Flanders) Flanders, was born in Bombay, Franklin county, New York, March 17, 1831. He married, in 1853, Mary Lovell. Chil- dren: 1. Arthur W., born February 12, 1855; married Julia Dewey, and had Grace B. and George Emerson Flanders. 2. Imogene, born July 6, 1857, married Lewis Putnam, and had Charles, Edith and Florence. 3. George Lo- vell, see forward.

(VIII) George Lovell, son of Arthur and Mary (Lovell) Flanders, was born at Parish- ville, St. Lawrence county, New York, Feb- ruary 29, 1856. He was educated in the pub- lic schools and at Potsdam, and took a short course at Union College. He followed the profession of teaching for several years, and was principal of the Madrid Union School, Madrid, New York. In 1884 he was ap- pointed assistant state dairy commissioner, serving until 1893. During this period he took up the study of law at Albany Law School, where he was graduated in 1888. In 1893 he was appointed assistant state com- missioner of agriculture, a position he has since held continuously. He is considered an authority on agricultural law, and has lec- tured and written much upon questions of vital importance to agriculturists. Through the press and on the platform he has created a deep interest, and made his department one of practical value. In 1901 he was presi- dent of the Farmers' National Congress, and for three years was first vice-president of the National Association of Dairy and Food Commissioners, and is now (1910) president, having been elected in 1909. In 1909 he was elected a director of the National Dairy Union, and subsequently president. He is a member of Ancient City Lodge, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, of Albany, and of the State Grange, Patrons of Husbandry.

He married, April 25, 1885. Catherine Southwick Keeler, daughter of William H. and Annie Keeler, of Albany. Children: Lil- lian Lovell, and Marion Southwick.

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The Thompson family of

THOMPSON Troy, New York, whose ancestry is herein re- corded, descended from Anthony Thompson, of England, who came to America in 1637 and is the founder of the American family of Thompson known as the New Haven branch. It is not known from what part of England he came, but as Rev. Davenport (with whom he came) had been a minister in London and Eaton, Hopkins and others had been merchants in that city, the infer- ence is that he was a native of or near Lon- don. The name has long been known in Eng- land. Scotland and Ireland under different spellings-Tompson, Tomson, Thomson and Thompson. In a later generation the line crossed another Thompson family, not known to be related, beginning with John Thomp- son, of England and Stratford, Connecticut. Through this line descent is gained from El- der William Brewster of the "Mayflower," Sir Richard Saltonstall, Lion Gardiner and other famous colonial and revolutionary fam- ilies. The Thompson arms: Or, on a fesse dancettee az. three etoiles ar. on a canton of the second, the sun in glory ppr. Crest: An arm erect, vested gu. cuff ar. holding in the hand ppr. five cars of wheat or. Motto: In lumine luce.

(I) Anthony Thompson with his wife (name unknown), two children, and brothers, John and William Thompson, embarked at London, England, on the ship "Hector," for America, where they arrived June 26, 1637, according to Winthrop's Journal, but accord- ing to Cotton Mather, the date was July 26, 1637. They landed at Boston. They were a part of the company which came with Gov- ernor Eaton and Rev. Davenport, dissenters from the Church of England, who left their homes to take up a residence in the new world, where they could be free from the con- stant persecutions which characterized the reign of Charles J. The company was com- posed of men of wealth and energy, and af- ter careful selection, they decided to follow their pastor. Rev. Davenport, in his choice of location, which was Quinnipiack or New Haven, Connecticut. The Thompson broth- ers were allotted lands and became leading citizens. John lived at East Haven, where he died December 11, 1674. The farm he owned is said to be yet owned by descendants. He married but left no male issue. William made his will October 6, 1682, dying the same year. Ile resided and died in New Ilaven.

Anthony Thompson signed the Colonial Constitution, June 4, 1639, and appears in the

original list as having shares in the first and second divisions of land. He took the oath of allegiance in 1644. His will was made March 23, 1648, shortly before his death. It was probably made "in extremis." It was drawn up by Rev. John Davenport, pastor, and Robert Newman, ruling elder of the church. He is called Brother Anthony Thompson, and seems to have been a devout member of the church. The name of his first wife is unknown. His second wife was Kathern. By first wife he had two sons and a daughter, and by the second wife, two daughters and a posthumous son. Children of Anthony Thompson, the emigrant : John, born in England, 1632, see forward ; Anthony, born in England, December, 1634, died at age of twenty years; Bridget, born 1637, married Rev. John Bowers, of Guilford. New Haven and Derby, Connecticut; Anna, bap- tized June 8, 1645, married Stanton ; Lydia, baptized July 24. 1647, married, Sep- tember 20, 1665, Isaac Crittenden, of Guil- ford; Ebenezer, baptized October 15, 1648, married, June, 1671, Deborah Dudley.

(II) John, eldest son of Anthony Thomp- son, was born in England in 1632. He is called Skipper John Thompson and John Thompson, the "Mariner." This to distin- guish him from "farmer" John Thompson. He was a seafaring man and a resident of New Haven. He married Hellena -, who died April 8, 1690. Captain Jolin survived her until June 2, 1707. Children: 1. John, born May 12, 1657: was called Lieutenant John; married Rebecca Daniel; children : Anna,. married Thomas Ives ; Daniel, married Mary Ball; Rebecca, married Caleb Mix: Elizabeth, married John Bassett; John: Anthony. 2. William, born 1660. married Hannah Glover ; children: James: Abigail: Mary, married John Hitchcock; Josiah and Benjamin. 3. Joseph, born April 8, 1664: married Eliza- beth Smith ; children: Anna, Joseph and Ebe- nezer. 4. Samuel. see forward.

(III) Samuel, son of Captain John and Hellena Thompson, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, May 12, 1669. died in Goshen, Connecticut, March 26, 1746. He was a high- ly-esteemed merchant of New Haven, but lat- er in life removed to Goshen, where his sons Samnel and Amos had settled. He was suc- cessively sergeant, ensign, lieutenant and cap- tain of militia. He seems to have been a man of importance. There is no record of the settlement of his estate nor of the time of his removal to Goshen. He married, November 14. 1695, Rebecca, daughter of Lieutenant- Governor Bishop. Children : 1. Samuel, born December 2, 1696. Ile settled on the

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east line of the town of Stanford, Dutchess county, New York, where he built a grist mill. He married Hester Alling; children : Elizabeth. Samuel, Sarah and Esther. 2. James, born June 5, 1699. He settled near his brother Samuel in Stanford. He was killed by a fall from a tree in 1737. He married Harriet Wilmot; children: Mary, James. Hezekiah, who was a lawyer of Wood- bury, Connecticut, and whose son William was the first judge of Sullivan county, New York, and his son James an Episcopal clergy- man of New Durham, Greene county, New York. 3. Amos, see forward. 4. Gideon, born December 25, 1704. He settled in Gosh- en, Connecticut, was deputy, and died in Hartford, Connecticut, while attending the fifth session of the assembly to which he was selected. He married Lydia Punderson ; chil- dren : Elisha, Daniel, Stephen, Lydia, James, Chloe and Lois. 5. Rebecca, born February 23, 1708: married Austin, of New Haven. 6. Judah, born June 10, 1710, died August 5, 1712. 7. Judah, born August 5, 1713, lived and died in New Haven. 8. Enos, born August 18, 1717, lived in New Haven. He was the grandfather of Enos Thompson Throop, charge-de-affaires to Naples and gov- ernor of the state of New York. Married Sarah Hitchcock.

A distinguished descendant of Samuel Thompson was Smith Thompson. judge of the supreme court of the United States and secretary of the navy.

(IV) Amos, third son of Samuel and Re- becca (Bishop) Thompson, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, March 3, 1702. He set- tled near the pond yet known as Thompson's Pond in 1746. February 3, 1737, he bid off one right in the town of Goshen, Connecti- cut. In 1741 he was chosen town clerk and treasurer and re-elected each year until 1750. The first meeting house built in Goshen was on his land. He married, September 7, 1726, Sarah Allen. Children : Allen, born June 2, 1727: Rebecca. April 28, 1729; Amos, Au- gust 7, 1731; Ezra, see forward; Mary, De- cember 6, 1741.

(V) Ezra, youngest son of Amos and Sa- ralı (Allen) Thompson, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1734. He was one of the first supervisors of the town of Stan- ford. Dutchess county, New York, being elec- ted in 1795. He was a gentleman farmer and had a large estate not far from the city of Poughkeepsie, New York. He married, Rachel Smith. Children: Ezra, see forward; Smith, Egbert, Nathan, Tamna, Rachel, Bet- sey and Sally.

(VI) Ezra (2), second son of Ezra (1)

and Rachel (Smith) Thompson, was born September 3, 1765, died April 3, 1829. He was a farmer and brought up his large fam- ily to habits of industry and thrift. IIis es- tate lay in Dutchess county, New York, where his children were born. He was a man of integrity, quiet, yet forceful in man- ner, qualities transmitted to his posterity. He married, July 13, 1786, Sallie Burton. Chil- dren : Huldah, born July 27, 1787 ; Polly, De- cember 19, 1788; Tamna, August 28, 1790; Sally, August 22, 1792; George, March 31, 1794; Walter, March 4, 1796; John Leland, see forward; Rachel, born September 21, 1799: Julia Ann, February 8, 1802.

(VII) John Leland, seventh child and third so11 of Ezra (2) and Sallie (Burton ) Thomp- son, was born at , Amenia, Dutchess county, New York, December 1, 1797, died at Troy, New York, March 27, 1880. He was reared on the farm and educated in the publie schools. He remained at home until 1817, and in that year settled in Troy, where he began his business career as a clerk in the drug store of Dr. Samuel Gale. At this early period Dr. Gale was postmaster of Troy and the post office was located in his store. He developed remarkable business ability and in 1821 was admitted to a partnership, the firm becoming Gale & Thompson. In 1826 Dr. Gale retired from the firm and for the fol- lowing fifteen years Mr. Thompson was sole proprietor. In 1841 David Cowee was ad- mitted to the firm, and it became John L. Thompson & Company. In 1855 John Isaac and William Augustus, sons of John Leland Thompson, were admitted, and the firm name was changed to John L. Thompson Sons & Company, which still continues. For nearly sixty-three years he conducted business on the same spot, and at the time of his death was the oldest and wealthiest merchant in the city, and the business which has developed under his guidance and direction had become the third largest drug house in the state of New York. His career was one of continuous success. He began life with a capital con- sisting of a good education and a single sil- ver dollar, handed him by his father as he entered the old store as a clerk, accompanying it with these words: "My son, you may re- quire a little money before you earn any ; take this." He observed the strictest integrity in all his business dealings and this rule of conduct he laid down as the guide for all his employees and associates. Besides being at the head of one of the largest wholesale drug houses in the state, he held many other po- sitions of honor and trust. He was presi- dent of the Troy & Greenwich railroad; one

HUDSON AND MOHAWK VALLEYS

of the organizers of the Troy Union Railroad Company in 1851 ; was a director and es- pecially active in procuring the title to the lands purchased in Troy for the location of that road and for the site of the Union depot ; was a director of the old Farmers' Bank from 1836 until that institution was merged into the United National in 1865, when he re- signed : for many years was a trustee of the Troy Savings Bank, and a director of the Al- bany & Vermont Railroad Company. He was especially interested in the Marshall In- firmary, serving on the board of governors, and adding a great deal to the usefulness and prosperity of that institution. He was a Dem- ocrat in politics, although never active in po- litical affairs, but was always interested in the welfare and growth of the city whose prosperity he did so much to promote. He was a lifelong attendant at church services, ålthough not a communicant until late in life, when he joined St. Paul's Church, whose serv- ices for years previous he had rarely failed to attend both morning and evening. He was always devoted to and practiced the high- est principles of morality and virtue. He heartily supported the Washingtonian tem- perance movement of 1840 and, always pre- viously strictly temperate, from that date for- ward he became a total abstainer, declaring that no one should ever refer to him as an evil example. He was equally opposed to the use of tobacco in any form. During his last illness, when his articulation had become indistinct, one of his sons, after careful listen- ing, caught the following sentence : "You will never make a success in life without ster- ling integrity." And in this sentence may be found the keynote of his life. He died at the age of eighty-three years and is buried at Oakwood cemetery, Troy. He married, August 17, 1829, at New London, Connecti- cut. Mary Perkins Thompson. Children : John Isaac, born April 2, 1831, sce forward; William Augustus, February 2, 1834, see for- ward: Mary Elizabeth, May 14. 1838, de- ceased; George Smith, February 14, 1840; Robert Hallam, August 16, 1845; James Le- land, September 17, 1847; Rev. Walter, Jan- uary 12, 1851 ; Edward Ray, March 19, 1854, now deceased.

(VIII) John Isaac, eldest child of John Leland and Mary Perkins (Thompson) Thompson, was born in Troy, April 2, 1831, died in San Francisco, California, October 16, 1901, while attending the general con- vention of the Protestant Episcopal church as deputy, representing the Albany diocese. He was educated at a private school in Pough- keepsie, New York, and at the Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute. He entered business life immediately upon leaving college and be- came a member of the wholesale drug house of John L. Thompson Sons & Company, and for many years prior to his death was the senior member of the firm founded by his father. He inherited the sterling qualities of his sire, and under his wise and progressive management the business retained its former prestige and continued a most successful in- stitution. He ranked among the ablest of Troy's business men. Among his varied out- side interests was the Troy City National Bank, now the Security Trust Company, which he served as a director for many years. He was also on the board of directors of the Albany & Vermont and the Troy & Green- bush railroad companies, both now a part of the Delaware & Hudson system. For many years he was a trustee of the Rensselaer Poly- technic Institute, and was always a warm and useful friend of this institution. He was a devout churchman, which may be said to have been the greatest interest of his life. He was a member of the vestry of St. Paul's Epis- copal Church for many years, his death ter- minating long years of service as a senior warden. His services to the church were both local and national. With his wife he started the little chapel on Green Island, now St. Mark's Episcopal Church. He was also one of the chief organizers of St. Paul's Free Chapel, now St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. Both of these chapels were placed on a firm financial basis through the efforts and liberal- ity of Mr. Thompson and wife. Until they became separate parishes he served both as a trustee. In the renovation and enlargement of the mother church, St. Paul's, he was ac- tive in pushing the work, raising funds to which he was a persistent contributor. For many years he was a trustee of the Church Home in Troy. In diocesan affairs he was both active and prominent. He was a member of the General Board of Missions of the Church, representing the Albany diocese. He gave freely of his time, means and business judgment to the welfare of his church, and was a leading spirit in church councils. Of an independent mind in political affairs, his announced preference was for the Democratic party. He was always actively interested in the Troy Citizens Corp, holding the rank of lieutenant. As paymaster, he served on the brigade staff with the rank of captain. For many years he retained an active interest in the corp and gave it his loyal, substantial support, retain- ing his membership in the senior company until his death. His clubs were the New

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Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume I, Part 19

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866-1934, ed Publication date: 1911 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 656

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866-1934, ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 656