Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume II, Part 6

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866- ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 716

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course at the celebrated Fay School for small boys at Southboro, Massachusetts.

The names of two sis- ENGLE-SISSON ters, Ardella and Anna Bogardus, whose mar- ried names, Engle and Sisson, in a measure conceal their identity, will long be remem- bered for deeds of charity and benevolence. They were daughters of John Yost Bogardus, granddaughters of John, and great-grand- daughters of Ephraim Bogardus. They are lineal descendants of Rev. Everardus Bogar- dus, whose life is fully described in the Bo- gardus line of Mary Sabina (Bogardus) Gray, accompanied by portraits of six genera- tions of the Bogardus line. Mrs. Ardella Bogardus Engle descends from Dominie Everardus Bogardus and Anneke Jans through their fourth and youngest child Pieter.

(II) Peter Bogardus, "mariner," was bap- tized April 2, 1645. He resided in Albany, New York, until near the close of his life, when he removed to Kingston, New York, where he died in 1703. In 1673 he was one of the magistrates of Albany, and was com- missioned with others to treat with the "Five Nations" and to look after the defence of the town. He made his will February 3, 1701-02. He married Wyntie Cornelise Bosch, daugh- ter of Cornelis Teunese and Maritje Thamase (Mengael) Bosch. Children: Evert; Shib- boleth; Hannah, married Peter Brouck; Ma- rie, married Johannes Van Vechten, of Schaghticoke; Anthony; Rachel; Ephraim (see forward) ; Petrus.

(III) Ephraim, son of Pieter and Wyntie Cornelise (Bosch) Bogardus, was baptized August 14, 1687. He married, September 23, 1720, Agnietje De Garno. Children: Pe- trus, Catharina Wyntie, Ephraim, (see for- ward) ; Jacob, Catharina (2), Maria and Anna.

(IV) Ephraim (2), son of Ephraim and Agnietje (De Garno) Bogardus, was baptized August 7, 1726. He married and had issue.

(V) Ephraim (3), son of Ephraim Bo- gardus (2), was born about 1750. He mar- ried and had issue.

(VI) John, son of Ephraim (3) Bogardus, was born in 1781, and was one of the pioneers of the town of Berne, Albany county, New York, which he served as supervisor. He served in the war of 1812 as a private. He owned a good farm in Berne, still in pos- session of the Bogardus family. He married in 1800, at the early age of nineteen years, Anna Dietz, a descendant of Colonel Johan Jost Dietz, founder of the family in Albany

county, who was born in Switzerland, and was one of the first settlers in the town of Berne, going there between 1750 and 1760. Children of John and Anna Bogardus: Adam, Maria, Elizabeth, Catherine, Cornelia, Mar- garet, Ephraim, Barbara, Caroline and John Jost, all of whom married.

(VII) John Jost, son of John and Anna (Dietz) Bogardus, was born in the town of Berne, Albany county, New York, May 16, 1829. He was a farmer, and a member of the Lutheran church. Politically he was a Republican. He died October 19, 1864. He married, in 1856, Martha C. Engle. Children : I. Ardella, married Wheeler W. Engle, of whom further. 2. Anna, born March 8, 1860; married Noel E. Sisson, of whom further. Mr. Sisson left his fortune at his widow's disposal, and she used it for human better- ment. She was a woman of most remarkable characteristics. She had wonderful talents, possessed a philanthropic spirit and a purely unselfish nature. She wanted all to have life, and have it abundantly. The people she helped during her life were legion. There was not a charity in Albany that has not been benefitted by her timely aid. The First Chris- tian Church of Albany is largely due to her generosity. She made possible the erection of the new church edifice by a first gift of $15,000. She died September 7, 1908. Her sister, Mrs. Ardella Bogardus Engle, survives Mrs. Sisson, to whose memory she has placed a beautiful memorial window in the First Christian Church of Albany. As a more lasting and practical memorial to the sister to whom she was devoted, Mrs. Engle has endowed the "Anna Bogardus Sisson" chair of presi- dency at Defiance College, Defiance, Ohio. Nothing could be more fitting and in keeping with the spirit of Mrs. Sisson than these me- morials. While her life was of such a char- acter, and her influence so great as to need no memorials to keep her memory green, yet that her name is indissolubly connected with the college will prove an inspiration to all who come to know her noble spirit, and her name will grace, sanctify and baptize with a spirit of consecration the chair that will bear it.

Mrs. Ardella Bogardus Engle, the surviving sister, resides in Albany, but has her summer home on the old Engle homestead in Berne. She has the benevolent spirit of her sister, who trusted implicitly her business sagacity and left many unfinished plans that have been carried to completion by Mrs. Engle. Neither of the sisters was blessed with children.

Wheeler W. Engle was a son of Adam, and a grandson of Christopher Engle, who was a farmer of Berne, Albany county, New York,

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and one of the prominent men of that town. He married Judith Weidman, daughter of one of the old families, and reared a large family ; one son, William H., was a prominent member of the Schoharie county bar and a leading citizen and lawyer of the town of Middleburg.

Adam, son of Christopher and Judith (Weidman) Engle, was born in Albany coun- ty, New York, and became one of the leading farmers of the town of Berne. He married Martha Kniskern, who bore him two children.

Wheeler W., elder child of Adam and Martha (Kniskern) Engle, was born in the town of Berne, March 31, 1861, died Au- gust 13, 1909. He was educated in the com- mon schools, and after leaving school followed the occupation of a farmer in the town of his birth. He was a well informed man of studious tastes, having a great love for books. His reading covered a wide range, giving him more than an ordinary knowledge of a great variety of useful and profitable subjects. He was a man of genial nature and well liked by all who knew him. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and a Republican in poli- tics. He married Ardella Bogardus and died without issue. (See Bogardus.)

Noel E. Sisson was born in "Hunters Land," Albany County, New York, January 23, 1821. His father was a farmer with a large family, and life was a struggle for a livelihood. The lad was of rather slender physique and, thirsting for an education, left home and began work in a store in Hunters Land. His employer, who had been a school- master, agreed to teach him and furnish books as compensation for his services. The lad, who was now fourteen years of age, soon found that the promised instruction was main- ly manual and not mental, but he remained a year, spending all his spare time with such books as he could secure. He then left the store, walked the entire distance to Johns- town, New York, where he secured employ- ment, and found a way to enter the academy there. He made good use of his time in the next few years, working hard out of school hours at various employments, teaching school in the country, and at last felt that he had ex- hausted all the opportunities Johnstown then offered. He came to Albany, where he be- came familiar with the art of photography. He was now twenty-four years of age, and after careful preparation, he opened a photo- graph gallery at the corner of Maiden Lane and Broadway. He succeeded beyond his ex- pectations and soon enlarged his business. adding a line of photographic supplies, and built up a large business, which he continued

for fourteen years. About 1859, Donald Mac- Donald, a scotchman and a friend of Noel E. Sisson, after returning from a trip abroad, came to him and solicited the loan of a thou- sand dollars which he wished to invest in a plant for making gas meters. MacDonald's brother was engaged in that business in the old country and had convinced him that it was one that could be conducted profitably in Albany. The loan was made, Mr. Sisson hav- ing confidence in his friend, and being always willing to lend the hand of assistance. Later another loan was applied for and granted ; MacDonald had his plant in operation in a small way, but needed capital. He finally offered Mr. Sisson a half interest in exchange for sufficient money to meet the demands of his growing business. The arrangement was made, and the firm of D. MacDonald & Co. was formed in 1859, and still continues. The elder MacDonald died and his place in the firm was taken by his son. The little plant of 1859 grew to a stately building running through from Lancaster to Chestnut street, and in 1897 was giving employment to two hundred men. Financial success came to Noel E. Sisson in abundance and his wealth was freely used for the best purposes. He was interested in many other Albany enter- prises. He was a director of the First Na- tional Bank of Albany, and of the Commerce Insurance Company ; president of the Gas Light Company of Bath, Steuben county, New York, and other lesser concerns. He was a charter member of the Fort Orange Club and a Republican in politics. During his latter years he spent much time at his pleasant home on Lancaster street, working amid his flowers and in his garden. He was plain and unpretentious, industrious and persever- ing, of genial manners, sturdy, honest and extremely scrupulous in keeping his promises, generous and liberal to old friends and worthy charities, regarding his wealth as a sacred trust. He married (first) Emmeline, daugh- ter of Dr. Griffin, of Middleburg, Schoharie county, New York. Children: 1. Eleanor, married Daniel C. Bennett. 2. Frank N., was associated with D. MacDonald & Co., as salesman and representative at Columbus, Ohio; later with Welsbach Co .; married Minnie Brayton, of Albany, New York. Noel E. Sisson married ( second) Anna Bogardus, who survived him without issue. (See Bo- gardus. )

Hathorn McCulloch was

McCULLOCH the founder in America of the McCulloch family now living on the estate known as Hathorden, at

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Clinton Heights, distant about two miles from the city of Rensselaer (formerly village of Greenbush), on east bank of the Hudson, op- posite the city of Albany.

(I) He was born in Wigton, a shire of Gal- loway. Scotland, December 5, 1773, son of Andrew and Ann (Allan) McCulloch, grand- son of Andrew and Agnes (Parker) McCul- loch, great-grandson of William and Grissell (Shallane) McCulloch. William McCulloch was a man of large possessions and of a long lineage. He belonged to the branch of the family known as of Myerton, or Myrtown Arms, in the Scottish Registry: Described, erm. efret. engr. gu. Crest: A hand throw- ing a dart ppr. Motto: Vi et animo.

The McCullochs, as a family or clan in Scotland, when that country was unassociated with England, and for a long period there- after, were noted as an influence and power to be considered by their contemporaries during that stormy period. The name appears not infrequently in local annals, in the annals of neighboring clans or families, and in the his- tory of Scotland itself, though no compre- hensive history of the family as such (as there is of many others) appears to be extant at the present day.

Though Hathorn McCulloch brought from his native land little beside his own person- ality, having been a youngest son, his direct progenitors for generations back were people of standing and consequence in the locality in which they lived. He came to America, settling in the city of Albany, New York, about the year 1795. He early made a place for himself in a business way, and at a date which cannot now be recalled, formed a part- nership with a Mr. Boyd, and the firm under the name of Boyd & McCulloch engaged in the brewing and malting business. The busi- ness established by this firm was eminently successful, has thrived under various succeed- ing owners, and continues in existence to this day.

Mr. McCulloch married at an early age, and established a home for himself and fam- ily in the city, but a country life appealed to him; therefore, when the opportunity of- fered, he purchased from the United States government, about the year 1830, the military reservation known as the Greenbush Canton- ment, near Greenbush and Albany, consisting of about four hundred acres of land, with many buildings thereon, including an impos- ing headquarters, large barracks for officers and soldiers, store houses, stables, etc., etc. This military post was an important factor in the conduct of the war of 1812. Largely from here were drawn the troops who, com-

manded by General McComb, with Commo- dore McDonough on the lakes, defeated the British at the battle of Plattsburg.

After remodeling one of the government buildings (still standing) and making there- from a spacious house for himself on this large estate, he divested it of its military features, remodeling such buildings as he re- quired, razing the rest, and converted the lands, with suitable buildings, into a model farm. This accomplished, he with his family removed from the Albany home, and shortly thereafter he relinquished his interest in the city business, retaining, however, some valu- able city real estate, and continued to live at the Cantonment in contented retirement until his death, at an advanced age, in 1859. Ha- thorn McCulloch was a man of robust phy- sique, great energy, and fine mental attain- ments. In his leisure hours he read exten- sively, and delighted in the study of mathe- matics. His large circle of friends and ac- quaintances during his early life and middle age embraced about every one worthy of note in the then small city of Albany. Among the most noteworthy of his personal friends was De Witt Clinton, illustrious among the governors of New York. In politics he had always been a Democrat, being especially an admirer of Jackson and Van Buren, but in the last presidential election before his demise he cast his vote for Fremont and Dayton.

A few years after his settlement in Albany he married Miss Christina McFarland, of the town of New Scotland, near Albany. She, as was her husband, was born in Scotland (October, 1779), daughter of Dr. John Mc- Farland, of Glasgow. She was related to the Buchanan family, that having been the family of her mother. She esteemed the Buchanans very highly and caused the name to be perpetu- ated in the persons of several of her grand- sons. She was a worthy consort to Hathorn McCulloch and shared with him both his early and more advanced and declining years. She died in 1858. To them were born two sons-John Hathorn and William Alexander. and a daughter, Mary Ann. John H. in early manhood married and established himself near Buffalo; he died at an early age, the result of an accident, having been thrown from his horse, and his sons, on arriving at maturity, moved farther west; some of his descendants are now making names for themselves, but his and their records do not pertain to the locality in which the founder of the family made his home. Mary Ann married Benjamin Bostwick Kirtland ; she is noted elsewhere in this work.

(II) William Alexander, second son of Hathorn and Christiana (McFarland) Mc-

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Culloch, was born in Albany, February 14, 1810, where his boyhood days were spent. He graduated from the Albany Boys' Acad- emy, an institution of learning founded in the year 1813, and still existing. He never supplemented the instruction there received by a college course, but always spoke in high praise of the thoroughness and comprehen- siveness of the course of study taught at that school while he was a student there, and it was with almost veneration that he es- teemed Dr. T. Romeyn Beck, the principal and chief instructor, who for many years con- trolled the academy, and whose memory is revered to this day by that venerable institu- tion of learning. To the foundation of his education received at the academy he added much in the way of technical knowledge by personal study in after life. An incident of his school days was his shaking the hand of Lafayette on the occasion of that patriot's visit to Albany in 1824.

Upon his coming of age he already found himself intimately acquainted with the de- tails of his father's extensive business; the latter trusted him implicitly, and even sought his advice in many matters of importance. It has been said by some that it was his son William who first noted the future possibili- ties of the Cantonment property and induced the father to purchase the same from the United States government. On the removal of the family to the home of the Cantonment estate, William was in his element as chief assistant to his father in the arduous task of getting the property in shape, not only as to affording a suitable home, but that it should be productive. He married, July 7, 1841, and about this time his father deeded to him in land area approximately one-half of the Cantonment estate, upon which he built a house and other buildings, and com- menced to live there late in the following year. He named the estate Hathorden, from his father's name, and it was his home there- after as long as he lived.

Shortly previous to his marriage he pur- chased a large malt house in Albany and en- gaged in the malting business. After his marriage he associated with himself as a partner his brother-in-law, Mr. E. C. Aikin, under the firm name of Wm. A. McCulloch & Co. Mr. Aikin had other business con- nections and this partnership was of only a few years' duration. While it existed it pur- chased on a venture a large tract of land (1856) in North Carolina, with the purpose of exploiting the mineral deposits in which it was rich, but the outbreak of the civil war caused the non-success of the enterprise. The

land is now held by one of Mr. McCulloch's sons jointly with the heirs of Mr. Aikin.

The malting business (then a great indus- try in Albany) yielded generous profits to Mr. McCulloch, though it was somewhat dis- tasteful to him as a business. Therefore, when during the year 1863 the opportunity offered to sell out and close the business so far as he was concerned, at great advantage, he availed himself of it, and retired from active business.

He was idealistic as to the occupation of farming, and it was early in life his ambi- tion to personally operate his own farm, which he made a model one at great expense in the way of reclaiming swamp land through extensive drainage, the erection of fine build- ings, and in other ways, but a year or two at a time, at different periods, in such opera- tions, with its wearying detail, demonstrated to him that farming was not for him, and on relinquishing each attempt he either turned over the farm management to his second son, or leased to a tenant. With these exceptions noted, after his retirement from business in 1863, his only occupation up to the time of his demise was the care of his vested inter- ests and such recreations as his taste or in- clination dictated.

In early manhood he took a lively interest in politics and was an ardent worker in the party to which he belonged, but though offered him, he did not care for nor would accept a political office, though he did a military one. Like his father, he was a Democrat, and an admirer of Jackson and Van Buren, but when the new party lines were formed on the ques- tion of slavery, he joined the new Republican party, which was his party thereafter as long as he lived. Though always taking an inter- est in political matters, in his later years he ceased all activity in that line, contenting himself in the casting of his vote, in which duty he was always punctilious.

After the war of 1812 and almost up to the fifties of the preceding century, the mil- itia of the state of New York embraced with few exemptions every man capable of bear- ing arms. Mr. McCulloch took a keen inter- est in the militia, and, being thorough in everything he undertook, he entered the serv- ice, first as quartermaster with the rank of major, and later was chief of staff with the rank of colonel on the staff of Major General Henry J. Genet, a division commander. This officer was a son of Edmond Charles Genet, known in history as Citizen Genet. It was said of the general during his military career that he took great pride in his command, and that his personal staff, of which Colonel Mc-

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Culloch was the chief, was composed of young men of high social standing and efficient in the discharge of their duties. They were all fine horsemen and of soldierly appearance and bearing.

In character and mental attainments, Col- onel McCulloch was worthy of emulation, though his modesty and a shrinking from notoriety of any kind amounted to defects in his character which prevented him from at- taining more than a celebrity which was al- most entirely local in extent. His literary taste was rare and discriminating, and dur- ing his lifetime he accumulated quite an ex- tensive library. He also kept posted with the contemporaneous events of the day, as well as keeping a dairy himself, noting not only events of a personal nature but such of general interest as he deemed worthy of rec- ord. This record only ended with his life.

Almost entirely through self-instruction and for his amusement as well as for the knowledge sought, he was an architect, en- gineer and chemist. He was first led to in- terest in the last-named science through his early association with Joseph Henry, for many years curator of the Smithsonian Insti- tution, Washington, whose friendship he en- joyed as long as he lived, and with whom he not infrequently corresponded. His knowl- edge of architecture enabled him to design his own house at Hathornden, which stands as a monument to his ability in that line.

He never had occasion to look to others for aid, and he was not much of an advocate of indiscriminate charity, but to those he loved and upon whom he felt it incumbent to bestow assistance, he gave with a liberal hand, and the needy stranger was never turned from his door unaided. He was a member of the Presbyterian church. Like his father, in his early years and middle life lis ac- quaintance was large, and his friends many who held him in high esteem, but he outlived all his contemporaries of that period. He was in possession of all his mental faculties, and, for his years, of considerable vigor up to within a little more than a week of his death, which occurred January 28, 1900, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-nine years and eleven months.

William Alexander McCulloch married, July 7, 1841, Caroline Matilda, youngest daughter and child of William A. and Caro- line Matilda (Cary) Akin. Mr. Akin was a man of large possessions in the old settle- ment of Greenbush, and afterwards of the incorporated village of that name, of which he was the founder. He was during his life- time preëminently its foremost citizen. The

Cary family (to which Mrs. McCulloch's mo- ther belonged) originated in New England, by one of three brothers (the other two going south), who came to America in the early colonial period, and were of the English Carys, many of whose members were emi- nent, especially during the late Tudor and early Stuart periods of English history, per- haps the most notable having been Lord Falkland, who figured largely during the stormy reign of Charles I. and the Common- wealth.

Mrs. McCulloch's maternal grandfather was Major Ebenezer Cary, an officer in the revolutionary army. A great-grandfather was Captain Joshua Champlin, who was on officer in the colonial army at the siege of Louisburg, and with the forces at Lake George, 1755, and during the revolution com- manded a company in the same regiment with his son-in-law, Major Cary. A more remote ancestor (a Champlin) was in the battle of the Swamp, during King Philip's war. The late Sir William Howland, of Toronto (an American by birth), once governor of On- tario, Canada, was a cousin of Mrs. McCul- loch, Sir William's mother having been a sister of William Akin, her father. He died only a few years ago, at an advanced age.

Caroline Matilda Akin was born October 30, 1816, in Greenbush, in the home of her father, which is still standing in the present city of Rensselaer, corner of Broadway and Akin avenue, and is unsurpassed to-day by any residence in the city. She finished her education at the Albany Girls' Academy, an institution of learning then as now of high character. Those who remembered her after her school days spoke of her as possessing about every accomplishment then in vogue among young ladies except music, for which she thought herself she had not sufficient tal- ent to cultivate. She was skillful with both brush and pencil, and in English composition especially excelled. In appearance and man- ner attractive, added to a vivacious and im- pulsive disposition, her companionship was largely sought by the large circle of her numerous relatives and friends. Upon her marriage she went with her husband to his home at the Cantonment, but on the comple- tion of the house at Hathornden they entered upon their life at their new and attractive home. Here she presided as mistress with a charming grace and hospitality, bringing up her young children with a loving care, but after a little more than a decade of married life she suffered a terrible affliction in the form of a mental derangement from which she never recovered and which necessitated

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Hudson-Mohawk genealogical and family memoirs, Volume II, Part 6

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866- ed Publication date: 1911 Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company Number of Pages: 716

Author: Reynolds, Cuyler, 1866- ed
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: New York, Lewis historical publishing company
Number of Pages: 716