Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 116

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374

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Schoharie county, was with his whole family murdered by Indians during the war of 1812. William A., the father, was a farmer and lived on one of the farms left by his father, and was also very successful. His second wife was Alvina Fanning, by whom he had six children. He died in 1862. Mr. Deitz attended school during the summer until he was sixteen years of age, when he started out for himself with but forty-eight cents. He went to work on a farm for his cousin, following farming for some time, and managed to go to school during the winter. At the age of twenty years he purchased a patent right of a fruit and lard press, which he sold for some time with success. He then carried on a beer bottling establishment for a short time, and in 1871 he engaged in the bottling business in East Worcester, Otsego county, which he sold two years later and removed to Guilderland Center, where he established a small bottling business. In addition to this business he has bought at different times different wood lots, which he has cleared, making posts, rails, lum- ber, etc. Mr. Deitz is of an inventive turn of mind, having invented and patented at different times several useful implements; among the more prominent was a wire hay binder which he manufactured for six years. In 1885 he established his present bottling works, and in addition to his bottling business he is also interested in the poultry business. He was one of the village trustees of Altamont in 1894, and in the spring of 1896 was elected water commissioner. He is a member of Voorhees- ville Lodge of Odd Fellows. In 1871 he was married to Mary La Grande, who was born in Guilderland, a daughter of Andrew La Grande. Mr. Deitz was treasurer and deacon of the Reformed church. Mrs. Deitz is a member of the Missionary Society.

Hunter, James, son of Robert and Elizabeth, was born in County Down, Ireland, January 4, 1865, and was educated and reared on a farm in his native country. He came to America in 1882, settling in Albany, where he lived with and was employed by Robert H. Moore, a lumber merchant, remaining with him two years; he was then with Hugh Patterson and E. P. Bates one year each, learning the gas and steam fitting trade, and was subsequently with the Ferguson Boiler Company, be- coming their superintendent. In January, 1893, he engaged in the steam and gas fitting business for himself at Nos. 9 and 11 Liberty street, and in May, 1894, bought out the Ferguson Boiler Company. In April, 1895, he occupied their old quarters on Church street, where he manufactures high and low pressure steam boilers and steam and hot water heating apparatus, doing also a general contracting business in steam and hot water heating, and dealing in boilers, engines and general steam sup- plies. June 24, 1891, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Babcock of Albany, and they have two children, Henry Babcock and Charlotte.

Shields, Francis, son of Adam, was born in Albany in 1822. Adam Shields, who was born in Ireland in 1798, came to America in 1819 and settled in Albany, where he entered the employ of Levi Solomon, a well known tobacconist. In 1833 he formed a partnership with Samuel Townsend, as Townsend & Shields and engaged in the manufacture of tobacco. On Mr. Townsend's death, which occurred in 1836, Mr. Shields formed a partnership with Charles Chapman and William Taylor, under the name of Chapman, Shields & Taylor, and continued until 1840, when Mr. Shields withdrew. In 1850, with Daniel Adams, under the style of Shields & Adams, he started the present tobacco manufacturing business of Francis Shields in Church

Mr. Adams withdrew in 1860 and Mr. Shields's son Francis became a part - Der under the name of Shields & Son ; this continued until 1880, when Mr. Shields retired. He died in 1888 and since that year the business has been successfully con- ducted by Francis Shields, and is the largest tobacco manufactory in the city.

Call. Wilbam H., was born in Albany, August 24, 1853, and is a son of David and grandson of William Cull, who was born in the North of Ireland, 1800. He came to America in 1820, lived in Albany and Brandon, Vt., dying in the latter place in 1876. William married Letitia Campbell, of Scotch descent, who died in 1888; aged eighty- four. David Cull was born in Albany, became a well known telegraph operator, and married Helen M., daughter of James H. Young of Schenectady, N. Y., and died in 1860. William H. Cull attended the private and public schools of Albany and finished his education at the Albany Free Academy. When sixteen he entered the office of the Western Union Telegraph Company at Troy, N. Y., as a messenger boy. There he worked faithfully in various capacities, until the American District Mes- senger service of Albany was established in the fall of 1874. He was soon after appointed superintendent of the company and continued in the same capacity until January 1, 1877. A vacancy occurring about that time in the office of the Fire Alarm Telegraph office in Albany, Mr. Cull was appointed by Mayor Banks to a position in the department. He remained in the office of the Fire Alarm Telegraph Company until the 19th of May, 1883, when he was chosen superintendent and electrician of the Hudson River Telephone Company, a position which he filled till the 1st of Feb- ruary, 1890, when he was invited to take charge of the electrical department of the Albany Railway, of which he was speedily made superintendent. He had almost everything to do about starting the electrical railway service and ran the first motor cars on State street. On the expiration of his contract with the Albany Railway Company, May 1, 1891. Mr. Cull again became connected with the Hudson River Telephone Company as electrician, and on the 1st of January, 1893, he was appointed its general superintendent, a position he has since filled. Mr. Cull is a member of Temple Lodge and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He has also been a member of the Unconditional Republican Club since 1876 and was one of its charter members and first officers of the permanent organization ; for the past five years he has been the treasurer of the club. He has always taken a very active interest in old Albany's welfare and has been an earnest and efficient worker on public cele- brations and reception committees appointed by the different mayors. February 13, 1888, he married Miss Mary Estelle, daughter of the late James Sprinks of Albany.

Chase. Hon. Norton, son of Nelson H. Chase, a leading and respected citizen of Albany, was born in the capital city,. September 3, 1861, and was graduated from the Albany Academy in 1878, winning five gold medals. The same year he entered Yale College and subsequently became a student at the Albany Law School, from which he was graduated as LL. B. and admitted to the bar in 1882. He began active practice with, and continued until the death of, Judge Samuel Hand in 1886, when he succeeded to the latter's law business. Mr. Chase was successfully con- neeted in litigation with the Lamson Consolidated Store Service Company, involving over twenty different cases, and was also counsel for Tiffany & Company, when the State comptroller levied a tax on that corporation of $237,000, which was reduced to $6,000. He has also been identified with several criminal trials. He was for two

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years assistant corporation counsel of the city of Albany, and in 1885 was elected member of assembly from the Third assembly district. In 1887 he was nominated for State senator in the 17th senatorial district; the election was carried into the courts and his opponent was declared elected by a plurality of eight. In 1889 Mr. Chase was elected State senator and was the youngest man in the Senate of 1890-91. During his term he introduced the first bill extending registration throughout the county. He is a prominent Democrat of the Jeffersonian school, a ready and fluent speaker, a powerful debater and a forceful campaign orator and has been delegate to many Democratic conventions. He is a member of the Democratic and Reform Clubs of New York, is a trustee and counsel of the Albany Exchange Savings Bank, and is a member of several social and other organizations of Albany. In 1881 he was commissioned first lieutenant and appointed adjutant, and in 1886 elected major of the 10th Battalion N. G. N. Y. In 1895 he was the candidate on the Democratic ticket for the office of attorney-general of the State of New York. June 22, 1887, he married Mabel Louise, daughter of Henry L. James of Williamsburg, Mass.

Fitzgerald Brothers, Edward J. and William R., are sons of Edward J. Fitzgerald, who came to Albany from Ireland about 1840 and died here in 1884, aged fifty-four ; he was for many years a plumber, carrying on a successful business alone and later under the firm name of E. Fitzgerald & Sons. Edward J. Fitzgerald, jr., was born in Albany, December 30, 1864, and learned the trade of machinist at Green Island. William R. was born in 1873. In April, 1892, they formed a copartnership under the style of Fitzgerald Brothers and purchased of Peter Kinnear the old brass foundry at the corner of Beaver and Grand streets, which they have conducted with marked success. They manufacture an infinite variety of brass appliances, such as steam engine work, iron turning, brass castings and couplings, copper and composition castings, cocks, brass work for breweries, etc.

Ansbro, Thomas, son of Peter and Mary (McEvily) Ansbro, was born in Albany, December 18. 1854. His parents were natives of Mayo, province of Connaught, Ire- lend. Thomas Ansbro was educated at the Christian Brothers' Academy and in 1868 obtained a clerkship in Patrick Cuddy's grocery store, where he remained twelve years; he then went to New York city and was for a time in the employ of Philip Steiner, tea merchant. He came to Albany in 1881 and opened a restaurant on Broadway, which he conducted for seven years. In 1888 he was appointed, by Superintendent McEwan, as keeper in the Albany County Penitentiary, which he resigned after five years, to accept the position of superintendent of the brush fac- tory of the penitentiary, to which position he was appointed by Mr. Bronk, the con- tractor. In 1893 he was appointed inspector of markets by Mayor Manning and held the position until the expiration of Mayor Manning's term of office. In 1895 he was appointed appraiser of customs by Hon. John P. Masterson and still occupies that position. Mr. Ansbro represented the Fourth ward in the Common Council for six years. He is a member of the Catholic Union, and in 1891 married Delia, daughter of Michael Coughlin of Albany. They have one son, Anthony Brady.

Liscomb, Orlando P., son of Darius P. and Anna Gage (Clement) Liscomb, farmers, was born in Hartland, Vt., January 1, 1838, and moved with his parents to Rutland in 1841, where he received his education. His paternal ancestors were early settlers of New England; on his mother's side he descends from Robert

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Clement, who came in his own ship from Coventry, England, to Haverhill, Mass., abom 1640. When twenty-two Mr. Liscomb engaged in mercantile business in Castleton, VI. In 1863 he enlisted in Co. M, 11th Vt. Vol. Inf. (later the 1st Vt. H. A., and served until the close of the war, participating in the battles of Spottsyl- vania, Cold Harbor (where he was wounded) and North Anna. Returning from the war he again engaged in mercantile business in Castleton, Vt., and since 1868 has been identified with the oil trade. In 1868 he first associated himself in this busi- ness with E. W. Murphey, and in 1873 they became partners under the present firm name of Murphey & Liscomb. The firm has a branch house in Springfield, Mass , conducted under the name of Murphey, Liscomb & Haskell, and another in Hudson, N. Y., styled Murphey, Liscomb & Co. ; they are exclusively wholesale dealers in oil. Mr. Liscomb is a member of Fort Orange and the Albany Country Clubs and of Lee Lodge, F. & A. M. of Castleton, Vt. In 1873 he married Cornelia Speed of Ithaca, N. Y., who died in 1884, leaving four children: Percival Clement, Margaret How- ard, Orlando Parkhurst, jr., and Christina Morrell.

Cady. Dr. Frank William, son of Clark S. and Atalanta (Barrett) Cady, was born in Warsaw, N Y., December 13, 1863, and in 1871 moved with the family to Holley, Orleans county, where he received a public school education. His maternal uncle, Dr. W. C. Barrett, is the well known dean of Buffalo Dental University. Dr. Cady studied dentistry with his brother, Dr. Edward Everett Cady, of Moline, Ill, and was graduated from the Chicago College of Dental Surgery in 1888. He practiced in Earlville, Ill., until 1890, when he became associated with his preceptor brother at Hoboken, N. J. In 1892 he came to Albany and organized the Cady Dental Com- pany, which has a branch office in Troy and a force of eight assistants and of which he has since been the proprietor. He is a member of the Albany and Camera Clubs. In March, 1891, he married Mary Louise, daughter of Orange J. Eddy, a prominent lawyer and president of the Exchange Bank of Holley, N. Y. They have one son, Frank William, jr., born January 26, 1893.

Murphy, Joseph A., son of James F. and grandson of Robert Murphy, a native of Ireland, was born in Albany, April 22, 1873. James F. Murphy, born in Philadel- phia, Pa., August 8, 1845, came to Albany in 1856 and for about twenty-eight years has been a shipping clerk for the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. In 1861 he enlisted in Co. D. 91st N. Y. Vols., and served four years, being honorably discharged as first lieu- tenant. He married Margaret, daughter of Daniel Murphy of Troy and Albany, who died October 19, 1894, leaving four children : John S., Joseph A., Helen M. and Henry A. Joseph A. Murphy was graduated from St. Joseph's Academy in 1891, read law with Edward J. Meegan and was admitted to the bar December 6, 1894. Since then he has been associated with Delancy Potter in the practice of his profession.

Meegan, Thomas A., son of Thomas A., sr., a large lumber merchant and promi- nent citizen, and a grandson of Thomas Meegan (see sketch of Edward J. Meegan), was born in Albany February 3, 1862, and was graduated from the Christian Brothers' Academy with honors in 1879. He read law with his uncle, Edward J., was ad- mitted to the bar at Binghamton, N. Y., May 3, 1883, and since then has practiced with his preceptor. April 11, 1893, he was elected justice of the Albany City Court, by a majority of 3,900, for three years, but the new constitution reduced this term to two years and eight months. In November, 1895, he was re-elected for a full term

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of six years from January 1, 1896. He is judge advocate on the staff of the Jackson Corps, a four year trustee of the order of Elks, and a member of the Royal Arcanum, C. B. L., Catholic Union, and A. O. H. He is an active Democrat, has frequently been a delegate and chairman of assembly conventions and as a lawyer and judge takes high rank among the leaders of the Albany bar.

Le Boeuf, Randall J., is a son of Peter J. Le Boeuf, who was born in France in 1834, came to Canada with his parents' when young, and was graduated from the Fort Edward Institute; he engaged first in the manufacture of axes in Cohoes and later became a member of the collar, cuff and shirt firms of Wheeler, Allendorph & Le Boeuf and Wheeler, Le Boeuf & Co., of Troy. His wife was Sarah A. Saunders. Randall J. was born in Cohoes, March 10, 1870, and when nine years old came with the family to Albany, where he finished his education at the grammar and High Schools, graduating in 1887. He read law with Eugene Burlingame until the fall of 1889, when he entered Cornell University in the course of history and political science ; at the end of the first year he discontinued these studies and entered the law depart- ment, from which he was graduated in 1892, being one of the prize debaters and re- ceiving also a thesis prize. He was made a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity and was president of the junior and senior classes of the law school. He was ad- mitted to the bar at Saratoga Springs, September 14, 1892, and was managing clerk for Sackett & Bennett, elevated railroad attorneys, and assistant attorney for Carter, Hughes & Kellogg, both of New York, until February, 1895, when he returned to Albany and formed his present partnership with Eugene Burlingame. In November, 1895, he was appointed corporation counsel for the village of Greenbush. He has been several terms a member of the executive council of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, and is a member of the Cornell University Club and the Albany Republican Uncon- ditionals. June 3, 1896, he married Katharine, daughter of Hiram L. Washburn of Albany.

Phibbs, Thomas, son of Thomas and Catharine (Donahy) Phibbs, was born in Ireland, October 8, 1846. He was educated in the public schools of Ireland and in 1867 came to America and settled in Canada, where he followed the occupation of farmer. Four years later he moved to Albany, N. Y., where he engaged in the ice business with Hiram Hotaling, with whom he remained four years, at the end of which time he started in the ice business for himself. In 1892 Mr. Phibbs was elected president of the Hudson Valley Ice Company and has retained the office ever since. Mr. Phibbs is a member of Greenbush Lodge, F. & A. M., Greenbush Chapter, R. A. M., Dewitt Clinton Council, R. & S. M., and Temple Commandery, A. A. O. N. M. S. He has three children: William, Lulu and Frank.

Sims, Albert F., superintendent of the Albany Weather Bureau, was born in New York city, August 19, 1862, was graduated from the College of the City of New York in 1882, and soon afterward entered the Signal Service Bureau in Washington, D. C. Later he took a course at the School of Application at Fort Myers, and on the outbreak of the Indian troubles in Arizona was ordered to the Apache Pass as telegraph and heliograph operator, where he was soon placed in charge of the re- peating station at St. Thomas. He was promoted for bravery and subsequently was stationed at Dodge City, Kan., Fort Smith, Ark., and in Wyoming, where he built a military line, 150 miles from Rawlins to Washakie. In 1888 he was ordered to Al-

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hany to take charge of the Signal Bureau at this point, succeeding John C. Barnes, who was the successor of Alois Donhausser. The Albany Weather Bureau was established December 22, 1874, the observations being confined to taking the tem- perature, wind directions and state of weather. Its scope was later enlarged and now reports are received twice daily from all the signal stations in the United States. The territory embraces all of the State east of Syracuse from Rhinebeck to Canada, Western Massachusetts and Vermont, and during the year ending June 30, 1896, ove: 200,000 forecasts were sent out. In October, 1890, Mr. Sims married Mary, daughter of Capt. James B. Smith of Port Washington, Long Island.

Hubbard, George A., son of Miles and Maria C. (Cadman) Hubbard, was born in Lexington, Ky., September 1, 1856. His parents moved to New York State when he was an infant and he was educated in the Spencertown (N. Y.) Academy. He then removed to Troy, N. Y., where for a time he was employed as cutter in the stores of Morris Gross and Julius Saul, and subsequently he entered the employ of G. M. Mitenins, manufacturer of ladies' underwear and calico wrappers, on Green Island. After three years he went back to Julius Saul, but remained only a short time, for Mr. Hitchins liked his work so well that he gave him an interest in the business as an inducement to return. Later the business was moved to Hudson, N. Y., and then to Albany, where, after two years, Mr. Hubbard succeeded to the sole owner- ship, and has since manufactured in his own name. In 1880 he married Florence M., daughter of Thomas D. Davis of Waterford, N. Y.

Woolverton, Andrew W., son of Charles B. and Harriet F. (White) Woolverton, was born in Albany, N. Y., October 29, 1857. He was educated in the Albany Academy and in 1872 entered the employ of his grandfather, William White. In 1576 he went into the employ of the National Commercial Bank and left there as bookkeeper in 1883 and formed a partnership with Thomas Austin for conducting a general fire insurance agency, in which business he is now engaged. Mr. Wool- verton is a trustee of St. Margaret's church at Menands, Albany county, and is the treasurer of the Albany Board of Trade. In 1884 he was married to Annie, daughter of Dr. William H. Bailey, and they have two children, Edward B. and Harriette.

Knickerbocker, Edmund Chase, is a lineal descendant of (1) John Von Berghan Knickerbocker, of Brabant, Holland, a captain in the Dutch navy, whose son, (2) Har- mon Jansen Knickerbocker, born in Friesland in 1648, came to America about 1669. His American lineage is (3) Lawrence, of Red Hook, N. Y, ; (4) Harmon, born 1719 ; (5) Harmon Jansen, born 1748; (6) Peter; (?) Edmund, born 1814; and (8) Irving, born 1539. The last two settled in Albany, where the subject of this sketch was born, February 13, 1867. Edmund C. Knickerbocker was graduated from the Albany Academy in 1884 as valedictorian of his class, and the same year entered Williams College, from which he was graduated with honor in 1888. He read law with Harris &. Rudd, was graduated from the Albany Law School in 1890, admitted to the bar in May of the same year, and has remained in the office of his preceptors ever since, becoming a member of the firm in October, 1892. He was much interested in the renewal of the Y. M. A. Library and is recording secretary of the executive com- mittee of that association. He is superintendent of the Madison Avenue Reformed church Sunday school, assistant superintendent of Olivet Sunday school and a mem-

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ber of the Republican Unconditional Club and the Chi Psi Society. He married, in 1892. Josephine, daughter of Hon. Vreeland H. Youngman of Albany, and they have one daughter, Winifred Chase Knickerbocker.

Guardineer, George H., son of John and Mary (Cathington) Guardineer, was born in Bridgeport, Conn., June 9, 1852, and came with his parents to Albany in 1855. His father, an iron moulder by trade, was for many years assistant superintendent of the old State Capitol. When thirteen Mr. Guardineer, having finished his education in the public schools, entered the photograph gallery of McDonald & Sterry and remained with them and their successor, J. N. McDonald for twenty-seven years, being a traveling salesman for the latter for twelve years. About 1867 Mr. McDon- ald established in connection with the gallery a photographic supply business, which Mr. Guardineer purchased November 1, 1894, and which he successfully continues, carrying a large stock of all kinds of photographic materials. Mr. Guardineer was the Republican supervisor of the Seventeenth ward in 1888; was a member of the Board of Public Instruction from 1891 until it ceased to exist as an elective board ; and is a member of Temple Lodge No. 14, F. & A. M., Capital City Chapter No. 242, R. A. M., the A. O U. W., the Royal Arcanum, the Albany Burgesses Corps, the Acacia and Unconditional Republican Clubs, the Knights of Pythias and the Uniformed Rank K. of P., in which he is assistant adjutant-general with the rank of colonel for the State of New York. In December, 1873, he married Emma Reid of Voorheesville, N. Y., and their children are Nellie and Frederick.

Havens, Elmer Hamilton, is a descendant of David Havens, born July 12, 1777, and Elizabeth Goodrich, his wife, born December 2, 1785, daughter of a Revolution- ary soldier. Their children were David Hyland, Allgenette, Benjamin Franklin, John Braddock and Walter Burling. Benjamin Franklin Havens, born May 22, 1810, married Elizabeth Groesbeck, born in 1817, and had five children: Eugene Hiram, Morton Hamilton, Timothy C., Emma and Caroline. Morton Hamilton Havens, born July 27, 1838, married Elizabeth M. Bunker, born March 16, 1842; their children were Edward Morton (deceased), Ella Elizabeth, Elmer Hamilton, Franklin, Marcia Vanderlip, Alice Rebecca (deceased), Jessie May, Morton and Lydia Oliver. Mr. Havens enlisted August 13, 1862, in Co. F, 113th N. Y. Inf. (afterward known as the 7th N. Y. H. A.), became sergeant August 18, and was promoted second lieutenant of Bat. H, December 13, 1863. He was made second lieutenant of Co. D, 18th U. S. Vet. Reserve Corps, with rank from September 22, 1864. On April 15, 1867. he was appointed president of the Board of Registration of Prince Anne county, Va., mus- tered out of service January 1, 1868, and brevetted first lieutenant February 10, and captain March 20, 1866, by the Legislature of the State of New York for gallant and meritorious conduct. Elmer Hamilton Havens, born in Albany, January 30, 1864, was educated in the public and high schools and when nineteen began to learn the carpenter's trade of his father, with whom he continued as foreman several years. In 1888 he engaged in business with his brother, Franklin, and since 1890 has been alone. Among the many buildings erected by him are the Smith & Herrick shoe factory, the Schell flats, and a number of residences on Pine Hills. He is a member of the Unconditional Republican Club and in 1895 was elected alderman of the Eleventh ward for two years. September 21, 1886, he married Ida May, daughter of

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 116

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason Number of Pages: 1374

Author: Parker, Amasa Junius, 1843-1938, ed
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason
Number of Pages: 1374