Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 125

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

USA > New York > Albany County > Landmarks of Albany County, New York > Part 125

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Blackburn, John, son of Robert and Sarah (Barnett) Blackburn, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, October 13, 1837. He attended the National School in Ireland, and when nineteen years of age came to America and settled in Troy, N. Y., where he obtained a position as officeman and salesman for John Kerr & Co., manufacturers and dealers in wool. He remained in their employ six years and ten months, after which he moved to Albia, where he bought the factory store of the Troy Woolen Company; he was there four years manufacturing army goods and doing a large business, and during that time made trips through the Western States, buying wool for J. Kerr & Co. After the war, manufacturing having practically ceased, Mr. Blackburn moved to Albany and entered the grocery business in the west end, where he was engaged fourteen years, after which he formed a partner- ship with John J. Jones and went into the coal business. Twelve years later Mr. Jones died and the firm of Blackburn, Wallace & Co. was formed: this firm consists of John Blackburn, John T. I). Blackburn, and Robert A. Wallace. They are located at Nos. 105 Water street, 705 Broadway, 841 Broadway, 30 Ontario street and at Menands. Mr. Blackburn is a member of Masters Lodge F. & A. M., a member of the West End Presbyterian church and has been chairman of the board of trustees since the organization of the church in 1876. He has also been a trustee of the Albany Exchange Savings Bank for twelve years. In 1863 he married Nancy Downing of Troy, N. Y., and they have three children: Robert M., minister in the Presbyterian church at New Scotland, Albany county, N. Y. ; John T. D., in busi- ness with his father; and Zelda Rebecca.

Dell, Nicholas J., son of George V. and Julia Dell, was born in Baden, Germany, April 26, 1840. He attended the public schools until he was thirteen years of age and in 1856 came to America, settling in New York city. Here he worked as a tailor, following the trade of his father for three years, when his parents came to America and they moved to Albany, N. Y., where Mr. Dell engaged in the tailor business until 1892. In 1870 he went into business for himself at No. 43 Beaver street, where he continued until 1889; from there he moved to the corner of S. Pearl street and Hudson avenue in the building later occupied by the South End Bank. In 1892 he

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bought the Belvidere Hotel from Mrs. Zeller and has since conducted one of the best resorts in Albany. Mr. Dell is a member of the Einthracht, and Harmonia Singing societies. In 1864 he joined Co. B, 10th Bat. N. G. N. Y., and he is now a member of the Old Guard; he is also a member of the Burgesses Corps and the B. P. O. E. In ISST he was elected coroner on the Democratic ticket and re elected in 1890. In 1869 he married Anna K. Von Lehman of Albany by whom he had three children. In 1888 he married Mary K. Hermas of Watertown, N. Y., and they have one child.

Denison, Frederick P., son of Henry E. and Hannah M. (Godfrey) Denison, was born in Berlin, N. Y., October 12, 1857. He is a lineal descendant of William Deni- son, who was born in England, about 1586, came to America in 1631, and settled in Roxbury, Mass., having with him his wife, Margaret, his three sons, Daniel, Ed- ward and George, and John Eliot, who seems to have been a tutor in the family. Mr. Denison was a deacon of the Roxbury church and died in Roxbury, January 25, 1853. Geerge (son of William), born in 1618, was married first in 1640 to Bridget Thompson, daughter of John Thompson of Preston, Northamptonshire, England, whose widow, Alice, had come to America and was living in Roxbury. The wife Bridget died in 1643. George then went to England, served under, Cromwell in the army of the Parliament, won distinction, was wounded at Naseby, was nursed at the house of John Borodell by his daughter, Ann, whom he married and returned to Roxbury, finally settling at Stonington, Conn. He had seven chlidren by his second wife. John (son of George), born July 14, 1646, married in 1667 Phebe Lay of Say- brook, Conn. He was known as Capt. John Denison, held a prominent position in Stonington, and in many ways was a man of mark; he died in 1698. George (son of John), born March 28, 1671, was graduated at Harvard College, studied law and settled in New London, Conn., where he was town clerk, county clerk and clerk of probate ; he died in 1720. Daniel (son of George) was born June 27, 1703 and died previous to 1760. Daniel (son of Daniel) was born December 16, 1730, and settled in Stephentown, N. Y., about 1773; he died in 1793. Griswold (son of Daniel) was born August 21, 1765. George T. (son of Griswold) was born March 17, 1795, and lived at Berlin, N. Y. ; he died in 1874. Henry E. (son of George T.) and father of Frederick P., was born May 30, 1828. Frederick P. Denison, the subject of this sketch, when a mere boy went into the music store of Cluett & Sons, Albany, where he remained until 1886, when he became organist of the Emmanuel Baptist church. Although one of the youngest of Albany's musicians, he is deservedly counted among the ablest and takes high rank not merely because of his fine natural gifts, but because of his rounded and complete musical culture. When he assumed charge of the Emmanuel choir in 1886, it numbered twelve singers; now there are fifty. To no small degree is he indebted for his present position in the musical world to his association as accompanist with such artists as Albani, Lillie Lehmann, Emma Thursby, Clemen- tine De Vere-Sapio, Camilla Urso, Marie Rose, Mrs. Osgood, Campanini, Adolph Hartigan and many others of equal renown. Amateur opera owes him a debt and his connection with local concerts has added to the esteem in which he is held by the musical community. In the summer of 1886 he took a trip to Europe, where he studied musicians as well as music, and where he acquired that fine touch and artistic equipment of which his friends are so proud. In addition to his being or- ganist of the Emmanuel church, he is conductor of the Schenectady Choral Society,

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conductor of the Albania Orchestra and pianist of the Albany Musical Association. He is a member of Masters Lodge F. & A. M.

Woodward, Walter M., son of John and Caroline A. (Mills) Woodward, was born in Albany, N. Y., June 25 1860. The first member of this family who settled in Albany, was John Woodward, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, who came from Montreal about 1838, and engaged in the carpentry business. His son, John, became prominent in the business circles of Albany because of his connection with the saddlery and harness business of Woodward & Hill. This business was founded by Nathaniel Wright in 1819 and consequently is the third oldest estab- lished business in the city. In 1860 John Woodward together with Mr. W. W. Hill bought the business from Mr. Wright and carried it on under the firm name of Wood- ward & Hill. Walter M. Woodward, the subject of this sketch, received his educa- tion at the Albany Boys' Academy, from which he was graduated in 1879 and imme- diately went into business with his father. In 1888 Mr. Hill died and John and Walter M. Woodward succeeded to the ownership of the business. In 1895, after his father's death, Walter M. Woodward succeeded to the business and now conducts it under the original name of Woodward & Hill. Mr. Woodward is a member of Mas- ters Lodge F. & A. M. and a trustee of the National Savings Bank. In 1891 he mar- ried May, daughter of Alonzo Blossom of Chicago, Ill. They have two sons, John B. and Walter M., jr.

Goold, Charles B., son of John S. and Abbie (Bridgman) Goold, was born in the town of Macedon, Wayne county, N. Y., in 1857. When he was about seven years of age his parents moved to Albany, N. Y., and ever since that time Mr. Goold has been an active Albanian. His early education was received at Miss Crane's school on Hamilton street and at Levi Cass's Classical Institute; subsequently he attended the Albany Academy and was graduated from that in 1874. During the school year of 1874 and 1875 he taught at the academy and in the fall of 1875 he entered Amherst College, where he took the Porter Prize for the best entrance examination; the Hutchins Greek Prize for the highest attainment in Greek, and he was one of the contestants for the Hardy Prize for extemporaneous debate. Mr. Goold graduated from Amherst in 1879, and at the commencement exercises represented the Greek de- partment, having been selected for this honor by the head of the Greek department. While at college he was elected a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity and sub- sequently a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. After graduation he returned to the Albany Academy and taught Greek and Latin until 1881, when he went to Germany and studied at Heidelberg and Berlin ; after the winter term at Berlin he went south into Italy and Greece, studying the language, habits and customs of the people. He returned to Albany in 1882 and resumed his position as professor of Greek and German in the Albany Academy. The summer of 1887 Mr. Goold spent in Paris, and upon his return in the fall, he assumed charge of the French depart- ment at the Albany Academy. He has edited for Ginn & Co. of Boston, a collection of German stories for use in teaching the language. He is now professor of Greek and modern languages at the Albany Academy. In 1883 he received the degree of A. M. from Amherst. He is a charter member of the Albany Chess Club. In 1883 he married Louisa W. Hunt of St. Paul, Minn., and they have three children, Edgar Hunt, John Chester and Katharine Hunt.

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Silliman, Rev. George Dent, D. D., rector of Grace church, corner of Clinton avenue and Robin street, was born at Hobart, Delaware county, N. Y., March 23, 1-41. His father was Ebenezer Silliman, who married Ann Sturgess, 1827. The family is of Connecticut origin, from one Daniel Silliman, who settled at Holland Hill, two miles from Fairfield, in 1658; he was from Lucca, Italy, having lived at Geneva, Switzerland. In ancient deeds his ancestor is called Lord Claude Silli- mandi. Among the ancestors in Connecticut is the Hon. Ebenezer Silliman, 1707, a member of the Colonial government, and grandfather of the elder Professor Silliman of Yale College. On both sides of the family were those who were identified with the Revolutionary war. The rector was educated at the Delaware Academy, Delhi, N. Y., St. Stephen's College, Annandale, and the General Theological Seminary, New York. He was made deacon by Bishop Doane in St. Peter's, Albany, Trinity Sunday, 1870, and ordered priest in St. Paul's, Newburgh, by Bishop Horatio Potter, November of the same year. He was rector of St. John's church, Monticello, N. Y., for three years, and the beautiful stone church there was built mostly by money then raised, as was also St. Mary's. Thompsonville. From 1873 to 1875 he was in charge of Trinity church, San Francisco. In 1875 he married Mary C. Warren, daughter of William E. Warren, of Newburgh; she died December 11, 1893, leaving three chil- dren: Mary Warren, William Warren and George Stephen Silliman. After one year at Napa, Cal., he took charge of St. George's chapel, Newburgh, and in the fall of 1877 was called to Grace church, Middletown. The church was sadly out of repair and during his rectorship it was put in order and adorned; from 1881 to 1893 he was rector of St. Mark's church, Hoosic Falls, and here, too, the church was enlarged and embellished under his rectorship. On Trinity Sunday, 1893, he became rector of Grace church of Albany, N. Y., where twenty-two years before on that day he preached his first sermon after ordination. Grace church on the Sunday after Ascension, 1897, celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and the Rev. Dr. Maunsell Van Rensselaer preached at the morning service, he being the first rector fifty years since ; the Rev. David L. Schwartz, D. D., preached at the evening service, he being a most devoted rector for sixteen years and gave the parish its present life and standing. These two men have left their impression on Albany for all that is good. The first service was held in an upper room on the corner of State and Lark streets; afterward a church was built on the corner of Lark and Washington streets, and in 1873 it was removed to Clinton avenue and Robin street. In 1884 it was enlarged under Rev. Dr. Schwartz, and in 1894 a guild hall was added. From the day of its foundation to the present it has been a free church and a working parish for working people who have every reason to be proud of the results that have come, when no large sum of money could ever be given.

Dumary, T. Henry, was born in Troy, N. Y., November 5, 1855. He is a son of Charles Dumary and Margaret Parr, whose father, Richard, came to America from England in 1820 and was a descendant of Thomas Parr who lived to the ripe old age of 152. Mr. Dumary was educated in the Troy public schools, after leaving which he went into the employ of the Albany City Iron Works and the Jagger Iron Works of Albany, where he had charge of the outside department and where he remained six years. He then associated himself with Anthony N. Brady in the general con- tracting business and remained with him for twelve years. For the past two years

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Mr. Dumary has been a contractor of sewer and street work and has handled some very large contracts, particularly the Beaver street sewer, the largest in Albany. For six months in 1896 Mr. Dumary did work amounting to $250,000. He is a mem- ber of Temple Lodge F. & A. M., Capital City Chapter R. A. M., Dewitt Clinton Council R. & S. M. and is past commander of Temple Commandery. He is also a member of all the A. & A. Rite and is presiding officer in two bodies, and has been elected to receive the thirty-third degree at Boston, Mass., in September, 1897. Mr. Dumary is also a member of Albany Lodge B. P. O. E. He began his service as a public servant when very young, having been from ten to thirteen years of age unanimously elected messenger to the Troy Common Council and Board of Educa- tion. April 27, 1880, he married Carry B. McCann, daughter of Henry McCann, a well known civil engineer and explorer, of Hudson, N. Y., who met his death exploring in South America. They had three children: Janette, Robert A. and Henry.

Garfield, Henry Whiting, was born in Albany, N. Y., November 16, 1848. He is a son of Charles Lyman Garfield. His mother was Eleanor Cole, daughter of the late Judge John O. Cole. Mr. Garfield is a descendant of the Puritans. Three brothers, Garfields, came to America with the earliest settlers and their offspring fought in the Colonial and Revolutionary wars. The late President Garfield was a member of the same family. Mayor Whiting, the first mayor of Boston, was an ancestor of Mr. Gar- field. Mr. Garfield graduated from the Albany Classical Institute and immediately ob- tained a clerkship in the Albany City Bank. He subsequently went to the Albany Savings Bank, where he is at present accountant. Mr. Garfield is one of the best known amateur oarsmen and for twelve years was president of the National Asso- ciation of Amateur Oarsmen, and for twenty-two years he has been a member of its executive committee. He is treasurer of St. Margaret's House and the Albany Historical and Art Society ; he is also a member and chairman of the house commit- tee of the Albany Club.

Smith, Frank J., Ph. G., son of David A. and Elizabeth (McGaghey) Smith, was born in Albany, N. Y., September 22, 1859. Both of Mr. Smith's parents were born in Ireland; his father came to America from County Moneghan, in May, 1834, and settled in Albany. In 1847 he engaged in the grocery business on the corner of Green street and Hudson avenue, on property owned by the Ten Eyck estate. He remained in business there for twenty-five years and subsequently moved to the corner of Knox and Second streets. David A. Smith is now retired after a success- ful business career. He was well known. Frank J. Smith attended Levi Cass's Grand Street Institute and Amos Cass's Division Street Institute ; subsequently he attended School No. 15 and was a member of the first class graduated from that school. In the fall of 1872 he went to the Albany High School, but owing to ill health remained there only three months. March 17, 1873, he went to work in the drug store of John De P. Townsend as boy, where he remained thirteen years, in the mean time attending the Albany College of Pharmacy, from which he was graduated February 27, 1883, being a member of the first class graduated from that college. In 1886 Mr. Smith started in the drug business for himself at his present location, No. 277 Clinton avenue, and in addition to the drug business he has an extensive bot- tling establishment. He was the first to put up carbonated root beer in champagne

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bottles: be also puts ap siphons of seltzer and vichy and manufactures many patent medicines. In 1892 he was a candidate on the Republican ticket for the office of coroner and received a large number of votes, but was counted out. He is a mem- bet of Ancient City Lodge No. 452, F. & A. M., and Mt. Hermon Lodge No. 38, L. O. O. F. He is also treasurer and for ten years has been vestryman of Grace Episcopal church. He also belongs to the Unconditional Republican Club. June 1, 1881, he married Mary E., daughter of Thomas Fazaherly, the well-known baker, and they have two children, Edna Flavell and F. J., jr.

Campion, George A., is a native of Albany, and a son of John Campion (one of the oldest families of the Old Colonie, as it was called), who was a member of the first police force of Albany. His mother's maiden name was Catharine Cummer- ford. Mr. Campion had eight brothers and three sisters; two of the brothers being connected in a public way with the affairs of the city: Patrick H., at one time assist- ant engineer of the fire department and later practical engineer; and Martin A., who at the time of his death was a detective and sergeant of the police force. Mr. Campion received his education in St. Joseph's School and in select schools under direction of the Catholic clergy. After finishing his schooling he learned the sash, blind and cabinet business and followed that trade for four or five years, when he went into the employ of L. & P. K. Dederick, manufacturers of agricultural imple- ments, remaining with that firm nine years. In 1870 he started the undertaking business at No. 772 Broadway, and in 1873, in order to obtain larger quarters for a rapidly increasing business, he moved to his present location, No. 63 Livingston

avenue. He is a member of the Catholic Union and of St. Joseph's church, of which his father was one of the first members. In 1875 Mr. Campion married Hannah Holmes of Troy, N. Y., and they have two sons, John Ebel and George A., jr. John E. graduated from the United States College of Embalming in 1893 and is now associated with his father in business.

Griswold, Stephen B., son of Martin and Hannah (Smith) Griswold, was born in the town of Vernon, Oneida county, N. Y., July 14, 1835. He is descended from old New England families on both the paternal and maternal sides. His grandfather, Matthew Griswold, was one of the first settlers in Vernon, and his great-grandfather, Phineas Griswold of Winchester township, Litchfield county, Conn., was descended from one of the early settlers of Connecticut who came from Warwickshire, Eng- land, m 1725, and founded the Griswold family in America. Stephen B. Griswold, the subject of this sketch. worked on his father's farm until 1856, and in the mean time attended the common school and the Vernon Academy. At the age of twenty- two he went West and spent the year 1857 in the State of Minnesota, where he was one of the first white settlers in Meeker county. The following winter and spring he spent teaching school in Winnebago county, Ill. In 1858 he returned East and spent nearly a year at his home in Vernon, when he decided upon the legal profes- . sion, and in the fall of 1859 entered the Albany Law School, graduating in the spring of the following year and was admitted to the bar. The two following years he was a student in the law office of Lyman Tremain and Rufus W. Peckham. After leaving the office of Tremain & Peckham, Mr. Griswold practiced law in Al- bany and Oneida counties until 1868, when he was induced by the late Chancellor John V. I .. Pruyn to accept the position of law librarian of the State Library, which

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position he has held continuously for the past twenty-nine years. In 1868 the num- ber of law books in the library was 20,000; now it is 58,000. In 1862 he prepared a subject index of the law library and a supplement thereto in 1893, which has been pronounced by Sir Frederick Pollock of London and other eminent jurists to be the most satisfactory law catalogue yet published. Many changes have taken place among the officials of the library since Mr. Griswold's connection with it. Not one of the nineteen trustees who were in office when Mr. Griswold was appointed in 1868 is now living. Mr. Griswold is a member of the First Reformed church of Albany, and has served several terms as deacon and elder. He is a member and has held office in the Albany County Sunday School Association, the V. M. C. A. the Albany City Tract and Missionary Society, and the Albany County Bible Society. In No- vember, 1860, Mr. Griswold married Angeline E. Cornwell of Albany. They have one son, Henry E., who has been for seventeen years sub-librarian of the State Law Library.

McLaren, James, son of John and Margaret (Bell) McLaren, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, February 6, 1833. He received his education in the private schools of Edinburgh and in 1854 came to America, settling in Albany. He worked on the Northern Railroad as machinist for about three years and in 1863 started in the busi- ness of manufacturing machinist, having joined in the partnership of Pynchon & McLaren, which was succeeded in 1864 by Anthony & McLaren. In 1876 Mr. Mc- Laren came into the sole possession of the business and has conducted it very suc- cessfully at No. 47 Liberty street since then. In 1874 Mr. McLaren made an exten- sive trip across the ocean. He is very active in the St. Andrew's Society and is a member of its board of managers.

Ryan, Thomas A., M. D., son of Andrew and Margaret (()'Shea) Ryan, was born in Hudson, N. Y., in 1864. He attended the public schools of Hudson and in 1881 removed to Albany, N. Y., and took a course at the Albany Commercial College. While attending that college he began the study of medicine with the late Dr. Snow. He next studied with Dr. Vander Veer until 1890, and continued with Dr. Mac- Donald until 1893, when he was graduated from the Albany Medical College, re- ceiving the degree of M.D. Dr. Ryan was president of the class of '93 and received the Bigelow prize of $30 in gold for the best work on the nose and throat. In Sep- tember, 1893, Dr. Ryan commenced practice at No. 47 Eagle street, where he is now located. He is a member of the Albany County Medical Society, Albany Press Club, and is instructor in surgery at the Albany Medical College and attending surgeon to the out-door department of the Albany Hospital; is an ex-member of New York State National Guard, having served six years in Co. D, 10th Battalion, of Albany county.

Ruso, Conrad, son of Nicholas F. and Catharine J. (Mosher) Ruso, was born in Albany, N. Y., November 7, 1848. Mr. Ruso is of French origin, his great-great grandfather having come to America from France, in the early part of the seventeenth century and settled in Albany county. Conrad Ruso was educated in the Albany public schools and the Albany Business College, from which he was graduated in 1866. After leaving college, he was employed for a short time as clerk in the whole- sale grain house of Glazier & Thacher. Subsequently he went as bookkeeper into

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the employ of his father. N. F. Ruso, wholesale commission merchant. In 1870 he became a partner in the business and in 1875, after the death of his father, he suc- ceeded to the sole ownership. Mr. Ruso is a member of Temple Lodge No. 14, F. & A.M , Capital City Chapter No. 242, R. A. M., Temple Commandery No. 2, K. T., and Cyprus Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., and is also a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason. He is president of the Acacia Club. In 1870 he married Eleanor V., daughter of Rev. Charles Gorse, of Newburgh, N. Y., and they have one son, Frank G.

Slingerland, De Witt Chester, son of Henry H. and Hannah (Winne) Slingerland, was born in the town of Bethlehem, Albany county, N. Y., in 1850. He comes of good old Dutch ancestry, as follows: Father, born 1808, son of Henry of New Scot- land. died 1808 (m. Jemima Slingerland), son of Albert of Onisquatha, born 1733, died 1814 (m. Elizabeth Moak in 1760), son of Johannes of Onisquatha, born 1696, died 1731 (m. in 1724 to Anne Slingerland), son of Albert of Onisquatha, born 1666 (m. Hester Becker), son of Teunis Cornelise Slingerland, who came from Amsterdam, Holland, about 1650 and settled in Beverwyck (now Albany) and purchased 10 000 acres of land from the Indians and settled on the land now owned by his direct de- secendants. De Witt C. Slingerland, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the Albany public schools, after which he became clerk and bookkeeper for his father and brother, HI. H. Slingerland & Son. In 1889 Henry H. sold out to his sons, John B. and D. C., who now own a large wholesale and retail grocery situated at 86 and SS Washington avenue and 73 South Swan street. Mr. Slingerland is a member of Ancient City Lodge No. 452, F. & A. M., the Unconditional Republican Club, and is a director of the New York Mutual Savings and Loan Association. In March, 1875, he married Lillie Cuyler Geary of Albany, and they have two sons, Henry Cuyler and Frank Nelson.

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 125

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