Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 128

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 128

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Herrick, De Laus W .- The Herricks are a very old family, tracing their descent in a direct line from the thirteenth century. Those members of the family living in Albany are descended from Henry Herrick, who came from England and settled in Salem, Mass., in the year 1629. Beyond the record of Henry's marriage, the first public record in this country is that of the conviction of Henry Herrick and Edith, his wife, in Essex county, Mass., and their being fined "for aiding and comforting an excommunicated person contrary to order." Some of the descendants of Henry finally settled in Dutchess county, N. Y., and in the time of the Revolutionary war furnished a number of soldiers to the patriot army, among others Stephen and several of his sons, and among them Jonathan. After the close of the war Jonathan emigrated to Duanesburgh, Schenectady county; he was the grandfather of Jon- athan R. and De Laus W. Herrick, who subsequently settled in the city of Albany, becoming prosperous merchants; they were the first of their family that had fol- lowed any other calling in this country excepting that of farming. Jonathan R. died in the city of Albany in 1890; he was the father of D. Cady Herrick, the pres- .ent justice of the Supreme Court. De Laus W. Herrick is still living, and is one of the prominent coal merchants of the city.

Bailey, J. De Witt, son of John and Katharine (Kilmer) Bailey, was born in the town of Bethlehem. Albany county, N. Y., March 25, 1831. He received his educa- tion at the public schools and learned the trade of wagonmaker from his father, who was engaged in that business. In 1835 the Bailey family moved to the village of Cocymans and here J. De Witt worked for his father after learning the trade, and

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after a time branched out into the business of carriage painter. For many years Mr. Bailey worked at this trade and follows it now to a very limited extent. In the spring of 1870 he was appointed keeper of the United States light house at Coey- mans, and since then he has been placed in charge of five beacon lights on the Hud- son River near Coeymans Landing. Mr. Bailey is a member of the Methodist church of Coeymans. In December, 1854, he married Anne Rebecca Miller, and they have three children: Edgar, Emma L., and Mrs. Edward Long.

Winne, John E., son of Matthew and Gertrude (Witbeck) Winne, was born in the town of Niskayuna, Schenectady county, N. Y., July 30, 1850. John E. Winne is a lineal descendant of Jan Thomase Van Witbeck, a native of Witbeck, Holstein, Holland, who married Andriese Dochter, who was born in New Amsterdam (now New York). From 1652, when Beverwyck was first laid out, Jan Thomase Van Wit- beck was the most considerable dealer in house lots in the village. In 1664, in com- pany with Volkert Janse Douw, he purchased from the Indians the whole of Apje Islands, or Schotack, and the mainland opposite on the east side of the Hudson River. Of his six children, Thomase Janse Witbeck married, September 5, 1702, Jannetje Van Deusen, and was buried at Papsknee. Thomas Janse Witbeck also had six children, of whom Lucas, the youngest, was born February 26, 1724, and married Geertruy, daughter of Johannes Lansing and his wife Geertruy, daughter of Pieter S. Schuyler, the first mayor of Albany. They too had six children, of whom Thomas and Gerrit (twins) were born March 18, 1750. Gerrit Witbeck mar- ried, May 29, 1774, Immeteje Perry, and had four children, of whom Thomas Gerrit Witbeck, born January 25, 1785, married December 11, 1803, Leah, youngest daugh- ter of Francis and Gertrude (Van Dusen) Marshall, who was born March 17, 1782. Of their six children, Gertrude was born April 17, 1811; she was married to Mathew Winne on May 1, 1841. They had four children: Charles W., Thomas W., John Eldert and Mary J. John E. Winne attended the classical department of the Union School at Schenectady and graduated from the Albany Business College in 1860. He thereupon entered the hardware store of B. L Conde at Schenectady, where he held a clerkship for one year, leaving to accept a more responsible position in the iron establishment of Hannibal Green & Son, at Troy, N. Y., where he remained six years. In 1874, in connection with A. T. Burdick and Phineas Jones & Co., Mr. Winne formed the firm of Winne, Burdick & Co., for carrying on the saddlery hard- ware business at Troy, N. Y. In 1883 this firm became that of Winne & Drake, and in 1889 Mr. Winne sold his interest to Charles F. Drake and moved to Albany, where he conducted the business of the Albany Saddlery Company, manufacturers of har- ness. In 1895 Mr. Winne was appointed to a position in the Department of the Superintendent of Public Works at Albany, where he is now employed. He is an active member of the Madison Avenue Reformed church of Albany, and has served as an officer and superintendent of the Sabbath School. In 1874 he married Henri- etta L. Filkins of Albany, and they have one daughter, Gertrude.

Woodward, Major James Otis, was born in the city of Albany, N. Y., October 1, 1863. He is a son of Royal Woodward, of the well-known medical family of Mans- field, Conn., and is a descendant of some of the foremost Americans whose names adorn the pages of the history of this country. Cotton Mather, Miles Standish, Colonel Knowlton, a member of George Washington's staff, and James Otis, a

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signer off the Declaration of Independence, are among those alluded to. He attend- ed the academies at Albany, N. Y., and East Hampton, Mass., and was in the class of 1882 at Hamilton College, from which institution he received the degree of M. A. Although educated for journalism, his chosen profession, he studied law in the office of the late Judge Samuel Hand, but later went upon the staff of the Troy (N. Y.) Daily Times. Subsequently he became business manager of the Troy News. Major Woodward also acted as correspondent for the New York Mail and Express and other Metropolitan papers and became widely associated in newspaper work. Leaving the work of the press, Major Woodward turned his attention to the cotton business in the South, in which he is now somewhat engaged. Recently he became interested in theatrical matters and is associated with a number of metropolitan attractions. He is also interested in a number of theaters. He has always taken an active part in politics. In 1885 he was elected alderman from the old Fifth ward by the narrow majority of five, overcoming an adverse Democratic majority of several hundred, and being the first Republican to carry that Democratic stronghold. Twice he was tendered the nomination for mayor of Albany, but declined both times. He was secretary of the Special State Prison Commission appointed by Governor Hill. In fraternal organizations he is very auspicious; he was at the head of the Odd Fellows of the State and was grand commandant of Patri- archs Militant, I. O. O. F., division of the Atlantic, for four years. He is not only prominent in Odd Fellowship, but holds distinguished honors among the Masons and Knights of Pythias. He was president of the Chi Psi Alumni Associa- tion of New York State two years; is a life member of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society; a member of Mecca Shrine of New York; the Elks; Thirteen Club of New York, and the Fort Orange Club of Albany. In military circles Major Woodward is very prominent; he was for five years commander of the Albany Burgesses Corps, the oldest military organization in the State, and was in command of the corps upon the occasion of its celebrated trip to New Orleans and the Mardi Gras in 1895. He is also an active member of the Old Guard of New York. He attained the rank of major in the N.G.S. N. Y. He served on the staffs of Colonel Brooks, General Oliver and General Carr. Major Woodward also attained the rank of general in the militant branch of Odd Fellows. He was a member of the Bi- Centennial Committee of the city of Albany and was grand marshal of the great Bi-Centennial parade, one of the largest ever held in the city, and of the great Odd Fellows' parade upon the occasion of the laying of the corner stone of the New Tem- ple at Albany. He represented New York State upon the staff of General Schofield upon the occasion of the great centennial parade at New York. Canton Woodward of Newburgh was named in his honor.

Austin, Arthur C., born in San Francisco, Cal., in November, 1859, received his early education in the California Military Academy at Oakland, Cal,, and in 1819, just before his majority, came East, contra to Greeley's famous advice, to seek his fortune, simply because he could not go farther west. His first effort in this direc- ton on his own behalf was in the photograph business in Nashua, N. H., where he remained with moderate success for five or six years. About this time photo process engraving began to meet with public approbation, and Mr. Austin determined to dispose of his portrait gallery and devote himself to the process of engraving, be-

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lieving that the field was larger and more fruitful. He obtained employment in Philadelphia, and by close attention soon fitted himself to accept a more responsible situation in Boston. Here he remained for some time, until he took charge of the Hyde Park Company, Hyde Park, Mass. In 1893 Mr. Austin removed to Albany and organized an engraving company. This was successful from the start, but be- cause of uncongenial surroundings and lack of opportunity for development, Mr. Austin withdrew in 1895, and together with James Ten Eyck, Howard Martin, C. S. Pease and others, organized the A. C. Austin Engraving Company, a successful cor- poration from its inception, with a bright future. employing a goodly force of skilled labor, and altogether a credit to Albany. Mr. Austin is a member of Temple Lodge No. 14, F. & A. M., Capital City Chapter No. 242, R. A. M., De Witt Clinton Coun- cil No. 22, R. & S. M., Temple Commandery No. 2, K. T., Cyprus Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., Capital City Lodge, I. O. O. F., and the Albany Camera Club.

Green, Col. G. James, son of John R. and Ann (Vosburgh) Green, was born in Albany, N. Y., June 4, 1860. His great-grandfather, John, an Englishman, came from Dublin to America and settled in Niskayuna, N. Y., where he married Rebecca Groot. They had a son, Cornelius, who married Gertrude Tymerson. G. James Green received his education in the Albany public and high schools. In 1875 he went into the employ of the D. & H. C. Co. as clerk, and for three years following was paymaster for Curtis & Whalen, railroad contractors. In 1884 he was tendered the position of bookkeeper with Mckinley & Co., and remained with that company until 1893, when he resigned to accept a similar position with Weidman & Co. Jan- uary 1, 1894, he was appointed chief clerk in the office of the inspector general of the State of New York and on January 3, 1895, he was appointed assistant inspector general of the State, which position he now holds. Colonel Green enlisted in Co. B, 10th Regt., November 13, 1879; was promoted corporal, January 4, 1881; dropped on account of removal from the city, November 30, 1881 ; taken up as private in Co. B, 10th Battalion, June 6, 1884; promoted corporal, September 7, 1885; sergeant, January 18, 1886; first sergeant, May 3, 1886; second lieutenant, October 15, 1887; lieutenant-colonel and assistant adjutant-general, 3d Brigade, December 11, 1889. Upon the resignation of Brigadier General Parker, he was placed upon the super- numerary list, at his own request, January 2, 1891, and on August 19, of the same year, he was elected captain of his old company, vice Stacpole, promoted major of the battalion. Colonel Green resigned the captaincy of Co. B, January 1, 1895. He is a member of the United Service Club of New York City, the Military Service In- stitution of the United States and the Unconditional Republican Club of Albany, and the Military Club of New York city.

Bleecker, W. Rutger, son of Thomas S. and Catharine (McCullock) Bleecker, was born in Albany, N. Y., in 1869. He received his education in the Albany public and high schools, which latter institution he left in 1886 to accept the position of messen- ger in the New York State National Bank. Since his connection with this institution he has won the trust and confidence of his employers and has been deservedly pro- moted up to his present position, that of individual bookkeeper, to which he was ap- pointed in April, 1896. He is a member of Wadsworth Lodge No. 417, F. & A. M., Knights of the Ancient Essenic Order, and is an honorary member of the Philidoxia Society of the Albany High School. March 14, 1894, he married Elizabeth Pendell of Monticello, Sullivan county, N. Y.

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Babcock, Robert, M. D., son of John and Hester (Van Derzee) Babcock, was born in Bethlehem, Albany county, N. Y., December 2, 1857. He attended the Albany Academy in 1868 and was graduated in 1877. He graduated from the University of Rochester in 1881, with the degree of A. B., and from the Albany Medical College in 1844, with the degree of M. D. For a year and a half Dr. Babcock was assistant house physician and surgeon at the Albany Hospital. He then moved to Holyoke, Mass., where he practiced for a short time, and in 1886 returned to Albany, where he has sinee practiced. He has been instructor in materia medica and therapeutics at the Albany Medical College and has been on the surgical staff of the dispensary connected with the Albany Hospital. He is a member of the Albany County Medi- cal Society. February 18, 1886, Dr. Babcock married Maria Witbeck and they have one son, Robert Witbeck.

Belding, Samuel B., son of Hiram and Elizabeth (Brown) Belding, was born in Charlton, Saratoga county, N. Y., April 26, 1847. He is descended from one of three brothers who came from England to America with the Puritans and settled near Lenox, Mass. Their descendants fought bravely in the French and Indian and Revolutionary wars Prof. Belding's immediate ancestors settled in Saratoga county in 1793, and his maternal great-great-grandfather, Robert Barckley, was a provin- cial governor of New Jersey. Prof. Belding graduated from the Charlton Academy in 1865, and then pursued a study of organ music under J. Augustus Read of Albany, N. Y. In 1866 he secured the position of organist in the Tabernacle Baptist church and remained there one year, when he went to the Fourth Presbyterian church, where he was organist for five and one-half years. Prof. Belding then removed to Boston, Mass., and studied under Dudley Buck. In 1874 he returned to Albany and became the organist of the First Reformed church, where he is at present; in 1876 he secured the position of organist at the Temple Beth Emeth which he ably fills at the present time. In May, 1886, Prof. Belding assumed control of the music at the Albany State Normal College and is the instructor there at the present time; he also has many private pupils and is recognized to be one of the finest musicians in this State. He is a thirty-second degree Mason and is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 3, Temple Chapter No. 5, De Witt Clinton Council No. 22, Temple Com- mandery No. 2, A. S. R., and Cyprus Temple A. A. O. N. M. S. He is also the organ- ist for Mt. Vernon, Masters, Wadsworth and Washington Masonic lodges and the Shrine. In March, 1874, he married Elflida St. J. Weeks of Albany, and they have one child, Elizabeth Brown.

Dearstyne. Chester F., was born in Reidsville, Albany county, N. Y., July 22, 1851. He is a son of John Dearstyne and belongs to the old Dearstyne family which was among the first to settle in Albany county. His ancestry is from the same branch as that of the Dearstyne family of Bath-on-the-Hudson, numbering among its members the first settlers of that place who gave their name to the Dearstyne Hose Company. Mr. Dearstyne was educated at Reidsville, and at the age of six- teen he became a clerk in East Berne in the grocery store of Z. A. Dyer, whose daughter he afterwards married. He is therefore a brother-in-law of William S. Dyer, the well known lawyer of Albany. Mr. Dearstyne was employed as clerk by Albert Gallup in the Kimball House, In 1874 he started in the cigar and tobacco business on Washington avenue, taking into partnership five years later, Mr. Isaac

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B. Cross, recently sheriff of Albany county. In 1883 he engaged in the tobacco busi- ness for himself at No. 385 Broadway, where he has done a prosperous business. In 1894 Dr. Dearstyne was appointed superintendent of the Albany county Peniten- tiary and during his incumbency of that office he has given very general satisfaction and has conducted the institution on an economical basis.

Droogan, Cornelius J., son of Cornelius and Mary (Brown) Droogan, was born in Albany, N. Y., December 24, 1867. He attended the Christian Brothers' Academy, from which he was graduated in 1865, and the Manhattan College in New York city, from which he was graduated in 1888 with the degree of A. B., and from which he received the degree of A. M. in 1890. Mr. Droogan also completed the course at the Albany Law School in 1889, and has enjoyed an extensive practice in Albany since then. He is a member of the Dongan Club, the Catholic Union and the Catholic Club of New York.

Downs, J. Murray, is a son of James H. Downs, who settled in Albany about 1855, and Mary B. Murray, his wife, whose father was a prominent contractor in the capital city. He was born ir. Albany, July 9, 1872, was graduated from the High School in 1889, and from that time until 1892 held a clerkship in the State Law Library. Meanwhile he read law with Reilly & Hamilton, was graduated from the Albany Law School in 1893 and was admitted to the bar in February, 1894. He re- mained in the office of his preceptors as managing clerk until April 1, 1895, when he formed a copartnership with Hon. Robert C. Scherer, as Scherer & Downs, which still continues. Mr. Downs's maternal ancestors were soldiers in the English army at the time of the Robert Emmet uprising in Ireland. Two of his mother's brothers served in our Civil war and one of them, John Murray, died in Andersonville prison.

Flanigan, Eugene D., was born in Albany, N. Y., September 25, 1863. He re- ceived his education in the Christian Brothers' Academy, from which he was gradu- ated in 1888; he then studied law with Nathan P. Hinman and was admitted to the bar in September, 1886. He is a member of the Catholic Union and the Old Guard Albany Zouave Cadets. Mr. Flanigan married Maud N. Edwards in October, 1884, and they have one daughter, Marjorie.

Fursman, Jesse William, son of William H. and Elizabeth (Rastall) Fursman, was born in Schenectady, N. Y., December 4, 1865, and is descended from a long line of English ancestors who settled in Westchester county in the early part of the seven- teenth century. On the maternal side, Mr. Fursman is descended from Johannes Halsaerdt of Holland, who came to America in 1690; many of the descendants of this Hollander are now living in Washington county. Jesse W. Fursman was edu- cated in the Rome Free Academy, from which he was graduated in 1883; after leav- ing the academy he was employed in Rome four years as traveling salesman for the Aland Patent Blower Co. He left this position to accept a similar one with a trunk and bag house of Herkimer, N. Y., and after two years he moved to Oswego, N. Y .. where he learned shorthand in the business college, subsequently being employed by T. Kingsford & Son as stenographer for three years. From Oswego Mr. Fursman moved to Syracuse, N. Y., where he was employed for a time by the Sherwood Har- ness Co., and for the past five years he has been engaged with the Albany branch

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of the Smith-Premier Typewriter Co. Mr. Fursman is very popular with the young men of Albany and is a member of Temple Lodge, F. & A. M., the Knights of Prthias and Co. B, 16th Batt., N. G. N. Y. October 20, 1891, he married Kate Dwyer of Herkimer, N. Y., and they have two children, Edgar Seward and Marian.

Goodwin Albert C., is descended from Ozias Goodwin, who came with his brother, Elder William, in the ship Lion, from Braintree, England, arriving at Boston, Sep- tember, 1632, with his wife, Mary Woodward. He settled in Cambridge, Mass., and later in Hartford, Conn. The line is (1) Ozias; (2) William; (3) Deacon Nathaniel ; (4) Isaac: (5) Uriah, 1 of Ashfield, Mass., member of the committee of safety 1778, of the committee to raise troops, 1780, and army supplies, 1781, and selectmen and as. sessor, 1781; (6) Eldad Francis, 1961-1827, born in Hartford, Conn., and was the millwright in the town of his birth for many years, moved to Watervliet, Albany county, and kept hotel, and after the death of his first wife, Lucy Scott, came to Albany; () Albert, born in Ashfield, Mass., September 3, 1803, died February 10, 1869, in Albany, where he was alderman, city assessor and mason and builder; (8) Thomas Laing: and (9) Albert C. Albert (7) married, October 13, 1828, Jane Laing, who died May 31, 1835. Of their seven children, Thomas Laing Goodwin, born in Albany, January 24, 1835, married May 23, 1860, Pamelia Batchelder Clark, born August 7, 1841, daughter of Daniel Parsons and Catharine (Russ) Clark. He died in November. 1888; he had three children ; Albert C., born February 14, 1861, and two who died young. Educated in the Boys' Academy and learning the lithographic trade with Harry Pease, he formed in 1860 a copartnership with George W. Lewis, which was succeeded by Murray & Goodwin; about 1872 he became sole owner and in 1882 admitted his son, Albert C., under the firm name of Thomas L. Goodwin & Son. Thomas L. was an active, prominent Democrat, foreman of the Volunteer Tivoli Hose Company, member of the Old Guard of the Burgesses Corps and the Fourth Presbyterian church, and a trustee of the Home Savings Bank. In 1886 Mr. Goodwin retired and since then Albert C. has conducted the generallithographic and engraving establishment alone, largely increasing the business, which is the only one of the kind between New York and Buffalo. Albert C. was educated in the Boys'

1 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of Secretary. Revolutionary War Service. Uriah trondwin:

Uriah Goodwin appears with rank of Sergeant on Muster Roll of Capt. Benjamin Phillips' Co., Lt .- Col. Timothy Robinson's Regt. Enlisted Dec. 23, 1776, discharged April 1, 1777; length of service 3 mos: 10 days. Reported-Hampshire Co. Regt. Dated, In garrison at Ticonderoga, Feb. 24, 1767. Reported-Lame in barracks .- Vol. 47, 180, and Vol. 22, 79.

Appears in a Descriptive List of men raised to reinforce the Continental Army, for the term of six months, agreeable to resolve of June 5, 1780; age 42 years; stature, 5 feet 4 in .; complexion light; residence, Ashfield; time of arrival at Springfield, July 21, 1780. 23d Division. Marched to L'amp July 21, 1780, under command of Capt. Isaac Pope .- Vol. 35, p. 205.

Uriah Goodwin appears on a Pay Roll for six months men raised to the town of Ashfield for service in the Continental Army during 1780. When marched, July 21, 1780; when discharged, Dec. 5, 1780; length of service, 4 mos. 23 days .- Vol. 4, p. 21.

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Office of Secretary, Boston, May 1, 1895.

I certify the foregoing to be true abstracts from the Record Index to the Revolutionary Arch- ives deposited in this office.

Witness the Seal of the Commonwealth,

(L. S.)

Wm. M. Olin, Secretary.

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Academy, has passed through the chairs and is the present master of Ancient City Lodge No. 452, F. & A. M., a member of Temple Chapter, No. 5, R. A. M., and Temple Commandery, No. 2, K. T. He was secretary and superintendent of the old Menand Mission from 1880 to 1885, and with Rev. Charles Wood organized the Viaduct Mission in 1886, of which he was superintendent several years. He was a trustee of the Fourth Presbyterian church for eight years, until his removal to Menand's in 1895, and has been secretary, treasurer, trustee and president of the Albany County Sunday School Teachers' Association, and director of the South End Bank. In 1839 he married Sarah Alice Higgs, of Brooklyn, daughter of George Henry, and the late Frances (Fisher) Higgs, and their children are Alice Lloyd and Albert C., jr.

Harris, Frank S., son of George O). and Mary (Salisbury) Harris, was born in Al. bany, N. Y., in 1868. He received his education in the public schools and Albany Academy and subsequently spent three years at Lake George and New York city. In 1885 he assumed management, for his mother, of the large livery business which was started about 1835 by his grandfather, George, and which has been in the family ever since. In military circles there is none more popular and it would be hard to find a better drilled member of the National Guard. For ten years Mr. Harris was a member of Co. A, 10th Bat., N. G. N. Y., and during part of that time was a ser- geant of the company. He is now first lieutenant and commissary on Colonel Fitch's staff of the 10th Bat. N. G. N. Y. He is also a member of the Albany Club.

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 128

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