Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 96

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 96

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whom three children were born: Thomas, who died when ten years of age; Edward and Mary. John is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of Chancellors Lodge of Albany. The brothers are both stockholders in the Clarksville Telephone line. John is a stockholder in the Altamont Driving Park and Fair Association ; the brothers are also stockholders in the Voorheesville Canning and Preserving Co.

De Witt, Abraham Van Dyck, descends from a distinguished line of Holland an- cestry. Among his earliest ancestors were John L. De Witt, a captain in the Revo- lutionary war, and Lucas De Witt. Tjerck Claassen De Witt of Zunderland, Holland, born 1620, was the first of the family to come to this country. He stopped at New Amsterdam, N. Y., in 1656, settled for a time in Albany and thence removed to Kingston, where he died February 7, 1700. Mr. De Witt's paternal grandfather, Rev. John De Witt, was born in Catskill, N. Y., August, 1789, studied at Union College, and graduated at Princeton in 1809. He was licensed to preach in 1811; married Sarah Schoonmaker, and was pastor of the old collegiate Dutch church of Albany from 1813 to 1815 and of the Second Reformed Dutch church from 1815 to 1823. He was then chosen professor of ecclesiastical history in the theological semi- nary at New Brunswick, N. J., having in 1825 also assumed the professorship of belles lettres, criticism and logic in Rutgers College. He died at New Brunswick October 11, 1831. The great-grandfather of A. V. De Witt was John I. De Witt of Catskill and Saugerties, N. Y., who was born in 1762. He married Mary, daughter of Peter Breasted, in 1782, and died in 1816. Mr. De Witt's father, Clinton De Witt, born in Albany in 1814, became a brilliant lawyer and orator and died in New York city in 1845. He married in 1835 Elsie, daughter of Abraham Van Dyck, a leading lawyer of Coxsackie, N. Y. She was an accomplished student, read Greek and Hebrew, and died August 1, 1885. Abraham V. D. De Witt, born in Coxsackie, Au- gust 11, 1836, was educated in the village academy, and read law with James B. Sanders of Albany for seven years, being admitted to the bar when twenty-one. He was then in partnership with his preceptor until 1871, when Mr. Sanders retired. In 1872 he became a partner of Charles F. T. Spoor, and since the latter's death in 1891 has practiced alone. Mr. De Witt has not only conducted a general law prac- tice, but has also had the settlement of many large estates. He is a member of the Fort Orange Club and the Holland Society of New York. In June, 1894, he was elected treasurer of the Albany Exchange Savings Bank and since then has had the active management of that institution, devoting much of his time to its affairs. In January, 1896, he married Grace Hallam Learned of New London, Conn., daughter of the late Rev. Robert Coit Leonard. A daughter, born to them November 22, 1896, is named Elsie Van Dyck.

Moak John T., was born in the town of New Scotland, on the Moak homestead, April 21. 1821. He is a son of Col. Joseph Moak, a native of New Scotland and a farmer by occupation. His wife was Arianna Taylor, daughter of Robert Taylor, and their children were Robert, Joseph, Jane, Frances, Eve Ann, Catherine, Har- riet, Rachael and John T. The father, Col. Joseph Moak, died March 28, 1848, the wife dying previously in 1830. John T. spent his early life on the homestead, re- ceiving a common school education. When he was twenty-one years of age he be- gan working at the cabinet trade, which he followed one year; then he worked for a time at farming and returned to the cabinet shop again. In 1851 he purchased his

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present farm, consisting of ninety acres, where he is at present residing. To this he has added another farm of seventy acres and made many improvements in the prop- erty. In 1850 he married Margaret Sager, who was born in New Scotland, a daugh- ter of Conrad and Margaret (Bradt) Sager. Their children were Arianna, wife of Jeremiah Winne, Melville S. (deceased), Ida L., wife of Edgar B. Ruso. The pater- nal grandfather of John T. Moak was Jacob Moak, who came from Switzerland with his two brothers, Francis and Henry, about 1730.

Schubert, Theodore, a popular and well-known citizen of West Troy, was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1855. He was a son of a weaver, Charles G. Schubert. They came to America in 1864 and settled at Holyoke, Mass., where Theodore learned the woolsorting trade, and in 1878 came here as a weaver in the Roy Mills, and later as a loom adjuster. In 1885 he opened a cafe and retail saloon at 1,299 Broad- way. Mr. Schubert is prominently connected with numerous local societies, the West Troy Fire Department, president of the local board of Wine and Liquor Deal- ers' Association and member of Laurel Lodge, I. O. O. F.

Munson, George S., M. D., son of Stephen and Eunice A. Munson, was born in Waterford, N. Y., April 4, 1856, and moved with his parents to Albany in 1858. His mother, a native of Westerfield, Mass, who died in March, 1886, was a descendant of Rev. Jonathan Edwards, the theologian and metaphysician of Northampton, Mass., and afterwards president of Princeton College. His father became an exten- sive shoe manufacturer in Albany. Dr. Munson was graduated from public school No. 2 in 1868 and from the Albany High School in 1872, and in 1874 entered Princeton College, where he took several prizes for oratory, study, etc., and where he was graduated with honor in 1878. He read medicine with Drs. Vander Veer and Snow, and was graduated from the Albany Medical College in 1880, took a special course in Dr. Knapp's ophthalmic and aural institute in New York, where he remained as first assistant for two years, and also pursued special courses under Drs. Noyes and Agnew of that city. In 1882 he began the active practice of his profession in Al- bany. He has served as ophthalmic surgeon to St. Peter's Hospital, Albany, ophthalmic and aural surgeon to the Schenectady Hospital and Dispensary, and Al- bany City Hospital, and is a thirty-second degree Mason and a member of the Fort Orange Club and Albany Medical Library and Journal Association. He has con- tributed many valuable papers to medical literature, especially on the treatment of diseases of eye the and ear. In 1884 he married May S., daughter of George S. Downing of Albany, and they have one son, born March 31, 1888, and a daughter.

Bloss, Dr. F. S. of West Troy, is a descendant of prominent ancestors in the pro- fession of medicine, as he is a son of J. P. Bloss, a noted physician of Troy, and grandson of Richard Bloss, who was a pioneer homeopathist of Troy, and who died there after twenty-five years of practice. He is also a nephew of Richard D. Bloss, an active practitioner, now of Troy. Dr. F. S. left Burlington, Iowa, where he was born in 1857 and came to Troy in 1859. He went to Schenectady, graduating from the Union Classical Institute, and entered Union College, graduating in 1881, after which he entered the Albany Medical College. He first practiced at Troy with his father, and came to West Troy in 1896. He is a member of the Medical Society of Northern New York.

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Patterson, jr., John, is the son of John and grandson of Archibald Patterson, who settled in Bethlehem in 1810 and died in 1876, leaving six sons: Robert, Andrew, James, Alexander, William and John, who settled on the homestead. He had one son, John, jr., as above, who has been, and still is, one of the leading men of the town, having served as supervervisor from 1889 until 1895. Mr. Patterson, besides carrying on the farm, has for some time carried on a coal and ice business in Long Island city, and still has an ice house in Bethlehem that he built in 1878.

Vloebergh, Louis, was born in Belgium, Province of Antwerp, in 1823, where he learned the wheelwright's trade, which he followed until 1857, when he came to Al- bany where he worked for some time, when he came to Bethlehem Center in 1861, and has since carried on a shop. He has three sons: Livine, who is in business in Albany, Augustus and Joseph, who are business with their father, and two daugh- ters, Mathilda and Cristina.

Moore, William, was born in Ireland, March, 1827. He received a common school education and in 1846 came to America. He remained for a time in New York city and then went east and worked in the cloth mills in New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island. In 1852 he went to Cohoes and worked three years for Egberts & Bailey, the first knit goods manufacturers in America. Then after learning the machinist's trade with the Harmony Company, he was for thirteen years machinist and foreman of the Mohawk River Knitting Mills company, which was an enlarge- ment of the business of Egberts & Bailey. In 1859 Mr. Moore accepted the manage- ment of William Mansfield's knitting mills and in 1860 established a mill of his own on Erie street, known as the Erie Knitting Mill. In 1882 he built the Granite Mill, on the corner of Ontario and Saratoga streets, to which he gives most of his atten- tion, but he still retains an interest in the Erie Mill, which is owned by the firm, Moore & Tierney. Mr. Moore has been a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity for forty years and was for one term alderman of the Third ward. In 1892 he married Sarah A., daughter of James Tierney of Waterford and they have one son, William J.

McHinch, Robert, a prominent and successful farmer and fruit grower of the town of New Scotland, was born near Belfast, Ireland, September 23, 1847. Alexander, the grandfather, was a native of Scotland and spent his lifetime there as a farmer. His brother James came to America and settled in the town of New Scotland, on the farm now owned by Robert McHinch. James, the father, was born in Scotland, in August, 1804, and died in August, 1889. He was a successful farmer and left con- siderable property, which he accumulated near Belfast, Ireland, where he had gone when a young man and engaged in the manufacture of gas, in connection with which he owned a farm, which he sublet to tenants. His wife was Mary Lowry, of Ireland, and their children were Anthony, Robert, Agnes, Jane, and Andrew. His wife died in 1867, and after some years his sons Anthony and Andrew died. He lived alone then until 1884, when he converted his property into cash and came to America, where he spent his remaining days with his son Robert and his daughter Agnes. He died August 6, 1889. Robert remained with his father and attended school until nineteen years of age, when he came to the United States direct to his granduncle, Andrew MeHinch, for whom he worked at farm work for one year, and then worked for other parties for several years, when he went to Illinois and Iowa and remained for one year, and by the request of his uncle returned to New Scotland and worked

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hard, and when he had been here ten years he had saved $2,000 in cash. In 1876 he purchased his uncle's farm, the price being $6,000, for which he has paid, and upon which he has since lived doing general farming, but paying special attention to the fruit culture. He has since added land and made other improvements, and is now the possessor of a fine farm and good buildings. In March, 1876, he married Sarah Jane, born in Bath-on-the-Hudson, and daugeter of Jacob P. and Mary Elizabeth (Snyder) Elmendorf, by whom one child has been born, Jennie May. Mrs. McHinch is a member of the Reformed church. Mr. MeHinch was elected and re-elected ex- cise commissioner for three terms, and is now filling the office of assessor.

Kimmey, William, was born in Bethlehem in 1829 and is the son of Daniel, and grandson of Jacob. His great grandfather came from Germany in 1755 and settled in Bethlehem, where he was the founder of the family which has always occupied a prominent position in the town and county. William Kimmey was supervisor of his town for five years, also town clerk, and was a member of the constitutional conven- tion in 1894. December 27. 1854, he married a daughter of Frederick Hillebrant, and they have one son, William R., and two daughters, having lost two sons, John and Albert.

Frederick, Stephen V., was born in Guilderland on the farm he now owns, March 17, 1831. Christopher, his father, was born in the same place in 1793. He was one of three sons: Stephen, Christopher and Jacob, and three daughters: Elizabeth, Mary and Esther, born to Michael, a farmer by occupation, who was also born on the same farm. He was a son of Stephen, born in Guilderland. His father, Michael. came from Germany in about 1750 and took up a tract of land of about 900 acres in the town of Guilderland. Christopher, the father of Mr. Frederick, was a successful farmer and a soldier in the war of 1812. His wife was Appolonia Hilton, daughter of James Hilton. They reared three sons and four daughters. He lived to be eighty-seven years old and his wife lived to be seventy-eight. Mr. Frederick received a good common school education, and when twenty-six years of age began to teach school, which he followed for nine years. In 1861 he was elected supervisor and was re-elected for five consecutive years. In the fall of 1866 he was elected county treasurer, which office he filled for three years. He has also filled many minor offices in his town and was often called upon to draw up wills and settle estates. He has added to the original homestead until he now owns 600 acres, and also owns property in Albany, and is an enterprising and successful man. January 14, 1863, he was married to Annie Reid, of New Scotland, and daughter of Alexan- der Reid. Their children are Margaret, Ada and Lona. Mr. Frederick was taught the Holland language by his mother and still retains a knowledge of that tongue.

Whitbeck, William J., was born in 1838. He is a son of John T., and a grandson of Thomas, who had four sons: William, Stephen, Daniel and John T., who had four sons: Thomas, John A., Jasper and William J. He is a farmer and lives on a part of the old homestead. He married Hannah J. Smith.

Couse, David, was born in Bethlehem in 1827 and is the son of David, born in 1803, and grandson of Adam Couse, who came from Germany in 1784 and settled in Bethlehem and had six sons: John. Matthew, William, Peter, Jacob and David, father of the subject. Mr. Couse came to Slingerlands in 1839, where he has since

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been a farmer. He was elected justice in 1872, which office he has held continuously ever since; he has also been town clerk and collector and was for some years as-turani assessor for the revenue department. He has four sons: Andrew, David, Frank and Robert.

11:11 & Son. - James Hill, a native of England, settled in Albany about 1827 and died there in 1838. He was foreman in a large blacksmith shop which stood on the site of the D. & IL. depot, at the foot of Maiden Lane. Cornelius Hill, his son, born December 18, 1833, in Albany, received a public school education, and has always been in the fruit and vegetable business. In 1845 he became a clerk in the old Columbia Street Market and later held a similar position on Van Rensselaer Island. In 1854 he established business for himself and since 1889 has been located on the corner of Hudson avenue and Grand street, the site on which Thurlow Weed's man- sion once stood. In 1884 the firm of Hill & Son was formed by the admission of his son, James HI. Mr. Hill was alderman two years, and is a member of Temple Lodge F. & AA. M., Capital City Chapter R. A. M., and Temple Commandery No. 2, K. T. In January, 1854, he married Mary McIntosh, and they have nine children living: James HI .. Erastus C .. William M., George C. (all members of Temple Lodge F. & A. M.), Isabella, Ida, Elizabeth, Etta E. and Minnie.

Southworth. Dr. Julius B., dates his lineage to the Mayflower Pilgrims of 1620. His father, Alden Southworth, who married Betsey Barker, was a prominent manu- facturer of Oriskany Falls, Oneida county, a captain in the old State militia and for twelve years a justice of the peace. Dr. Southworth, born in Oriskany Falls, N. Y., February 6, 1849, was educated at Cazenovia Seminary and at Madison University in Hamilton, and from 1871 to 1876 was a teacher in the former institution and from the latter date to 1881 was president of the Vermont Methodist Seminary and Female College at Montpelier. He read medicine with Dr. J. D. Munn of Herkimer county, was graduated from the medical department of the University of Vermont at Bur- lington in 1882, and began the practice of his profeseion in Albany, where he has since resided. From 1885 to 1895 he was literary editor of the Albany Evening Journal and since then has held a similar position on the staff of the Albany Argus, and also done considerable literary work for magazines and other periodicals. He is a member of the Albany County Medical Society and a charter member of the Al- bany Press Club. August 22, 1872, he was married at Schuyler's Lake, N. Y., to AArzelia, daughter of the Rev. Reuben S. Southworth. She died July 30, 1873, and he married, second. November 28, 1876, Eleanor H., daughter of Dr. J. Dayton Munn of Van Hornesville, Herkimer county. They have one son, Hamilton Munn Southworth, born February 11, 1881. Dr. Southworth is an elder in the First Methodist Episcopal church and has been superintendent of its Sunday school at in- tervals for the last ten years.

Jones, John H., was born in 1854 and first engaged in the lumber business as an employee of a planing mill, but is now an agent for the Rusches Brewing Company of Troy. Mr. Jones is a local leader in politics and has held various offices. He was alderman of the Third ward from 1883 to 1890. His younger brother, Thomas R., who died in 1885, was also a prominent man. John H. was the elder son of Robert Jones, who, before his death, was the leading shoe dealer of West Troy, and had for fifteen years been an honored citizen of that place,

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Herrick, Avery, the widely know blank publisher, is a son of John Jay and Mary Herrick, and was born in the town of Florida, now Fifth ward of the city of Amster- dam, N. Y., November 9, 1822, and first became a clerk in the store of Duncan McDonald of Schenectady, where he was apprenticed to the printing business in 1838 with Isaac Riggs. Coming to Albany in 1840, he completed hisapprenticeship with Joel Munsell, at Old Gable Hall, No. 58 State street. In 1848 he married Harriet Anna Wetsell of Greene county. Commenced the printing business in 1861 at No. 496 Broadway, Albany, N. Y., where he has ever since continued, and in 1872 succeeded W. C. Little & Co. in the publication of blanks. His present wife is Spedy, daughter of the late Avery Herrick Belding, of Montgomery county, N. Y.

Harriott, Marvin B., son of John V. and Harriet R. (Colfax) Harriott, was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., September 6, 1860. His father's ancestors were Scotch and English and first settled in New York city in 1783. The great hospital at Edinburgh, Scotland, known as the Heriot Hospital, was founded and endowed by Sir George Heriot, an ancestor of the subject of this sketch. Mr. Harriott's mother's family came to America from England in 1740, and his maternal great-grandfather was Gen. William Colfax, who was the first commander of General Washington's Life Guards and afterwards was quartermaster-general on Washington's staff. Through this line Mr. Harriott is related to the late Schuyler Colfax, vice-president of the United States, 1869-1873. John V. Harriott was a graduate of the University of the City of New York, and was president of the Firemen's Fire Insurance Company of New York at the time of his death in 1874. Marvin B. Harriott was educated in the Brooklyn private and public schools and at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. After the completion of his education he accepted a clerkship in a cotton house and subse- quently took a three years' course in a sugar refinery. For the past seventeen years he has been a sugar broker, and now represents L. W. Minford & Co., New York, Swift & Co., Chicago, and the Armour Packing Company, Kansas City, for Albany, Troy and Northern New York. Mr. Harriott was a charter member of the Schubert Club. He served two years in Co. A, 10th Bat., N. G. N. Y., and held all offices up to and including that of first lieutenant and resigned as such in April, 1896. Dur- ing his term as first lieutenant he served detail as quartermaster of the battalion and as commissary of twelve hundred men at Buffalo, N. Y., during the great railroad strike in 1892.

Goewey, Dr. W. Irving, son of William J. and Eudora (Lewis) Goewey, was born in Defreestville, Rensselaer county, November 10, 1859, and when fifteen years of age moved with his parents to his mother's farm at East Schodack, N. Y. He attended Hartwick Seminary and the academical department of Beloit College in Wisconsin, and was graduated with honor from Fort Edward Collegiate Institute in this State in 1888. He taught school at Poestenkill, N. Y., for two terms; two years and a half at East Schodack, N. Y., and was principal of the Hartford public school in Washington county for one year, showing exceptional ability as a teacher in all positions. He read medicine with Dr. Arlington Boyce of East Schodack, N. Y., and was graduated from the Albany Medical College in 1892, and in March, 1893, began the practice of his profession in Albany at 225 Hamilton street, where he now resides. He is a member of the Albany County Medical Society, the Al- bany Medical College Alumni Association and the First M. E. church of Albany.

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February 8, 1893, he married Mrs. Jennie E. Earing, daughter of Mason I. Crocker of Albany, and they have one son: W. Irving, 2d.

Milwain, James, was born in Bethlehem, Albany county, May 8, 1817, and was reared on a farm. When sixteen he came to Albany and secured a position as clerk in the store of Robinson & Douty, dealers in drugs and paints on the site of the present Milwain building. In 1838 he entered into business for himself, open- ing a retail hat store at No. 2 South Pearl street, and later on State street, near Pearl street. In business he was a man of the strictest integrity, well liked by all who knew him for his sterling qualities. After a quarter of a century as a suc- cessful retail dealer, he formed a copartnership with Henry Richmond as a whole- sale dealer in hats and caps at No. 391 Broadway and still later at No. 416 Broad- way. W. H. Boyce of the present firm entered into the partnership in 1870 and the firm became Richmond, Milwain & Co. On the retirement of Mr. Richmond the firm name was changed to Boyce & Milwain, which still continues, the junior member being James Milwain, jr., Mr. Milwain, sr., retiring about 1887. When a young man Mr. Milwain took an active interest in politics and affiliated with the Republican party. He was supervisor of the old Tenth ward two terms, which was the only political office he ever held. He was also a director in the Commerce Insurance Co., owned considerable real estate and built the Milwain building on State street, where the business of the firm has been conducted since January, 1892. He died March 10, 1892, and was survived by a wife and two daughters (Mrs. William H. Boyce and Mrs. William A. Smith) and one son, James Milwain. jr. The latter was born in Albany, educated in the Albany Academy and later became a partner with his father, to whose interest in the business he succeeded; also is a director in the Commerce Insurance Company.

Murphey, Elijah W. (son of Coolidge Bliss Murphey and Mary A. Atkins and grand- son of Elijah and Elizabeth (Bliss) Murphey) was born at Sandy Hill, Washington comnty, N. Y., February 10, 1840. He was educated at Fort Edward Institute as a civil engineer. He joined the N. Y. State engineering corps, serving on the Cham- plain Canal enlargement seven years, becoming first assistant engineer; afterward he went to Philadelphia, where he was engaged in the oil business for two years. In 1866 he came to Albany and established himself as a manufacturer and dealer in lubricating oils, which business he still continues. In 1873 he formed with Orlando P. Liscomb, the present firm of Murphey & Liscomb, and they have branch stores in Hudson, N. Y., and Springfield, Mass. Mr. Murphey is a trustee and vice-presi- dent of the Albany Homeopathic Hospital, a director of the Albany Exchange Bank and treasurer of the First Congregational church. He is a member of the Fort Orange Club, Albany Unconditionals and a member of the Society of the Colonial Wars through Vice-Admiral Thomas Gilbert from whom he is seventh in descent; he is also a member of the Sons of the Revolution through his great-grandfather, Daniel Murphey, of Springfield, Mass., who served under Colonel afterward Gen. Rufus Putnam, at Bunker Hill and the siege of Boston, and who married Eliza- beth Knowlton of Springfield, Mass., and of the Society of the War of 1812 through his grandfather, Elijah Murphey, who served at the battle of Plattsburgh. In 1865 he married Helen A., daughter of Chauncey Hulburt of Philadelphia, Pa., and they have four children: Harriet (Mrs. Henry Otis Chapman) of New York city, Martha, Virginia Hulburt and Chauncey Hulburt.

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Landmarks of Albany County, New York, Part 96

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