USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 1 > Part 20
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Caspar Van Wie Burton was the son of Mathew and Mrs. (Van Wie) Burton, natives of Columbia county, N. Y., and was born in Albany July 15, 1810. Ilis education was received under the instruction of an English tutor. At the age of seventeen he learned the business of bookbinding and subsequently removed to Troy, where he afterwards beeame engaged in publishing under the firm of Tuttle, Belcher & Burton. Part of this time he was connected with the editorial depart-
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ment of the Troy Morning Mail. Ile afterwards began the study of medicine with Dr. Thomas C. Brinsmade, and attended lectures at the Albany Medical college and was graduated from there in 1842. His graduating thesis was " Dissecting Wounds - their Nature and Treat- ment." He had been a victim of the disease by making an autopsy of a fellow student who had died in consequence of infection by making a post mortem examination of a case of puerperal peritonitis. Burton had pricked his thumb with a rose bush that day and thus carried the infection into his circulation, which laid him up for three months and nearly cost him his life. He remained in Troy about one year after graduating, and removed to Lansingburgh to practice, associated with Dr. F. B. Leonard, who was then the most distinguished physician there. His professional labors were pursued with success here for seventeen years. During this time he was one of the faculty of the Lansingburgh Female seminary, delivering lectures there on physiology and hygiene. He also contributed articles to the medical journals. The degree of A. M. was conferred upon him by the Rochester univer- sity in 1853. He was a member of the county medical society since 1848, was its president in 1854 and the same year was elected per- manent member of the State Medical society, also an honorary member of the New York Chirurgical society. He died September 23, 1860, of diphtheria infection contracted from patients under his care, in his fiftieth year. Ile left four sons and three daughters, Dr. M. H. Bur- ton of Troy being the eldest son.
Dr. Alfred Wotkyns was born at Walpole, N. IL., September 7, 1798, and was educated at his home by private tutor. In 1818 he came to Troy and commenced the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Moses Hale, and in 1821 was admitted to the practice and became a partner with Dr. Hale. He subsequently went to Philadelphia and attended the University of Pennsylvania, receiving his degree of M. D. In 1822 he was appointed assistant surgeon in the United States army and after two years' service resigned and returned to Troy and resumed practice here until his death, December 24, 1836. He had an uncommonly commanding physique and enjoyed a large and lucrative practice for nearly fifty years, acquiring great wealth. He was twice married, first to Mary Williams, by whom he had three children, all of whom are dead. His second marriage was with Eliza Breaky, daughter of Dr. Isaiah Breaky of Greenbush, by whom he had one daughter and three sons, who have moved to Chicago. Dr. Wotkyns was mayor of the
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city of Troy in 1857 and 1858; was president of the County Medical society and a permanent member of the New York State Medical society. Ile was one of the governors of the Marshall infirmary and for some years one of the attending physicians therein. He was also president of the State bank of Troy and was possessed of great busi- ness sagacity.
Dr. Thomas Clark Brinsmade was born June 16, 1802, at New Hart- ford, Litchfield county, Conn. He was the third son of Dr. Thomas Brinsmade and received his primary education in the academy at Har- winton, near New Hartford, where he was fitted for college. Ile pur- sued his medical studies with his uncle, Dr. Peet, a distinguished physician at New Marlboro, Berkshire county, Mass., where he com- pounded medicines, attended the office practice and frequently rode with Dr. Peet to visit patients. Ile attended a course of lectures at Vale Medical school and in March, 1823, was licensed to practice by the State Medical society. The honorary degree of M. D. was con- ferred on him by Yale college and in 1857 he was elected an honorary member of the State Medical society. Dr. Brinsmade came to Lans- ingburgh in the fall of 1823 and commenced practice. He was a close student and soon acquired the confidence of the community. On the death of Dr. Sheldon of Troy, in 1832, he removed to that city and practiced medicine with an energy, industry and success never excelled for a period of thirty-five years, and will long be remembered as the beloved physician by many thousands. He married Miss Elizabeth Walsh of Lansingburgh December 24, 1838, and had three chil- dren. One died an infant, and his son, Horatio Brinsmade, died at the age of twenty-one, having graduated from Vale college. Ile was at the time of his last sickness attending the medical college at Albany. His amiable and accomplished daughter Jennie died in 1860, leaving her parents childless. In January, 1824, Dr. Brinsmade joined the county medical society, was its president two years, and on retir- ing delivered an elaborate address on the medical topography of Troy and vieinity. He served as delegate and became a permanent member of the State Medical society of New York; in 1857 and 1858 was its vice-president and delivered an address on the registration of diseases, furnishing the society with an accurate record of his practice for twenty-one consecutive years, carefully tabulated and covering 300 pages of the society's transactions. It comprised statistics of 37,873 cases. In 1860 he presented another paper on registration, containing
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statistics of 2,056 cases treated in 1858 and 1859. Dr. Brinsmade for a number of years was health officer of Troy and chairman of the board of health. He was also for many years a vestryman of St. Paul's Episcopal church and a governor and attending physician of the Mar- shall infirmary. He was a trustee of the Rensselaer Polytechnic insti- tute and from 1865 to 1868 its vice-president. In the latter year he became its president. While delivering an address in behalf of the institute at Athenæum hall on the evening of June 22, 1868, he sud- denly expired. An autopsy revealed a diseased heart. Dr. Brinsmade had an amiable disposition and his presence in the sick room was pleas. ant and assuring. He was generous and gave away to benevolent pur- poses more money during his life than he left at his death.
Dr. Eber W. Carmichael was born September 14, 1812. He was educated at Sand Lake and Nassau academies and at Oberlin college, Ohio. He commeneed the study of medicine with Dr. James Thorn of Troy in 1836, and in 1837 with Dr. Samuel Mcclellan of Schodack, until 1840, attending meanwhile a course of lectures at Castleton, V't., and at Albany. He commenced practice at Greenwich, Washington county, and in 1845 located at Sliters Corners in Sand Lake. May 19, 1841, he married Miranda Butz and had six children. He was active in reformatory movements and was assaulted by a gang of masked men for his energetie support of the law against intemperance. Ile was a member of Rensselaer County Medical society and its president in 1864.
Dr. Alexander H. Hull was born at Berlin Centre in 1812 and had an academic education. He commenced the study of medicine at the age of twenty-two with Dr. Philander 11. Thomas, then of Hancock, Mass., but subsequently of West Sand Lake, remaining with him three years, meanwhile attending the Berkshire Medical college at Pittsfield and graduating there in 1838. Soon after he was appointed to the Marine hospital at Boston, Mass., remaining over two years. His health failed and for a change he got appointed assistant surgeon on a government war vessel commissioned to transport marines to Rio Janeiro, from where he returned in six months and took up his resi- denee in his native town, Berlin. Finally he located in practice at Petersburgh from 1842 to 1860, when he removed to West Sand Lake and in company with his former preceptor, Dr. Thomas, practiced there. Three years afterward, on the death of Dr. Thomas, he suc- ceeded to the entire business. His son, Dr. Wm. 11. Hull, is a prac- ticing physician in Poestenkill.
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Dr. Robert Collins of Brunswick was one of the oldest and most re- spected physicians of the county, and was a member of the Rensse- laer County society, and its president in 1831 and 1832. He had two sons, one of whom became a prominent and wealthy merchant of Troy. Further particulars of the good old doctor are not obtainable. He had a large practice, was a good physician and a most estimable man and citizen. He was succeeded by Dr. Daniel Bucklin and later by Drs. Burbeck and St. John. At Eagle Mills in the same town, Dr. Sehriven, Dr. Ilolsaple, Dr. Westervelt and Dr. Winship were successors to some of his practice.
Dr. Mathew Moody was one of the early practitioners at Poestenkill and was succeeded by Dr. Peter S. F. Westervelt, who in turn was succeeded by Dr. Luther H. Barber, who remained there in practice many years. Later he associated with Dr. Sabins. Dr. Wm. H. Hull succeeded those and a cotemporary, Dr. Elmer, was in practice at Barberville, a hamlet adjoining.
Dr. Henry B. Whiton was born in Lee, Mass., September 24, 1827; was graduated from Union college in 1854; commenced practice in Elmira, but removed to Troy in 1856, where he was a respected and successful practitioner until his death. He was a member of the county society and its president in 1867, and at times its secretary. He was a permanent member of the New York State society and one of the cura- tors of the Albany Medical society. He was for eight years one of the governors and attending physician of the Marshall infirmary. He served four years in the army during the late war as assistant surgeon and surgeon. He had two sons and a daughter.
Dr. Matthew Henry Burton was born in Albany, March 17, 1833, and was the oldest son of Dr. Caspar Van Wie Burton. His early ed- ucation was obtained in Lansingburgh, where his family resided during his youth and later. He studied medicine with his father, who was a prominent physician in Lansingburgh, and attended the Albany Medical college from 1850 to 1853, where he was graduated, and came to Troy, taking the position as resident assistant physician at the Troy hospital. He subsequently opened an office on the northeast corner of Congress and Third streets and became one of the attending physi- cians and surgeons to the Troy hospital, which position he held for fifteen years. He was elected coroner three successive terms, 1858, 1859 and 1860, and for nine years was health officer of Troy. He was also surgeon to the Third division National State Guard. In 1858 he
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married Fannie L. Seiler of Troy, by whom he had three sons and two daughters. One son, Dr. H. B. Burton, succeeded to his father's office and practice. Dr. Burton was a member of the Rensselaer County Medical society and in 1870 its president. He was a permanent mem- ber of the New York State Medical society, fellow of the New York State Medical association and of the American Medical association. lle was very popular in the community and had a very extensive and lut- crative practice, by which he secured wealth, notwithstanding his lux- urious and expensive mode of life. He was remarkable for his faultless personal appearance, for the neatness and elegance of his house, office, and equipages, which doubtless influenced his patronage. The doctor was prominent in the Masonic fraternity and one of the oldest and most constant members of the Troy club. He died in 1895.
Dr. Avery Judd Skilton was born February 2. 1802, at Watertown, Litchfield county, Conn. His father's name was James Skilton and his mother's maiden name Chloe Steele. He was educated in the dis- trict schools of Connecticut, Ensign's academy at Morris, Conn., and at the Yale Medical school. From 1822 to 1823 he studied medicine with Dr. Christopher C. Kiersted of Saugerties, N. Y., also with Dr. Conant-Catlin at Bethlehem. He was licensed by the Connecticut State Medical society March 9, 1827, became a member of the Rensse- Iner County Medical society in 1828 and continued in arduons practice until the fall of 1857. He died in March, 1858. He was a man of in- defatigable industry and perseverance, fond of science, and devoted much of his leisure to the subjects of geology, mineralogy, conchology and botany. lle had a large conchological collection and the writer of this sketch has on many occasions been kept up until 2 v. v. helping him in arranging and labeling specimens. His mind never seemed at rest, always busy with something of a scientific nature, notwithstanding the fact that he was overrun day and night with calls. He refused no one and performed more work, received more blame and less money than any one of his confrères, and when smitten on one cheek would turn the other also to his assailant. He was a consistent and practical Christian and for upwards of forty years was a faithful steward of the State Street Methodist Episcopal church. He was for some years curator of the Troy Lyceum of Natural History, member of the Amer- ican Association for the Advancement of Science, and of the Massachu- setts Genealogical society, a subject in which he took great interest. The names of his children are James Avery, Mary Tabitha, Julius Au-
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gustus, Charles Candee, Julia Augusta, Juliette Augustine, George Steele, Kitty Josephine and Mary Ella. One of his sons is a lawyer and one a physician.
Dr. Thomas W. Blatchford was born July 20, 1691, in Topsham, Devonshire county, England. His father was a clergyman and re- moved to this country in 1804, and had charge of the Presbyterian congregations of Lansingburgh and Waterford. The doctor in 1813 attended medical lectures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and was appointed in 1814 resident physician of the prison in New York city. In 1815 he visited Europe and attended two courses of medical lectures at Guy's and St. Thomas's hospitals. In 1816 he returned to New York and graduated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1817. After practicing for some time in New York city he went to Jamaica, Long Island, and practiced there nine years. He removed to Troy in 1828 and continued in practice here until his death, January 7, 1866. He was interested in the schools of the city and for seven years was presiding officer of the Board of Education. He was also for several years a trustee of the Rensselaer Polytechnic institute and the Troy Female seminary. He was an elder in the Presbyterian church and was punctual and faithful in attendance at church. Hle was president of the county medical society and of the New York State Medical society and was author of several excellent papers and essays. He was a widower for many years and has two sons and one daughter still living.
Dr. Jeremiah Van Rensselaer was born at the old manor house in 1793 and was the third son of John J. Van Rensselaer of Greenbush. After graduating at Yale college he went to New York city in 1813 and commenced the study of medicine with his uncle, Dr. Archibald Bruce, professor of materia medica and mineralogy in the University of the City of New York. He was graduated in New York in ISIC and went abroad to attend lectures and hospitals in Edinburgh, London and Paris. In 1819 he ar 1 Dr. Howard of Baltimore, Md., were the first Americans to ascend Mont Blanc. On his return to New York he engaged in extensive practice there and was for many years cor- responding secretary of the New York Lyceum of Natural History. During the winter of 1825 he delivered a course of lectures on geology before the New York Atheneum. In 1840 he again went to Europe for three years and in 1842 he resumed practice in New York. In 1852 he returned to Greenbush and died in October, 1870, shortly after another
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three years' tour in Europe. He was a founder and senior warden of the Episcopal Church of the Messiah at Greenbush.
Dr. Samuel MeClellan was born in Colerain, Mass., June 14, 1296. He was the son of Hugh MeClellan and Sarah Wilson. His father was an officer in the Colonial army of the Revolution. He commenced the practice of his profession in Schodaek in 1812 near the village of Nassau, where he always lived. He married Miss Laura Cook in 1816 and they had six children. He never sought political honors, but he was a dele- gate to the Whig National convention at Baltimore in 1814, which nom- inated Henry Clay for president. He was supervisor of his town in 1845 and member of assembly from Rensselaer county in 1846. He was one of the carly members of the county society and its president in 1822, 1823 and again in 1839. For nearly forty years he was a regular attendant of its meetings and was in the front rank in his pro- fession.
Dr. James Thorn was born July 20, 1802, at Colchester, England. He graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons, London, August 6, 1824, and commenced practice in Troy in 1832, where he had a large practice for thirty years and enjoyed the reputation of being a surgeon of skill He was twice elected mayor of the city and was one of the governors and attending physician to the Marshall infirmary, where he made his home, after being disabled by paralysis, until his death, No- vember 27, 1876.
Dr. George H. Hubbard was born at Hopkinton, N. IL., June 8, 1823; studied medicine under the direction of Dr. D. Davis of Sutton, N. 11., and was graduated from the Vermont Medical college in 1845. From that time to 1819 he practiced at Bradford, N. IL., and from 1852 to 1836 at East Washington, N. H., where he represented that place in the Legislature. He was editor of the New Hampshire Journal of Medieine from 1853 to 1859. In 1861 he was commissioned surgeon of the Second N. 11. Vols., and remained in the service until the close of the war, the last year or more of which was passed in charge of the U. S. Army hospital at Troy. In 1868 the honorary degree of A. M. was conferred on him by Dartmouth college. He died January 19, 1856, from blood poison, the result of injury to his knee. He was president of the county medical society two successive years, 1868 and 1869.
Dr. Chas. L. Hubbell was born in Williamstown, Mass., September 16, 1827. He was graduated from Williams college in 1846 and from Berkshire Medical college in 1>18. Ile commenced practice in Will-
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iamstown but removed to Troy in 1854 and enjoyed quite a large prac- tice for many years, during which time he became attending physician to the Troy hospital and also to the Marshall infirmary. Ile was also attending surgeon to the Watervliet arsenal for several years. Ile served during the War of the Rebellion as surgeon to the Black Horse Cavalry and later to the 12th N. Y. Volunteers. He removed from Troy to Williamstown some years since and died there. He was presi- dent of the Rensselaer County Medical society in 1875. In September, 1852, he married Juliette E. Bulkley of Monroe, Mich., by whom he had two sons and one daughter.
Dr. William Pierce Seymour was born in Troy October 17, 1825, and was one of the three sons of Israel Seymour and Lucinda Pierce, who were among the early settlers of Troy. In 1841 he entered Williams college at the age of sixteen years. Dr. Seymour was very popular at school and college and had a high sense of honor. During his last year at college he entered his name with Dr. John W. Bulkley of Wil- liamstown, Mass., and after graduating from Williams college he en . tered the office of Dr. Alfred Wotkyns of Troy. After several years of study there he entered the University of Pennsylvania and was graduated from there in 1848, but before commencing practice he re- turned to Philadelphia and served six months as junior assistant to the Obstetric institute. In 1819 Dr. Seymour opened an office on Second street in Troy, opposite where Music hall now stands. Cholera pre- vailed in New York and before it should reach Troy he went to New York with the writer and visited the cholera hospitals to learn the dis- ease and its treatment adopted there. He soon had abundant oppor- tunity to practice on cholera patients on his return as the disease re- mained in Troy some weeks. Dr. Seymour devoted all his leisure hours to study, becoming the best read and most learned of the protes- sion. He was professor of materia medica and therapeutics in Castle- ton Medical college from 1857 to 1862 and in 1858 he occupied the same position in the Berkshire Medical college. From 1863 to 1865 he was professor of obstetrics and gynecology and in 1870 was professor of obstetries and gynecology in the Albany Medical college, remaining there until 1835. He was a member of the Rensselaer County Medical society and its president in 1856, a member of the Union Medical soci- ety, a permanent member of the New York State Medical society and fellow of the New York State Medical association and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. lle was commissioned
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in 1862 as one of the auxiliary corps of volunteer surgeons of the State of New York, under which he reported for duty and served at Freder- ieksburg in May, 1864, taking charge at the request of Dr. Elisha Har- ris of the White House marine hospital. In many of his views Dr. Seymour was in advance of his profession by nearly a generation. In 1854 he suffered with an attack of typhlitis, now known as appendicitis, and he charged the writer to open his abdomen and remove the appen- dix, should it reenr. He also advocated that procedure ever afterwards in his lectures. He was a fluent speaker and his manner was kind and gentle. May 13, 1852, he was married to Helen Hughes Wotkyns, daughter of Dr. Alfred Wotkyns, and had two sons-William Wotkyns Seymour, M. D., and Alfred W. Seymour of Chicago. Dr. Seymour died April 7, 1893, conscious to the last, and when about to take his last breath, with his own hands he drew the sheet over his own head and expired serenely.
Dr. Francis B. Parmele was born at Richmond, Va., January 1, 1815, graduated at Albany Medical college in 1842 and commenced to prac- tice in Greenbush. He was a member of the Rensselaer County Medi- cal society, president in 1863, 1879 and 1883 and a permanent mem- ber of the New York State society. He was an active Episcopalian and one of the organizers of the church of the Messiah in Greenbush. He married Orrilla S. Smith and after her death in 1840 married Eliz- abeth B. Brown August 9, 1853. Dr. Parmele had five children, four girls and one son.
Dr. Herman Heinrich Julius Gnadendorff was born in Landsburg, Germany, August 28, 1824, and was the son of Herman Gnadendorff and his wife Caroline Gnadendorff. His early education was received in Germany. He commenced the study of medicine in Germany in 1840 and soon after removed to New York, where he attended the Uni- versity of the City of New York, and graduated from the medical de- partment in 1855. He at once commenced the practice of medicine in that city and after seven years removed to Schenectady. He removed to Troy nine years later, where he had for fourteen years a large prac- tice among the German population, and also in connection with his brother and son carried on a pharmaceutical establishment. He died in his chair while attending a case on the night of December 13, 1879. HIe was an Odd Fellow, Turner and Knight Templar. He was a mem- ber of the Rensselaer County Medical society since 1867. His father was a professor of music and give his son a thorough musical educa-
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tion. He became an expert performer on the piano and had liberal offers to conduct the choir in one of the churches in Troy, which he was obliged to decline on account of his professional business.
CHAPTER XIII.
MASONRY IN RENSSELAER COUNTY.
The history of Free Masonry in Troy begins with the institution of Apollo lodge No. 49, Free and Accepted Masons. Among the five hundred inhabitants of Troy in 1796 there were about twenty-five members of the Masonie fraternity. Hiram lodge of Lansingburgh being too remote for their convenience, a number of them assembled in the month of May to deliberate on the utility of establishing a new lodge at Troy. The project meeting with favor, a petition was drawn, and thirty-three signatures obtained, praying that the Grand lodge of the State of New York grant a charter for Apollo lodge to the nomi- nated officers, John Bird as master, John Woodworth as senior warden and Samuel Miner as junior warden. A charter was issued June 19 to Apollo lodge No. 49. The officers duly installed December 12, 1796, at the lodge chamber in Moulton's Coffee House, a frame structure situated on the lot adjoining the southeast corner of Seminary park, Second street, were John Bird, master; John Woodworth, senior war- den: Samuel Miner, junior warden; Marvel Ellis, treasurer; Jesse Bacon, secretary; Lyman Ellis, senior deacon; Chester Truesdell, junior deacon; Howard Moulton and Benjamin Gorton, stewards. Of the twenty-three applicants for a charter seventeen were then enrolled as members. The names in addition to the officers were Samuel Gale, Jeremiah Pierce, David B. Lynsen, John Efnor, John Weller, William White, David Squire and Nicholas M. Servat.
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