Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 2 - 3, Part 33

Author: Anderson, George Baker
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1424

USA > New York > Rensselaer County > Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 2 - 3 > Part 33

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Armsby, Clark L., was born in Petersburgh, March 8, 1837. He is a son of Chris- topher and Polly (Sanders) Armsby, she a native of Grafton and he of Petersburgh. The grandfather of Jolin Armsby was born in 1753 in Rhode Island and emigrated to Petersburgh in pioneer times when they had to go by marked trees; he was a farmer by occupation, and died in Petersburgh m 1845; he was a soldier of the

LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.

Revolutionary war. His wife, Priscilla, was born in new Bedford, Mass., in 1756 and died in 1849. Christopher Armsby was a harnessmaker in Petersburgh and was successful in business. He was born in 1793. He died in 1853, and Mrs. Armsby (born in 1796) died in 1884. Clark L. commenced his business career as teaeher in winter and farming in summer, which he followed for about ten years; he gave up teaching and has since devoted his time to agricultural pursuits, at which he has been very successful. In 1878 he bought the Greene farm of 146 acres at North Stephentown, where he has since resided and made a specialty of dairy farming. In 1865 Mr. Armsby married Mary M. Tilly of Grafton, by whom he has three chil- dren: John D., who is manager of the home farm; Frank N., who attended the Al. bany Business College and prepared for telegraph operator; and Charles E , also in Albany Business College.

Ostrander, John, an early settler of the town of Schodack, took up a large tract of land and there lived; he died in 18-11 ; his wife was Sarah Carpenter; she died in 1848. Walter Ostrander, a son of John and Sarah Ostrander, was born in Schodack ; his wife was Eliza Wilbur, born in Johnstown, N. Y .; he died in 1880; she died in 1887. Walter Carpenter Ostrander is a son of Walter and Eliza (Wilbur) Ostrander, was born in Schodack and reared and educated in Sehodack and Albany ; was m Cohoes, N. Y., for a while in the market business and with E. J. Weeks of Albany in pork packing business for twelve years; since then has been a farmer in Schodack and running a milk route with an average of fifteen cows. He was married in 1877 to Phila J. Starkey of Mansfield, Pa., who was born in Swansey, N. H. One child blesses their union, Archie Wilbur Ostrander, born in Schodack.

Stevens, William N., special superintendent of the Walloomsac Paper Co., was born at Warwick, Mass., 1856. In 1860 he moved with his parents to Walpole, N. HI., where his boyhood was spent and his education acquired. There his father, Gilbert T. Stevens, and his mother, Elizabeth Arnold, engaged in farming. In De- cember of 1879 he came to North Hoosick, where he was engaged as machinist for seven months, after which he spent two years at Winchester, N. H., in the tanning business. At this place he became a member of Philesian Lodge No. 40 F. & A. M .; then returning to Walloomsac, N. Y., permanently in 1883, occupying a position as bookkeeper, then as assistant superintendent for this company: Ile is a Republican, and has served as notary public for six years. lle is a member of the Presbyterian church of Hoosick Falls, N. Y., of which he is an elder and a zealous worker. He has been a member of the church since he was eighteen years of age, and was su- perintendent of the Presbyterian Sunday school for three years, and also superinten- dent of the Sunday school at Walloomsac for four years. In October, 1886, he mar- ried Katherine, a granddaughter of Dr. Solomon Moses of Hoosick Falls, and daughter of Solomon Moses of Pownal, Wt. They had four children: Mary and Nathaniel E. died of scarlet fever six years ago, and John, aged four and a half years, and Katherine aged three years, died last March, with the same disease as the first two. Mr. Stevens is now a member in good standing in Van Rensselaer Lodge No. 400, and Raymond Chapter No. 248, of Hoosick Falls. He has served as trustee in his school district for three years past, and is now serving his fourth year.

Edmans, George D., was born at Deal, county of Kent, England, in 1851. He

FAMILY SKETCHES.

came to America with his father, John Edmans, a cabinet maker and located at Troy when fifteen years old. He has had to work his own way in the world and the positions he has occupied have been due to his own efforts. He learned the trade of cabinet making, and came here in 1873, entering the employ of Walter A. Wood. He rapidly rose in his calling, and was only twenty- five when he accepted the re- sponsibilities of foremanship. In politics he is a Republican. He has been twice married, first in 1875 to Margaret Gillen Bain of Elgin, Scotland, who died in 1890, leaving four children. Ile again married in 1892 Julia Leonie Pratt of Cambridge, by whom he has one son. He is a member of St. Mark's Episcopal church, a mem- ber of Van Rensselaer Lodge No. 400 F. & A. M., and has filled all the offices at var- ious times, being master in 1889-90.

Smith, Charles II., is the junior partner of the firm of J. D. Smith & Co. ; he was born in Castleton November 2, 1848, and was educated in the public schools of that village. Ile spent one year in a law office, and then engaged in the grocery trade which he followed eight years; then for four years manufactured brick, and was a year in New York in the hay business, when he returned to Castleton and engaged in the milling trade for five years, and finally embarked in the freighting business, in which he is still actively engaged. Mr. Smith has always taken a lively interest in his native town; he has twice been supervisor and three times trustee of the village of Castleton. In 1869 he married Hester J. Callanan; they have two children, Grace and Emma; the former is now Mrs. Fred Coleman of Albany. He lost his wife in September, 1892, and married in March, 1895, Ella M. Clifford. Mr. Smith's parents are Joel 1), and Hannah E. (Stearns) Smith. The firm of J. D. Smith & Co. have a large freighting business, and a storehouse 45 by 125 feet in dimensions for storing goods.

Miller, Andrew J., was born in Albany county, town of Berne, July 3, 1857. lle is the son of Albert and Sophia (Bogardus) Miller, both of whom were born in Al- bany county, he the son of John Miller, a native of Connecticut and one of the early settlers of Albany county, where he lived and died; the father of Andrew Miller has always been a farmer and came to Greenbush in 1873 and here resides, living a re- tired life. Andrew Miller was reared and educated in Albany. In 1886 he estab- lished a milk route and has been very successful; he has always followed farming and owns about twenty aeres on the river and a residence on the river bank ; he has at present twenty-five cows and five horses. Mr. Miller was at one time one of the assessors of East Greenbush. He married Maggie A. Smith of New Baltimore, Greene county, N. Y., December 23, 1879, by whom he has had two children . Addi- son R. and Libbie E.

MeKearin, Patrick, a prominent man and much esteemed citizen of Hoosick Falls, has been a resident here since 1872, when he took charge of the Western Union Telegraph business. Ile now conducts a large business in life and fire insurance, his elder son, George, being in the office with him. He is a member of the Demo- cratic party and has served the people of this town in an official capacity as super- -visor and county clerk. Ile was born at Brandon, Vt., in 1853, and educated in the common schools. Ile learned telegraphy at Pittsford and Rutland, Vt., and worked as night operator, attending school through the day. He is past master and past high priest in the Masonic fraternity, of which order he is a valued member.

LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.

Hayner, Henry C., born in Pittstown, May 4, 1842, is a son of Sylvester and Betsey Freiot Hayner. The grandfather of Henry C. was Jacob Hayner, who spent most of his life in Pittstown, N. Y., but died in Brunswick ; his wife was Jane Van Dercook of Pittstown. Sylvester, father of Heury, was a farmer by occupa- pation and spent most of his life in Lansingburgh; he was a commissioner of high- ways for a number of years; he was a Universalist and she an Episcopal or Meth- odist; he died February 17, 1882, and his wife died October 8, 1852. Henry C. was reared on a farm and educated in common schools; he follows farming and owns 124 acres, where he has lived for thirty-two years, and has improved most of it. . Mr. Hayner was once an assessor. Ile was married March 19, 1862, to Mary J. Hayner, daughter of Abner Hayner whose wife, Cornelia Vandercook, was a daugh- ter of Peter Vandercook, one of the early settlers of Pittstown. To Mr. and Mrs. Hayner were born two children: Cora, wife of Charles E. Ryan of Pittstown, and have one child by marriage, Burnice G., and one by adoption, Edna F. ; and Fred II., of Mechanieville; he married Minnie Sharrock and has one son, Henry C. Politically Henry C. Hayner was until the year 1885 a Republican; since then he has been a Prohibitionist. He cast his first vote for Lincoln's second term as president.

Stevenson, George II., was born in Albany, N. Y., May 11, 1847. When he was three years of age his parents moved to Green Island, near Troy, where he was edu- cated in the district school and Troy Business College; in his early life he was en- gaged in various occupations, among others as painter and moulder, In 1868 he married Sarah L. Jones of North Albany; they have six children living, four sons and two daughters: Hugh T., Charles H., George E. T., Mary, Edwin A. HI., and Elenor J. Hugh T. married Etta Van Vallen; they have one living son, Perry J. Charles II. married Rosalie Whitney. In 1865 Mr. Stevenson enlisted in the 192d N. Y. Vols., and was honorably discharged at the close of the war; he is a member of llartshorn Post No. 487, G. A. R. of Schaghticoke, department of New York: he has been commander three terms, quartermaster one term and is now adjutant; he is also a member of Schaghticoke Lodge No. 526, I. O. O. F., and is past grand of that order; he was the first deputy district grand master, Rensselaer and Washing- ton district, 1. O. O. F., serving two terms. In 1578 he entered the employ of the Cable Flax Mills of Troy as bookkeeper, and when the company moved its office to Schaghticoke in 1883, he came also; in 1880 he was promoted to the position of see- retary, which he still holds, Mr. Stevenson's father's name was Hugh ; he was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1825 and came to the United States with a brother when lie was twelve years old; he married Jane Roderic; they had only one son, George H. Both father and mother are dead. The oldest and third sons of Mr. Stevenson are ministers of the Gospel in the Baptist church.

Ingraham, Nehemiah, born in Pittstown, February 26, 1801, was a son of Henry and Mary (Denton) Ingraham, both natives of Pittstown. The grandfather of Nehe- miah, Humphrey Ingraham, was a pioneer of Pittstown and cleared the forest from the farm now owned by C. C. Cottrell. The grandfather of Mrs. Ingraham on the mother's side was also a pioneer of Pittstown and settled on the farm now occupied by Norman Carpenter near Newcomb's Pond. Such was the fear of the Indians at that time the families covered up their property first with dirt and then with leaves

FAMILY SKETCHES.

and fled for their lives to a place of safety. April 16, 1835, Nehemiah married Phebe, danghter of Jonathan and Hannah Purdy. To Mr. and Mrs. Ingraham were born six children, to wit: Jonathan, Caroline, Hannah Jane, Calista Ann, George W. and Alice, all born in the residence where she now resides. Jonathan was born in 1836, always lived with his mother, was a bachelor, and died in 1882. Caroline was born in 1838, married in 1864 to Potter J. Prior, a farmer of Saratoga county; they have two daughters, May and Gertrude. Hannah Jane was born in 1811 and married Jamies Haviland in 1862; they had two children, Merritt and Minnie; their mother died in 1868 and the children were brought up by their grandmother; Merritt mar- ried Minnie Rose, has two children and resides in the town ; Minnie married Milton Johnson has one child, and resides in a Western State. Calista Ann was born in 1845, became Mrs. Cubertson and died in 1893. George W. was born in 1848, married Fanny Shell in 1874 and have one living child, Walter G. George W. died in 1880 in his twenty-second year. Alice was born in 1851, was married to Charles M. Holmes in 1873, and has two children, Kittie and Neddy; Mr. Holmes is a farmer in Colorado. Nehemiah Ingraham died in 1858; then Jonathan managed the farm till 1882, when he died, since which Mrs. Ingraham has carried on the farm successfully. She is now in her ninetieth year.

Gibson, John, the well known dealer in wall paper and paint on Church street, en- tered business life at thirteen years of age in the paint shop of the Eaton & Gilbert car works of Troy where he began as an apprentice. In 1856 he became employed in the Walter A. Wood Mower and Reaper Co's. shops at Hoosick Falls. From 1872 to 1883 he had full charge of the painting and packing departments of the William Anson Wood M. & R. Co.'s shops, both in Albany, N. Y., and Youngstown, O. After the termination of this association he came here and engaged in his present business and has accumulated a fine property, He was in the 7th Cavalry in the war and is now a member of the G. A. R. and has been junior vice-commander. Ile was born in 1840 at Toronto, Canada, son of John Gibson; is a Republican and has been prominent in local affairs.

Viets, M. II., is the genial and popular official in charge of the Fitchburg depot at Eagle Bridge, and where he has come to be considered a personal landmark by reason of long tenure of position. He was born at West Pawlet, Vt., May 27, 1849, son of Captain 11. R. Viets. While yet a boy he mastered the mysteries of teleg - raphy, and his first engagement was at the town of his birth. In 1869 he was ap- pointed station agent at Eagle Bridge for the Troy and Boston Railroad. In June, 1887, when the Fitchburg Railroad bought the Troy and Hudson, and the Boston Hloosae Tunnel and Western road, he took charge of both stations. In December, 1890, he was made joint agent for the Fitchburg and Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's road. In 1875 Mr. Viets married Miss Elsie Stade of Saratoga, and has one son, Harry, now seventeen. He holds high rank among the Masonic fraternity, and in the esteem of a wide circle of friends.

Eldredge, J. William, the enterprising and popular manager of the Holines Furni- ture stores, came to Hoosick Falls in 1883, being then about twenty years of age, as an assistant to his paternal uncle, Charles Q. Eldredge, who was in the lumber busi- ness. Mr. Eldredge possesses in a marked degree the qualities that make up a

LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY,

modern man of business, and made himself so indispensable that when the business was purchased by E. B. Hurd, he was retained as business manager. This position he held for five years, until Mr. Hurd sold out the business to Easton, Rising & Worden. In 1891 he became assoociated with Mr. Holmes and has for several years handled the large trade enjoyed by that house. Mr, Eldredge was born at Mystic, Conn., in 1863. In 1884 he graduated from the Troy Business College and has more recently taken a course in the United States College of Embalming, at New York, thoroughly fitting himself for the rather arduous duties of the modern, scientific em- balmer and director. Mr. Eldredge is not only a business man in every sense of the word, but an exemplary and estimable member of society, and an enthusiastic worker for the cause of temperance. Ile is a member of the Temple of Honor, the Young Men's Christian Association and of the Baptist church, secretary of the Sun- day school and president of the Young People's society. In 1887 he married Miss Jennie Harder of Hoosick Falls, and they have two daughters: Bessie T. and Elfreda. In November, 1895, Mr. Eldredge resigned his position as manager of Mr. Holmes's furniture and undertaking business, to accept a position with Dodd, Mead & Co., publishers of New York city. Mr. Eldredge entered upon his duties in Janu- ary, 1896, and at present he is a special representative of that firm for the sale of the International Cyclopaedia. Mr. Eldredge still makes Hoosick Falls his home.

Corcilius, Louis D),, was born in Germany, November 28, 1849, and came to Amer- ica in 1869. Ile settled in Easton, Pa., for a short time, and then came to Nassau, Rensselaer county, where he remained one year, when he went to Syracuse for a while and then to Clyde, N. Y. After one year in Clyde he returned to Nassau in 1873 and remained there until 1878 when he removed to Schodack Center where he resided for ten years. Ile came to Castleton in 1888 and opened his excellent meat market which has proved a great success. This establishment is the only one of any kind in Castleton lighted by electric light by his own plant, a fact which indicates the enterprise exhibited by Mr. Corcilius in his business. In 1874 Mr Corcilius mar- ried Catherine Kurtzennaeker, by whom he has one son, William Corcilius,

Button, Elihu L., was born in Pittstown, N. Y., September 6, 1872, a son of Lyman L. and Sarah (Lansing) Button, he a native of Pittstown and she of Watervliet, Albany county, N. Y. The maternal grandparents, Gariet 1. and Margaret (llas- well) Lansing, were farmers of Albany county, and died June 4, 1843, and July 16, 1848, respectively. The parents of Garret, Jacob and Jane (Vanscoyk) Lansing, were pioneers of Albany county, settling near Cohoes. The parents of Lyman L. were Lyman and Mercy Downing. He was born in Pittstown in 1792 and died in October, 1869; she was born in 1794 and died May 8, 1866. The great-grandparents of Elihu L., Simeon and Ruth (Eddy) Button, settled on the farm now owned by Elihu L. at a very early date, Ile was born April 5, 1757, and died August 22, 1836; she was born at Swanzy, Conn., July 12, 1759, and died June 17, 1854. April 6, 1871, Lyman D. married Sarah Lansing, Elihn L. was reared on the farm and has chosen farming as his occupation; he was educated at the Lansingburgh Academy. In 1895 he married Minnie, daughter of John and Jane (McChesney) Gibbs, of Pittstown. In 1892 Mr. Button took charge of the home farm of 100 acres.

Nelson, Dr. Horace G., was born in Troy. January 7, 1847. His father, Dr. Thomas

FAMILY SKETCHES.

Nelson, was born in the North of Ireland and practiced dentistry in Troy, N. Y., for many years and died in 1871. Ilis mother, Louisa M. (Stone) Nelson, was born in Potsdam, N. Y., and died in 1867. Dr. Nelson received his education in the public and private schools of Troy, and studied dentistry with Dr. C. H. Jenkins three years, and in July, 1873, succeeded Dr. S. J. Andres, who had been in practice six -. teen years. In 1875 he went to Stillwater, N. Y., where he practiced until 1877, when he returned to Troy and for about two years was with Dr. E. J. Young and then resumed practice on Grand street. For the past twelve years he has been located on Fifth avenue, where he is still practicing. Ile is a member of the Third Distriet Dental Society and has been a delegate from that Society to the State Society for many years. He has a summer home at Melrose. He is a member of Trojan Council No. 86, Royal Arcanum, and is a past regent of that organization. He married in 1872 Martha M. Valance, daughter of Isaac W. Valance, an old resi- dent of Troy, N. Y.

Lynam, II. D., was born in the State of Delaware in 1855. He is a son of Thomas P. and Mary T. (Stidham) Lynam of Christiana, New Castle county, Del. II. D., after leaving the Wilmington Academy, entered the Philadelphia Dental College, from which he was graduated in 1879, and in the fall of the same year came to Troy and practiced in the office of O. R. Young for two years, and in 1881 opened an office on Third street with Mr. Knauff, under the firm name of Lynam & Knauff. Mr. Knauff retired from the firm in 1891 and Mr. Lynam has since carried on a very successful practice. He is a member of the Third District Dental Association, and is also a member of the Mt. Zion Lodge, F. & A. M., and the Rensselaer County Wheelmen. He is a director in the Pioneer Building and Loan Association. In 1881 lie married Lelia M. Lukens of New Castle county. Del., a daughter of the late Dr. Lukens, a prominent physician of Delaware.

Payne, Capt. Martin, was born in Waterbury, Conn., in 1827. His father, Thomas J. Payne, also born in Waterbury, Conn., was a farmer and died in 1874. His mother was Nancy Frost, who died in 1880. He received his education in Waterbury and learned the trade of millwright and for a number of years was engaged at bridge building ; in 1862 he had charge of placing the armor plate on the gunboat Galena in Mystic, Conn., and afterwards came to Troy and abont 1876 started a carriagemaking establishment on First street, where he is still located. He makes a specialty of the sulky manufacture, on which he has a number of patents. He was engineer on the staff of Colonel Babcock with rank of captain. He belongs to all the Masonic bodies and was captain of the Osgood Steamer Company. He was married in 1865 to Jane E. Brown of Troy, N. Y. He has one son, John E. B. Payne, who assists in the business.

Stiles, Franklin O., was born in Wardsboro, Vt. He is a son of Orrin and Lucy (Wakefield) Stiles. Ilis father was born in Massachusetts, and moved to Vermont when twenty-one years of age and bought a farm, where he lived until his death in 1872. His mother died in 1880. He received a common school education and at the age of nineteen left Vermont and traveled through Jefferson county, N. Y., selhng his ware from a wagon, which occupation he followed until 1859 when he came to Troy and entered the concern of E. G. Akin & Co., and after five years took a quar

LANDMARKS OF RENSSELAER COUNTY.

ter interest in the concern, and twelve years later bought them out and has con- tinued in the business as sole propeietor sinee, which is house furnishing, plumbing, tinning, etc., having a large establishment and an extensive stock of goods. He has not been out of employment since he was eighteen. Ile belongs to all the Ma- sonic bodies of Troy being a thirty-second degree Mason. Ilis wife is Elizabeth (Morton) Stiles of Brunswick, to whom he was married in 1876, and has one son and one daughter, Franklin O., jr., and Ilelen Il.

Smith, Robert G., wholesale groeer, came from Ottowa, Ont., to Montreal in the year 1844, at the age of fourteen, and engaged as clerk with the dry goods firm of Howard & Co. lle remained with that firm until 1848, then came to Troy and en- gaged with William B. Fry in the retail dry goods business until 1851. In the fall of that year he removed to Cohoes, N. Y, and went into the dry goods and clothing business, and continued in that business until 1860. Ile then formed a copartner- ship with the late G. M. Cropsey for the manufacture of flour, and in that year built the Hudson Valley Flour Mill. In 1864 he sold his interest to the firm of Mills & MeMartin of Albany and after the close of the war, in 1866, assumed the duty of superintendent of the mill for that firm until 1877, when he engaged in the produce business on River street. In 1880 he bought the interest of the late Robert C. Col- lison in the wholesale grocery business and formed the firm of Stevenson, Smith & Co., afterwards Smith & Stevenson, and in 1894 Mr. Smith assumed control and still continues the business at No. 327 River street. He was alderman of the Fourth ward in 1887-1888, and is a member of Mt. Zion Lodge, F. & A. M., and Apollo Com- mandery of K. T. Mr. Smith served in the office of the Watervliet Arsenal during the Civil war. He was married in 1854 to Sarah A. Cropsey of Waterford, N. Y., who died in 1873. Ilis present wife was Sarah A. Smith of Northampton, N. Y , to whom he was married in 1876. His children are Mrs. Dr. A. Ives, of Grand Ridge, 111. ; Clarence, who is salesman in the store, and R. George Smith, who is chief clerk in the medical department of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York. Mr. Smith is a Republican in politics and joined the party at its formation in 1854; voted for John C. Fremont for president in 1856 and for Wilham MeKinley, jr., in 1896.

Thomas, Henry B., was born in Middleboro, Mass., April 15, 1841, the son of Oliver and Johanna (Stewart) Thomas, who came to Troy in 1854. Ilis father died in 1860 and his mother in 1890. After attending the public schools and the Albany Business College he started in the manufacture of kegs in which he is at present en- gaged. His factory has a capacity of making 700,000 kegs per year. Ile is a park commissioner and was candidate for mayor on the Republican ticket in 1891 but was defeated. Hle belongs to the Troy, East Side, and Pafraets Dael Clubs, and is pres- ident of the East Side Club, a past commander of Apollo Commandery, No. 15 of Troy, trustee of the Troy Orphan Asylum and trustee of the First Presbyterian church. In 1864 he was married to Charlotte E. Bainbridge, who was born in Lon- don, England, and by whom he has three sons and one daughter.

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Landmarks of Rensselaer county, New York, pt 2 - 3, Part 33

Author: Anderson, George Baker Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Anderson, George Baker
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1424