USA > New York > Suffolk County > Portrait and biographical record of Suffolk county (Long Island) New York, Pt. 2 > Part 56
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now lives. He subsequently erected thereon a substantial and attractive residence, which meets the requirements of his family in point of comfort and taste. November 16, 1856, he married Miss Susan Johnson, a daughter of Abidtha and Abi- gail (Jarvis) Johnson, of Huntington. Mr. and Mrs. Scudder have been the parents of six chil- dren, of whom three survive. They are: Annie C., Edgar R. and Susan M. The son married Lizzie M. White, daughter of Moses M. and Mary F. ( Valentine) White, and they have two children, Jolm R. and Edgar R. Our subject's political affiliations are with the Democratic party.
W ILLIAM MCKAY. This article is to commemorate the career of one who, though passed away, has left behind him the fragrance of a good name, and his virtues are tenderly cherished by a wide circle of friends and relatives. He was a native of Scot- land, born July 17, 1833, and reflected the steadi- ness of the rugged hills ot his native land in his moral character. His father, bearing the good old Scotch name of Duncan, came to America when William was but a little lad, and became a leading business man in the city of New York. He was an active and energetic man, and it is said that he crossed the ocean five times with his family before William was six years old. Late in life he settled in Huntington, where his remain- ing years were spent.
William spent his boyhood days in the city of New York, and greatly profited by the advantage of its schools. When he was sixteen he went to Connecticut, where he worked on a farm, it being his father's intention to put him on his farm in this town when he had become familiar with the work. However, he soon came back to New York, where he was received into a store, and later on came to this village. For a few years he lived on a farm, but he found the commercial instinct too strong to be resisted, and, obeying its dictates, he went to East Norwich, in Queens County, where
he was engaged in mercantile life up to the time of his death, October 6, 1891.
In 1860 Mr. McKay was married to Miss Elizabeth G. Sammis, a daughter of Richard Sammis, a prominent farmer of West Neck. She survives her husband, making her home in this village. He was a successful business man. whose character was as honest and upright as the hills.
Mr. McKay was a prominent citizen of Queens County, and a man of widely extended influence. He was never a candidate for any political office, but preferred rather to use his influence for the furthering of the interest of his friends in the Re- publican party, of which he was a lifelong mem- ber. The one thing that especially marked him was his strict devotion to the Presbyterian Church, of which he had been a member since his early youth, and while residing at East Nor- wich was an Elder in the Reformed Church. For many years he was a Deacon and Superintendent of the Sunday-school at East Norwich, and it is said that he greatly impaired his health in his un- remitting efforts to make his brother man better. At times, when there was no minister, he would take charge of the services, with much credit to himself and to the edification of the congregation. He was a great reader, and few were better in- formed. When he was taken away the church lost one of its most faithful members, and the poor a liberal and sympathetic friend. Mr. and Mrs. McKay had but one child, who died in infancy.
J JOHN E. OVERTON. The Overton family originated in Wales and many generations ago three members of this family, possessed of the ambition, courage and sturdy manhood which have ever been characteristic of those of that nationality, crossed the ocean to America and settled in what was then the wilds of Long Island. From them sprang all the Overtons now residing in this country. The great-grandfather of our subject, John Overton, was born on Long
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Island, as was also the grandfather, Methusalalı Overton, and the father, John H. Overton. The grandfather was born in Coram, Suffolk County, and was prominently identified with the agricul- tural affairs of his section. He married Miss Sarah Still, also a native of Coram, and there they reared their family and passed their entire lives.
John H. Overton received limited educational advantages during his youth, but quite as good as many others in those days, and when about seventeen years old he left the farm and went to sea. Two or three years later he began learning the carpenter trade and this he followed for fif- teen years, when a desire to again return to his early occupation of farming caused him to settle on a tract of land in Port Jefferson. In connec- tion with farming he has since been engaged in dairying and has conducted both most success- fully up to the present time. In 1852 he married Miss Caroline Emmons, a native of Suffolk Coun- ty, and daughter of Capt. Wines Emmons. Prior to his marriage Mr. Overton had built a fine resi- dence in Port Jefferson, and he has resided there ever since. Mrs. Overton passed away in 1861, and in 1864 Mr. Overton married Miss Amelia Roberts, daughter of Henry Roberts. In politics Mr. Overton is a stanch Republican and has held the position of Assessor and Commissioner of Highways. Although now seventy years old, he enjoys fair health, and, being possessed of estimable qualities, has many friends.
John E. Overton, son of John H. Overton by his first marriage, is a native of Port Jefferson, born February 12, 1856. He secured a good edu- cation in the schools of his native village and as- sisted his father in driving a stage for some time. When he was about eighteen years old his father engaged in dairying and our subject assumed the management of the farm. Since that time he has been closely identified with the agricultural affairs of the county. In the year 1881 he married Miss Florence S. Hawkins, daughter of Hon. Simeon S. Hawkins, a prominent citizen of Jamesport, Suffolk County. This union has been blessed by the birth of four sons, as follows: Myron E., Rob- ert N., J. Stanley and Lawrence H.
Socially Mr. Overton is a Mason, a member of the Royal Arcanum and of the volunteer fire die- partment of Port Jefferson. He has been Chief of the latter organization since its formation and not long since was re-elected the seventh time. Mr. Overton has served as a member of the Board of Education for five years and was very instru- mental in the erection of the present commodious school building. In politics he is a supporter of Republican principles and is now President of the Republican Club at Port Jefferson. He is an ac- tive worker for his party and has been private secretary for the Senator from this district four years and Deputy Clerk of the Assembly for three terms.
Our subject is a Director of the Bank of North- port, a stockholder in the Bank of Port Jefferson. and the Port Jefferson Milling Company, Presi- dent of the Board of Trade of the village. Presi- dent of the Port Jefferson branch of the Mercan- tile Co-operative Bank, and also of the Republic Savings & Loan Association. January 1, 1896. through a partnership, he became manager for a large importing and exporting firm of Kobé. Japan, with offices at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Eighteenth Street, New York City.
O SCAR B. RAYNOR, a well known and venerable resident of the village of West Hampton, is a representative of one of the oldest families found within the limits of this county, and was born October 9, 1828, his parents being Herrick and Harriet (Halsey) Raynor. He was one of two children; his sister. Harriet. is still living, and is the wife of James II. Benjamin, Northville, of the town of Riverhead. Herrick Raynor was a native of West Hampton, and was born August 28, 1798, at the old Raynor home- stead, built the year previous to his birth by his father, Elihu Raynor, the house now being occu- pied by a grandson, A. J. Raynor. Herrick was a farmer all his days, and when his father died. he divided the farm between himself and his brother Jolin. He died on the home place March 30,
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1837. Elihu Raynor was a son of Nathan, whose father was named Jonathan, and who was born at Southampton May 15, 1752, and died January 15, 1826.
Oscar Raynor, the subject of this sketch, grew- to manhood, and was educated after the fashion of his times in the common schools, and followed the calling of a farmer, which was very remun- erative in that region during those early years. All the intervening years have been given by him to the cultivation of the home place, which came to him by inheritance at his father's death when he was but nine years of age. He was reared to manhood under the roof of his uncle, John Ray- nor, the farin being rented in the meantime.
November 30, 1853, our subject was united in marriage with Sarah J. Cook, the daughter of Luther Cook. This marriage has been blessed by the birth of five children, all of whom still survive. Charles L. is married, has two children, and is the proprietor of the Apaucuck Point House at West Hampton; Mary C. is the wife of Gilbert D. Rog- ers, and the mother of three children; Harriet H. and John E. are still single and live at home; Ad- dison has made a place for himself among the capable and promising young physicians of New York City. John E. has acted for six years as Inspector of Elections in his district. Mr. Ray- nor votes and commonly acts with the Deno- cratic party. In his religion he affiliates with the Presbyterian Church, of which he is a member.
H ERRICK ROGERS, one of the older resi- dents of the village of Speonk, was born August 30, 1822, the son of Oliver and Abigail (Rogers) Rogers. He is one of seven children, of whom four are still alive. His father. also a native of this village, was a son of Jesse Rogers, and was born in 1788. He grew to man- hood in his native place, and becante a farmer, in which business he was engaged all his life. He was a man of character and standing, and lived a long and blameless life, dying in the year 1865. The mother of our subject was born in 1798, was
married in 1819, and also lived a long and useful life, dying in 1879.
Jesse Rogers, the grandfather of our subject, was born in the year 1766, in the town of Bridge- hampton, and came to Speonk with his parents when he was only two years of age. In the year 1820 he was kicked by a horse, from the effects of which he died. He was the owner of a vast amount of property on Long Island, his farm covering almost the entire neck of land, and on his death it was divided among his children. His wife was a Miss Aurelia Jagger, who died the same year as did her husband. Great-grandfather Rogers was named Joseph, and appears among the settlers of the island during the early part of last century.
The subject of this sketch spent his boyhood clays under the parental roof, and gained his edu- cation in the common schools of his neighbor- hood. When he reached the age of sixteen, he left home and school, and shipped on a coasting ves- sel, where he was found hard at work for the next six years. When this time had gone by, he gave up a sailor life, and engaged in following the bay, making this his principal occupation until 1854, when he determined to see something of the great world beyond the limits of the island. The gold fields were attracting multitudes to the far west about this time, and in the month of Feb- ruary, 1854, he took passage in the ship "Georgia," bound for California, via the Isthmus of Panania. The ship was wrecked on the coast near Cape Hatteras, but the passengers succeed- ed in reaching the shore, where all were rescued. When Mr. Rogers arrived in California, he was engaged in mining for nearly two years with very satisfactory results. He could not think of mak- ing his home so far away, however, and came back to the island, and resumed farming and fol- lowing the bay about the year 1856. When the fishing business ceased to have any great profit in it, he turned all his energies to farming, and in that honorable and useful calling has passed all his days since his return from the land of gold.
Our subject was married in 1857 to Miss E. . 1. Tuttle, the daughter of Benjamin Tuttle, and to this marriage two children were born, of whom
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only one is now living. Ellen W. is at home and has had charge of her father's household since the death of her mother, in the month of October, 1893. In politics Mr. Rogers is a Republican, and in religion he attends the Presbyterian Church.
P ROF. CHARLES A. JAGGAR, A. M., Ph. D., of Southampton, is one of the prom- inent figures in educational and commer- cial circles in this end of the island, where he is now engaged in the publication of the "Sea-Side Times," a paper that is published in his native town, Southampton. It has a wide circulation and is read with much interest, both on account of the manner in which its articles are written, and the bold and outspoken course of its management.
Professor Jaggar is a descendant of "John Iager," who settled at Southampton in 1649. He was born November 3, 1862, his parents being Albert and Maria (Pelletreau) Jaggar, the latter a granddaughter of John Pelletreau, a soldier in the Revolution and of Huguenot descent. Charles was reared in his native village, where he was educated, beginning at the North End School, and later attending Southampton Acad- emy. In the fall of 1880 he was sent to Lima, in the Genesee Valley, to attend the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary. After completing the two years' course of study in that institution he was graduated with special honors in oratory. He next appeared in Oberlin, Ohio, as a student in the famous college located in that inland city, and there he followed higher studies for two years, when he came back to the East, and fin- ished his college work at Princeton University, which institution he entered as a member of the junior class in the year 1884, and two years later graduated with distinguished honors. Deter-
mined to be a master in his chosen work, how- ever, he remained three years longer in that fam- ous university as a post-graduate student, in 1888 receiving the degrees of Master of Arts and Doc- tor of Philosophy from the Trustees of the uni- versity. The next year we find the thoroughly
trained collegian Principal of Glenwood Col- legiate Institute at Matawan, N. J., where he was engaged for three years, greatly distinguishing himself, not only by his scholarly attainment> and unusual teaching ability, but also by his un- common executive faculty and his personal influ- ence over the students. Three years of this faith- ful service were enough to bring him into promi- nence in the college world, and he was called to the chair of mathematics and physical sciences in a college in Iowa, where he remained for one year, closing his connection with it in the spring of 1893 for the purpose of spending a year in the German universities. Accordingly he went to Europe, and was in Berlin engaged in special work at the university in that city during the win- ter of 1893-94. When he returned home in the following summer he found it desirable to secure a half interest in the "Sea-Side Times," and with- out doubt he will make his mark in the journal- istic world, for which he is thoroughly prepared by his broad education, his wide experience and his close knowledge of men.
In the "Matawan Journal" of April 25, 1891. ap- pears a very complimentary notice of Dr. Jaggar, the announcement of his resignation having just been made public: "The resignation of Dr. Jag- gar as Principal of Glenwood Institute, to take effect July 1, next, will be the occasion of uni- versal regret in this community. Two years ago he came among us as a stranger and assumed the management of the school. Backed by the highest references, he has most satisfactorily sus- tained then. He instituted some radical changes. surrounded himself with a superior corps of teachers, and the institute developed a prosperity beyond expectation, and ranks the equal of any educational institution in the county or state. It is the desire and intention of Dr. Jaggar to secure some position where he will be free from the ent- barrassments of a boarding department, and where a larger scope for tuition in only the higher branches of study can be attained." His resigna- tion was a great surprise to the Board of Trustees. who sent him a letter, bearing date of April 21. 1891: "We have learned with deep regret of your intention not to continue the management of
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Glenwood Institute after the present year. We have noticed with great satisfaction the constantly increasing attendance under your principalship, and the progress of the school in other directions, and especially the additions to the course of study, and the better classification of the students. We cheerfully recognize your superior intellectual at- tainments, and your qualifications as an in- structor. We have appreciated your presence in our midst, both for your social qualities and your moral influence. As a Board of Trustees, we have been satisfied with your course, and very sin- cerely ask that you reconsider your decision if you can consistently do so. However, should your present decision be final, we cheerfully ex- tend to you our best wishes in whatever depart- ment of labor you may engage."
In June, 1887, Professor Jaggar was united in marriage with Miss Anna H. White, daughter of Capt. George Y. White.
S IDNEY BREWSTER CULVER, a citizen of West Hampton, of whom much is ex- pected in the near future, was born here, December 8, 1867, and is the son of Richard S. and Sarah L. (Rogers) Culver, being one of four children, three sons and one daughter, all of whom are living. Libby is the wife of David Rogers and has five children; Eckford is the head of a family and has three children; Herbert is also married and has four children. In this inter- esting family circle our subject is the youngest child, and it is the purpose of this article to set forth an outline of his personal and family history.
Richard Culver, the father of our subject, was a native of East Moriches, and was born in the year 1827. For a sketch of his active and inter- esting career, the reader is referred to the article on Eckford Fowler Culver, which appears else- where in this work. He was an earnest, active and capable man, and his children can well afford to be proud of his name and deeds.
The subject of this sketch was left fatherless when he was hardly a year old, and grew to man-
hood under the loving care of a mother much above the average in strength of character and soundness of judgment. For his education he is indebted to the common schools, but his mother implanted in his heart a sentiment of loyalty to truth and duty that has shone like a star in the night. When he was seventeen, anxious to get on in the world and to be doing a man's work, he ap- prenticed himself to the carpenter's trade for three years. At the age of twenty he felt that he bad mastered his trade and could stand as a man among men. This has been his business up to the present time, and he has worked at it during the fall and winter months. His handsome cot- tage, erected by himself, is devoted to the enter- tainment of summer boarders, which is about as profitable as anything to be done in such a favored locality as West Hampton.
Mr. Culver and Miss Josephine J. Fields were united in marriage, February 15, 1888. She is a daughter of William A. Fields, of Greenpoint, one of the influential men of the place, a veteran of the Civil War and a man of acknowledged public standing. To this marriage there have been born three children, all living. Clara Elizabeth was born October 8, 1889; Florence, July 7, 1892: Harold F., December 29, 1894. Mr. Culver is a Republican in his political affiliations, a member of the Presbyterian Church in his religion, and is identified with the Mutual Benefit Association and the Junior Order of American Mechanics.
C HARLES M. SANFORD, of Hauppauge. was born in the city of New York Feb- ruary 9, 1848, and is a son of William H. and Pamelia D. (Wooley) Sanford, natives re- spectively of Moriches and Pleasant Valley. Dutchess County, N. Y. His grandfather, Capt. Bartlett H. Sanford, a native of the island and a resident of Moriches, went to sca in early life and was Captain of a ship for many years, but was drowned when Williami II. was a lad of nine years. The latter, waking from sleep one night, called his mother and told her that
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his father was drowned and he had seen his body washed upon the beach, with but one shoe on. Strange as it might seem, the facts coincided in every detail with his dream.
After the Captain's death, William H. was bound out to Josiah Smith, a farmer of Moriches, with whom he remained four years. At the age of thirteen he left that place and took a position with another farmer, for whom he worked two years. When fifteen years old he went to New York City and secured work in a grocery store, receiving as compensation $1 per month and his board. There he continued for two years, faithfully fulfilling his contract, although he was offered $10 by another man, who noticing his energy and fidelity was anxious to secure his services.
The independent, persevering spirit of W. H. Sanford is shown in the record of his business career. At the age of seventeen he embarked in business for himself, his stock in trade consisting of one-half bushel of potatoes and one-half dozen bunches of radishes, and his place of business being a cellar. Though the beginning was hum- ble, yet he was ambitious and enterprising. and success rewarded his efforts, as it does almost in- variably those of an honorable, energetic man. Being economical, he saved his earnings until he had accumulated $1,000. About that time a friend built a store on Cherry Strect, New York, and offered to sell it to him for its actual cost, $4,500, accepting $1,000 cash and a mortgage for the re- mainder. Other friends endeavored to dissuade him from the project, believing that he would never be able to meet the obligation, but the friend who made the offer had the greatest confidence in him and urged him to make the effort. With this encouragement he went to work with a will, and in less than four years he had paid the entire indebtedness. He continued on Cherry Street until twenty-nine years of age, when having ac- quired a competency he sold the business.
Then going to Brooklyn, Mr. Sanford em- barked in the provision business on the corner of South First and Fifth Streets. His residence was on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Clymer Street, where he bought property. He also
invested in other real estate, through the sale of which, as well as through his other business transactions, he accumulated a large fortune. At the age of thirty-eight he retired from active busi- ness, thenceforth giving his attention to the man- agement of his large and valuable property in- terests. Soon after retiring from business, he purchased the property now owned by our sub- ject, and this was his country-seat until his death, which occurred February 9, 1895.
The accumulation of wealth did not render Mr. Sanford proud, nor did his success blind him to the misfortunes of others. He was kind to those in need and often lent a helping hand to those who were struggling against adverse fates. In public enterprises and benevolent projects he was interested. and while he was not a member of any church, yet his bencfactions to religious causes were generously made. The Golden Rule was his motto in life, and to its lofty teachings he endeavored to conform his actions.
In 1846 W. H. Sanford was united in marriage. in New York, to Miss Pamelia, daughter of Gid- con Wooley, who at one time was a prominent man of Dutchess County, but was stricken with paralysis at an early age. Mrs. Sanford passed away in 1894, and was buried in the cemetery at Hauppauge, where the following year the re- mains of her husband were also laid to rest. Our subject, who was the only son, was reared in New York and Brooklyn, and was given excellent ad- vantages. February 9, 1885, the date of his mar- riage, was the anniversary of his wife's and his own birth. Mrs. Sanford was in maidenhood Miss Eva Norton, and is a daughter of Albert R. Nor- ton, of Selden, this county. The family of which she is a member is descended from the Smiths. who were among the earliest settlers of the island. and our subject is also descended from the sa:ne progenitors. Four children comprise their fam- ily, Amelia A., Madeline, Gladys and Constance. In religious connections Mlr. and Mrs. Sanford are identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church of Central Islip, in which he has held official positions. A Mason socially, he is a member of Nassau Chapter No. 109. R. A. M .; Clinton Commandery No. 14, K. T., and Kismet
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