USA > New York > Schenectady County > Schenectady County, New York : its history to the close of the nineteenth century > Part 52
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In 1897 Charles Limmer married Carrie Davis, of Cobleskill, N. Y. They have three children, Mildred Elizabeth, Charles Davis and Harold Leonard.
While in Cobleskill Mr. Limmer held the office of Overseer of the Poor from 1889 to 1893, and was a member of the Board of Alder- men from 1898 to 1900.
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DANIEL POSSON was born in the town of Glenville, Schenectady County, N. Y., April 24, 1861. He is the son of George and Eliza- beth (Becker) Posson. He was educated at the district schools and afterwards farined for two years. He then moved to Greene County and worked in a mill for J. Dean for two years, after which he returned to Glenville for one year. He then entered the Schenectady Locomotive Works, where he learned the trade of machinist, at which he worked for four years, when he took employment in the Wire Works and remained there for five years. He then went to Newburgh, N. Y., and worked in the wire business for six months, after which he returned to Schenectady and entered the General Electric Works, where he is still employed. Mr. Posson is a Repub- lican in politics and is a member of Champion Lodge No. 554, I. O. O. F.
On February 4, 1885, Daniel Posson married Alice L. Rothwell, daughter of Edwin and Eliza (Chapman) Rothwell. They have two children, Lizzie J. and Alice Lavina. Mr. Posson's ancestors were German and his wife's were English.
HINSDILL PARSONS was born February 10, 1864. After com- pleting his common school education he entered Trinity College and graduated from that institution in 1884. He later entered the Albany Law School and graduated therefrom in 1885, and was adınitted to the Bar of the state of New York in the same year, at Albany, N. Y.
In 1889, Hinsdill Parsons became patent attorney for the Walter A. Wood M. & R. M. Co., but left their employ in .1894 and became resident attorney for the General Electric Company at Schenectady, N. Y. In May, 1901, he was appointed general counsel and fourth vice-president of the General Electric Company.
Mr. Parsons is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Psi fraternities, with which he became associated during his college course.
In September, 1889, Hinsdill Parsons married Jessie Burchard at Hoosick Falls, N. Y.
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HON. FREDERICK EISENMENGER was born in the city of Schenec- tady, N. Y., March 21, 1849, and received his early education in the schools of his native place. In 1862 he left school and enlisted in the 134th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry. He was a member of Company B, and his father, who was a soldier in the same regiment, was a member of Company K. He served until the close of the war, and was with Sherinan in his famous march from Atlanta to the sea. He received his honorable discharge June 10, 1865, after which he returned home and served an apprenticeship at the trade of machinist in the Schenectady Locomotive Works, where he remained until May 2, 1882. Upon that date he was appointed Police Justice, to which office he was elected in 1883. He was re-elected in 1887, 1891, 1895, 1899, and in fact, has hield the office continuously since his appointment in 1883, a record which speaks volumes for his high efficiency and public popularity in the dis- charge of his duties in this office.
In 1874 Judge Eisenmenger married Louise, daughter of Lewis and Louise Pepper. They have two children, namely, Frederick L. and Clara L. Judge Eisenmenger's parents were Ferdinand and Wilhelmina (Lamann) Eisenmenger, both of whom were natives of Germany. They came to the United States some time between 1840 . and 1850. Ferdinand Eisenmenger served as a soldier in the War of the Rebellion and was killed in the Battle of Resaca, Ga., May 16, 1864.
Since the foregoing was written Judge Eisenmenger was elected mayor of the city of Schenectady, on November 3, 1903.
JAY CADY WEMPLE was born in Schenectady, N. Y., August 16, 1873. His parents were Edwin and Lillie (Banker) Wemple. He received his early education in the public and high schools of his native city, after which he spent one year in Union College and then took a coininercial course in a business college, from which he was graduated in 1893. He then took a position with E. A. Thrall & Co., jewelers, in New York City, and remained with them for one year, after which he was employed for two years with Jay C. Weinple
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& Co., of New York City, dealers in shades. He then took a position with the General Electric Company, being employed in experimental engineering work. In 1903 he became resident agent in Schenec- tady for the Prudential Life Insurance Company.
Mr. Wemple is a prominent Mason, being Past Master of New Hope Lodge No. 730, F. and A. M., a member of St. George's Chapter No. 157, R. A. M., and of St. George's Cominandery, No. 37, Knights Templar, of which he has been captain-general. He is also a member of the A. A. O. N. M. S., Troy, N. Y., and has held the office of second vice-president of the Past Masters' Association of the 17th Masonic district. His school society is the Alpha Zeta.
In 1901 Jay Cady Wemple married Anna L. Teller of Schenectady, N. Y.
MATTHEW DAVIS was born in Germany in the year 1854 and came to Schenectady in 1862.
He was educated in the public schools and afterwards learned the trade of warper and was employed at Roy's Mills, manufacturers of shawls. He retired from active work in 1888. In 1878, Matthew Davis married Bernadina Sonnenberg of Schenectady, and they have a family of three daughters. Matthew Davis died in Schenectady in the year 1895. He was a member of the Episcopal Church, and was a highly respected citizen and enjoyed the esteem and confidence of all who knew him.
JAMES O. CARR was born in Manchester, N. H., and attended the public schools until 1889, when he began to work as a clerk for his father in the paint business. He was subsequently in the employ of John P. Squires & Co., Boston, Mass., and afterwards was connected with the Thomson-Houston Electric Company.
Mr. Carr is secretary and treasurer of the Schenectady Railroad Company, which position he has held since 1901. He is a member of the Mohawk Golf Club and of the Railway Benefit Association, besides being a prominent Mason. In the Masonic fraternity he is a
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member of Washington Lodge, F. and A. M., Manchester, N. H., St. George's Chapter No. 157, R. A. M., and St. George's Com- mandery No. 37, Knights Templar, Schenectady, N. Y., Bloss Council, Troy, N. Y., the Albany Sovereign Consistory and the A. A. O. N. M. S., of Troy, N. Y.
In 1895, James O. Carr married Sara E. Appel of Los Angeles, California.
PERRY T. HANSCOM was born in Sheffield, Vermont, July 17th. 1870. After a preparatory course at the Lyndon Institute, he graduated from the Bryant & Stratton Commercial College of Boston, He then took up electrical work at which he was engaged for the following two years.
In 1891, he entered the employ of the Thomson-Houston Company at Lynn, Mass., remaining three years, and came to Schenectady in 1894, where he has since been with the General Electric Company, and is now assistant engineer of the power and mining department.
In October, 1897, Perry T. Hanscom married Etta Rogers, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont. They have one daughter, Mildred. Mr. Hanscom's parents were Aaron and Lydia Hanscon1.
Mr. Hanscom is a charter member of the Mohawk Golf Club.
JOSEPH PITTS was born in Germany, November 17, 1857, and came to the United States in 1874. He was first employed on a farın, but afterwards learned the baker's trade, which he began in 1880, and at which he was employed in Albany before he came to Schenectady in 1890. In this year he established a bakery in Schenectady, which he has since conducted.
On April 25, 1880, Joseph Pitts married Anna M. Kneiper, and they have a family of nine children, Joseph, Peter, Julius, Frank, George, Nannie, Anna, Marguerite and John. Mr. Pitts is a member of the Catholic church, the Catholic Mutual Benevolent Association and the St. Francis Society.
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ALFRED EDWIN GREGG was born at Rotterdam, Schenectady County, N. Y., September 28, 1860. His parents were James and Polly (Thomas) Gregg. He received his preliminary education in the public schools and the Classical Institute of his native city, after which he took a course in Rutger's College, from which he was graduated in the class of 1886. For six years he was a traveling salesman for C. Van Slyck, of Albany, after which he entered the employ of the General Electric Company, in 1892, being employed in the production department.
Mr. Gregg is a member of Schenectady Council No. 983, Royal Arcanum, and of the Ki Psi and Alpha Zeta college societies.
In 1885 Alfred Edwin Gregg married Elizabeth Meade of Schienec- tady. They have one son, Clarence Edward.
NICHOLAS I. TIMESON is a self-made man in every respect. He was born in Princetown, Schenectady County, N. Y., June 26, 1855, and spent his early boyhood days in attending the district school and doing chores on his father's farın.
At the age of twelve he started out to meet the trials of the world alone and went to Chicago, where he secured a position as driver for a showcase manufacturing company. In the evenings he attended night school. A few months of Chicago life satisfied him and he returned to Schenectady to find work with Chapman, the baker, then located at the corner of Ferry and Liberty streets. He remained in Schenectady about a year and then went on the New York Cen- tral trains as newsboy for the Union News Company. While in that position he saw an advertisement that Jacob De Forest, an under- taker, desired an apprentice. He answered and was accepted and from that time his career in the undertaking business dates.
For nine years he remained with De Forest and devoted himself to the study of embalming. Then he went on the New York Central for a short period as fireman, after which he entered the employ of Charles N. Yates & Sons, undertakers, with whom he remained twenty years, or until August 16, 1899. In that year, with Edward L. Fronk, he formed a copartnership and started in business for him-
Nickolas & Timesou
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self. The firm's parlors were first located in the old Schenectady Bank building. They are now at 134 State street and are fully equipped and complete in every particular.
Although Mr. Timeson is a graduate of several embalming schools, his knowledge has been largely acquired and perfected through practice and experiments. He has achieved some startling results in the art of embalming and some of the cases which he has handled have become historic in the annals of the undertaking vocation. In one case he embalmed a body after it had been in the casket for a year and made it appear as natural as on the day when life passed away.
Mr. Timeson is a member of the Masonic fraternity, of the Red Men, Elks, Grangers, Royal Arcanum, Foresters, Mystic Shrine and the Holland Society. He also served in the Home Guard and was a member of Company C, 83d Regiment, under Colonel Robert Fur- man.
Mr. Timeson has always taken an active interest in the National Einbalmers' Association, having been a member for four years and hield the office of first vice-president. He was elected president of the New York State Embalmers' Association at Syracuse, N. Y., September 16, 1903.
On July 8, 1874, Nicholas I. Timeson married Eva B. Teller, who died June 30, 1884, leaving three children, May, Roy and Millie. On November 18, 1885, he married Amelia Cramer. Mr. Timeson's parents were Nicholas and Jane (Van Patten) Timeson. His mater- nal grandfather, Nicholas Van Patten, was a soldier in the War of 1812.
JESSE L. PATTON was born in the town of Florida, Montgomery County, N. Y., in March, 1870. After leaving school he took a position as clerk in a grocery store for W. P. Myers, in Amsterdam, N. Y., and there remained for two years. He next accepted a posi- tion as bookkeeper for Knox & Knox, shoe dealers, of Auburn, N. Y., and remained with them for four years. In 1893 he reinoved
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to Schenectady and joined Mason W. Hall in formning the partnership of Patton & Hall, shoe dealers, which partnership still subsists.
In May, 1899, Jesse L. Patton married Rita, daughter of Peter and Emma (Gates) Van Vranker, and they have one son, Charles G. Mr. Patton's parents were Charles and Ellen (Newkirk) Patton. His grandfather, William Patton, came from Scotland in 1820, and settled in the town of New Scotland, Albany County, N. Y. Mr. Patton is a member of St. George's Lodge No. 6, F. and A. M.
The firin of Patton & Hall has become one of the best known shoe houses in this part of the state. They have a branch store on lower State street, and also one in Amsterdam, N. Y.
ADAM F. SHAFFER was born in Syracuse, Onondaga County, N. Y., October 19, 1866, and was educated in the schools of his native city. . After his school days, he spent a year in the flour and feed business and then served an apprenticeship at the trade of stone- cutter. He worked on the state capitol for six years and spent six years in the south and west. He worked on the Vanderbilt mansion, Biltmore, North Carolina, and later worked in Chicago and Pitts- burg. In 1893 he came to Schenectady and embarked in his present business in partnership with Newton J. Kellam under the firm name of Kellam & Shaffer. They are general street contractors and builders and deal extensively in cut stone. They have completed many important contracts and are now putting up a new library building in Schenectady.
In February, 1892, Adam F. Shaffer married Alice Carey, daughter of Judge John Carey and Elizabeth (Theetge) Carey of Chemung, N. Y. Mr. Shaffer's parents were Philip and Caroline (Knipp) Shaffer. He is a member of St. Paul's Lodge, I. O. O. F., of the Sheridan Cavalry Troop and of St. George's Masonic Lodge.
Mr. Shaffer is building an elegant brownstone and brick house on upper Main street, the design of which is something new in archi- tecture.
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PETER MUNSON DOTY was born in Schenectady, March 25, 1846. His parents were Munson Smith and Eliza (Knowlton) Doty. He was educated in the Union school, after which he took up railroad- ing and served as fireman for five years, after which he became an engineer on the New York Central Railroad. Leaving railroading he took a clerkship in the hat business with Van Horn & Son, and remained with them until 1875, after which he was a traveling sales- man for Cottrell & Leonard of Albany, for one year. He owned a bakery on the corner of Union and Jay streets, Schenectady, for three years, after which he embarked in the hat business on his own account and, after twenty years of successful business, retired in I 900.
In 1874 Peter M. Doty married Lavinia Diment of Schenectady, N. Y. They have three children, namely, Daniel K., born in 1875; Bessie, born in 1879, and Leila, born in 1883. Mr. Doty is a descen- dant of Edwin Doty, who came over to America in the Mayflower in 1620.
Mr. Doty is a prominent Mason and is Past Master of St. George's Lodge No. 6, F. and A. M., Schenectady. He is also a member of Apollo Chapter No. 48, R. A. M., Troy, N. Y .; Bloss Council No. 14, Troy, N. Y., and Apollo Commandery No. 15, K. T., Troy, N. Y .; also of Delta Lodge of Perfection, Delta Council Prince of Jerusalem, Delta Chapter Rose Croix, Troy, N. Y .; Albany Sovereign Consistory and the A. A. O. N. M. S., Troy, N. Y., and of the Masonic Veterans' Association. He is also a member of Champion Lodge No. 554, I. O. O. F., Schenectady, N. Y .; is an ex-assistant chief engineer of the Fire Department, and a member of the Exempt Firemen's Association. He served as Police Commissioner from 1882 to 1894, inclusive. 1
JOHN J. MOFFETT was born in Ireland, July 9, 1863. His parents were James and Julia (Dunleavy) Moffett. He received his early education in Ireland and came to America, settling in Schenectady in 1880. He entered the Locomotive Works and worked as a boiler- maker for eight years, after which he became agent for the Granger
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Brewing Company of Hudson, N. Y., and remained in this position until 1899. In that year he embarked in the coal, wood and feed business, in which he is still engaged.
Mr. Moffett is a member of the Ancient Order of United Work- inen, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Red Men, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Order of Haymakers and the Robert Emmet Literary Association. He is at present a member of the Board of Water Commissioners for the city of Schenectady.
In 1886 John J. Moffett married Ellen F. O'Brien of Cohoes, N. Y. They have two children, one son and one daughter.
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HORACE WHEELER PHILBROOK was born in Aroostok County, Maine, August 21, 1873. His parents were Ira B. and Emily (Tenny) Philbrook. He was educated in the public schools of Bangor, Maine; St. Paul's Cathedral School, Garden City, Long Island, and by private tuition until 1889. In that year he took up electrical engineering in the Edison General Electric Company, New York City, after which he took the students' course in Schenectady, completing his electrical studies in 1902. He is now employed in the production department of the General Electric Company.
Mr. Philbrook is a member of the Knights of St. John and Malta, the Ancient Essenic Order and the Schenectady County Republican Club, of which he is an active member. He is also an active politi- cal worker.
In 1897 Horace Wheeler Philbrook married Jessie Campbell of Schenectady. They have one daughter, Audrey.
EDWARD L. HAIGHT was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., March 27, 1859, and was educated in the public schools and the Halfmoon Academy in his native county. He worked for some time in the lumber business for his father, and in 1889 went into the stone, brick and lumber business as a partner in the firm of Shear & Haight, and is still so engaged.
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Mr. Haight is a member of St. George's Lodge No. 6, F. and A. M., St. George's Chapter No. 157, R. A. M., St. George's Command- ery No. 37, Knights Templar, Schenectady, N. Y .; also of the A. A. O. N. M. S., Troy, N. Y .; the Albany Council, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and of the Mohawk Club.
In 1882 Edward L. Haight married Ida Sickler of Halfmoon. They have a family of two children. Mr. Haight's parents were Henry L. and Mary E. (Van Benthuisen) Haight.
HON. A. J. QUACKENBUSH was born in the town of Guilderland, Albany County, N. Y., June 20, 1853. He was graduated from the Albany Business College in 1869, after which he entered his father's wholesale commission house in Albany, where he remained for four years. In 1874 he moved to Fuller's Station and engaged in the general freighting business which he continued until 1879, when he settled permanently in Schenectady.
In this city he continued the freighting business until 1889, when he sold out and accepted the position of eastern agent for the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association of St. Louis, Mo. This position he still holds, and has become one of the most widely known and most popular man in his line in this part of the state.
Some time after becoming the eastern agent for the Anheuser- Busch Brewing Association, Mr. Quackenbush established the Excelsior Bottling Works, located at 314 to 318 South Centre street. He is the sole proprietor of this fine plant, which is one of the largest and best equipped in the state. He is a large manufacturer of carbonated water and soft goods, and his motto is: "Not how cheap, but how good." He is an active, enterprising and successful business man and gives his personal attention to his trade, so that his customers are always assured of receiving satisfactory goods.
In politics, Mr. Quackenbush is a Democrat and takes a warm per- sonal interest in the welfare and progress of the city of Schenectady. He is active, not only as a worker, but in the councils of his party, and has been elected to the city council on several occasions, besides
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having represented Schenectady County three different terms in the state Legislature. He was also the candidate of his party for senator and was defeated by only a small majority, although this district is heavily Republican.
Mr. Quackenbush is a courteous, genial gentleman, noted for his honorable methods and square dealing, both in business and politics, and is justly entitled to the high reputation which he enjoys. He is identified with about all the leading societies in the city, among which may be mentioned, New Hope Lodge No. 730, F. and A. M., St. George's Chapter No. 157, R. A. M., and Lodge No. 480, Benevo- lent Protective Order of Elks.
GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, SENIOR, AND THE WESTINGHOUSE COMPANY AGRICULTURAL WORKS-George Westinghouse, Senior, the founder of the works in Schenectady, N. Y., bearing his name, and father of the inventor of air brakes for railroads, was born in Pownal, Vermont, in the year 1809. After spending a few years at farining he soon saw that no material progress could be made in the raising of small grains, unless there were devised some method for threshing out the grain, which would be more rapid, more thorough and more available under the varied conditions of the crop, than the flail. He saw that when this was accomplished, the acreage of sowed grain could become unlimited and that thereby the farmer would be enabled to derive greater revenue from outside markets. Mr. Westinghouse then began to build machines for threshing grain and established himself, first in the town of Florida, in Montgomery County, N. Y., and soon removed to Central Bridge in Scholarie County, where he built up an extensive business. In 1856, needing larger facilities, he removed to Schenectady and established these works, and with the co-operation of his sons, there has been built up and established a large and extensive business.
Mr. Westinghouse retired from active business shortly before his death which occurred in the year 1884, he having seen the fulfill- ment of the ideas which he conceived a half century before, and leaving sons fully capable to continue the work which he had begun.
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He was a man of sterling qualities, of strong convictions, and was singularly firm in his adherence to principle. Weighing carefully whatever questions were presented to his mind, whether of a public or business nature, nothing but an absolute conviction of error of judgment could swerve him from the path he had marked out as that of duty. His word once pledged was sacred, and he died pos- sessing the entire confidence of the community in which he lived.
The early threshing machines made by Mr. Westinghouse were quite crude affairs, and consisted merely of a drum or cylinder having teeth and revolving against a concave also having teeth. These machines were intended only to thresh the grain out of the straw, separating it from the straw being left for hand manipulation. However, he quickly saw that an apparatus could be attached to and worked in conjunction with this crude threshing machine, whereby, with power derived from a horse tread-ınill which he also devised in connection, the grain could be threshed out of and separated from the straw by one machine, and with horse power, thus materially increasing the capacity. Even then the threshed grain had still to be cleaned of chaff by a hand inachine known as a fanning inill, so pursuing his inventive ability still farther he attached shaking sieves and a wind blast to the thresher and shaker and called it a winnower, which virtually contained all the elements that are in the modern threshing machine.
The field was growing with rapid strides, the acreage of small grains was increasing yearly at an enormous rate and larger machines were demanded. This required more power than could be produced by horse tread powers, and Mr. Westinghouse then brought out his lever horse power, operated by as many as twelve horses which traveled in a circle attached to the ends of levers, thus operating a system of gearing and generating power.
But at the close of the Civil War the agricultural development of the country advanced with such bounds that horse powers were rele- gated to the past and larger threshing machines with numerous labor- saving attachments were made, and to run them, the Westinghouse steam engine was built. At first these engines were drawn from job to job by horses, but soon their size became so great that the steain
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power was used to propel them and at the same time haul the thresh- ing machine. So great is the demand for capacity in these days that this company now build threshing machines capable of thresh- ing as much as seven thousand bushels of oats in ten hours, and which will clean and weigh or measure the grain ready for market. Such machines are equipped with self-feeders, pneumatic straw car- riers, etc., and the steam engines operating them develop as high as forty horse power. The threshing outfits are owned by threshermen who go from farm to farm and thresh for a certain price per bushel, according to the kind of grain or seed and the size of the job.
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