USA > New York > The men of New York: a collection of biographies and portraits of citizens of the Empire state prominent in business, professional, social, and political life during the last decade of the nineteenth century, Vol. II > Part 42
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Sidney Shepard was long a prom- ivent figure in the commercial life of Buffalo, and in later years was closely identified with financial affairs in New York city. He had the good fortune to ยท begin life with a vigorous nature, an up- right character, and a strong intellectual- ity, inherited from a sound ancestry. His education in youth was limited to the district schools, and his early knowl- edge of books was consequently meager : but in after years he amply repaired this disadvantage by systematic reading and extended travel.
At the age of fourteen he became clerk in his brother's hardware store in Dans- ville, N. Y., and the liking thus acquired for that business determined his vocation. After similar experiences in Rochester ' and Bath, he purchased a small store in the latter place, when he was less than twenty one years old. Aspiring to a larger field, he moved to Buffalo in 1836, and bought an interest in a hardware store there. In the following year he became sole proprietor, and soon after the firm of Sidney Shepard & Co. was formed, and the marifacture of sheet- metal ware added to the business. Mr. Shepard pushed the sale of his products with such persistence and energy that before ten years had passed his business had become thoroughly established. He made commercial trips into the comparatively unin- habited West, and opened houses in Detroit and Milwaukee. About 1810 he made a tour by way of Chicago and St. Louis to New Orleans. Such
SIDNEY SHEPARD
enterprises. Though frequently offered positions of trust, beaccepted but few of them. He was emphatic. ally a public-spirited citizen, and liberally encomaged every movement for the betterment of humanity.
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Relinquishing the active supervision of his busi- ness to his partners in 1865, he spent several years in foreign travel with his family, visiting Egypt and the Holy Land in addition to the more frequented routes of European travel. Upon his return he set- tled in New Haven, Oswego county, N. Y., where he remained until his death in 1893.
Mr. Shepard's success should be an inspiration to every young man of ability and character. It was due to a clear head, sound judgment, and untiring energy. His capacity for organization amounted almost to genius. His judgment of men was remark- able, and he was seldom deceived in his estimate of others. In private life he was a sincere Christian gentleman, and was for twenty-five years an elder in the First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo. Wealth brought him the ability to bestow happiness on others less fortunate than himself, and he did so freely, but quietly, and with the same discretion that regulated his whole life. He was a generous and frequent benefactor of the General Hospital, the Orphan Asylum, and the Home for the Friendless, as well as numerous other charitable institutions in the city of Buffalo and elsewhere. After a long and use- ful life, he left a name honored and respected by all.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY - Sidney Shepard was born at Cobleskill, Schoharie county, N. Y., September 28, 1814; began business in 1828 as clerk in a hardware store in Dansville, N. Y. ; purchased a hardware store in Bath, N. Y., in 1835 ; moved to Buffalo in 1836, and bought an interest in a similar business, of which he became sole owner the following year ; became proprietor of the Shepard Iron Works in 1849 ; married Elizabeth De Angelis Wells of Buffalo June 12, 1851 ; went to Europe with his family for several years' travel in 1865, and on his return settled in New Haven, Ostvego county, V. Y., where he lived until his death December 20, 1893.
Burt Van Thorn was an important factor for over forty years in the business and political life of Niagara county, New York. Brought up at the faniily homestead in Newfane, under the influence of a father who was a leader in all things among his neighbors, and of a mother whose sweet Christianity made her beloved of all, young Van Horn early dis- played the characteristics that are now so well known in his part of the state. He was always foremost in matters engaging public attention : and throughout his career his actions were guided by a keen sense of what he owed to others as well as to himself. He preserved at all times unstained a strict sense of per- sonal honor, and was scrupulously regardful of the rights of others.
Ill health put an end to Mr. Van Horn's attempt to secure a college education, though he was able to spend a short time at Madison, now Colgate, University. His father was a farmer, and he him- self followed farming until 1865, when he left New- fane for the neighboring town of Lockport.
During the period of sharp controversy and in- flamed public opinion preceding the Civil War, Burt Van Horn was an ardent and a ready debater with either friend or foe. He had ideas on the great subjects before the people, and acquired fame as an eloquent speaker on public questions. He was greatly concerned in the problems then pressing for solution. His friends and neighbors, recognizing his ability and his earnestness, elected him to the state assembly in the fall of 1857. This was the beginning of a political career that continued for many years. He was re-elected in 1858, and again in the following year, and thus served one year longer than any of his predecessors. When the fact is recalled that it was, and is to-day, a practice in many places not to give one man more than two successive terms in the assembly, it is apparent that Mr. Van Horn's second re-election was very com- plimentary to him. While in the legislature he served on many important committees.
Higher honors, however, were in store for him. In 1860, when the whole country was alive to the impending conflict, and every section was putting forth its best men for seats in congress, the Niagara- Orleans district chose Burt Van Horn. He took his seat July 4, 1861, at the opening of the extra session called by President Lincoln. Loyal in every fiber of his being, Mr. Van Horn had no spare moments in the next few years. When not attending sessions of the national house of representatives, he was otherwise engaged in efforts to aid his country. He went upon the stump, inspiring patriotism where it was lacking, quickening patriotism where it smol- dered. Nearly four thousand men went to the front from Mr. Van Horn's district during the war. How many of these accessions to the federal army were due to his personal efforts, it is of course impossible to say ; but there can be no doubt that the number was large, since Mr. Van Horn gave without stint of his eloquence, of his time, and of his means, to raise companies for the defense of the Union. Nor did his interest cease when his sol- diers had marched away. He was ever active in his efforts to promote their welfare and their comfort : and much was accomplished in this direction. In after life it was one of his greatest delights to join a party of veterans in recalling the events of those stirring days.
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Mr. Van Horn did not serve in the 38th congress, but in 1864 he was elected to the 39th congress, and two years later to the 40th, his district then comprising the counties of Niagara, Genesee, and Wyoming. One of his pet projects while in the national house was the construction of a ship canal around Niagara Falls, connecting lakes Erie and Ontario. He succeeded in carry- ing through the lower house a bill to this end, but it failed of passage in the senate.
The last public office held by Mr. Van Horn was that of collector of in- ternal revenue for the 28th New York district, with headquarters at Rochester. He was appointed to this office by Presi- dent Hayes in 1877 : and when he re- tired after a service of five years, he had the satisfaction of receiving the high commendation of treasury-department of- ficials for his effective administration of the duties of the office.
Mr. Van Horn passed his later years quietly though not idly at his comfort- able home in Lockport. He found many things to occupy his attention, and his interest in public affairs was hardly less keen than when he was a more active participant therein. During the greater part of his life he occupied himself largely with literary pursuits, chiefly in writing and speaking upon questions of the day. In his later years he devoted much thought and study to religious subjects, and frequently made addresses upon them. He was long a consistent member of the Baptist denomination. He died April 1, 1896. universally mourned in Lockport and Niagara county. A widow, two sons, Burt and Willis, and a daughter, Grace, survive him. Burt Van Horn is superintendent of the Buffalo and Niagara Falls street railway, and Willis conducts a cold-storage warehouse at Niagara Falls.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY - Burt Van Horn was born at Newfane, N. Y., October 28, 1823 ; attended common schools, Yates Academy, and Madison ( now Colgate ) University ; was elected to the state assembly in 1857, 1858, and 1859; was electe.l to the 37th, the 39th, and the 40th congresses ( 1861-633, 1865-67, 1867-69) ; was collector of internal revenue for the 28th New York district, 1877-82 : married Charlotte T. Goodell of Hartland, N. Y., July 9. 1851, and Alicine Schuyler of Lockport, N. Y., June 16, 1870 ; died at Lockport April 1, 1896.
3obn Tilkeson was a high type of American citizen. His lineage assured to him public spirit and supreme loyalty to convictions. All his fore- fathers were heroic, from the Scottish Covenanters to revolutionary sites and other glorious American ancestors. He was a man of rare dignity, noble
BURT VAN HORN
character, and perfect courage. He was just and generous, bespeaking and compelling faith and confi- dence from others.
Mr. Wilkeson was born at Poland, Ohio. He was a son of Judge Samuel Wilkeson, whose father had come to America and settled in Delaware in 1760. When eight years of age, John was brought to Buf- falo by his father. Having received his education at private institutions, he entered mercantile life, and for that purpose went to New York, where he spent several years in business. Thence he went to Central America, and resided for a while at Tabasco. In 1840 he returned to the United States, and be- came secretary to his father, who had charge of the
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affairs of the Colonization Society. This work made him a resident of the national capital, where he kept in touch with the social and political events of the day. Two years later he was appointed by Presi- dent Tyler United States consul at Turk's Island in the West Indies. On the voyage thither he was
JOHN WILKESON
shipwrecked and narrowly escaped drowning, but was picked up by a passing vessel bound for New- port, R. I.
After his resignation from the consulship, Mr. Wilkeson directed his attention to the manufacture of iron, a business in which he spent many years of his life, and for which his inventive genius was peculiarly fitted. He was master of every branch and detail of this giant industry. His coal lands, iron beds, furnaces, and foundries were under his personal supervision and care, and their development and improvement were the result of his own thought and effort. In connection with this business he visited England, and studied the " Black Country," and on the continent made a thorough investigation
of the various methods of manufacturing iron. On his return to the United States he built, at Mahon- ing, Ohio, the first successful blast furnace in the country using bituminous coal for smelting iron. He was one of the pioneers and captains of the American iron industry. In 1858 he entered a new field of business enterprise, and soon at- tained marked success therein : he was among the first to construct grain eleva- tors, and the later years of his life were occupied with the business of grain storage.
During the war Mr. Wilkeson's patri- otism was displayed on every occasion. Eight members of his family were in the Union army. His son, John Wilkes, fell on the field of battle at Fair Oaks, Va. With pen and voice Mr. Wilkeson aided the cause of the Union and human- ity. A large part of his time from 1861 to 1865 was devoted to inventions for the improvement and construction of mili- tary arms. He was often with the Union - army, and witnessed the battle of Gettys- burg and many important engagements. While visiting at Fortress Monroe in May, 1862, he accompanied President Lincoln and secretaries Stanton, Chase, and Welles on a trip down the river to witness the bombardment of Sewall's Point.
In private life Mr. Wilkeson was a most agreeable and companionable man. As a conversationalist he was more than charming and entertaining - he was in- structive as well. There was no ped- antry in his talk, however ; but the immense fund of knowledge that he had derived from his travels, from contact with the world, and from books, showed itself in conversation on every topic. He was a constant reader, and accumulated a valuable library replete with works on science, art, and literature. He pur- sued antiquarian research with keen interest. His knowledge seemed always at his command, and his memory was phenomenal. In his beautiful, refined home he was a delightful host, and no one could come into the circle of his friendship without ex- periencing the benefit of association with a high- minded, pure-hearted, and cultured gentleman. Even in his last years he retained a lively interest in current events, and kept his mental vigor unim- paired. He delighted in the companionship of the young, from whom he received both respect and
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affection. He lived far beyond the span of life allotted by the psalmist, and when the end of his well-rounded life came he was in his eighty-ninth year.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY-John Wilkeson was born at Poland, O., October 28, 1806 ; went to Buffalo with his father in 1814; was educated in private schools ; married Maria Louisa Wilkes of Portsmouth, England, at Lyme, O., in 1832; was secretary to his father at Washington, D. C., 1840-42, and United States consul at Turk's Island, W. I., 1842-43 ; began the manufacture of iron in Ohio in 1846, and the grain-elevating business in Buffalo in 1858 ; died at Buffalo April 4, 1894.
James Boland, who died in Buffalo in 1893, was a striking representative of a large class of sterling workmen who eventually become employers of others. He was an excel- lent type of the foreign-born American citizens who prize the opportunities pre- sented in the United States to men with active minds, and hands willing to work.
Mr. Boland's parents were among the early immigrants from Ireland. The quick-witted people of the Emerald Isle were among the first to see the advan- tages of this country, and to come here in great numbers. The country needed them. They were vigorous and indus- trious, and quickly adapted themselves to their new environment. Some of our best citizens are descendants of these early Irish immigrants.
Mr. Boland was born in County Clare, Ireland, in the year 1850. That un- happy country was then suffering from the effects of bad legislation and a suc- cession of poor crops. A mighty exodus of the people followed during the decade 1850-60. In the number were the par- ents of Mr. Boland, who came with him to this country in the year 1856, and took up their residence in Buffalo. Mr. Boland was but a child when his parents left their native land, and his education may be said to have begun in this coun- try. He thus received the benefit of a good public-school training, and grew up among the boys with whom he was to be associated in later life. After leaving school, having neither capital nor a business awaiting him, he wisely decided to learn a trade. He made a judicious choice, not only in the line of work
selected, but also in the man he served. No one in Buffalo is more widely known or generally respected in the building business than Charles Berrick, whose service Mr. Boland entered in 1866, when sixteen years of age. He worked at his trade continuously for nine years, proving himself a faithful, intelligent, and capable workman. During these years he was ambitious to start in business on his own account ; and if a workman be actuated by such a resolu- tion, it is only a question of time when he will be able to pass from the rank of an employee to that of an employer. The year 1875 found Mr. Boland established in the building business in Buffalo, and from that time until his death he was actively en- gaged in extending his business, and in becoming a . strong, conservative factor in the commercial com- munity. Buffalo has undergone a rapid transforma-
JAMES BOLAND
tion for the better in its architectural appearance since Mr. Boland entered the building trade, and he had a large share in what might be called the rebuilding of the city.
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In political and in social life Mr. Boland never sought to make himself prominent, but his influence in both these lines of human interest was by no means small. In politics he was a Republican. He was, however, never an aspirant for office, and his business interests fully occupied his time. He never
AZ.OR B. CRANDALL
had a partner in business, but carried on all his affairs by himself. He died a comparatively young man ; but he lived long enough to impress himself upon the community in which his life was spent.
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY-James Boland was born in County Clare, Ireland, January 6, 1850 ; came to the United States with his parents in 1856, and settled in Buffalo ; was educated in the public schools ; learned the bricklayer's trade in the service of Charles Berrick, 1866-15 ; married Mary A. Handley of Buffalo October 17, 1881 ; conducted a building busi- ness in Buffalo from 1875 until his death April6, 1893.
Alsor JS. Crandall was a typical AAmerican business man. He became identified with two im-
portant lines of commercial activity, and cared for large business interests with apparent ease and in a masterly manner. He was one of the most widely known men of western New York, for he came into contact during many years with men from all parts of the Union. As proprietor and manager of a famous hotel, and as the principal dealer in one of the largest horse markets in the world, Mr. Crandall was an impor- tant factor in the social and business life of East Buffalo.
Having spent his boyhood and early youth in Sloansville, N. Y., and gradu- ated with distinction at Schoharie Col- lege, Mr. Crandall, at the age of seven- teen, repaired to New York city. At first he engaged in the clothing business there, afterward becoming proprietor of the old Broadway hotel. This was then one of the most famous hostelries on Manhattan island, and Mr. Crandall con- ducted the house with gratifying success. In 1860 he represented the 9th ward of New York city on the board of aldermen.
In 1879 Mr. Crandall moved to Buf- falo, to conduct the old Stock Exchange hotel. This house soon acquired an ex- cellent reputation among travelers, and became the principal resort for men doing business at the stock yards. So rapid, indeed, was the increase of patron- age, that in two years the demand for accommodations exceeded the supply : and Mr. Crandall accordingly secured, in October, 1881, the largest hotel build- ing in East Buffalo. This structure was then called the "Brick House," but it soon became favorably known among dealers in live stock in both Europe and America as the Crandall House. This institution was Mr. Crandall's pride, and the dearest of all his possessions, and amply demonstrated his aptitude for the hotel business. Genial, tactful, and warm- hearted, Mr. Crandall, or "Asa," as he was more generally called, numbered his friends by the hun- dred and his acquaintances by the thousand. His memory for names and faces was remarkable, and not infrequently he was able to greet correctly someone whom he had met only once, and that years before.
Mr. Crandall was not merely a successful manager of a hotel : he was an exceedingly shrewd and able business man. Seeing clearly the advantages of East Buffalo as a horse market, he embarked in the
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business on an extensive scale ; and it was largely owing to his foresight and enterprise that the district attained its present supremacy as a horse market. He began the practice of selling horses at auction, and at the first sale disposed of twenty-five head - a piece of business that was then deemed remarkably successful. Starting prudently with a small estab- lishment, but with a broad conception of the possi- bilities of the business, Mr. Crandall gradually enlarged his plant and operations until he became the largest horse dealer in East Buffalo. At the time of his death the business had reached such pro- portions that ten large stables and forty men were required for its conduct. In a single day the firm of C'randall & Co. has sold 775 horses, while the aggre- gate number sold in the year 1894 was 26,500.
Mr. Crandall was a generous man, and no deserving person ever applied to him in vain. In like manner every worthy cause obtained his ready and active support. When St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church was organizing at East Buffalo, Mr. Crandall promoted the project in various ways, and opened his house for entertainments in behalf of the church. When the edifice was completed, he presented the new church with a bell.
Mr. Crandall was for many years a member of the 37th regiment, N. G., S. N. Y. In 1862 he received a gold medal from congress for services in the field. He was a strong adherent of the Republican party. He was a valued member of the Gentlemen's Driving Park Association and of the Knights of Pythias.
PERSONAL, CHRONOLOGY- Asor Brown Crandall was born at Sloans- ville, N. Y., July 23, 1829 ; lived in New York city, 1847-19, engaged chiefly in the hotel business ; married Marguerite Ida Gilmore of New York city May 6, 1858 ; was for many years the largest horse dealer in East Buffalo, establishing the firm of Crandall & Co. ; conducted a hotel at East Buffalo from 1879 until his death April 2, 1825.
Augustus frank was one of the men who have been the support and strength of our country. He was born in Warsaw, Wyoming county, and continued to live there throughout his active and earnest life. He grew up among influences well calculated to form a symmetrical character and a noble manhood. ' His
father, Dr. Augustus Frank, a man of influence and power, was prominent in the anti-slavery move- ment ; and from both parents the son inherited sterling qualities. With a mind remarkably alert and receptive, he improved to the utmost the educa- tional opportunities afforded by the schools of War- saw and by private instructors. Extended travel in this country and abroad afterward enlarged and con- firmed his knowledge of men and things.
Mr. Frank's aptitude for the management of affairs was early developed, and at the age of twenty-one he began business for himself. In this he continued until 1871, when he established the Bank of War- saw, of which he was president the rest of his life. His mind, however, could not be confined to mere matters of business. His antecedents, education, and entire cast of life, fitted him for political activity.
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AUGUSTUS FRANK
Two years before his majority he was made chair- man of a Whig convention. He helped to organize the Republican party, and was a delegate to its first convention, held in Philadelphia in 1856. He was
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elected to congress in 1858, was returned by a large majority two years later, and was again re-elected in 1862. His service thus covered the entire period of the Civil War, and the diffienlt legislation of those fateful years was shaped in part by him. He was a member of important committees, and was otherwise influential in determining the conduct of affairs. He was especially interested in the passage of the thir- teenth amendment, which abolished slavery within the United States, and hastened the close of the war. In the intervals of public labor he devoted unremitting attention to the wants of soldiers in eamp and hospital ; and in later years, taking the deepest interest in the project, he rendered efficient aid in the erection of the beautiful soldiers' monu- ment of Wyoming county.
Mr. Frank was a member of the state constitu- tional convention of 1867, having been chosen there- to on the general ticket with George Willian: Curtis, Samuel J. Tilden, William M. Evarts, Horace Gree- ley, and other distinguished men. Mr. Frank had an important part in the deliberations of this body. He was likewise elected as a delegate at large to the constitutional convention of 1894, thus becoming one of five or six members who had taken part in the earlier convention. He brought to this im- portant work mental endowments of the highest order, and ripened experience in the best methods of fundamental government, and his services to the convention were correspondingly valuable. He was especially interested in the anti-gambling provision of the constitution ; and it is agreed that the adop- tion of this clause was largely due to his unflagging efforts in its support.
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