USA > New York > Washington County > Washington county, New York; its history to the close of the nineteenth century > Part 84
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William Tefft, a nephew of Judge Nathan Tefft, came from Rhode Island before, or during, the Revolutionary War, and his sons, David and William, took up land in what is now Greenwich. The father and another son, James, located on the Easton side of the Battenkill, about half a mile south of the present village of Greenwich.
About 1785 Tabor Tefft, a nephew of William Tefft, came from Rhode Island and bought 400 acres of land in Greenwich, about four miles northeast of the village. There was only ten acres cleared, and a log house on the land, but in 1807 he built a large frame dwelling. which is today occupied by his grandson, Martin C. Tefft.
These three Tefft families were the ancestors of all the Teffts in Washington County.
Dr. Henry Sheldon, of Chicago, Ill., who has compiled some genea- logical memoranda of the Tefft, and other allied families, says:
"The name 'Tefft' is very ancient. In Armenia a man who buys and sells, is called the 'Tefftman,' and Tiftlis, or Tiflis, is one of the oldest market towns on the globe.
" Into Armenia a large number of the chosen people were carried away captive. The student of Anglo-Israel theories, finding the name 'Simeoni' on one of the earliest maps of Gaul and Britain. infers that the tribe of Simeon may have escaped thither. One writer claims that 'Taafe,' the cognomen .of the principal river in Wales, has the same derivation as the name Teffe, or Tefft. The author of Our Rare quotes the British ditty, 'Teffe was a Welshman,' and also
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sundry notes, supposed to be historical, which suggest that if the royal seed of David did reach the holy isle, the Teffe were closely associated with the movement."
CHARLES STONE was born in the town of Hebron, Washington County, N. Y .. April 22, 1828. His parents were Charles and Amy L. (Northup) Stone. When he was quite young his parents moved from Hebron to Kingston, Ulster County, N. Y., where his early boy- hood was spent. When he was about thirteen years of age his family moved to Sandy Hill, Washington County, N. Y., where he lived until he became of age. This was in the year 1849, and in that year he went to California, along with a party of his townsmen. The party laid their plans to start on a Friday, but he left on Thursday. The old superstition regarding the ill luck of beginning a venture on Friday may have had something to do with his choosing a different day, but it is more probable that it was his desire to have the most trivial things in his favor, which prompted his action. The result, however, was notable, for he was the only one of the party who made a success of the venture. He passed through the exciting life and times of the celebrated "Forty-niners " in California, but did not fol- low mining long, as he embarked in business, in which he became very successful, so that when he returned home, after ten years, he brought with him what was, in those days, considered a large fortune. During that time he made one visit home, in 1855, and married Abigail Seeley, of Johnston's Creek, Niagara County, N. Y., on Sep- tember 13th, of that year. She returned with him to Buena Vista, Cal., where he owned a large ranch.
His journey west was made each time by way of Panama, and each trip was filled with exciting and perilous adventures. Walker's men held possession of the Isthmus when he made one trip; during another cholera was on ship board. the dead being thrown overboard daily. But good fortune seemed his, for he escaped all ills and succeeded in every way. He was an accomplished rider, performing all cowboy feats, and at one time living almost entirely on horseback, and making a ride of 100 miles daily, for two weeks.
On his return to the east he purchased the home at Sandy Hill, which he kept as a summer residence until his death. Although well
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off he continued in business and formed the firm of Stone & Cronkhite, lumber dealers, which was very successful. He also went into sheep raising, and added paper mills and sawmills to his other interests, at various times. He was, for many years, a director of the Citizens National Bank, of Sandy Hill. and subsequently was President of the Peoples National Bank, of the same place.
In all his operations he was uniformly successful, and yet he was not only unselfish, but always felt that he owed to others a portion of his success. He was generous and philanthropic, wisely charitable, and always evincing a deep and kindly interest in the deserving, and showing a warm regard for religious institutions and the public weal. Among the many donations made by him to Sandy Hill were the Soldiers' Monument and an iron fence for the cemetery, of which he was a trustee, and a contribution covering the larger part of the cost of the beautiful Baptist Church, one of the finest edifices north of Albany. He gave largely to churches of all denominations, his purse being open to aid in any deserving charity or progressive work.
Mr. Stone and his wife were great travelers, traveling everywhere in our own country, as well as in Canada, Mexico and Cuba. They made two extensive trips in Europe, visiting Egypt as well. From every place of interest they brought home with them treasures and interesting relics as souvenirs of their trips.
Mr. Stone was a man of rare modesty, retiring, keeping always in the background: of extreme sensitiveness, frank, sympathetic, a strong nature, yet gentle and loving as a woman. He was an excel- lent judge of human nature; was always the courteous gentleman, always youthful and jolly in spirits, and was dearly loved by those who knew him intimately; yet not these alone, for men of the world respected, admired and loved him. Like all highly endowed men he had his pleasurable tastes and was a fine chess player, representing his club in matches. He was also very fond. of horses, and always kept some fine driving animals for his own use. He was a member of the Union League Club, of New York City, and the New York Athletic Club. In politics he was an ardent Republican, and always took the long journey from New York to Sandy Hill to cast his vote. He died at his home in New York after a brief illness, resulting from the grippe, only seven months after the death of his wife.
Mrs. Stone died in September. 1899. Her maiden name was Abigail Z. Seeley, her parents being Ebenezer and Amy (Harrington)
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Seeley. She was educated at various local academies, and, in 1855, married Charles Stone. Of sturdy Revolutionary stock, she was a woman of strong patriotic feeling, and took much interest in local history. With a naturally gifted mind, extensive travel produced a broad culture. Of a generous and kindly disposition Mrs. Stone died beloved by all who knew her.
REV. EVERETT REUBEN SAWYER, D. D., was born at the village of New London, N. H., October 10, 1838, and was prepared for college at Lowville Academy, Lewis County, N. Y. He took his university course at Union College, Schenectady, and was graduated from that institution in the class of 1860. After leaving college he took up a course of theological studies to prepare himself for the ministry, and was ordained as a Baptist minister at Cooperstown, N. Y. His first church was in that village, where he remained for five years, during which time the church prospered exceedingly. His next pastorate was at Albion, Orleans County, N. Y., where he remained two years. In 1870 he received and accepted a call from the Sandy Hill Baptist Church, where for thirty years he has labored with great success, and where today he is still carrying on the work of the church with unabated energy and zeal, and where he has long been very popular and much revered.
The membership of this church has steadily grown under his pas- torate and now numbers three hundred and twenty-five communi- cants. The church building is one of the finest in Washington County, and was erected soon after Dr. Sawyer began his pastorate in Sandy Hill. The structure cost $50,000, and was entirely paid for years ago. The Sabbath School in connection with the church is also highly prosperous.
Dr: Sawyer has always taken an active interest in everything per- taining to the advancement of the church at large, and was for years Chairman of the Missionary Committee of the Washington Union Baptist Association. His scholarly attainments naturally give him an interest in all branches of education, and his association at Coopers- town with the beautiful lake region of New York State, made doubly famous by J. Fennimore Cooper, has given him a peculiar interest in historical matters, and he is now a trustee of the New York State
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Historical Association. In 1893 Rev. E. R. Sawyer received the de- gree of D. D. from Union College.
In 1871 Dr. Sawyer married Sarah E. Lord, of Lewis County, N. Y. They have two children, W. L. Sawyer and J. E. Sawver.
WV. L. Sawyer is a rising young lawyer of Sandy Hill, whose sketch will be found in the Bench and Bar chapter of this work.
Dr. Sawyer's father, Rev. Reuben Sawyer, was also a Baptist min- ister, and was well known throughout New England.
A. R. NOBLE, the popular and efficient County Clerk of Warren County, was born at Weavertown, February 23, 1855, and received a liberal education in the public schools.
His first business experience was in a drug store at Weavertown, from 1883 until 1892. He was Town Clerk of the town of Johnsburgh for sixteen years, and in 1891 was elected County Clerk for Warren County, which position he has held uninterruptedly since that date.
The efficiency and diplomacy with which he has managed his office and its affairs, have made him highly popular with all classes of citi- zens irrespective of politics.
Mr. Noble married Belle Loveland, daughter of Daniel and Mary A. (Armstrong) Loveland, and they have two children, Katherine E. and Helene M.
J. R. COLLIN, proprietor of the Collin Pharmacy, was born in the village of Sandy Hill, N. Y., October 6, 1870. He was educated in the public schools and the Fort Edward Collegiate Institute, gradu- ating from the latter institution in the class of 1890. He then accepted a clerkship with the firm of Rogers & Carlton, where he remained two years, after which he went to Utica, N. Y., to take charge of the carpet department in the store of J. B. Wells, and remained in the employ of that house for four years. He then returned to Sandy Hill and formed a partnership with W. E. Congdon, in the grocery busi- ness, under the firm name of Collin & Company. This firm continued in business for a year and three months, when Mr. Collin purchased stock in the Standard Wall Paper Company, which interest he retained
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for four years. On July 10, 1899, he established his present drug business in Sandy Hill.
On February 2, 1897, J. R. Collin married Jennie Durkee of Hartford. Mr. Collin's parents were William M. and Clara (Rogers) Collin. His grandfather, on his mother's side, was Hon. Charles Rogers, United States Senator. His grandmother was Susan Clark.
Wm. M. Collin Post, at Sandy Hill, is so named in honor of Mr. Collin's father.
FRED WILLIAM HEWITT was born at North Hebron, Washington County, N. Y., May 16, 1869, and is a son of James W. and Emeline (Bullock) Hewitt.
He was educated in the schools at North Hebron and the Troy Con- ference Academy at Poultney, Vt., of which he is a graduate. He entered the National Bank of Granville as bookkeeper in 1887, and was made teller in 1888. In 1891 he was promoted to cashier, which position he still holds, and he has also been one of the Directors of the Bank since 1894.
He was one of the promotors and organizers of the Granville Tele- phone Company, which was organized in 1894, and re-organized into a stock company in 1899. He is now Treasurer and a Director of the Company.
On November 24, 1892, Fred William Hewitt married Jennie M., daughter of John T. and Mary Jane (Hatch) Powell. Mrs. Hewitt is a graduate of Granville High school, also Troy Conference Academy, Poultney, Vt.
In 1896 Mr. Hewitt was a delegate to the National Prohibition Convention and was a Presidential Elector. He has also allowed his name to be used as a candidate on the Prohibition ticket for county offices and has served on the County Committee many times. In 1900 he was the candidate of the party for Treasurer of New York State. He was elected Village Treasurer on the Union ticket in 1893 and was re-elected successively in 1894, '95, '96 and '97. In 1894 he was elected trustee of the Troy Conference Academy and was made Treasurer of the Board of Trustees of that institution in 1896.
Mø. Hewitt is a Mason, and is a member of Granville Lodge, No. 55, F. & A. M., Granville. He is also a member of the Sons of the
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Revolution and is Secretary and has been Treasurer of the Board of Stewards of the Methodist Church at Granville.
Through George Denison, Jr., son of Capt. George Denison, a cele- brated Indian fighter, on his father's side, Mr. Hewitt traces his an- cestry back to the landing of the Mayflower.
Capt. George Denison was a soldier under Cromwell, and fought at the battle of York or Marston Moor ,in 1644. For further particu- lars of his (George Denison's) history see Judge Wheeler's "History of Stonington, Conn.," published in 1900; also, "Genealogy of the Denison Family."
JOSEPH E. KING, PH. D., D. D., the subject of this sketch, was born in the town of Laurens. Otsego County, N. Y., in the year 1823, and was a son of the Rev. Elijah King.
While quite young, his father met with a serious financial reverse, and at the age of twelve, Joseph was compelled to leave the village school and go to work. In the capacity of clerk and other employ- ments, he succeeded, young as he was, in earning enough money to assist in providing for his father in his declining years. Not only did he accomplish this, but by his admirable energy, was enabled to take a course of study in the Grand River Institute at Austinburgh, Ohio, and at Poultney, Vt. In 1844 he was admitted to the Sophomore Class at Wesleyan University and was graduated with high honor from that institution.
During his college course he taught school during the winter season and worked in the harvest fields during the summer vacation. In 1847 he was teacher of the Natural Sciences and Latin at Newbury Seminary, Vt., and later became principal of that institution, which, under his able administration was extremely successful, both from a scholastic and financial standpoint. He also preached during this period in many of the churches in the Connecticut Valley. In 1853 he took charge of the Fort Plain Seminary, and during the year there his ability as an instructor won widespread attention. In 1854 he took charge of the Fort Edward Institute, where a great building had been constructed especially for his use. This institution opened with 500 students, attracted largely by his name, and the school soon be- came famous all over the United States. In 1877 the school building was destroyed by fire, but it was rebuilt in 1881 with modern improve-
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ments, and in 1899 it was further refitted and remodeled, since which date it has been used exclusively as a school for young ladies. Dr. King owns a controlling interest of the stock and is both the finan- cial and educational head of the institution.
This school is the only one of its kind in Washington County, and it is a great credit, not only to Fort Edward, but to the county at large; students from almost every state in the Union are enrolled on its lists.
While Dr. King has devoted much of his attention to educational matters and has long held the position of one of the formost Educators of the state, he has also been an incessant worker in the religious field. He was delegate to the General Conference in 1856, 1864 and 1886, and has never failed to respond to the yearly call of his annual conference since he became a member thereof. He has dedicated numerous churches and has constantly been before the public as preacher and lecturer. He has preached from over 200 pulpits of different denominations, and his lectures from the chapel stage of his own institute have been one of the special features in the educational training at his institution. He is earnest, versatile and eloquent, and is greatly beloved by his students.
In 1867, and again in 1889, he visited Europe and saw and studied many of the institutions of the old country.
Doctor King's degrees of A. B. and A. M. were received from his Alma Mater. The degree of D. D. was conferred upon him by Union College in 1862 and that of Ph. D. by the Regents of the University of the State of New York in 1873. He has long been conspicuous for his activity in the debates of the University convocations, and he has delivered poems and orations at the conferences of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity on many occasions, and is also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa, College Fraternity. For fifty years he has not been absent from a meeting of the trustees of Wesleyan University, except once, when he was in Europe. His interest in history is keen, and he is one of the trustees of the New York State Historical Association.
The Fort Edward Institute, under his management, has prepared more than 150 students for college, has graduated 120 clergymen, of whom 30 are now Doctors of Divinity, 75 physicians, more than 100 lawyers and legislators, of whom 30 are now judges and two have be- come United States Senators. In addition to these, many public men
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and cultured women, who have distinguished themselves in the various walks of life, have been graduated from this institution, which has a roll-call of several thousand names.
J. DEWAYNE BAKER, a Lieutenant in a New York cavalry regiment in the Civil War, was a brother of Frederick I. Baker of Fort Ann, and was born in that village in September 1839. He was educated in the Troy Conference Academy, Poultney, \'t., at the Fort Edward Institute and private schools. He commenced the study of law with Judge Potter at Whitehall, but when the war broke out enlisted as a private, had typhoid fever, and was discharged. He subsequently returned to the war as Lieutenant in a New York cavalry regiment and participated in the valley campaign in 1864 until he was again taken sick and resigned.
After the war he was engaged in the ore business in Fort Ann. He died in 1885.
G. K. NICHOLS was born in Gilsum, New Hampshire, June 13, 1849, and received his early education in the schools of Gilsum and Keene, N. H., and at Boston, Mass.
Early in life he evinced a marked musical talent, which he culti- vated, and speedily became an accomplished musician. He began his career as a musician in 1866 at Gilsum, N. H., and in 1871 moved to Fort Edward, finally settling in Cambridge, N. Y., in 1876.
In 1868 G. K. Nichols married Effie R. Guillow and they have a family of six children, namely: Bernice, wife of E. B. Cornell of Cambridge, N. Y., John K., musician, Newburyport, Mass., leader of the Cadet Band and Adelphi Orchestra, Mark F., musician in Doring's Band, Troy, N. Y., Jessie I., wife of Charles Kenyon of Jackson, N. Y .. Effiie Pearl, wife of Louis Coulter, Jackson, N. Y., and Luke H., musician, Cambridge, N. Y.
Mr. Nichols' parents were Kendall and Mary (Isham) Nichols.
In politics, Mr. Nichols is a Republican and a staunch supporter of his party. He is a member of the Odd Fellows Fraternity and of the Presbyterian Church.
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W. S. COLEMAN, principal of the Union school and Superintendent of the public schools of Fort Edward, is a native of Orleans County, N. Y. He is a graduate of the Brockport Normal school, the Albany Normal College and Mount Hope College, from which he re- ceived the degree of Ph. B. in 1899. He began teaching school in 1887, and has occupied his present position since 1893. The Union school, which has an academic department, has attained a high status under his able management and intelligent methods, and the schools of Fort Edward, of which he is Superintendent, do not suffer by com- parison with those of any other village in the state. The school attendance in Fort Edward averages about seven hundred and fifty, and eighteen teachers are employed.
The first Kindergarten school in the county was opened in Fort Edward under Mr. Coleman in 1893.
On December 1898 W. S. Coleman married Miss M. G. Gailey, daughter of John W. Gailey, of Fort Edward.
Mr. Coleman's parents were Simon D. and Sarah A. (Bates) Cole- man. Simon D. Coleman was a native of Onondaga County and his wife of Wyoming County. Joshua Coleman (grandfather) was a native of Onondaga County and was a soldier in the Revolutionary War.
Lemuel Cook, great grandfather of Professor Coleman, was the last survivor of the Revolutionary War. He was born at Northbury, Conn., September 10, 1759, enlisted in 1775 and fought in the patriot army during the entire war. He died in Orleans County, N. Y., May 20, 1865.
THEODORE F. BAKER was born in the town of Granville, February 1, 1869, and was educated in the common schools of Hartford, N. Y. By occupation he is a cheese maker, and has followed this business for the past ten years, being identified with the old Hartford Factory for the past seven years. In the year 1899 he also embarked in the farming business and purchased the farm near the cheese factory.
On April 5, 1893, Mr. Baker married Lillie E. Griswold of Fort Ann, N. Y., they have three children.
Mr. Baker's parents were Dennis and Julia L. (Faxon) Baker, both of whom were born in the town of Hartford.
Dennis Baker enlisted in Company E, 123d Regiment, New York
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State Volunteers, and served over three years in the War of the Re- bellion, after which he resided in Hartford and Fort Ann until his death, May 6, 1895, aged 53 years. His wife is still living and resides at Sandy Hill, N. Y.
COL. EUGENE M. BAKER was born in the town of Fort Ann, Wash- ington County, N. Y., July 7, 1837, and was a brother of Frederick I. Baker of that village. He was educated at the Troy Conference Academy at Poultney, Vt., and at West Point, where he was gradu- ated in the class of 1859. For a year after his graduation he was stationed at Carlyle Barracks, Pa., the rendezvous for cavalry before the war. He was then sent to California with his regiment, where he remained until 1862, when he came east with the Ist Cavalry, then known as the "First Dragoons," of which he was First Lieutenant. His first service in the war was at the battle of Williamsburgh, after which he was promoted to Captain and breveted Colonel. He then served with the Army of the Potomac throughont the war and com- manded his regiment most of the time. He was Adjutant-General of the Cavalry Corps during the Appomatox campaign and was such a fine soldier that he was offered the Colonelcy of the 9th New York Cavalry by Governor Fenton, but declined. After the war he went with Sheridan to Texas and then out to California, Oregon and Idaho, and was with General Crook through his celebrated Indian campaign, re- maining in that country until 1869. He was then promoted to Major and transferred to the 2d Cavalry, stationed in Montana.
When the trouble with the Piegan Indians began in 1873 Major Baker was ordered into Montana to report to the War Department if things were as bad as reported. He found them even worse than they were said to be, so he was put in charge of the campaign against the Piegan Indians, and conducted the war against them with such success that they have ever since been good Indians.
He was admittedly the best Indian fighter of his day, with, perhaps, the exception of General Crook. He was the junior field officer in the Wind River District, Department of the Platte, yet, when there was a threatened outbreak of the Sioux Indians, he was telegraphed for to take charge of an expedition against them, although he was at Camp Stanbough, six hundred miles from a railway, and the present General Merritt and other senior officers were in the same Depart-
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ment. In this expedition he commanded parts of three regiments, one thousand horse in all, and a battery of gatling guns, but at the appearance of his force the Indian uprising subsided.
He was thirty years in the service and was in the field almost the entire time, coming home only about six times in the thirty years.
He died at Fort Walla Walla in 1884.
CHARLES L. DUNSMORE, one of the prominent farmers of the town of Kingsbury, was born in the town of Queensbury, Warren County, N. Y., in May, 1865, but has resided in Kingsbury since 1867. He has always been engaged in the occupation of farming, and married Orpha Vaughn. His parents were David and Elspie (Johnson) Duns- more. David Dunsmore, his father, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1813, and came to this country in 1841. He located on a farm at Lake George, and there married Elspie Johnson in 1842. Elspie Johnson was born in Dumfreith, near Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1820. They resided at Lake George until 1867 when they settled in Kings- bury, on the present Dunsmore homestead. They had a family of nine children, seven sons and two daughters, five of whom are now living.
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