USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester county in history; manual and civil list, past and present. County history: towns, hamlets, villages and cities, Volume II > Part 31
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Shortly after reaching his major- ity, he received from County Treas- urer Francis M. Carpenter an ap- pointment in the County Treasurer's office of Excise Clerk, working under the immediate supervision of Deputy Treasurer Samuel C. Miller. This appointment was made in 1898 and retained until 1901, when Mr. Miller resigned the Deputyship to accept the office of Sheriff to which he had been elected. To fill Mr. Miller's place, Treasurer Carpenter unhesi- tatingly appointed Mr. Teed, judging him entirely competent to fill a posi- tion of such great responsibility, not- withstanding the number of his years; it being a fact that he is the youngest man ever holding this office, which is considered a great tes- timonial to his efficiency and close application to official duties. That his salary ranks with that of the best paid deputies in the employ of the County is justified when it is under- stood that his duties are similar to those of a paying teller in a bank and that he is a most accurate ac- countant.
Mr. Teed has, up to date, been as- sociated with the County Treasurer's office twelve years, serving under County Treasurers Francis M. Car- penter, Joseph B. See and George T. Burling, the present incumbent.
He is secretary and treasurer of the incorporation known as the " Hunt's Leading Music House, Inc.," of White Plains. Mr. Teed's musical tastes are not only benefi- cial to himself but prove profitable and entertaining to his many friends.
He is gradually making an envi- able reputation as a "fraternity man,'' as his connection with lead- ing societies denote. He has al- ready attained prominence in the Masonic order, being a thirty- second degree Mason and a Shriner, and associated with other branches of the order. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum, etc.
Mr. T'eed was married on June 12, 1901, to Miss Helen U. Upte-
LEONARD E. TEED
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grove, daughter of William and Cor- nelia A. Uptegrove, of White Plains. This union has been blessed with one child, Willard Golding Teed.
The family residence is at No. 25 Hillside avenue, White Plains.
ZOPHER CARPENTER.
Zopher Carpenter, Second Deputy County Treasurer, was born on De- cember 6, 1870, in the village of Mount Kisco, in the town of New Castle, a son of Francis M. and Mary B. (Miller) Carpenter. His father during a long public service held many positions of trust which he filled most acceptably, and is to-day honored by being a State Regent. The subject of this sketch promises to be "a worthy son of an honored sire." He is named for his paternal grandfather, Zopher Carpenter, who was Supervisor of the town of New Castle in the years 1844, 1845 and 1853.
He was educated in the district schools of his native town and at Blair Hall, Blairstown, N. J. Trained for mercantile business, he engaged in the coal trade in New
York city, where he remained ten years. In 1902 he accepted appoint- ment as Excise Tax Clerk in the Westchester County Treasurer's of- fice, which position he held until 1910, when the duty of collecting Ex- cise Taxes for Westchester County was made a separate department connected with the office of the State Excise at Albany, and taken out of the hands of the former col- lector. Mr. Carpenter having be- come a valuable assistant to the County Treasurer, who desired to re- tain his services, the Board of Su- pervisors, by special act allowed the County Treasurer to appoint a second deputy with defined duties. This latter position Mr. Carpenter ac- cepted and fills most ably.
Mr. Carpenter is a Mason, a mem- ber of Mount Kisco Lodge, No. 708, F. and A. M.
He married on January 5, 1901, Miss Florence Freeman, daughter of Norman and Etta Freeman of N. Y. City. Of this marriage there is one child, Miss Florence.
Mr. Carpenter and family reside in his native place, Mount Kisco.
REGISTERS.
CHARLES G. BANKS.
Charles G. Banks, lawyer, a former County Register of Deeds, Justice, President of Village, etc., was born on May 26, 1847, on his father's farm in the town of North Castle.
As is customary with farmers' sons, he worked about the farm, do- ing his share of the work during the busy summer season and going to school in the winter. He proved studious and did not confine his studies to school hours; the more he read the greater grew his desire for knowledge; when seventeen years of age he decided that the life of a farmer did not appeal to him; he loved the country, as he loves it yet, but he desired broader fields of use- fulness. His great desire was to be a lawyer; he would study to attain that end. With this in mind he bid farewell to the farm and went forth. He stopped in New Rochelle and be- ing willing to accept any honorable position to earn money to assist him on his way, he became clerk in the Le Roy Hotel, the principal hostelry in that place in 1864. He left the
hotel business at the first convenient opportunity, and as soon as possible entered the Law School of the New York University. He graduated in the class of 1875 and was admitted to the bar the same year. In this class with Mr. Banks was Martin J. Keogh (now Supreme Court Jus- tice) ; the two young men became ac- quainted, and, finding that Mr. Keogh had made no plans for the immediate future, after graduation, Mr. Banks invited him to come to New Rochelle and enter partnership with him, thus the law firm of Banks & Keogh was formed. Before gradu- ating from the Law School Mr. Banks was elected Police Justice of the village of New Rochelle, for a term of four years. After gradua- tion and admittance to the bar he was chosen Corporation Counsel, which official position he held several years.
In 1877 he was nominated by the Republican party as its candidate for Register of Deeds. The County at that time was normally Democratic, and the latter party had nominated
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Stephen S. Marshall to succeed Theo- dore Pine of New Rochelle, who, his friends contended, was entitled to at least another term; the refusal of the party leaders to give Pine this second term embittered the latter's Demo- cratic friends who openly supported Mr. Banks on election day, and Mr. Banks was elected by 1,777 majority over Marshall, although the County went Democratic on all other nomi- nees .: In return for Democratic aid received, Mr. Banks on taking of- fice, January 1, 1878, appointed Mr. Pine his deputy.
Mr. Banks was elected President of the village three terms, serving six years. Shortly after New Ro- chelle became a city he was named for Mayor.
In recent years he has been com- pelled to give his undivided attention to his extensive law practice, having a numerous and fast increasing client- age, confining his practice principally to settlement of estates and invest- ing of trust funds.
Mr. Banks is considered among the city's wealthiest land owners.
He was married to Miss Fannie Morgan of New Rochelle. They have no children.
WILLIAM G. BARRETT.
William George Barrett, former School Commissioner and County Register, was born in the town of Bedford, in this County, on October 25, 1873, the second son of Joseph and Emma H. (Robertson) Barrett. His education was obtained in the public schools of Katonah, and later at Blair Academy, in Blairtown, N. J.
He has always been a resident of his native town. When his school course had ended and he realized he must decide upon future pursuits, he made up his mind in favor of a mer- cantile career. As usual with youths bred in the country, he looked upon New York city as the Mecca of those who would acquire fortunes. Anxious to "be at it," he went to the great city; fortunately, he had acquired industrious habits and a willingness to do what was found to do; he de- termined, as a sensible boy of six- teen years, to accept the first job that came his way. It so happened that the position offered him first was that of an office boy in a mercantile
house; 'e took it. Though he began at the lower rung of the ladder, and found opportunity for promotion rather remote, yet he learned many things relative to the proper mode of transacting business, that prove of special value to him in this latter day when we find him at the head of a prosperous business corporation, the result, principally, of his own exertions. Next he added valuable experience and broader knowledge by a year or more employment in the United States Railway Mail Service, and, later, by serving some time as a clerk in the law office of his dis- tinguished uncle, Judge William H. Robertson.
Mr. Barrett's political career be- gan when County Judge Lent, on February 4, 1896, appointed him School Commissioner for the Third Assembly District of this County, to fill a vacancy caused by the resigna- tion of Timothy C. Adams. The same position his father held for several years, from 1867 to 1876. When young Barrett accepted this office he was only a few months over twenty-two years of age, and fully competent to perform the duties of the' office. In the fall of 1896 he was unanimously nominated, by the Republican convention confirming the action of Judge Lent, for the office of School Commissioner, and his election followed by an unusual large majority, the vote evidencing his popularity. In 1899 he was unani- mously renominated for the same and the election was carried by even a more decisive majority. In 1901, his political party friends, recogniz- ing him as "a vote getter" and worthy of promotion, gave him a unanimous nomination for County Register; as usual he scored by. a big majority at the election. When he entered upon his new duties he had the distinction of being the youngest man ever holding that of- fice, he then being but twenty-nine years of age. He was certainly a simon-pure representative of "the young men in politics." In 1904 he was unanimously renominated for the office of Register, and for the fourth time scored a victory, greater than those that came before. A rule in the Republican organization, limiting County officials to two terms, probably saved him from be-
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ing called upon to run for a third term. As it was, he was four times unanimously nominated in conven- tion and never defeated at the polls.
On his retirement from public of- fice, the old time desire for a mer- cantile career possessed him, and on January 1, 1908, he embarked on board the ship Destiny, fixing his compass direct for success on lines laid out in the automobile business at White Plains. Again he has reached the goal, and as a result a small business has grown, principally through his own efforts, into a
"thriving industry," conducted under the corporate name of the Tri-State Supply Company, one of the largest business enterprises of its kind in the country.
Mr. Barrett found time to serve the Katonah Fire Department as its Chief Engineer for four years. He is a member of the Katonah Board of Education, serving his ninth year. Is chairman of the Republican Town Committee, town of Bedford, serv- ing his tenth year, and represented his town for the same length of time on the Republican County Com- mittee.
Governor Hughes, on May 18, 1910, appointed Mr. Barrett as a Manager of the State Reformatory for Women, at Bedford, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of his father, Joseph Barrett. Immediately following his assuming his new du- ties, he was unanimously chosen as treasurer of the Board of Managers.
Mr. Barrett was married on June 24, 1898, to Miss Maude Williams, daughter of James H. and Elizabeth M. Williams of Katonah. Of this union there are five children, Mar- garet, Joseph W., Mariam, James H., and William H.
EDWARD B. KEAR.
Edward B. Kear, present County Register, and former Town Clerk, Justice of the Peace, County Jus- tice of Sessions and Supervisor, was born on March 24, 1866, in Yorktown Heights, town of Yorktown, where he has always resided. Is a son of Henry C. and Catherine (Farmer) Kear.
Mr. Kear was born on the farm where his parents, grandfather and great-grandfather lived before him
and where he resided until 1909. His great-grandfather, Jonathan Kear, came to America from Wales, before the American Revolution, and set- tled in Yorktown Heights. Jona- than Kear and his son, Peter, grand- father of Edward B. Kear, were sol- diers in the Revolutionary War on the patriot side. Peter Kear mar- ried Susan Anderson, a daughter of a Dutch colonist of Croton-on-the- Hudson, in this County. One of their children was the father of Ed- ward B. Kear. Ine latter, the sub- ject of this sketch, was educated in local schools, the Chappaqua Insti- tute, the Hackettstown (N. J.) In- stitute and Eastman's Business Col- lege. His early days were spent on the farm, where he gave much at- tention to the breeding of fine blooded stock, and gained the repu- tation of being one of the best judges of the horse in the County.
At an early age he took an active interest in public affairs, and shortly after reaching proper age was elected a public official, giving evidence of that popularity that he always re- tained. He was Town Clerk, Justice of the Peace, Justice of Sessions at the time the Court of Sessions was abolished by Constitutional amend- ment; in 1896 was elected Supervisor and continued to hold that office until his election as County Register of Deeds in 1907.
His education in the theory of business made him eligible for the many little offices of trust that con- fiding neighbors assigned to him, as well as for official duties that con- fronted him. He was frequently selected to serve as executor of es- tates, to take and invest the funds of neighbors, to act as arbitrator in local disputes, to appraise property, to fix division lines, to umpire base- ball games, to adjust feuds, to act as best man at weddings, to open local fairs and take chances, to de- liver the principal address at church donations, and to do a thousand and one things as a public benefactor, as it should be done in the Yorktown township. And Mr. Kear knew just how to do it.
It was said of him that he had a disposition of velvet; that he had the judicial mind of a United States Supreme Court Justice, that he ex-
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erted conciliation to the degree of Mr. Barrett. The clerk was an of- a Bishop, that he exhibited the cleverness of a politician, all com- bined.
At the general election held in November, 1907, as candidate for County Register, he polled 22,893 votes and more than any other can- didate on his ticket, to the surprise of many politicians who considered him hardly known outside of his little town. (See page 175, volume 1.)
To illustrate the generosity of Mr. Kear and his kind regard for others, the mention of an incident is allow- able; but for his readiness to ad- vance his own funds, with no expec- tation of a repayment, the guilty party might have received a sentence in prison and the culprit's innocent family made to suffer the pangs of want.
After Mr. Kear had been County Register about a year it was dis- covered that a trusted clerk in his office, attached to the Mortgage Tax Bureau, was dishonest; that he had appropriated to his own use $3,500 belonging to the State, collected as mortgage tax. The clerk was a mem- ber of one of the oldest families of the County and his integrity had never before been questioned in the sixteen years he had been conncted with the Register's office. When confronted with the evidence, the clerk admitted that in an hour of weakness he had yielded to tempta- tion, and now he must expect to ac- cept the penalty. Although not one of his appointees, Register Kear decided to do what he could to save the man of family from a term in prison, and if possible give him another chance. As was his duty, Register Kear noti- fied the State authorities; State ex- pert accountants were sent to make an investigation of all Mortgage Tax records in the office, dating from July 1, 1905, when the Mort- gage Tax Law became operative. Six months were spent in completing the State's examination; at the ter- mination of which it was found that the amount of shortage discovered was identical with the sum first re- ported by Register Kear.
The loss by the dishonesty of such clerk was no reflection upon the ad- ministration of the office of Register, by Mr. Kear or by his predecessor,
ficial of the State, from which he drew his salary. The County Regis- ter is allowed no fee or compensation of any kind for collecting the State Mortgage tax; but for the credit of the County it was determined that the alleged defalcation should be paid in full, and the arranging for this 'payment was the self-assumed task of Register Kear. An uncle of the defaulting clerk agreed to pro- vide $1,400 of the missing sum; Wil- liam G. Barrett, former Register, con- tributed $654, and Register Kear paid the balance, $1,468.
In recognition of Register Kear's successful endeavors in aiding the State, as well as his "extending & hand to a fallen human being," Judge E. E. Woodbury, chairman of the State Board of Tax Commis- sioners, wrote Register Kear a letter expressing the gratification of the State Board, relative to the prompt manner in which an unpleasant in- cident had been closed without loss to the State, also stating that "this opportunity is taken to compliment you on the efficiency displayed by you in the management of your office gen- erally."
The State Mortgage Tax collected in Westchester County amounts to fully $150,000 a year. At the sug- gestion of Register Kear a new sys- tem of collecting this tax is now in vogue, preventing a possibility of loss in the future.
When he was again a candidate of the Republican party for Register, in November, 1910, Mr. Kear led his ticket in the voting, receiving a ma- jority even greater than that re- ceived in 1907, which proved that his popularity increased on trial be- fore the people. At the termination of his term he intended retiring from office to devote his time to looking after his many private interests. His death on August 31, 1911, was sudden and unexpected, and a great loss to the County.
Mr. K-ar was married on June 3, 1896, to Miss Josephine Reynolds, daughter of Lockwood Reynolds of Croton Lake. They have no children.
JAMES F. MARTIN.
James F. Martin, former County Register, former Trustee of the Vil-
CHARLES G. BANKS
WILLIAM G. BARRETT
1
EDWARD B. KEAR
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JAMES F. MARTIN
ISAAC H. SMITH
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lage of Peekskill, former Excise Commissioner, etc., was born in Cro- ton-on-Hudson, in the town where he now resides, a son of James ard Anna (McManus) Martin.
He was educated in the public schools in Verplancks; leaving school when fourteen years of age he found employment in a local brick yard, where he remained one year, then he attended a business school, graduat- ing from that he entered the employ of Eugene Cruger in the grocery and general store business at Crugers, N. Y. About 1868 he accepted a position with John S. Pierce, mer- chants, of New York city. He re- mained with this firm three years. Having learned telegraph operating, he was for a time ticket agent and ·operator at Yonkers. After leaving Yonkers he returned to Peekskill and engaged in the dry goods business. About 1876 he embarked in the manufacturer of cigars and has con- tinued in the cigar business ever since. He is now the largest manu- facturer in the 14th District, N. Y.
Although a Democrat always, he was nominated by the Republicans for village trustee and elected. At the expiration of his term as trustee, he was elected on the Democratic ticket to the office of Commissioner of Excise for the town of Cortland, which office he held for twelve years and until that office was abolished.
In 1908 he was appointed as one .of the commissioners in New York city watershed land condemnation proceedings.
Mr. Martin was appointed by Governor Dix as Register of the .county of Westchester, to fill va- cancy caused by the death of Ed- ward B. Kear. He served in this office from September 29, 1911, to January 1, 1912.
He is a member of the local lodge of Elks and of the local council of Knights of Columbus.
He has been chairman of the Dem- ocratic Town Committee for the last eight years.
Mr. Martin is married; his wife was Miss Margaret L. Vaughey, daughter of James Vaughey, of Ver- plancks. They are blest with seven children, James, Harry, Lo- retta, Anna, Raymond, Victor and Frederick.
ISAAC H. SMITH.
Isaac Hazen Smith, County Regis- ter, former Member of Assembly, former President of the Village of Peekskill, former Legislative Stenog- rapher, former Court Stenographer, etc., a son of Marvin R. and Sarah E. (Smith) Smith, was born in Philipstown, Putnam County, N. Y., on January 13, 1866. When he was quite young his parents removed to Peekskill, where his home continues to be.
He was educated at Peekskill public schools and at the Peekskill Military Academy. Leaving the public school, he, in 1880, secured employment in a local printing of- fice; in 1882 he worked in the Peeks- kill wire mill; from the wire mill he went to the Peekskill Academy, and thereafter entered the law office of Travis & Smith, of Peekskill, the junior member of the firm being his father; in 1883, as a law student, he took up the study of stenography, and soon thereafter was appointed official Court Stenographer of the county of Putnam, which was the beginning of his chosen profession. As an official stenographer he has held the following positions:
Stenographer to the Ways and Means Committee of the Assembly in 1889; to the Assembly in 1890; to Hon. James W. Husted, Senior, in 1891-2; to the Senate Canal Com- mittee and Assistant Stenographer to the Senate in 1894-5; to the County Court of Orange County, from 1896 to 1904; to the County Court and Surrogate's Courts, West- chester County, 1896 to 1902; to the Grand Juries of Westchester County, 1902 to 1907, and to the Supreme Court, 9th Judicial District, 1907 to 1912, when he became County Register.
During such stenographic experi- ence he has reported many important debates in the State Legislature, and several very important civil and crim- inal cases in the different courts with which he has been connected.
Mr. Smith has always been held in the highest respect by his neigh- bors in Peekskill, and, apparently, his popularity knew no bounds; when he would consent to accept public office, he ever found the office wait- ing for him, to be had for the tak- ing. He was "a vote getter, " and
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when all others failed, his political party leaders could turn to him as- sured that he could be elected to any office he consented to be a candidate for.
He was elected a Trustee of the Village of Peekskill in 1899; in this office he served six years, then re- linquished it to become the Village President, in 1905; the village presi- dency came to him as a good-will offering. the opposing political party making no nomination for that of- fice; in the years 1907 and 1909 he was unanimously re-nominated for President by both the Republican and the Democratic parties, and the same fate awaited him in 1911, but he declined further re-election, will- ing to allow the honor to fall upon some other equally worthy. . In the fall of 1907 Mr. Smith ac- cepted the Republican nomination for Assembly in the Third District of this county. This nomination, like others he had received for po- litical preferment, was unsought by Mr. Smith; in fact, he had to make business sacrifices to serve in the of- fice; the year previous the district was nearly lost to Mr. Smith's po- litical party, being only carried by 58, and a Moses was needed to lead at a critical period. The usual good nature of Mr. Smith prompted him to make sacrifices for his friends- he ran and the district was carried by him by 1,894 majority. Having put his party on a sound political basis again in the district, he de- clined a re-election to the Assembly, and resumed his duties as a Supreme Court stenographer.
In the fall of 1911 the Republican party wanted the strongest man ob- tainable to run for the office of County Register.
The Democrats decided to nomi- nate as their candidate for Register a well-known resident of Peekskill, accordingly it was deemed wise to select as the Republican nominee one even stronger if possible; there were several aspirants for the nomination but Mr. Smith was not among the number. The situation developed in one similar to that when the party had to get, in 1907, a candidate to help the balance of the ticket; the Republican leaders turned to Mr. Smith; he was far away assisting to hold court in Putnam County, when the surprising word came to him that he was to be nominated for County Register; he had never even dreamed of such a possibility. He was unanimously nominated. In the running he carried Cortlandt by nearly one thousand majority, prov- ing that he is certainly appreciated in his home town as he deserves to be. His majority in the county was 4,000.
Mr. Smith is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, of Peekskill; of the local lodge F. and A. M .; of Knights of Pythias; of I. O. Odd Fellows; of Red Men; of Sons of Veterans, having been at one time State head of the organiza- tion; of Elks; of the Lincoln So- ciety ; an active member of the Peekskill Fire Department, and a member of the Republican Town Committee of Cortlandt and also of the Republican County Committee.
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