Landmarks of Albany County, New York online

from the Albany Law School and admitted to the bar in May, 1887. spent two years
in the office of Clark Bell in New York city, and in 1890 began the practice of law in
Albany as partner of F. E. Wadhams. Since 1893 he has practiced alone. He is a
foundation member of Philip Livingston Chapter, Sons of the Revolution, and has
been its secretary since 1895. He is one of the first members of the Military Order
of Foreign Wars of the United States and of Troop A, Cavalry of New York (in
which he served two years), and of Temple Lodge No. 14, F. & A. M. He was ad-
mitted to practice in the Ignited States courts in ls90. In 1S93 he married Agnes



54

Estelle, daughter of David B. Pershall, of New York city. Their children are James
Pershall and George Irwin.

Moore. Charles H., M. D., was born in Albany December 7, 1857, and ou his
father's side is of Quaker descent. His great-grandfather, James Moore, was born
in Albany county in 1750; his grandfather was Joseph Moore, also a native of this
county. His father. Dr. Levi Moore, was born in the village of Quaker Street in Al-
bany county, January, 1837, graduated from the Albany Medical College in 1851 and
practiced medicine in Albany until his death, June HO, 1880. He married Georgenia,
daughter of Adam Todd, the builder of Geological Hall and a prominent Albanian of
Scotch descent. Dr. Levi Moore was one of the best known physicians of his day,
and was president of the Albany County and a member of the New York State Med-
ical Societies. Dr. Charles H. Moore was educated in the public schools and High
School at Albany, read medicine with his father, and later with Drs. William H. and
Theodore P. Bailey, and graduated from the Albany Medical College in 1887. He be-
gan practice in Albany and since June, 1889, has been associated with Dr. C. S. Merrill.
In 1888-8!) he took a post-graduate course in the New York Polyclinic, and was also
connected with the Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital, where he spent much of his
time. Since then he has made a specialty of diseases of the eye and ear. He is a
member of the Albany County Medical Society and was made its secretary in 1896;
he is a member of the Albany Camera Club, is assistant eye and ear surgeon to the
Albany City Hospital and the Child's Hospital, and eye and ear surgeon to the Troy
Hospital, also instructor in ophthalmology in the Albany Medical College. In 1892
he married Emma A. . daughter of Walter Gaige, of Albany ; they had one son, Walter
Gaige Moore, who died in August, 1896.

Wackerhagen, William B., is a grandson of Augustus (lunther George Wacker-
hagen, a Lutheran clergyman, who came to this country from Hanover, Germany,
in the latter part of the last century. The latter's son Edward, born in Clermont,
N. Y., in 1825, was a merchant and manufacturer in Greenville and later a manu-
facturer of agricultural implements in Albany and in Racine, Wis., and died in
Albany in 1890. Of his seven children, six are living: Charles Edward of Canaan
Four Corners, N. Y., Charlotte Antoinette of Chicago, William Burroughs of Albany,
Philip Mayer of Racine, Wis., Henrietta Litell of Albany. Kate King of Elyria.
Ohio; Susan Elizabeth, deceased. William B. came to Albany with his parents and
with them removed to Racine, Wis., where he graduated from the high school in
1873, returning in the same year to Albany with the family. After a course in the
Albany Business College he entered in 1874 the employ of Maurice E. Viele, a whole-
.sale hardware dealer. Rising rapidly, he was promoted in 1878 to position of buyer,
remaining with Mr. Viele till June, 1891, when with his present associates he helped
organize and incorporate the Albany Hardware and Iron Company, who purchased
the stock and fixtures and succeeded to a business which had been carried on with-
out interruption for over one hundred years. Of this company Mr. Wackerhagen
has since been secretary, the other officers being Charles H. Turner, president, and
James K. Dunscomb, treasurer. He is a member of the Fort Orange Club, the Mo-
hican Canoe, the Albany Whi.st & Chess, the Empire Curling and Albany County
Wheelmen's Clubs, the Ridgefield Athletic and American Canoe Associations of
which he was secretary atod treasurer in 1893, and a member of the Board of Man-
agers of the Young Men's Association.



55

Bedell, Edwin A., who comes of Huguenot stock on his paternal and of English
and Dutch stock on his maternal side, is a son of Edwin T. and Rachel A. Bedell,
both of whom died while he was very young. He was born in Albany, October!),
1853, and was reared in the home of his grandfather and the late Philip Phelps, for
more than fifty years the deputy comptroller of the State and well known in financial
and religious circles throughout the country. Mr. Bedell's school life was commenced
under Professor Anthony, continued at the Boys' Academy and completed at the
Western College of the Reformed Church in Michigan, of which his uncle. Rev.
Philip Phelps, jr., was president. His preparation for college was under the private
tutorage of Professor Swan. Graduating in 1873 as the salutatorian of his class, he
entered the Albany Law School and also the law office of Peckham & Treniain, and
was admitted to the bar in the spring of 1874. After spending some time in travel,
he began the practice of his profession. He served five years as one of the assist-
ants to the attorney-general of the State, leaving in 1889 to become one of the assist-
ants reporters of the Court of Appeals. He has had a large experience in the law
and is an expert in the law of copyright and trade marks In 1883 he married Car-
oline E., eldest daughter of Hon. Hiram E. Sickels, the late reporter of the Court of
Appeals. He has liad two children, one of whom survives. He is a member of the
Fort Orange Club and is a man of rare literary ability. When twenty years old, he
l)egan to devote his leisure time to the study of sacred music in all its branches, and
later he began the study of hymnology. For many years he has been an active
member of the Madison Reformed church and for twenty-three years has had charge
of Its music and been its organist. Some years ago he compiled a hymnary for the
exclusive use of his Sunday school. This was so great a success that he prepared in
1891 the " Church Hymnary," for the church at large, which has met with warm
approval throughout the religious world, its sales running up into the thousands.

Bridge, Charles F., son of Charles and Lucy M. (Tinker) Bridge, was born in
Albany, February 26, 1865. His great-grandfather. Col. Ebenezer Bridge, born
February 3, 1743, died February 13, 1823, served at Lexington as captain of the
Fitchburg Minutemen, and is mentioned by Bancroft as a general at Bunker Hill.
He served through the Revolution and in the Massachusetts Legislature, and was
the grandson of Matthew Bridge, a soldier in King Philip's war. A monument to
Ebenezer Bridge stands at Fitchburg, Mass. The first American ancestor was John
Bridge, of England, who settled in Cambridge, Mass., in 1632, and was one of the
founders of Harvard College, where a monument stands to his memory. Charles
Bridge settled in Albany about 1859 and in 1860 became one of the wholesale beef
and pork firm of Hawkins Van Antwerp & Co., which was later changed to Van
Antwerp, Bridge & Co., and .still later Bridge & Davis, from which Mr. Bridge re-
tired in 1884. Charles F. Bridge was educated at the Boys' Academy, received the
degree of A. B. from Union College in 1887, was graduated from the Albany Law
School with the degree of LL. B. in 1889, read law with 1. & J. M. Lawson, and was
admitted to the bar in September, 1889. In December following he formed the '
present copartnership of Mills & Bridge (Charles H. Mills). He is a Republican, and
a member of the I. O. O. F., K. A. E. O., and B. P. O. E., the Sons of the Revolu-
tion, the Order of Founders and Patriots, the Psi Upsilon fraternity, and the legal
fraternity of Phi Delta Phi. October 14, 1891, he married Elizabeth B., daughter
of Franklin D. Tower, of Albany.



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Whipple, Walter, was born in the village of Berne in 1846. Malachi Whipple, his
grandfather, was a representative man who came from Stonington, Conn., in 1793,
settling in what is now the town of Knox, and purchased what has ever since been
known as the Whipple farm. His farm in 1820 took the premium as the model farm
in Albany county ; the premium consisted of two solid silver pitchers, silver tea-
spoons, and five silver cups, which are still in possession of different members of the
family; he afterwards received premiums on his sheep and viool and on cloth of his
own manufacture. In 1835 he removed to the village of Berne, purchased a mill
privilege and erected a grist mill. While residing in the town of Knox he repre-
sented that town in the board of supervisors and subsequently represented Berne in
the same capacity. He was also one of the foimders of the Reformed (Dutch) church
of Berne. His wife was Percilla Brown and they had thirteen children ; Amos,
Polly, William, Diana. Lois, Ann. Ethan. Abel. Sarah, Lucy, Parmelia. Allen and
Esli. Esli, the father of Walter Whipple, was born in Knox in 1820. He learned
the harnessmaker's trade and followed it throughout his enter life. He was five
years old when his father moved to the village of Berne and he spent his life there,
with the exception of five years spent in Cohoes. In politics he was a Republican
and was often proffered nominations for public offices, but always declined the honor.
His wife was Angelica Rosekrans. daughter of Dr. Holmes Rosekrans. of Berne,
and they had one child, Walter. Esli Whipple died in February, 1892, and his wife
m October, 1887. They were both members of the Reformed church, in which Mr.
Whipple had been an oflScer for many years, and was an elder m the church at the
time of his death. Walter Whipple attended the common schools of the village and
finished his education by attending select schools for several terms. When sixteen
he entered a store at Rensselaerville as clerk, where he remained three years; the
next two years were spent in Albany as a clerk. He then returned home and engaged
in harness-making with his father, with whom he remained until the latter's death ;
since the death of his father he has continued the business alone. Mr. Whipple is a
Republican and like his father always refused all public offices. In 1871 he married
Miss Josephine Ball of Berne, daughter of Paul and Maria (Moore) Ball. Mr. and
Mrs. Whipple are both members of the Reformed church, of which Mr. Whipple is at
the present time an officer.

Selkirk, William, was born in 1828 and is the son of Robert and grandson of James
Selkirk, who came from Scotland and settled at what is now Selkirk Station, where
he died leaving six sons : Robert, Charles, Francis, James, William and John. Robert
Selkirk remained on the homestead as a farmer, and was for twenty years one of the
assessors of the town. He died in 1870 leaving four sons: James. John, Jacob and
William, who has been assessor for eighteen years and still holds that office.

Rundell, Darius, born in Westerlo, September 3, 1832, is a son of Jeremiah and
Eliza (Lockwood) Rundell, both natives of Westerlo, where she died in 1849. He
removed to Columbia county, where he died in 1892. He was a Republican and a
member of the Masons in Columbia county. The grandparents of Darius, Isaac
and Hannah (Scott) Rundell, came to Westerlo from Dutchess county and settled on
the farm now owned by Darius Rundell. Darius Rundell was educated at Charlott-
ville Seminary, and farming has been his principal business. He has two farms,
one of 126 acres and one of 128 acres, and a gravel bank at South Westerlo. He is



57

a Republican and held theoflfice of justice for eight years, was elected supervisor in
188(i and has been elected at each succeeding election since (was president of the
board in 1894). having held the office longer than any one man ever did in Albany
county. He is president of Greene County Mutual Insurance Company, director of
Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of four counties, also director in the Village
Fire Insurance Company and a notary public. Mr. Rundell is a member of James
M. Austin Lodge No. 557, F. & A. M., and of Chapter No. 283, R. A. M., and has
been master of lodge ten years. In 1853 Mr. Rundell married Ann Eliza, daughter
of Adam and Eliza (Hunt) St. John, farmers of Westerlo. Mr. and Mrs. Rundell
attend the Christian church at South Westerlo.

Zeller, A., is a son of John Zeller, who came from Germany and settled at Indian
Fields in the town of Coeyraans in 1853. Mr. A. Zeller married Henrietta, daughter
of Egbert Stanton, who was a grandson of Reuben Stanton, one of the early settlers
of Westerlo, who had four sons, David, Benjamin, Joseph and Reuben. Reuben
Stanton, jr., had three sons, Egbert, Luman and Reuben W. Egbert Stanton in
early life came to Coeymans, where he married Jane, daughter of Dr. Moses Clement ;
and after carrying on a store for some years, he was engaged the last thirty years of
his life as bookkeeper and salesman of the various freighting firms of Coeymans.
lie died in 1880, leaving a widow, one daughter and a large circle of friends. Mr.
.Stanton was a representative man of the town.

Conyes, L. E., was born in RensselaerviUe in 1849. He is the son of Garret and
the grandson of James Conyes, who came from Germany. Mr. Conyes followed
farming in RensselaerviUe until 1886. when, after spending two years in Florida and
California, he came to Ravena and opened a hotel opposite the depot which he now
runs. Since 1893 he has also been in partnership with C. L. Diston in the coal busi-
ness, and also handling brick, sewer pipe and fertilizers. He is a member of Cas-
cade Lodge F. & A. M., and of the Capital City Chapter of Albany.

Baumes, Mrs. Mary E., is the daughter of John, and the grand-daughter of Am-
brose Wiltsie, who was among the first settlers of Bethlehem, and had nine sons.
John settled on a farm near his father's and died there in 1860, leaving three sons
and six daughters, one of whom, Mary E., married Peter H. Baumes, who was a
farmer of Bethlehem until 1888. when he sold his farm and settled at Ravena, where
he died in 1891, and left three sons: Howard, Hiram and Omar, and two daughters,
Katie and Mary.

Denison. Edward M. — John Denison, after being discharged from the army in the
war of 1813, came to Albany county from Stonington, Conn., and settled in the town
of Knox. In 1818 he married Mary Che.sebro, moved to Schoharie county near
Cobleskill, went into the wool-carding and cloth-dressing business, and raised a
family of six children: Gilbert W., Julia A., Mary J., Charles M., Eli and Andrew.
In 1831 he returned to Knox and went on a farm; in 1841 his wife died, and his
death occurred in 1854. In 1843 Gilbert W. Denison came to Watervliet to work at
gardening; in 1847 he married Sarah Swan; then had no children; in 1869 he bought
a farm near Newtonville; he died in 1895, and his wife in 1896. Julia never married,
but lived with her father, Gilbert, and died in 1892. Mary J. married Petet Chick-
man and died in 1875, leaving a family of four children. Charles M. went west in



58

1844, returned in 1858, married Sarah M. Chesebro in 1864, bought a farm in the
town of Guilderland; had three children: L. Augusta, Edward M. and William C. :
in 1880 he sold his farm, moved to Newtonville to work his brother's farm ; in 1885 he
bought a farm adjoining his brother's on the east and went into the milk business.
Edward M. lived with his uncle until the latter's death, and then bought the farm ;
in 1885 he married Miss Ida, daughter of Sylvester Pitts of Colonic; by her he has
four children. L. Augusta and William C. are with their father. In October, 1896,
William C. married Jessie Furgurson. Eli served in the war of the Rebellion, was
taken prisoner and died on Belle Island. Andrew is still in Knox engaged in
farming.

Fuller, Aaron, a prominent landmark, was born in the town of Guilderland,
within a mile of where he now resides, in 1832. He is the son of Major John
Fuller, who was born in New Scotland ; one of the four sons and two daughters born
to Aaron, and of Scotch ancestry. He was a farmer in New Scotland and his wife
â– was Margaret McMillin. Major John was a great military man and a member of
the State militia. By vocation he was a farmer. He settled in the town of Guilder-
land and on this land was later located Fuller's Station. He was an active and pub-
lic spirited man and was interested in all town enterprises, and was the founder of
town insurance, and through his efforts were established the first town insurance
organizations in the State of New York. He was a member of assembly in 1847;
his wife was Harriet Moak, daughter of William Moak; she was born in New Scot-
land ; they reared six daughters and one son. Mr. Fuller died m 1883, aged eighty
and his wife in 1861, aged fifty-eight. Aaron Fuller attended the common schools
and spent two years at the Schoharie Academy, and as he was the only son, he re-
mained with his father for many years, and then embarked for himself by purchas-
ing his present farm, and for the past thirty years has been engaged extensively in
the hay and straw business at Fuller's Station, where he now resides, having leased
his farm. He has held many important town offices, having served as supervisor
of the town for four years, and one term as commissioner. In the fall of 1881 he was
elected to represent the Second Assembly district of Albany county in the Assembly.
He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Noah Lodge, No. 754, and was formerly
a member of Temple Lodge, No. 14, of Albany, and has been a member for forty
years. In February, 1862, he married Ada Fitch, who was born in New Scotland,
a daughter of Ebenezer A. Fitch ; she died in August of the same year.

Ryall John.— This honorable gentleman was born in Wales, August 3, 1839. He
is the sou of James and Margaret (Kerwick) Ryall, natives of the county of Tipper-
ary, Ireland, who went to Wales in early life shortly after their marriage, and
returned to Ireland about six months after the birth of the son, John. James was a
farmer and spent his early life as a farm foreman. He was one of four sons, George,
Michael, John and James. George went to Australia and the others came to America.
In 1851 Margaret, the mother of John, left her home in Ireland without the knowl-
edge of her husband and came to America. She communicated her intentions to
her husband as she was about to board the ship in Liverpool; after arriving in
America she worked, accumulated money, and assisted her husband and family to
join her, which they did in 1853. They spent their remaining days in the town of
New Scotland where he died in 1857, four years after their arrival in America. His



59

wife died February 23, 1895, at the age of eighty-six. To them were born seven
children: John, James, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Thomas, Edward and Margaret.
Elizabeth and Mary died in Ireland at the residence of their grandmother, aged
respectively nine and eleven. John spent his early life at farm work and attended
the common district school winters for a limited number of terms; he being the
eldest, it fell upon him to care for his mother and younger brothers and sisters. In
the fall of 1861 he enlisted in Co. D, 91st N. Y. Vols., and later re-enlisted in the
same company and served until the close of the war. He was at the siege of Port
Hudson, Five Forks, Petersburg, and Appomattox. His brother James was also a
soldier in the army from the beginning until the close of the war, enlisting as a private
in the 3d N. Y. Vols., and being promoted to a captain; he died in 1881. Mr. Ryall
again engaged in farm work, which he has followed more or less to the present time.
He was elected and re-elected four succe.ssive terms of four years each as justice of
the peace. The years 1893-94 he was justice of sessions; he is a United Stales loan
commissioner for the county of Albany. He is a member of the G. A. R., Lew Bene-
dict Post No. 5 of Albany, also a member of the Veteran League of Albany. In 1864
he was married to Miss Mary Stapleton, daughter of John Stapleton of New Scot-
land, by whom he has had six children: Mina, wife of Garret Bradt, Idella, Mary,
Lillie, who died when seventeen, Estella and Gertrude.

Strevell, A. M., was born in the town of Berne in 1830. He is the son of Harvey
and grandson of Mathias Strevell, who came from Dutchess county to Berne about
1800. Harvey Strevell had three sons; Jason W., who is a prominent lawyer;
Estus H. , who was for some years a merchant at Ravena and died there May 22, 1896 ;
and A. M. Strevell who, in 1857 went to Albany where he was in a store until 1873,
when he returned to Berne and engaged in the farming business until 1885 when he
moved to New Scotland, and in 1889 came to Ravenna and opened a hardware store,
which he has since carried on. He has always taken a keen interest in the affairs of
his town, and for nine years served as highway commissioner, and was also a mem-
ber of the State Constitutional Convention in 1874.

Slingerland, Henry, was born in Albany county in 1830, and began his business
life as a clerk in New Baltimore, Greene county, N. Y., and after six years began
business for himself in New Baltimore, which he carried on until 1867, when he came
to Coeymans where he has since conducted business, buying, selling and shipping
hay and other farm products. In 1852 he married Charlotte Houghtaling, whose
father was Anthony C. Houghtaling; her paternal grandfather was Conrad and great-
grandfather Thomas Houghtaling, a pioneer of Albany county ; and her maternal
grandfather was Jasper S. Keeler. Mr. and Mrs. Slingerland have had five chil-
dren ; two died in infancy, and their three sons are now associated with their father
in business.

Willis, Mrs. Alexander, was the widow of A. E. Willis, who died in 1895. Mrs.
Willis was the sister of Fletcher Blai-dell and Dr. Wesley Blaisdell, and a daughter
of Levi Blaisdell who died in 1833; he was a .soldier in the Revolutionary war, and
afterwards came and settled in Coeymans; he was a ship builder, and had two sons
and one daughter: Dr. Wesley Blaisdell, and Fletcher Blaisdell, the daughter being
Mrs. Willis, who was married in 1841 and had the following children: David B., of
New York; Alexander B., who died in 1890; Henrietta and Henry, who died in in-



fancy ; Charles, who died in 1891 ; Wilbor, who is a bachelor of Castleton ; Sarell,
who is a bachelor and lived with Mrs. Willis, and two daughters, Harriet and Min-
nie. Mr. Willis was a merchant and speculator of Coeymans. Mrs. Willis died No-
vember 27, 1896.

Martin, Peter W., was born in New Scotland in June, 1834. John, the great-
grandfather, was born in Coxsackie; he was left an orphan when quite young; he
was a mason by trade and was a soldier in the English array during the Revolution-
ary war ; he settled in the town of New vScotland, before the war, there he worked
at his trade and died in New Salem in about 1816; his wife was Maria Fralick, by
whom he had thirteen children, of whom four were boys. Peter, the grandfather,
was born in this town in December, 1781 ; he was a farmer, and a soldier in the war
of 1812; his wife was Christiana Allen, daughter of William and Jennie (Drummons)
Allen, both born in Scotland; they had seven children: Margaret, Isabella, Mary,
Jennie, William, Avery, and John; he died in June, 1852. and his wife died in 1839.
William, the father, was born in New Scotland, October 18, 1806, and came on the
farm he now owns with his parents when he was six years of age ; when he was
thirty years of age he purchased half of his father's farm of ninety-four acres, and in
1851 purchased the other half; since then he has devoted himself to farming; he
erected all the buildings and made many other improvements; in October, 1829. he
married Mary, daughter of William Moak and granddaughter of Robert Taylor, a
native of Ireland, and their children were Mary, Jane, Peter W., William M., Rob-
ert, Harriet A., Rachael, andAlden, who died when twenty-two years of age ; his
wife died April 19, 1880. Peter W. remained on the farm with his father until he
was twenty-four years of age, when he engaged in farming for himself; in ISHS he
moved to Guilderland and bought a farm, where he resided until 1883; he then .sold
the farm and moved to Guilderland Center and embarked in the general mercantile
business with J. H. Oggsbury. They continued for several years until the store was