Landmarks of Albany County, New York online

Nawadaha Tribe No. 397, L O. R. M., which was organized in his office with ten
members, which now has four tribes numbering about 400 members, was its first
sachem, and in August, 1896, represented it at the Grand Council in Saratoga. July
1, 1896, Mr. Brasure married Helen, daughter of William and Mary McCredie of
Albany, and of Scotch descent.

Atkins, John R., is one of the most energetic and progressive business men of
West Troy, and since 1885 has been engaged as plumber, gas and steam pipe fitter,
and is agent for the Boynton steam and hot water heaters. After one year in Roch-
ester at his trade, he spent seven years in Philadelphia as an employee in the
plumbing business. Mr. Atkins was born at Sing Sing in 1854, and is a son of
William Atkins, a grocer. When twelve years of age he removed to Rochester,
where he was educated. In 1878 he came as a plumber to Troy, making his home
at West Troy.

Bender, Matthew, was born in Albany, December 2, 1845, and is a son of Wendell
M. , a grandson of Matthew, and a great-grandson of Christian Bender, who came
from VVurtemburg, Germany, and settled in Bethlehem, Albany county, in 1740, and
was a sergeant in the Revolution in Slingerland's Company, Schuyler's Regiment,
3d Rensselaer Battalion. He "married Mary Cramer, and had five sons and four
daughters. Matthew Bender, son of Christian, was born in Bethlehem, March 13.
1782, married Elizabeth Ramsey (born March 7, 1789, died December 17, 1839), and
died August 8, 1866. Wendell M. Bender, son of Matthew Bender, was born in
Bethlehem, October 17, 1812, and married, August 11, 1843. Mary Brown (born Feb-
ruary 27, 1833, died October 18, 1854), and died January 10, 1882. Their .son,
Matthew Bender, was educated in Professor Anthony's Classical Institute and Pro-
fessor Collins's Private School, and was graduated from Union College in 1866. He
then engaged in the wholesale lumber business in Albany with his father until 1877,
when he accepted a position with William Gould & Son, law book publishers, which
he held for ten years. In 1887 he engaged in business for himself as a publisher
of law books and has since continued with marked success, enjoying a trade all
over the United States. He is a member of Masters Lodge No. 5, F. & A. M.,
Capital City Chapter No. 242, R. A. M.. and Temple Commandery No. 2, K. T.
July 17, 1867, he married Hannah Louisa, daughter of the late John Thomas, jr.,



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proprietor of the Premium Mills and a prominent coffee and spice merchant of Al-
bany. They have had five children: Mitthew, jr., and John Thomas, who are
associated in business with their father; Louisa and Bertha (who died young), and
Melvin Thomas, a student at Union College, class of 1900.

Glass, Edwin G., was born in the village of West Troy, Albany county, in ISfil.
He received his early education at the Nassau and Mechanicville Academies, and
also completed a commercial course at the Troy Business College, after which he
became a partner in the extensive drug and paint establishment of his father, whom
he succeeded at the time of his death, which occurred in 1884. Mr. Glass still continues
the business, and by careful and judicial management he now enjoys the distinction of
being one of the foremost business men in that part of Albany county. At the
spring election in the town of Watervliet in 1896 he was solicited by his party to take
his initial step in politics, by accepting the Republican nomination for supervisor, and
was elected in a Democratic town by an overwhelming majority over his opponent,
Hon. Terrence Cummings. In 1884 he married Mi.ss Sadie Benedict, the accomplished
daughter of an old and respected citizen.

Nussbaum, Hon. Myer, is a native of Albany, and received a common school edu-
cation. He was admitted to the bar in 1877 and immediately formed a copartnership
with George H. Stevens, which continued for four years. He was appointed police
magistrate by Mayor Swinburne in 1884 and served about a year, and in 1893 was
elected member of assembly from the Third assembly district of Albany county. In
1895 he elected State senator to represent Albany county for a term of three years.
Mr. Nussbaum is actively identified as trustee, or member, with the several charita-
ble institutions and social clubs of Albany. His present law partner, who was ad-
mitted in December, 1895, is Joseph P. Coughlin, who liad l)een for a numl)er of
years his managing clerk.

Chadwick, P. Remsen, whose death in 1891 removed from the city of Cohoes one
of its most prominent men, was a native of New York city, born in 1831. He was
a resident there during the war and went out in the 7th N. Y. Regiment first, then
afterwards m the 100th N.Y. Regiment, and again as adjutant-general on the staff of
General Truman Seymour, servmg through the entire war. Mr. Chadwick was a de-
scendant from an old English family: his grandfather, Joseph, came from England
in 1799, and settled in New York city. His father, William, built one of the Har-
mony Mills of Cohoes and was one of the founders of the Cohoes Company; he him-
self was an owner of the Ontario Mills and a well known manufacturer. He was the
first captain of the Seventh Separate Company N. G. S. N. Y. of Cohoes, which he
helped to organize. He left, besides his widow, one son, Robert R. Chadwick, who
IS engaged in an insurance agency in Albany.

Le Roy, Hon. William B., since his graduation in 1880, at Granville Military
Academy, and two years' previous work at the Highland Military Academy, Wor-
cester, Mass., has been a proprietor of the Globe Knitting Mills, conducted by the
firm of Le Roy & Lamb, of which his father, Alfred Le Roy, was the senior mem-
ber. His father was one of the foremost figures in the management of the munic-
ipal affairs of the city of Cohoes, a position he had once before occupied. He was
born at Mechanicville, and is of French ancestry. He came to this place in 1857



110

and engaged in the hardware business, establishing the first telegraph office in this
city in his store. He was a mason by trade and in later years was a contractor.
The many offices in which he served his county as trustee, alderman, mayor and
assemblyman in ISTT, attest the honor in which he is held. William B. Le Roy is
a native of Cohoes, born in 1861. He inherits the sterling qualities of his father,
and has filled acceptably many responsible positions among his fellowmen. He was
a member of assembly in 1889 and 1890. and afterwird police commissioner in
1893-93 and in 1894. He is also prominent in the order of K. of P. and holds high
rank in the Masonic fraternity.

Montmarquet, J. D., M. D., was born in Jersey City, April 23, 1860. He received
his primary education in the public .schools of New York and New Jersey, after
which he went to Canada to prosecute his classical studies, where he graduated in
1883; returning to Jersey City, he began the study of medicine in 1886 at Columbia
College, N. Y., graduating in 1889. In the fall of that year he came to Cohoes and
commenced the practice of his profession. He has held the office of coroner's phy-
sician. He IS a member of the New York State Medical Association, the Albany
County Medical Society and the Troy and Vicinity Medical Association. He is en-
joying a lucrative practice. January 18, 1891, he was married to Wilhelmina Zecher
of Jersey City; he has three children, Marcelline, Theresa and Joseph.

Witbeck, C. E., M. D., is of Dutch ancestry, the family name being originally Van
Witbeck. The first American ancestor, John Thomas Witbeck, settled at New Am-
sterdam, now New York. Mr. Witbeck is the son of Abram Witbeck, formerly su-
perintendent in the painting department in the Watervliet Arsenal, and was born at
West Troy in 1844, and began his medical study- at the Albany Medical College, re-
ceiving his diploma in 1866. He located in Cohoes in 1867 where he still practices
his profession. He is a member of the Albany county and of the New Yoak State
Medical Societies, and American Medical As.sociation, and was president of the
Cohoes Medical Association, and was vice-president of the Albany County Medical
Society. He has served eight terras as health officer in Cohoes, been police surgeon,
and also city physician.

CusUman, Col. Harry C, is a lineal descendant of Robert Cushman of the May-
flower, in whose name the charter for Plymouth Colony was granted. Paul Cush-
man, sr., who came to Albany from Vermont, was one of the first in America to
engage in the' pottery business, having an establishment near the site of the present
Park Bank. He married Margaret McDonald, and their son, Paul, jr., born in Al-
bany, December 35, 1833, began his business career in the produce and commission
business, which was finally discontinued. From 1853 to 1869 he was in partnership
with his brother, Robert S., founding the present wholesale importing wine house,
which he carried on until his death, June 3, 1895. He was a director in the Capital
City Insurance Company, a trustee of the National Savings Bank, interested in
railroads and other projects, a member of the Masonic order and a foundation
member of the Fort Orange and old Albany Clubs. He married in 1845, Mary
Jane, daughter of Capt. I. I. Taylor of Oswego, N. Y., who died in 1854, leaving
two children. Januaiy 31, 1856, he married Julia A., C. Hlackwell of Richmond,
Va., who died September 5, 1885, leaving three children, of whom Harry C. is the
eldest. Harry C. Cushman, born in Albany, July 31, 18.57, was educated at the



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Albany Academy, and St. John's Military School at Sing Sing; he intended entering
the University of Virginia, where his mother's family had usually attended, but the
effects of an attack of the Roman fever prevented ; after three years passed in travel-
ing, his health being restored, he in 1881 organized and became secretary and
treasurer of the Albany Pharmaceutical (now the Albany Chemical) Company. Three
years later he withdrew and associated himself with his father, in 188.5 became a
partner and in 189.5 succeeded to the business. He joined Co. A. 10th Regt. N. G.
N. Y., February 10, 1870; was made aide-de-camp on Gen. R. S. Oliver's staff, .5th
Brigade, January 31,1883, and was promoted assistant adjutant-general. 3d Brigade,
January 8. 1801. a post he still holds. He is a member of Masters Lodge No. 5, F.
& A. M., the Albany Institute, the Fort Orange Club, Albany Country Club, the
Reform Club of New York and the Order of Founders and Patriots of America, and
a director in the Park Bank and trustee of the National Savings Bank. June 'id.
1890, he married Celia Eli abeth, daughter of Edward Sander.son of Milwaukee, Wis.,
and their children are Paul and Edward Sanderson.

Hurlbut, Gansevoort de Wandelaer, is a descendent of Thomas Hurlbut. who
came from England to Wethersfield, Conn., in 1636. and was a soldier under Lion
Gardner, receiving 10,000 acres of land in Wethersfield, Conn., from Queen Anne
for conspicuous bravery in border warfare, and on his maternal grandmother's
side from Harmon Harmense Gansevoort, of Holland, who was in Albany as early
as 1660 and who had a brewery on the site of Stanwi.t Hall, which property has
always remained in the Gansevoort family. Oldest son of Harmon Harmense
married Catrina de Wandelaer. Mr. Hurlbut's great-grandfather, Leendert Ganse-
voort, 1753-1810, was prominent during the Revolutionary period, serving as a
member 'of the provincial Congress, 1775-1777; delegate and president of the Con-
tinental Congress, 1777; assemblyman, 1778-1779; member of the Council of Ap-
pointment, 1781 ; appointed by Governor Clinton, county judge, 1794-1797; State
senator from 1798 to 1802; probate judge, 1799; member of the Constitutional Conven-
tion, 1801; and colonel of Light Cavalry during the Revolution; he received fiis
appointment as attorney-at law from the Earl of Dunmore and Governor Tryou. In
1770 he married Hester Cuyler, and his daughter, Catherine Gansevoort, married
Tuenis Van Vechten. the late mayor of Albany, a descendant of Tuenis Dirkse Van
Vechten, who settled in Greenbush, 1636; he was a nephew of the noted lawyer,
Abram Van Vechten, to whose practice he succeeded. A daughter of this marriage,
Catherine Cuyler, was the wife of Elisha P. Hurlbut and mother of Gansevoort de
W. Hurlbut. Elisha Powell Hurlbut, son of Judge Daniel Hurlbut, of Court of
Common Pleas of Herkimer county and member of assembly in 1811-1812 of Mont-
gomery county, was born October 1.5, 1807. and died September 5. 1889. He became
presiding justice of the Supreme Court, judge of the Court of Appeals and a writer
of considerable note. He was largely instrumental in effecting many legal reforms
through the constitution of 1846 and was deeply interested in .science. Gansevoort
de W. Hurlbut was born in Newport, Herkimer county, November 8. 18.57, received
an academic education, studied medicine at the Albany Medical College, read law
in Albany with Jenkins & Cooper, and was graduated from the Albany Law School
and admitted to the bar in 1880. He has since practiced his profession in Albany,
and in 1893 was the Republican candidate for recorder of the city. July 6, 1881, he



112

married Kate, daughter of the late Gerrit Van Sante Bleecker, of Albany, and their
children are Catherine Gansevoort and Gansevoort Bleecker. Judge E. P. Hurlbiit
had threee other children: Jeanette Cuyler, wife of Morris S. Miller, esq.; Bertha
Van Vechteu and Ernest Cole.

Ball, Dayton, son of Dayton and Mary (Phillips) Ball, was born in Lancaster, Pa.,
in 1832. On his father's side he is of English descent and on his mother's side of
Welsh descent. He received his education in the common schools and then entered
the office of the Lancaster Intelligencer, President Buchanan's home organ, where
he remained one year. He then was employed by Jonathan Russell of Philadelphia,
who was a last manufacturer. In 1854 he entered Bryant & Stratton's Mercantile
College at Buffalo, N. Y.. from which he graduated and in 1861 he removed to
Albany, N. Y., where he obtained the situation of foreman in George H. Graves &
Co.'s last manufactory. In 1865 Mr. Ball was made a partner in the business and
the name of the firm became Graves, Ball & Co. In 1881 Mr. Graves died and the
name was again changed to that of Dayton Ball & Co., the present firm name. Mr.
Ball is a 32 Mason and was commander of Temple Commandery No. 2, Albany, in
1876 and 1877. He has been treasurer of Temple Lodge and is a member of the
building committee Of the new Masonic Hall. Mr. Ball is also a member of the
Camera, Albany, Fort Orange and Acacia Clubs. In 1862 he was married to Miss
Catherine A. Forbes of New York city and they had three children : Kate A. , de-
ceased, Henry Dayton and Mabel A.

Treadwell, George Curtis, son of Major George H. and Elizabeth S. Treadwell,
wa.s born in Albany, N.Y.. August 24, 1872. On his father's side he is a descendant
of a long line of Puritan ancestors, the first of whom, Thomas Treadwell, came to
America in 1636 and settled in Ipswich, Mass. Mr. Treadwell's great-grandfather
was Governor Treadwell, the last of the Puritan governors of Connecticut and also
the last person serving as chief magistrate, who combined the theologian and the
statesman. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch was the late George
Curtis Treadwell. well known as one of the most eminent of the men that have ad-
vanced the welfare of Albany. George H. Treadwell, the father of George C, was
prominently identified with the commercial interests of Albany and was the organ-
izer of the George C. Treadwell Company, and one of the largest stockholders.
George C. Treadwell was educated at Farmington, Conn., and at Sedgwick Institute
at Great Barrington, Mass., where he prepared for Yale University and was grad-
uated in 1893. At present Mr. Treadwell is a trustee and agent for two Treadwell
estates, and is a great lover and student of art. For two years he was secretary and
director of the George C. Treadwell Company. He is a member of the Sons of the
Revolution, Society of the Colonial Wars, Military Order of the Loyal Legion, Uni-
versity Glee Club of New York city and of the Signal Corps of the 3d Brigade, N. G.
N. v., from which he has been recently promoted to Colonel on the Governor's staff,
having been appointed military secretary to Governor Black, January 9, 1897.

Masten, James H., born in Owego, Tioga county, N. Y., May 13, 1828. After re-
ceiving a common .school education he learned the printer's trade with Andrew H.
Calhoun. In 1851 he obtained a situation in the office of the Albany Evening-
Journal, then under the management of Thurlow Weed and George Dawson. He
was also for a time employed by Joel Munsell. Later he bought the Cohoes Cat-



113

aract, then owned by the firm of Silliman & Miller, and conducted it successfully for
twenty-five years. Mr. Masten edited the Cohoes Daily News for five years, after
leaving the Cataract. In 1887 he was appointed paymaster of the Victor Knitting
Mills Company, where he is at present. Mr. Masten was postmaster of Cohoes from
18()5 to 1886 and has held many local appointive offices. He is a deacon of the First
Baptist church of Cohoes. In 1854 he married Almeda, daughter of Rev. William
Arthur, of Newtonville, Albany count\-. They have one son, Arthur H., a lawyer,
residing in New York city.

Mulcahy, Bartholomew, was born in the city of Cork, Ireland, in 1838. His father was
a carpenter and died when he was but two years old, leaving him to pave his own way
in the world. In 1852 he came to America and directly to Cohoes, where he learned
the carriage-making trade, and he has ever since been a resident. He has been
very successful manufacturing wheels for New York city trade, and during the war
he made gun carriage wheels for the United States government. His first wheel
factory, destroyed by fire in 1864, was located where the Victor Mills stand. He
then removed to the corner of Congress and While. He has been a water commis-
sioner for twelve years and was one of the first aldermen when Cohoes was made a
city in 1869.

Travis, William C, with his brother, Charles S. Travis, has conducted a lumber
business at No. 227 Saratoga street, Cohoes, since 187~, uuder the firm name of
Jacob Travis's Sons. Jacob Travis, the father, was a pioneer here in the lumber
trade, coming to Cohoes in 1846, and the establishment has been of long standing.
In his death, January 8, 1894, Cohoes lost one of its oldest and most honored citizens.
William Travis is a native of Waterford, born in 1833, and one of the first aldermen
upon the organization of the city in 1869. He has been a member of the Board of
Education for two terms. January 18, 1855, he was married to Sarah E., daughter
of Alpha White of Cohoes. They have two children; Frances E.. wife of Dr. George
A. Cox of Albany, and Matthew S., who married Louisa MoUeur; she died August
:i, 1895, leaving four children- Osmond C, Matthew S., jr., William H. and Mary
Louise, deceased.

Crounse, Beniamin, was born in the town of Guilderland, in 1839. He was a son
of Nicholas, who was born in Guilderland in 1789. Nicholas was the youngest son
of his father's family and came into possession of his father's homestead. His wife
was Elizabeth Severson, and they had three sons and six daughters. Mr. Crounse
died m his eighty-eighth year. His wife survived him about seven years and died
in her eighty-fifth year. Mr. Crounse remained on the farm with his father until he
was twenty-four years of age. He received a common school education, and in 1863
engaged as clerk in a store. Three years later he engaged for himself in the gen-
eral mercantile business, which he followed until 1883. He then sold out his busi-
ness and engaged in the fire insurance business, removing to Albany where he lived
for five years. He still follows the fire insurance business, in connection with which
he superintends his farm of 150 acres, eighty-six of which lies in the village corpora-
tion, Altamont. In 1890 he engaged as traveling salesman for the clothing house
of Babcock, Shannon & Co., of Albany, with whom he is now. During the years
1885-87, he served his town as supervisor and was secretary and treasurer of the



114

Guilderland Mutual Fire Insurance Co. for many years. In 1862 he married Miss
Emma Keenholts, daughter of James Keenholts, and they have had six children :
Allen J., died in 1885 at the age of twenty-one; Edgar, who is a teacher in the Al-
bany Business College ; Mimetta, wife of Dr. McHarg. of Albany; Eugene, who is
employed by Babcock, Shannon & Co., as head bookkeeper; Milton, who is assistant
bookkeeper and stenographer for the same firm ; and Emma Marion.

Flansburgh, Alexander, was born in the town of New Scotland, November 28,
1846. He received a limited education and grew to manhood on his father's farm
and when twenty one worked for his father by the month. He subsequently began
for himself on one of his father's farms, in 1881 purchasing the homestead farm of
160 acres on the Helderberg Mountains, on which he lived seven years, when he re-
moved to his father's farm, which he has since managed. He has devoted much
attention successfully to fruit culture. In 1893 he became a member of the Patrons
of Husbandrj', Clarksville Lodge No. 781, and in the autumn of the same year was
elected master of the lodge, which office he now holds. He is theonly man in Albany
county who is a member of the County, State and National Grange. He has visited
many of the higher lodges throughout the country, at his own expense, for the ben-
efit of his home lodge, and through his efforts and support, the Clarksville lodge in
the spring of 1896 was enabled to purchase a building in the village to hold their
meetings in. In June, 1896, he joined the Patrons of Industry as charter member,
was elected president of Clarksville Association No. 515. When Albany County
Association P. of I. was organized he was elected treasurer and business manager
of the county, and has made it a success for the patrons of the county, of which there
are about 1,200 at this writing. Mr. Flansburgh is a Republican and has served one
year as collector. In 1872 he married Hattie (anative of New Scotland) a daughter
of John and Rachel M. (Moak^ O'Bryan, and they have three children ; Margaret L.
(wife of William G. Moak of Westerlo), Clara C. and Charles. Mrs. Flansburgh is
a member of the Clarksville Lodge, Patrons of Husbandry, in which she holds the
office of Ceres; their daughter Clara is also a member of the grange and fills the
office of Pomona. His wife, Hattie, and children, Clara and Charles, are also mem-
bers of the Patrons of Industry. Matthew Flansburgh, his father, was born in New-
Scotland in 1818 and has been a lifelong and successful farmer. His wife vt'as Nancy
M. Dunbar and their children are: Emeline, Cordelia and Alexander. John P.
Flansburgh, the grandfather of Alexander, was born in the town of Bethlehem. Sep-
tember 23, 1784, and was a lifelong and successful farmer. He lived in Sharon, Al-
bany county, and subsequently settledMn New Scotland on the Helderbergs and there
spent his remaining days. The last forty-two days of his life was spent fasting,
partaking of nothing but water, believing, as he said, his Maker had commanded
him to stop eating of the fruit of the vine. He died July 14, 1867. In April, 1803,
he married Margaret Kniver, who was a native of Bethlehem, and their children
were Peter, David, Jacob, Michael, Maria, Eva, John, William, Elizabeth, Martha,
Catharine, Cornelia and Garrett ; by his second wife one son was born, James. Jacob,
the great-grandfather, was a native of Holland and spent his active life in the town
of Bethlehem as a farmer. The second great-grandfather and the parent tree of the
family of Flansburgh in America, was a native of Holland and settled in Bethlehem.
He was a farmer and was murdered for his money by the tax collector, Schoonmaker,



115

who seeing Mr. Flansburgh had money, returned in the night with an accomplice
aud asked for cider; while Mrs. Flansburgh was in the cellar after the cider, with
an ax, he killed Mr. Flansburgh, secured the money and fled. He was apprehended,
tried and executed.

Ireland, Francis Asbury, is a member of one of the oldest and most respected
families of the town of Watervliet, Albany county, where he was born May 6, 1824.
He was educated in the common schools and at Schenectady, N. Y., and has always
been a farmer,and resident m the aforesaid town (now called Colonie) where, as a Re-
publican, though never seeking, he has held minor town offices. He has been a trus-