1900 Biographies "D" Surnames, Columbia County, New York, USA

FACTORS IN COLUMBIA COUNTY HISTORY

From

Columbia County at the End of the Century

Volume II

Published and Edited Under the Auspices of the Hudson Gazette

The Record Printing and Publishing Co.

Hudson, New York

M C M (1900)

"D" SURNAMES

These biographies in Part III begin after page 132 of Volume II beginning with page 3.

Abbreviations used: p. o. = post office

Page 49:

DALEY, Charles C., p. o. East Chatham, N. Y., was born in the town of New Lebanon, N. Y., October 20, 1854, and is a son of Daniel Daley. He attended the public schools, and began work as a farmer. He afterward studied law, and was a justice of the peace eight years. He was united in marriage with Maria C. Palmer, daughter of Warren Palmer. They are the parents of Herbert E., Norman C., Arthur K., Eugene R., Harold B., and Mary E. Daley.

Pages 49 & 50:

DALEY, William B., p. o. Chatham, N. Y., was born in Chatham, N. Y., May 2, 1872, son of William C. and Kittie (Bailey) Daley. William C. Daley was born at East Chatham, N. Y., November 8, 1839. As a boy he attended the district schools in summer and worked in his father's shop in winter. He taught school for a time, employing his leisure hours in studying law. Later he read law in the office of Van Schaack & Beale, in Kinderhook, and with A. C. Benton of Valatie. In 1863 he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of his profession in the village of Chatham, where he always was a prominent figure in public affairs. He gave conspicuous service in preparing the charter of Chatham village, and served as the first police justice under its provisions; he also served as trustee and later was president of the village. He rendered his party excellent service as chairman of the county committee and was a member of the State committee. He was appointed supervisor in his district when the last National census was taken, and was congratulated upon the efficiency of his work. He was elected State Senator from his district in 1895, declining a renomination at the expiration of his term in 1898. He was prominent in Masonic circles, having been past master of Columbia Lodge No. 98, and district deputy grand master. His whole professional and public life was one of spotless integrity. He was married to Kittie, daughter of Dr. W. C. Bailey. They had the following children: Mrs. F. E. Moore, of Williamstown, Mass.; W. B. Daley, Dr. Robert M. Daley, of New York city; Mrs. Fletcher Williams, of Chatham Center., N. Y., and Misses Blanche and Pauline, and De Witt Daley. William C. Daley died on the 6th of July, 1899, leaving a vacancy in the circle of Chatham's best citizens. William B. Daley received his preparatory education in the schools of Chatham, and was graduated form the Law School of Cornell University with the degree of Master of Laws. He began practice in Chatham in 1893. He holds membership in Lodge No. 98, F. & A. M., and in the Knights of Pythias. He was married to Agnes, daughter of Charles Bell, of Hillsdale, N. Y. They have one son, William B. Daley, Jr.

Page 53:

DE WITT, Edgar R., p. o. Cheviot, N. Y., was born in the town of Germantown, N. Y., October 1, 1866, son of John R. and Margaret C. (Lasher) De Witt. John R. De Witt was born in Stanhope, N. J., and came to Cheviot in 1861. Edgar R. De Witt was educated in Grammar School No. 3, New York city. In 1886 he began the retail coal business in Cheviot, which he still continues; he also manufactures cider and vinegar, his product being marketed in New York, Brooklyn and Jersey City. He has seven acres devoted to fruit culture, and is manager for his mother of the Cheviot Hotel (formerly the East Camp Hotel); this house was conducted as a hotel by his grandfather and father, and has been in the family for four generations. Mr. De Witt was elected town clerk in 1898 and re-elected in 1899 for two years. He is a Republican, was noble grand of Hudson City Lodge, No. 142, I. O. F., from January 1, to July 1, 1900, and is a member of Germantown Lodge No. 202, A. O. U. W. He is an enterprising business man, and make easy work of the multitude of cares upon his hands. He was married to Hannah Rockefeller, and they have two children, Clyde H. and Sherman E.

Pages 51 & 52:

DECKER, Fred, of Livingston, N. Y., was born in that town, October 29, 1864, the only child of Nicholas and Rachel (Scism) Decker. Nicholas was the only son of Rufus and Catherine (Bortle) Decker. Rufus was the son of Nicholas, and his father was the first of the family in the country. He came from Germany and purchased a large tract of land which was divided into four farms and given to his different sons. Fred Decker's great-grandfather was on the building committee of the Lutheran Church at Churchtown. The farm where he now resides in known as the Decker homestead, upon which some one of the family has lived since it was taken up six generations back. Fred Decker was educated in the public schools and at Troy Business College. After his graduation from the latter institution in 1883 he was employed by J. M. Warren & Co., of Troy, as bookkeeper, where he remained nearly six years. In 1888 he returned to the old home, where he is associated with his father in farming, making a specialty of small fruits; they have 140 acres, thirty of which is devoted to fruit culture. In 1889 he was married to Minnie B., daughter of Calvin and Martha Avery, and they have one daughter, Ruth A. Fred Decker has been connected with schools officially, is a member of the Royal Arcanum of Hudson, the Royal Templars of Troy, and with his father and other members of the family is an active supporter of the West Taghkanic M. E. Church, of which he is steward.

Pages 50 & 51:

DEELEY, Richard Arthur Measom, of Hudson, N. Y., ws born August 3, 1861, in England, of American parents. His father, Richard J. Deeley, formerly of the United States navy (ship "Vandalia," Captain, afterward Admiral, Gardner), was married to a sister of Sir George Samuel Measom, J. P. & F. R. G. S. Richard A. M. Deeley was educated in Brussels, Belgium, and thoroughly mastered the science of brewing in Europe. In 1883 he came to Philadelphia, and in 1888 to Hudson, as superintendent of the well known brewing firm of C. H. Evans & Sons. Mr. Deeley has proved the value of his citizenship in Hudson by serving for nearly five years as a member of the board of health, president of the board of trade, and from January 1, 1897, to May 1, 1899, as mayor of the city. He is quite prominent in Masonic circles, a member of Aquilla Lodge, No. 700, F. & A. M., past high priest of Hudson Chapter No. 6, R. A. M., served five terms as eminent commander, Knights Templar, and at present is grand representative of the Grand Commandery of Colorado, K. T.; also a member of Mecca Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and a trustee and secretary of the Masonic Hall Association. He has held several positions in the National Guard of the State of New York, having served on the staffs of the Eleventh Battalion, the First Battalion, the First Regiment, and is now on the staff of General Robert Shaw Oliver, Third Brigade. From August, 1898, to April, 1899, he was detailed commanding officer of the Twenty-third Separate Company of Hudson; he has been manager for nine years of the Hudson Players' Club, is a charter member of the University Club of Hudson, of the building committee of the Hendrick Hudson Chapter House, D. A. R.; a vice-president of the Columbia County Agricultural and Horticultural Association; a vestryman of Christ church, and a trustee of the Hudson City Hospital. In 1879 he was married to Mary Theresa Wyld.

Page 52:

DELAVAN, Rensselaer H., p. o. Chatham, N. Y., was born in New Lebanon, N. Y., October 19, 1851. Jeremiah Delavan, his father, was a native of the same town, where he worked as a mason. His wife was Juda Crego, and their children, besides Rensselaer H., were George, Percy, Lida (deceased), Charlotte (deceased), Charles, and John. Mr. Delavan died in 1893 and his wife in 1896. Rensselaer H. Delavan, after receiving a common-school education, worked on a farm for a time, and then learned the harness-making trade. He established himself in business at Malden Bridge in 1872, where he continued for seventeen years, going thence to Castleton for seven years, and settling in Chatham in 1896, where he now carries on the leading shop in the village. He is a prominent and influential citizen. Mr. Delavan was married to Alice Menbert, daughter of Walter and Anna Menbert. They have the followoing-named children: Nellie, Arthur, Walter, Edith, and Ralph.

Pages 52 & 53:

DENEGAR, Edmund, of Hudson, was born in the town of Clermont, N. Y., August 31, 1833. He is a son of George and Elizabeth (Lawrence) Denegar, and grandson of George Denegar, who at the age of sixteen, when living in the town of Germantown, entered the Continental army, and at one time as an aide on Gen. Washington's staff. George, the father of the subject of this notice, was a carpenter and builder, and a man of more than ordinary capacity; his career was one of industry and frugality; he died in Clermont, May 21, 1842. Edmund Denegar attended the common schools during his youth, and his first labors for himself were devoted to farming, which occupation he pursued for fourteen years. In 1854 he discontinued farming and entered the ranks of the contractors and builders. In 1865 he removed to Hudson to pursue the same calling. He has erected many of the finest residences in the city, and some of the public buildings, among the latter being the State Volunteer Firemen's Home, three cottages and the chapel at the State House of Refuge, St. John's Hall, and the Hudson City Hospital. Among the numerous large and expensive residences which he has built, those of Hon. Levi P. Morton at Rhinebeck, and Mrs. John L. Aspinwall at Barrytown, are excellent examples of his skill and resources. Mr. Denegar has established his high reputation and extensive business by his own unaided exertions, and no man in Hudson is better entitled to the rewards attendant upon success than he. In 1860 Mr. Denegar was married to Ann Earl, at Hyde Park, Dutchess county, daughter of William and Ann Johnson Earl. They have one son, George, who was born July 3, 1865, in Clermont; he was married to Jennie Rockefeller, October 23, 1890, daughter of John D. and Rebecka (Ellsworth) Rockefeller, of Madalin, Dutchess county.

Page 53:

DEVOE, Tunis, p. o. Kinderhook, N. Y., son of John Devoe, Jr., and Anna Isbister, his wife, ws born in the town of Kinderhook, N. Y., May 7, 1834. His parents devoted their lifework to farming; their children were as follows: George H. (died in 1889); Catherine M. (died January 24,1894); John E. (died March 20, 1900); Elizabeth A. (died in 1872); Tunis; Allen, now in Minnesota, and Harriet. John Devoe, Jr., died in 1839, and his wife in 1883. Tunis Devoe was educated in the district schools. He is engaged in business as a builder and contractor, is a member of Valatie Lodge No. 362, F. & A. M., Kinderhook Chapter No. 264, and Lafayette Commandery No. 7 of Hudson. His wife was Caroline M., daughter of Capt. Henry McAllister, who died in 1884, and their children were Earle (died January 11, 1895), Frank T., Mildred and George C.

Page 54:

DICK, Nathan, of Clermont, was born in the town of Germantown, December 15, 1835, a son of Henry and Catherine (Becker) Dick, the parents of eight children, four now living, as follows: Nathan, Mary (wife of Elias Rockefeller), Lany (wife of Caleb Link) and William. Mr. Dick's early life was spent with his parents on the farm in the town of Germantown and received a common school education. When twenty-two years of age he started in life for himself as a farmer, purchasing the farm where he now resides and follows general farming and fruit raising. In November, 1857, Mr. Dick married Harmonah, daughter of Henry Stall; they have these children: Margaret C., wife of John Wright; Lewis, Martha, Annie, wife of Franks Coons, and Alvena, wife of William Wheeler. Mr. Dick is active in town and county affairs and at the present time represents the town of Clermont on the board of supervisors, now serving on his third term; he also served as assessor many years. He is interested in school and educational work, and has been trustee of the school many terms; he is also a contributing and supporting member of the Lutheran Church, of which he has been deacon.

Pages 54-56:

DICK, Peter H., of Germantown, was born in that town, October 16, 1837, a son of Jeremiah and Sarah (Yager) Dick, both of whom were natives of Germantown. The father died at the age of sixty-four years and the mother at eighty-two. His grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier and an early settler in Germantown. At the time of the British invasion they melted their pewter spoons and other utensils for bullets to aid in repelling the invaders. Peter H. Dick was one of a family of four sons and four daughters, viz.: Lewis, Peter H., Silas W., John A., Elizabeth, Katherine, Elsie and Adalade, who all survive save Lewis and Elizabeth. Peter H. attended the common schools, completing his education at Stockport. In May, 1857, he married Mary A., daughter of Henry and Almira Smith of Fishkill, N. Y., who are both deceased. They have one son, Alfred H. Dick. For three years after leaving school Mr. Dick was employed in a paper mill at Chatham Four Corners. In 1857 he secured a position as fireman on the steamboat St. Nicholas, plying between Stuyvesant and New York; during his second year he was promoted to assistant engineer, and in 1862 he was made chief engineer of the H. H. Farington, of the Cornell line. In this capacity his duties were chiefly in New York harbor, where he was considered one of the best engineers at that port. As evidence of his ability and faithfulness the fact that the company retained him in their service until 1897 is sufficient. In the latter year he resigned his position and returned to Germantown, where he purchased his father's old homestead and where he is now living, identified as one of the most extensive fruit culturists of the county. This homestead farm comprised originally 500 acres, but the repeated disposals of parcels have reduced it to ninety-three acres, which is now devoted entirely to fruit of various kinds; over 2,000 fruit trees of different varieties have been planted on the farm during the past two years. It is situated on and a half miles east of Germantown village on the direct road to the Blue Store and Hudson, and is beautifully located on rising ground, with extensive and entrancing views of natural scenery in all directions. The house is a large and substantial structure, with spacious and pleasant rooms and a more attractive home cannot be found in the section. Here Mr. and Mrs. Dick have retired for that rest and contentment which comes after a life of labor and duty well performed, where the hand of hospitality is cheerfully extended, and where peace and comfort prevails. The farm buildings have been repaired and put in excellent condition; all neatly painted and trimmed, forming a picture of thrift and good taste. Mr. Dick has in contemplation the erecting of a cold storage warehouse, for the purpose of keeping his apples and pears in good condition for favorable markets, and as he ships a large portion of his product to Continental Europe, he will thus be more enabled to take advantage of the higher market prices at all times. His son, Alfred H. Dick, was born in Stuyvesant, March 6, 1862, and educated at New York. At the age of nineteen he went on the steamboat with his father for two years, when he was made assistant engineer and took full charge of the Valentine for the Newark Company; he was afterward made engineer and was called to the office of the Cornell Line and given the charge of a boat. He remained with this company twelve years. In 1893 he became part owner in the firm of the Vierow Towing Line, owning five boats; this company did a heavy business and was very successful. In April, 1898, at the repeated solicitation of his parents, he disposed of his interest in the company and returned to Germantown, to be the "chief engineer" of his father's charming estate. Alfred H. is a hard worker, and possessed of excellent business faculties; he is socially a favorite with all, and on November 28, 1900, he was married to Clara M., daughter of Charles H. and Augusta (Tompkins) Coons. Mary A., the wife of Peter H. Dick, the subject of this sketch, was born at Fishkill, N. Y., a daughter of Henry and Almira (McCall) Smith. She is a daughter of Robert, a graduate of West Point, who was in the War of 1812, was a general, and was killed in the service of his country.

Pages 306 & 307:

DINEHART, Delbert, was born in Orleans county, N. Y., January 1, 1854, son of John W. and Elisabeth (Snyder) Dinehart, she a daughter of Adam Snyder, a native of the town of Copake, N. Y. John W. Dinehart was a native of Copake and a son of William C. Dinehart, who was of German descent. The children of John W. and wife were Maria, William, Charity Ann, Melvina, Abram, John C., Alfred, Franklin, and Delbert, and one, Sarah, who died in infancy -- all natives of Columbia county except Delbert. When Delbert was nine yeas old his parents removed from Orleans to Red Hook, Dutchess county, where they lived nine years, and then came to Copake and settled on a farm at West Copake. Delbert was educated in the schools of Orleans and Dutchess counties and Washington, D. C., and at the age of nineteen entered the employ of Henry Astor, with whom he has continued to the present time, as business manager. In 1896 he purchased what is now termed the Empire Farm, located near Copake village, and established thereon a racing stable, which has developed, under his management, into one of the best-known stables on the turf. Delbert has always shown a practical interest in school matters, and was a liberal contributor toward the fund for erecting the new school building at West Copake. He is a member of Hillsdale Lodge No. 612, F. & A. M., and of Hudson chapter and Lafayette Commandery. October 20, 1875, he was married to Hattie L. (Born June 7, 1854, died January 30, 1899), daughter of Henry and Polly Niver. They had one son, Henry A. [see below], educated at Seymour Smith Institute, Pine Plains, Dutchess county, and Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Conn. In July, 1898, he enlisted in the Twenty-eighth Separate Company as a volunteer in the Spanish War, and was discharged in February, 1899. He is now in the employ of the Farmers' National Bank of Hudson.

Page 56:

DINEHART, H. A., of Hudson, was born in West Copake, N. Y., July 26, 1877. His father, Delbert Dinehart, is a retired business man, now living in Hudson, and his mother was Hattie L. Niver. H. A. Dinehart received his elementary education in the public schools, and completed his studies at Seymour Smith Academy and Hotchkiss School at Lakeville, Conn. In 1898 he began his business life as a clerk in the Farmers' National Bank of Hudson, and the same year enlisted in the Two Hundred and Third Regiment New York Volunteers for service in the Spanish War, and was mustered out in 1899. In 1900 he was married to Edith, daughter of Ira Rider. Mr. Dinehart is a young man of more than ordinary capabilities, and in the career he has chosen he has before him a broad field of usefulness and prominence, and it is not doubted by those who know him best that he will achieve success.

Page 56:

DINGMAN, James, p. o. Columbiaville, was born at Greenbush, N. Y., January 8, 1817, son of Jacob and Jane (Van Buren) Dingman; their children were Eliza Thorp, Jane, Margaret McDowell, Abram, Asa, Isaac, James, Jacob and John, all natives of Rensselaer county. Jacob was son of Abram Dingman. James W. was born November 18, 1843, son of Janes and Hannah (Platner) Dingman, whose children were Alice (wife of Jacob Pultz), James W., Walter, Russell (deceased), George, Agnes Stewart, Charles (deceased), and Royal Frederick, generally called Fred.

Pages 56 & 57:

DONNELLY, Rev. J., of Hudson, was born in Greenbush, N. Y., September 20, 1865. His father was Thomas Donnelly, a native of Albany, where his whole life as a man was devoted to railroad business, he having been in the employ of the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. for forty years. His wife was Mary Murray. Peter J. Donnelly, after completing his preparatory education, entered Manhattan College in New York city, whence he was graduated in 1887. He was ordained to the priesthood at Troy, N. Y., in 1892, and was appointed to St. Mary's Church at Little Falls, N. Y., where he remained five and a half years. In 1897 he was transferred to Hudson, where he has already established a monument to his industry and zeal in the new St. Mary's Academy, just completed, at a cost of $25,000. This thriving school is fully treated and illustrated elsewhere in this work. Father Donnelly is emphatically a worker -- one of those men who, wherever they are placed and whatever the nature of their duties, cannot rest quietly under the lead of circumstances, but with strong arms and stout hearts, and with a predetermined object in view, push steadily on, overcoming or thrusting aside obstacles, patiently laboring in a defined course, until the accomplishment of their purpose proves the reward of their labors. Father Donnelly is a young man to have established so praiseworthy a record. In a few years he has organized a thriving school, and built the finest parochial school in the State, and, though placing but a modest estimate upon the work he has done, he has a pardonable pride in the excellent school that owes its being to his unremitting labor and common-sense methods. May he long enjoy his well-earned honor!

Page 57:

DONNELLY, William D., of Greenport, was born in Albany, N. Y., in March, 1837. He is a son of Lawrence Donnelly, a native of Ireland, who came to the United States in 1798 and settled in Albany; he was a blacksmith by trade and pursued that calling for many years in Albany, spending the latter years of his life, however, in Greene county, where he died in 1882. William D. Donnelly was educated in the common schools, and in 1877 came to Columbia county. In 1892 he purchased what was known as the Gilbert Plass place in Greenport, and has since made a specialty of fruit-growing. In 1859 Mr. Donnelly was married to Catherine Craft; they have one daughter, Mrs. Edward Coons, who has two children, William Edward Coons and Nellie Coons.

Pages 57 & 58:

DOUGLAS, James, of Hudson, is a native of Ireland, where he was born in 1829. He emigrated to American and came to Hudson in 1865. In 1873 he embarked in business for himself, establishing an ice plant, which he has continued to conduct until the present time. Mr. Douglas, through industry and close attention to his affairs, has been reasonably successful, and such success as he has achieved is due to his habits of prudence, unremitting labor, and sterling honesty. He is one of that valuable class of men who make their way in the world unaided by extraneous assistance, and solely upon their native energy, foresight, and industry undertake and carry to completion enterprises, however great or small, that inure to the advance of the public welfare. The term "self-made man" may be aptly applied to Mr. Douglas. In 1875 he was married to Jane R. Rainey.

Page 58:

DOWNING, Daniel B., of Hudson, was born in Harlemville, Columbia county, N. Y., October 18, 1856, grandson of Elias Downing, an early settler, and son of Joseph P. Downing, a farmer, residing on the farm he inherited from his father, and who was married to Elizabeth Mead; they were the parents of ten sons and four daughters. Daniel B. Downing was educated at Spencertown Academy and the State Normal School at Albany. In 1877 he came to Hudson and was employed by Groat & Allen to 1882. From 1882 to 1891 he was manager of the American Express office in Hudson. In the latter year he became a member of the firm of Jones & Downing, dealers in flour, feed, hay, grain and straw. In 1894 A. F. Bogardus purchased the interest of Mr. Jones in the business, the firm becoming Downing & Bogardus, which still continues the business. In 1880 Mr. Downing was married to Annie, daughter of Peter Snyder. They have one son, Lloyd Austin Downing. D. B. Downing is secretary of the American Raveler Company of Philmont; is one of Hudson's most worthy citizens, and enjoys the highest esteem of his business and social acquaintances.

Pages 58 & 59:

DOWNING, Mrs. Mabel, of Chatham. Major A. Downing was born in Hillsdale, N. Y., in 1838. During the Civil War he enlisted in the Seventh New York Cavalry, and as honorably discharged with the rank of lieutenant. He was engaged in business in New York city. He was married to Mary Brooks, and their only child was Mabel. Major A. Downing died in 1870. Mabel Downing became the wife of Forest S. Downing, who afterward died. They had the following children: Helen, Margaret, Florence and Silas. Silas Downing, uncle of Mrs. Mabel Downing, was born in Hillsdale in 1829, and is engaged in the woolen trade in New York.

Pages 307 & 308:

DOWNING, Henry W., of Ancram, N. Y., was born in Great Barrington, Mass., December 20, 1835, son of Allen B. and Polly (Sawyer) Downing, who were the parents of six children, namely: Henry W., Major A., Elizabeth, Isabella, Frank, and Elizabeth (deceased), all born in the town of Hillsdale, N. Y. Allen B. Downing removed from Great Barrington to Hillsdale in 1836, and was a farmer. Henry W. Downing attended the common schools of Hillsdale, and remained at home as his father's assistant until he was twenty-eight years of age, when he went to Wayne county, N. Y., where for eight years he was employed on a farm. Returning to Hillsdale, he lived on the old homestead for another eight years, when he disposed of his interest therein and purchased the farm of 200 acres on which he now lives in the town of Ancram. Mr. Downing is a prominent man in his town, has been assessor of Ancram, and was highway commissioner in Hillsdale. He is active in public affairs and has proved himself a valuable citizen. On December 23, 1862, he was married to Mary E., daughter of John N. and Eliza (Becker) Chase; they have three children: Allen B., a graduate of Albany Business College, married to Jennie M., daughter of John M. Williams; Franklin C., a graduate of Albany Normal School and College of Physicians and Surgeons (Columbia College), and located at Pittsfield, Mass., and Eliza A., graduate of the Albany Normal School, wife of Rev. Chalres S. Oakley, son of Rev. John G. Oakley, D. D. Henry W. Downing is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Ancram, and one of its officers. Major A., his brother, enlisted as a private in the New York Mounted Rifles, and was promoted to lieutenant and adjutant, and later to captain.

Page 59:

DREW, George H., p. o. Chatham, N. Y., was born in Chatham, February 6, 1848. His father was John Drew, who was born in Rensselaer county, N. Y., in 1806, and was a farmer; his wife was Melissa Lawrence, daughter of Isaac Lawrence, and their children were Martha Mary (deceased), and George H. Mr. Drew died April 23, 1889, and Mrs. Drew on July 2, 1887. George H. Drew received his education in the public schools and at Fairfield Seminary. He taught school tow terms, and has since been engaged in farming. He is one of the substantial agriculturists of his native town.

Page 59:

DRUMM, Frank E., p. o. Niverville, N. Y., was born at Stuyvesant Falls, N. Y., March 15, 1867. His father, Reuben Drumm, was a native of Gallatin, N. Y., and by occupation is a farmer and wagon maker; he is prominent in his town, and held the office of assessor a number of years; he married Harriet Herrick, and they were the parents of Orville, Charles H., J. Wesley, Sylvester and Frank E. Drumm. Mrs. Drumm died on January 30, 1898. Frank E. Drumm attended the common schools and was graduated from the State Normal College at Albany in 1888, and in 1889 came to Niverville and taught school for eight years. He is now engaged in farming, having under his charge 400 acres. He makes a specialty of rye, corn, hay and sheep. He married Jessie M. Raeder, daughter of the late John Raeder of Niverville. They are the parents of four children, viz.: John, Cornelis, Willard and Harold. Mr. Drumm is numbered among the substantial and trustworthy citizens of Kinderhook.

Pages 59 & 60:

DRUMM, George Edward, p. o. Chatham, N. Y., was born in Chatham, August 22, 1845. His father, George Drumm, a foundryman, was married to Louise Page in 1844, and, besides the subject of this notice, they had a daughter, Josephine, who died in 1855. Mr. Drumm died in 1894, and his wife in 1857. George E. Drumm, after attending school in his native town and in New York, at the age of twelve years, began his apprenticeship to the foundry trade. In 1860 he went to Albany, where he was engaged at his trade until 1865, when he went to New York and took charge of the Hudson River Railroad foundry there; thence again to Albany, where he was employed by J. Page, and in 1868 to Scranton, Pa., where he was superintendent of a foundry, finally returning to Albany in the employ of J. Page & Co. In 1870 he came to Chatham, where he is now carrying on a foundry. Mr. Drumm is recognized as an exemplary citizen, hence has been honored by his fellow townsmen with positions of trust. He has been president and a trustee of the village, and for eighteen years has been a member of the board of education, of which he is now the president. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster, which position he now fills. On May 10, 1871, Mr. Drumm was married to Eva A., daughter of Nelson Martineau. They are the parents of five children: George E., who died in 1889; Mary, Sophia C., Eveline, and Wright C. [see below]

Page 381:

DRUMM, George Edward, p. o. Chatham, N. Y., was born in Chatham, August 22, 1845. His father, George Drumm, a foundryman, was born 1818 and died in 1894. He was the son of William Drumm, of Gallatin, who was born in 1793, married Hannah Row in 1815, and died in 1848. William Drumm was the son of Matthias Drumm, who came from Holland in 1763 and died about 1820. George Drumm was married to Louisa Page in 1844, and, besides the subject of this notice, they had a daughter, Josephine, who died in 1855. George Edward Drumm, after attending school in his native town and in New York, began his apprenticeship to the foundry trade. In 1860 he went to Albany, where he was engaged in his trade until 1865, when he went to New York and took charge of the Hudson River Railroad foundry there, thence again to Albany, where he was employed by J. Page & Son, and in 1868 to Scranton, Pa., where he was superintendent of a foundry, finally returning to Albany in the employ of J. Page & Son. In 1870 he returned to Chatham and engaged in the foundry business. Mr. Drumm is an exemplary citizen, hence has been honored by his fellow townsmen with positions of trust. He has been president, and a trustee of the village; and for eighteen years has been a member of the board of education, of which he is now the president. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster, which situation he now fills. On May 10, 1871, Mr. Drumm was married to Evelyn Ada, daughter of Eliza Coates and Nelson Martineau, of Albany. They are the parents of six children: Mary Louise, Sophy Carrier, Grace Elizabeth, George Edward, who died May 8, 1890; Evelyn Ada, and Wright Barnes.

Page 60:

DRUMM, Orville, of Hudson, N. Y., was born in the town of Stuyvesant, N. Y., December 25, 1854. He is a son of Reuben Drumm, also a native of Stuyvesant, a well known wagon manufacturer and farmer, who was married to Harriet Herrick. The family trace their descent direct to an ancestor, Mathias Drumm, who came from Holland in 1763. Orville Drumm received his preliminary education in the public schools, and was graduated from the State Normal School at Albany in 1876. He followed school teaching for six years, and served as school commissioner from 1888 to 1894. In 1879 he started his fire insurance business in Stuyvesant, which he transferred to Hudson in 1900, when he was appointed deputy sheriff by Henry J. Best, sheriff elect. For this position he is eminently qualified. In 1882 Mr. Drumm was married to Ruth A. Hanford. They are the parents of seven children, as follows: four sons, Edgar H., Walter Scott, Orville Freneau, and Mark Hanna; and three daughters, Harriet, Ruth May and Hazel.

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DRUMM, Reuben, of Stuyvesant Falls, N. Y., was born in the town of Gallatin, Columbia county, N. Y., and is a son of William and Hannah (Rowe) Drumm, who were the parents of seven children, named as follows: Elijah, George, Sylvester, Catherine, Deborah Ann, Reuben, and Edward, who are all deceased except the last two. Reuben Drumm received his education in the district schools, and until he was sixteen years old remained at home with his parents. At the latter age he was indentured as an apprentice to Gen. William G. Manville to learn the trade of wagon-making; in this capacity he worked about three years, when he entered the employ of Jacob W. Rossman, with whom he completed his trade. At the age of twenty-three he was married to Emma, daughter of Henry Bradt, of Chatham, N. Y.; she died, survived by one son, Evan. Later he was married to Harriet, daughter of Martin Herrick (a veteran of the War of 1812). The children of the latter union are Orville, Charles J., Wesley, Sylvester, and Frank, the last four born on the farm where the family now reside. In 1860 Mr. Drumm began farming, which vocation he still pursues. He, as well as his sons, have always been active in the affairs of their town and county, particularly in education matters. J. Wesley is a teacher in New York; Frank and Orville are graduates from the State Normal School at Albany. Mr. Drumm is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Stuyvesant Falls, of which he has been a trustee for many years. In all the relations of social life and citizenship, Mr. Drumm and his family have maintained a high standard of excellence.

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DU BOIS, John C., M. D., was born in Rhinebeck, N. Y., on August 20, 1831, the only son of Stephen A. and Rachel A. (Schryver) Du Bois. Stephen A. Du Bois was also a native of Rhinebeck, and was a descendant of a Huguenot ancestor, who emigrated from Holland to America about the middle of the seventeenth century. He was a prominent citizen of Rhinebeck, where he was a merchant many years, and one of the founders of the Rhinebeck Academy. In 1851 he came to Hudson, where, in 1855, he became connected with the Hudson River Bank as a director and subsequently was chosen president, which office he filled until his death on the last day of December, 1869. In 1859 he spent six months in Europe, and with his son, Dr. J. C. Du Bois, who had been pursuing his studies in Paris, visited Holland, Belgium and Switzerland, also making an extended tour through the British Islands. He was beloved for his many worth characteristics, and was known as a careful and honest financier. Dr. Du Bois received his preparatory education at the Rhinebeck Academy, and in 1849 entered Yale College as a member of the sophomore class, with which he was graduated in 1852. He began the study of medicine with Drs. John P. Wheeler and E. Simpson, and in 1854 became a student in the University Medical College of New York, under the private instruction of Professors John A. Swett and William H. Van Buren. He was graduated in 1856, and until 1858 devoted his time to hospital service. In the latter years he went to Europe and continued his medical studies in the schools and hospitals of Paris, returning to Hudson in 1860. In 1862 he was appointed surgeon in the sanitary commission corps, and assigned to duty on a hospital transport, and in September of the same year was commissioned acting assistant surgeon, U. S. A., and served at De Camp General Hospital, David's Island, Long Island Sound, Beaufort, S. C., Elmira, Willet's Point and Washington, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war. Since that time he has not been in active practice of his profession. Dr. Du Bois is too well known in Hudson and Columbia county to need in this place an extended rehearsal of the events in his life that have won for him the confidence, respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. He may safely let his lifework stand as his monument. Dr. Du Bois was married on May 25, 1869, to Evelina P., daughter of E. W. and Julia A. Kimball. Their children are two sons, Julian and Coert, and three daughters, Rachel, Florence S., and Gertrude H. His wife died December 12, 1881.

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DU BOIS, Samuel Thorn, of Greenport, N. Y., was born in Rhinebeck, N. Y., May 29, 1817. His father was Coert Du Bois, a native of Fishkill, N. Y., who died in the town of Livingston, N. Y., May 15, 1854. S. T. Du Bois was educated in public and private schools. In 1857 he came to Columbia county and purchased of Dr. Andrew W. Getty the place which has ever since been his home. During his residence near Hudson Mr. Du Bois has been numbered among the active and progressive men of the county, and his career has been characterized by strict integrity, honorable citizenship and courage in promoting and defending all measures which he believed to be right. He has been a director and vice-president of the First National Bank and a trustee of the Hudson City Savings Institution. In 1854 he was married to Celia, daughter of Samuel P. Judson, of Indiana. Their children are two sons and three daughters, namely: Louis Coert, Paul Thorn, Lilian, Helena and Katherine.

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DU BOIS, Stephen Augustus, of Hudson, N. Y., was born in the town of Livingston, Columbia county, N. Y., on April 22, 1842. He is descended from Peter Du Bois, an immigrant from Holland in 1676, who settled at Fishkill, N. Y., and where several generations of the family have lived. Henry A. Du Bois, father of the subject of this notice, and son of Coert Du Bois, was a native of Fishkill, but early in life came to Livingston, where he was prominent in many ways. By vocation he was a merchant, and served as member of Assembly, and was supervisor of Livingston and also of Greenport. He was married to Evelina, daughter of John Van Deusen, and died in 1879. Stephen Augustus Du Bois was educated in the common schools and at the academy at White Plains, N. Y. In 1880 he established himself in association with Peter A. Breusie in the hardware business in Hudson, which relation continued until 1892, since which date he has carried on the business alone; he is one of the most extensive hardware dealers in the county. In 1885 and 1886 he served his town as supervisor. Mr. Du Bois is well known as an energetic business man and as a citizen of unquestioned enterprise and moral worth.

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DUNSPAUGH, Cyrus V., of Claverack, was born June 6, 1846, a son of Henry I. and Jane (Groat) Dunspaugh, one of a family of seven children, all now living. In early life he attended the district school and assisted his father in the work on the farm. In 1871 he started out for himself on a farm in Ghent, where he remained until 1898, when he bought the place he now occupies, of 135 acres. In 1866 Mr. Dunspaugh married Cornelia Van Deusen, daughter of Nicholas and Elizabeth (Niver) Van Deusen; they have four children: Lillian, Cora, Grace, and Milford.

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DUNSPAUGH, Henry, p. o. Kinderhook, N. Y., was born in the town of Ghent, N. Y., January 28, 1849. His father, Henry I. Dunspaugh, was also a native of Ghent, a farmer by occupation and served as collector of his town; he married Jane Groat, and they were the parents of Henry, John, Cyrus, Theodore, Arthur, Angette and Frances Dunspaugh. Mr. Dunspaugh died in 1896, and his wife in 1884. Henry Dunspaugh attended the common schools, and began his business career as a farmer, which vocation he still follows. He married Emma, daughter of Joseph Drew. They are the parents of two children: Florence May, and Ethel.

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DUNTZ, Mark, district attorney of Columbia county, was born in the town of Gallatin, N. Y., in 1856, son of Adam I. and Sally (Ham) Duntz, and is descended from one of the older and well known families of Columbia county. His preliminary studies were pursued in the public schools of Hudson, to which city his parents removed when he was a child, after which he attended the Hudson Academy, then noted as one of the best institutions of its grade in the State. At the age of seventeen he left school and entered the office of ex-District Attorney John M. Welch, to begin his initiatory studies in the science of law; here he remained until 1875, when he was received as a clerk by Hon. Charles L. Beale. In this position he early exhibited that natural understanding of, and insight into, the fundamental principles of law that characterize the true legal mind, and by industrious application, and a determination to master the science of the profession, he accomplished in two years what often occupies the student double that time, the result being that in 1877 he was admitted to the bar, when but twenty-one years of age. His preceptor, Mr. Beale, readily discerned the ability of his clerk, and appreciating the worthy ambition of the young man, immediately after the latter was admitted to the bar invited him to become his partner. The partnership thus formed was continued until May 1, 1880, when, Mr. Beale desiring to take his son as a partner, it was dissolved, and Mr. Duntz was appointed assistant deputy county clerk under Charles Whitbeck. In this capacity he served for two years, and resigned to form a law partnership with Nelson F. Boucher. In 1885 Mr. Boucher removed to Dakota, thus discontinuing the partnership relation, leaving Mr. Duntz to practice alone until 1892, when the firm of Duntz & Aldcroft (Richard B. Aldcroft) was organized; this connection existed three years, to 1895, when the junior member removed to New York. In the meantime, in 1892, he was nominated by the Republicans as their candidate for district attorney. This was a "Democratic year," and although Mr. Cleveland received a majority of 484 on the electoral ticket in the county, Mr. Duntz came within four votes of an election. In the city of Hudson, a Democratic stronghold, Mr. Duntz's opponent had a majority of 222, while Cleveland carried the city by 556. These details are important in that they show the appreciation and popularity of the Republican candidate. In 1895 he again received the nomination for district attorney, and at the election led his ticket by 100 votes, and received in the county the flattering majority of 547. In 1898 he was again nominated and elected by 487 majority. In the administration of the office of district attorney Mr. Duntz has made an enviable record, winning praise from the public as well as from his professional brethren for his fairness and legal acumen. Mr. Duntz is a versatile lawyer. While he may have a choice in the different branches of practice, he has not made any one paramount to the others. He has proved an efficient prosecutor and a faithful conservator of the county's interests. In 1883 Mr. Duntz was married to Ada V., daughter of James and Margaret Potts. They have one son, Mark, Jr.

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DUNTZ, Jacob H., was born in the town of Gallatin, July 15, 1834, son of Jacob and Christian (Wagner) Duntz, who had four children, as follows: Adam, George, Jacob H., and Eli, all born in the town of Gallatin. When six years of age his father died and his mother, with the assistance of the four sons, carried on the farm, until Jacob was twenty-one years of age, when his mother died and he came into possession of considerable of the property (sic). At that date he married Eva, daughter of Hiram Wheeler, who bore him one son, Jacob H., Jr. (married Fannie Bates). Mr. Duntz has represented his town on the board of supervisors many years; is a member of the Reformed church of the town of Gallatin, with which he has been connected in an official way many years, an also take an active part in school and educational work.

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