BIOGRAPHIES
(Source:
Schenectady County, New
York : its history to the close of the nineteenth century
unknown: New York History Co., 1902 - Yates, Austin A.)
Transcribing by Sharon Wick
Dancer, Joseph C.
Danco, William
Dare, Howard P.
Davis, Ed. L.
Davis,
Matthew
Day, Maxwell Warren
Dayton, John B.
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De Forest, Frank V.
DeForest, Henry S., Hon. *
Dent, George J.
DeRemer, John A.
Devendorf, Porter
Devine, James |
Diehl, John
Diehl, John
Dobermann, William
Dobler Brewing Co.
Donohue, James
Doty, Peter Munson
Dunbar, Farley F. |
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Joseph C. Dancer was born in
Birmingham, England, September 1, 1859, and began his mechanical
career as an apprentice with James Watt & Company, in the Soho
Foundry. Subsequently he was in the Royal Arsenal in
Woolwich, England, and later was with Yarrow & Company, torpedo
boat builders. Thus, before coming to America, he already
had a large and varied experience and a thorough mechanical
training.
In 1889 Mr. Dancer came to the United States and
entered the services of John Roches, a ship-builder, at Chester,
Pa., where he remained two years. He then came to
Schenectady to work for the Edison Company, but in 1891, just
four months after his arrival, he was made superintendent of the
Pattern Shop, which position he now holds with the General
Electric Company.
It is stated upon the best of authority that this
Pattern Shop is without a superior in the entire world, and the
fact that Mr. Dancer it is superintendent, is the best
indication of his skill in this line, as well as of his
executive ability.
Mr. Dancer is a prominent Mason, and is affiliated with
St. George's Lodge, No. 6, F. & A. M., St. George's Chapter, No.
157, R. A. M., and St. George's Commandery, No. 37, Knights
Templar. He is also president of the Schenectady Club, is
a member of Champion Lodge, No. 554, I. O. O. F., a director of
the Building & Loan Association, one of the Board of Directors
of the Edison Mutual Benefit Association, and a member of the
Republican Club. His father, Cornelius Dancer, was a Mason
in Birmingham, England, for over Thirty years.
On April 27, 1893, Joseph C. Dancer married Harriet,
daughter of John H. and Mary Seeley, of Glenville, N. Y.
His parents were Cornelius and Emma (Baker) Dancer, both natives
of England.
As will be seen from the foregoing, Mr. Dancer not only
holds an important and responsible position in the General
Electric Works, but is also prominently identified with leading
organizations and vital interests of the city of Schenectady.
He is a public-spirited man, who is always found on the side of
progress and enterprise, and is ever ready to aid every worthy
cause looking toward advancement in any field of public affairs
or of human life. |
William Danco was born in Soest,
Westfalen, Germany, in April, 1850. He graduated from the
Polytechnic School of Aachen in 1873 with the degree of M. E.
He then worked in a locomotive works in Russia until 1881, when
he came to New York to work on the Brooklyn Bridge. In
1882 he entered the Edison Machine Works of New York, and in
1885 came to Schenectady with the General Electric Company.
He remained with the General Electric Company until 1894,
when he opened an architect's office on his own account, and is
still engaged in that profession.
Mr. Danco's parents were Carl and Mary (Wolf) Danco.
He is a member of the German Club, and is a Democrat in
politics. |
Ed. L. Davis - It is to the
architect that every edifice owes not only its beauty, but its
substantial qualities which make it attractive and serviceable.
Moreover, the history of a city is indicated to no small extent
by the architecture of the different periods of its growth, and
its commercial prosperity and enterprise is always crystalled in
its architecture.
During the later and more flourishing days of the city
of Schenectady has Mr. Ed L. Davis played an important part in
designing and superintending the structure of important edifices
in this city, among them the residences of J. Bayard Backus, M.
DeForest Yates, Robert J. Landon, William Faust, M. D., Edward
E. Kreigsman, W. C. Mason, Wallace Shermerhorn, C. W. Bailey,
Mason Hall, Albert J. Levy and several public buildings,
including the Kinum Building, Talbot Building, Burtiss Building,
Empire Laundry Building, Allen Building, Empire Apartment
Building, apartment house for Louis Faust, M. D., and the
Schenectady County Almshouse.
He was born in the city of Schenectady, Dec. 26, 1856,
and was graduated from the High school in the class of 1874.
After graduating, he was a drug clerk for Dr. A. Truax & Company
for a period of six years, after which he conducted a drug
business of his own for nine years.
In 1891 he took up the profession of architect, in
which he has sine been constantly engaged and in which he has
become the acknowledged leader in Schenectady. Many of the
best private residences of the city have been erected according
to his plans and under his supervision, and not only has he
played an important part in the building up the new city, but he
also takes a lively interest in the progress and advancement of
Schenectady in every way.
He is a member of St. George's Lodge No. 6, F. and A.
M., Schenectady City Lodge, No. 319, Knights of Pythias, of the
Red Men, and Lodge No. 480, B. P. O. E., and represented the
second ward on the Boar of Aldermen in 1902-03.
January 22, 1889, he married Harriet D., daughter of
Jacob N. and Sarah A. (Van Patten) Vedder. His wife died
in 1890, leaving one daughter, Harriet E.
Mr. Davis is of Welsh descent. His parents were
James H. and Caroline A. (Clute) Davis. |
Matthew Davis was born in Germany in
the year 1854 and came to Schenectady in 1862.
He was educated in the public schools and afterwards
learned the trade of warper and was employed at Roy's Mills,
manufacturers of shawls. He retired from active work in
1888. In 1878, Matthew Davis married Bernadina Sonnenberg
of Schenectady, and they have a family of three daughters.
Matthew Davis died in Schenectady in the year 1895. He was
a member of the Episcopal Church, and was a highly respected
citizen and enjoyed the esteem and confidence of all who knew
him. |
Maxwell Warren Day was born in
Honeoye, Ontario County, N. Y., in 1865, and was graduated from
Williams College in 1887 with the degree of A. B. He was
salutatorian of his class, and was a member of the Zeta Psi and
Phi Beta Kappa college societies. A year later he took a
post-graduate course at the same college.
In 1889 he entered the employ of the Thomson-Houston
Electric Company, at Lynn, Mass., where he spent several years
in the testing and engineering departments.
After the consolidation of the Thomson-Houston and
Edison General Electric Companies, he came to Schenectady in
1894, and since that time has been connected with the
engineering work of the Power and Mining Department.
On June 17, 1891, he married Nellie G. Davis, of
Honeoye, daughter of Charles G. and Sarah G. (Putney) Davis.
They had two children, only one of whom is living, Irving M.,
born April 1, 1894. Mrs. Day died Aug. 10, 1900.
Mr. Day is a member of the First Reformed Church, and
has served at different times as deacon and as assistant
superintendent and superintendent of the Sunday School.
His parents were Rev. S. Mills Day and Lucy Maxwell
Day, and he is descended from Ralph Day, who came from England
to Massachusetts before 1660. |
John B. Dayton was born in the
town of Niskayuna, Schenectady County, N. Y., Feb. 18, 1863.
His parents were Patrick and Margaret (Leonard) Dayton. He
was educated in the district school, and for a time followed
railroading. He was station agent for the New York Central
Railroad for thirteen years, the last three of which he was
located in Schenectady. Since leaving the railroad he has
been employed in the transformer department of the General
Electric Company.
On October 26, 1886, John B. Dayton married Anna
Gorman, of Troy, N. Y. They have two children, John J. and
Margaret. |
Frank V. De Forest was born in
the city of Schenectady, April 11, 1843, and was the son of O.
L. and Sarah (Vedder) De Forest. After leaving school, he
was a clerk in a grocery store for two years, after which he
entered the Schenectady Locomotive Works and learned the trade
of machinist. He remained in the Locomotive Works for six
years and spent a year at Corinth, Saratoga County, putting up
machinery in the pulp mills. He was then in the grocery
business for four years, and in December, 1881, he was appointed
Assistant Chief of Police, which position he still holds, along
with that of Assistant Chief of Detectives.
On Dec. 22, 1869, Frank V. De Forest married Raie
Scarff. They have a family of eight children living,
namely, Water, Frank V., William, Jay, Nellie (now Mrs. Leonard
Effner,) Belle, Martha, and May. |
| Hon. Henry S. DeForest |
Farley F. Dunbar was born in
Schenectady, N. Y., March 15, 1867, and was educated in the
Union School of his native city. His first employment was
in the shipping room of Weiderhold & Company, where he remained
for a short time, after which he went into the cutting
department, where he learned cutting and trimming, and of which
department, where he learned cutting and trimming, and of which
department he became foreman at the age of twenty years.
On June 17, 1891, Farley F. Dunbar married Adele
Striiben, daughter of Tobias and Catherine (Smuck) Striiben.
His wife was born in Hamburg, Germany, in the year 1866.
They have one daughter, Adele, who was born April 4, 1895.
Mr. Dunbar's parents were Frank and Barbara (Gilb)
Dunbar. His father came from Germany in 1851, and his
mother in 1852. They settled in Troy, in which city they
were married. Mr. Dunbar is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. |
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