History of Bergen, (Hudson County) New Jersey United States of America

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Zadock Pratt, representative, was born in Stephenstown, Rensselaer county, N.Y., Oct. 3, 1790; son of Zadock and Hannah (Pickett) Pratt; grandson of Zephaniah and Abigail Pratt, and of Benjamin Pickett of New Milford, Conn., and a descendant of Lieut. William Pratt, the immigrant 1633. He assisted his father who, besides being a tanner and shoemaker, carried on a small farm, and in 1810 he invented a pump, which came into general use in the tanning business. He became an independent saddler and harness-maker in 1813; was called to join the forces raised by Governor Tompkins for the defence of Now York in 1814, and in 1815, in partnership with his brothers, conducted a tannery in Lexington, which was removed in 1824 to Scohariekill, Greene county, and became the nucleus of the town of Prattsville. He was actively influential in establishing other tanneries throughout the state, and received the first silver medal awarded by the New York Institute for hemlock sole-leather in 1837. He retired from business in 1845 and engaged in farming the following year. He was colonel of the 116th New York infantry, 1823-26; a state senator in 1830; a presidential elector on the Van Buren and Johnson ticket in 1836, and a Democratic representative from the eighth New York district in the 25th and 28th congresses, 1837-39 and 1843-45. He was an advocate of cheap postage and of the gratuitous distribution of foreign seeds to the farmers of the United States; submitted the plans and estimates for the new general post-office in Washington, which were adopted, and organized the national bureau of statistics. He established and was president of the bank at Prattsville in 1843, was a delegate to the Democratic national convention of 1852, and a presidential elector on the Pierce and King ticket in 1852. He was an extensive traveler, a lecturer, president of several industrial institutions and a liberal contributor to religious and charitable organizations. He was married first, Oct. 6, 1817, to Beda Dickerman; secondly, Oct. 2, 1821, to Esther Dickerman; thirdly, Jan. 12, 1828, to Abigail P., daughter of Wheeler Watson of South Kingston, R.I., and fourthly, March 16, 1835, to Mary E. Watson. His son, George Watson (born April 18, 1830, a graduate of the University of Erlangen, Bavaria, Ph.D., colonel 20th regiment New York state militia, promoted brigadier-general) was killed at the battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861. Zadock Pratt died at Bergen, N.J., April 6, 1871.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Bergen, (Hudson County) New Jersey

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