History of York, (Livingston County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

William Blaikie, athlete, was born in York, Livingston county, N. Y., May 24, 1843. He was graduated from Harvard college in 1866 and from the law school in 1868. In 1869 he took the Harvard oarsmen to England and acted as their treasurer, and upon his return he became pardon clerk in the office of the U.S. attornney-general at Washington, and afterward for two years was assistant in the office of the United States district attorney of the second judicial circuit at New York. In January, 1873, he opened a law office in New York city, and for eight years held the office of commissioner of the United States court of claims. From his Harvard days Mr. Blaikie took an active interest in athletics and in physical training, writing and lecturing extensively on the subject. His most noteworthy publications are," How to get Strong and How to Stay So" (1879), and" Sound Bodies for our Boys and Girls" (1884).

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

Lyman R. Casey, senator, was born in York, N. Y., May 6, 1837; son of Lyman and Annie M. (Church) Casey; grandson of John Casey and of Samuel Church, and a descendant of Edward Casey, who settled in Rhode Island in 1652. He early removed to Ypsilanti, Mich., with his parents, and was prepared for the University of Michigan, but on account of ill health never entered. He engaged in the hardware business in Detroit, Mich., and on retiring in 1872 spent five years abroad in travel and study. He settled in Dakota in 1882, and became secretary and general manager for the Casey-Carrington land company, a large farming concern, and the owner of over 100,000 acres, having many thousand under cultivation. He was elected to the U.S. senate from North Dakota as a Republican in 1889, and drew the short term ending March 4, 1893.

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

John Roderic McPherson, senator, was born at York, Livingston county, N.Y., May 9, 1833; son of Donald and Jean (Calder) McPherson; grandson of James McPherson, who came from Culloden, Scotland, and located at Delhi, N.Y., in 1801, and of James and Elizabeth Calder, who came from Stirlingshire, Scotland, in 1800, and settled in Greenfield, Conn., and later removed to Genesee county, N.Y. He was educated in the public schools and at Genesee academy, and engaged in farming and stock-raising in Livingston county, 1851-58. He removed in 1858 to Jersey City, N.J., where he entered upon more extensive dealings in live stock, and designed many improvements and put into operation the great abattoir system used in France. He was a member of the board of aldermen of Jersey City, 1864-70, and its president for three years. He was married in 1867 to Edla Jean, daughter of William Gregory, of Buffalo, N.Y. He was a member of the state senate, 1870-73; opposed the railroad monopolies and secured' the enactment of the general railroad law of New Jersey. He was presidential elector on the Tilden and Hendricks ticket in 1876, and was elected to the U.S. senate by the Democratic legislature to succeed F. T. Frelinghuyson, and was twice re-elected, serving, 1877-95. During his third term in the senate he was chairman of the committees on naval affairs and the Potomac river front. He was a delegate to the Democratic national conventions of 1884, 1888 and 1892, and in 1887 refused the cabinet position of secretary of the treasury as successor to Daniel Manning, deceased. He established the People's Gaslight company, and was president of the corporation, 1868-69; was president of several savings banks and of a western stock-yard company, and owned a paper-mill near the Delaware water-gap, and a large stock-farm in Somerset county. He died in Jersey City, N.J., Oct. 8, 1897.

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