History of Montgomery, (Orange County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

Nathaniel Peter Hill, jurist, was born in Montgomery, N.Y., Feb. 4, 1781; son of Peter and Isabella (Trimble) Hill, and grandson of Nathaniel Hill, who came from the north of Ireland to New York state in 1734. He was educated at Montague academy, and became a lawyer in his native place. He was a lieutenant in Capt. Peter Millkin's cavalry company in the war of 1812, and was commissioned by Governor Clinton captain of the Orange Hussars in 1819. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1816, 1819, 1820, and 1825; sheriff of Orange county, and judge of the court of common pleas, 1823-25; a member of the board of supervisors in 1833; and a presidential elector in 1836. He was married to Matilda Crawford, and had six sons: James King, Nathaniel Peter, Moses Crawford, Charles Borland, Augustus and Jonathan Alden. He died at Montgomery, N.Y., May 12, 1842.

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

Nathaniel Peter Hill, senator, was born in Montgomery, N.Y., Feb. 18,1832; son of Nathaniel Peter and Matilda (Crawford) Hill. He was prepared for college at Montgomery academy, entered Brown university in 1853, and was graduated from there A.B. 1856. He remained at the university as instructor in chemistry applied to the arts, 1858-59, and as professor of the same, 1859-64. He then went to Colorado, where he became interested in gold and silver mining, and from there went abroad, spending several months in Swansea, Wales, and Fireburg, Saxony, examining the methods gold and silver ores. Returning to Colorado in 1866, he organized and became manager of the Boston and Colorado Smelting company. With a Mr. Pierce from Wales, who was associated with him in business, he invented a process of extracting gold and silver from matte, which was really the foundation of the mining industries of Colorado. He was mayor of Black Hawk, Col., in 1871; a member of the territorial council, 1872-73, and was a U.S. senator, 1879-85. He was a regent of the Smithsonian Institution during a part of his residence in Washington. in the senate he advocated a system of postal telegraphy and the coinage of both gold and silver. In 1891 he was nominated by President Harrison, one of the three members of the International Monetary commission. He became president of the United Oil company, of the Colorado Smelting and Mining company, and of the Denargo Land company, and proprietor of the Republican, Denver, Col. In mining he introduced new methods of treating the refractory ores of Colorado successfully and economically. He was married July 26, 1860, to Alice Hale. He was a member of the American Chemical society. Brown conferred upon him by special vote the degree of A.M. in 1894 to date from 1859. He is the author of: Speeches and Papers on the Silver and Other Economic Questions (1890). He died in Denver, Col., Aug. 22, 1900.

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