History of Greenbush, (Schoharie County) New York United States of America

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Biographies:

William Pratt Breed, clergyman, was born at Greenbush, N.Y., Aug. 23, 1816, son of Allen and Joanna (Pratt) Breed. He graduated at the University of New York City in 1843, and from Princeton theological seminary in 1846. He was pastor of the Presbyterian church, Steubenville, Ohio, from 1847 to 1856, when he assumed charge of the West Spruce street church, Philadelphia. He took a leading part in the movement to erect a monument to Witherspoon, in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, and on the occasion of the unveiling, in 1876, he delivered an address on "Presbyterians in Revolution," which he afterwards repeated in upwards of seventy pulpits. The University of the city of New York conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1864. He was a member of the various Presbyterian societies and boards, and of the Philadelphia academy of natural sciences. He published, "Presbyterianism Three Hundred Years Ago," "Presbyterians and the Revolution," "British Reformers," "Abroad and Abroad in Eighteen Hundred and Eighty-Four" (1885). He died in Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 14, 1889.

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

Volkert Peter Douw, jurist, was born at "Wolvenhoeck," Greenbush, N.Y., March 23, 1720. He was recorder of Albany, 1750-56; a member of the provincial assembly, 1759-68; mayor of Albany, 1761-70; presiding judge of the court of common pleas, 1769-70; Indian commissioner, 1774; delegate to the N.Y. provincial congress, 1775, serving as vice-president of the congress; commissary of the northern army, 1779-80, with the rank of captain; state senator, 1786-93; and county judge, 1778-81. He died at "Wolvenhoeck," Greenbush, N.Y., March 20, 1801.

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

Frederick Mather, pisciculturist, was born in Greenbush, N.Y., Aug. 2, 1833; son of Joseph and Chianna (Brockway) Mather of Lyme, Conn.; grandson of Joseph and Zelinda (Goold) Mather and of Elijah and Abigal (Hall) Brockway, and a descendant of the Rev. Richard Mather of Toxteth Park, England, who settled in Dorchester, Mass., 1635, died there in 1669, and was the father of the Rev. Increase Mather and grandfather of Cotton Mather. He was educated at Albany, N.Y., and in 1854 he went to Potosi, Wis., having become interested in the Potosi lead mines. He hunted and trapped in the Bad Axe country, Wis., for several years, and was interpreter of the Chippewa language to the government survey in northern Minnesota. He served under Gen. James Henry Lane during the Kansas disturbances, 1853-55, and was one of Jennison's "Jayhawkers." At the outbreak of the civil war he enlisted in the Federal army as a private in the 113th New York volunteer regiment; was promoted 1st lieutenant in 1864, and was commissioned captain in the 7th New York artillery regiment, serving until the close of the war. He was elected a member of the Loyal Legion. He was employed as a clerk in the live-stock yards near Albany, N.Y., purchased a farm at Honeoye Falls, N.Y., in 1868, and devoted most of his time to the science of fish culture. Upon the founding of the U.S. fish commission in 1872, he was engaged to hatch shad for the Potomac river; was appointed assistant to the U.S. fish commission in 1873; hatched the first sea-bass and graylings in 1874; established hatcheries at Lexington and Blackburg for the state of Virginia in 1875, and during the same year he succeeded in transporting salmon eggs to Germany by means of a refrigerator-box of his own invention. He also invented a conical apparatus, which greatly facilitated the hatching of shad and other eggs. He hatched the adhesive eggs of the smelt in 1884, although all previous attempts had failed. He was fish editor of The Field, Chicago, Ill., 1877-80, and of Forest and Stream, New York city, 1880-1900. He was sent to Roslyn, Long Island, to hatch salmon for the Hudson river in 1882; was superintendent of the New York state commission station at Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, 1883-95; and inaugurated the hatching of codfish, lobsters and other marine forms. He had charge of the American exhibit at the Fisheries Exhibition, Berlin, Germany, in 1880. He was twice married: first, in 1854, to Elizabeth MacDonald, who died Dec. 20, 1861; and secondly, in 1877, to Adelaide Fairchild. His surviving child, Sophia, became the wife of Bleecker Sanders of Albany, N.Y. He had medals and testimonials from many scientific societies of Europe and a personal gift from the crown prince of Germany ("Unser Fritz"), of a medal, a gold medallion with the royal portrait. He was widely known by his lectures on "Fish and Fisheries" and "The Army of the Potomac," and is the author of: Ichthyology of the Adirondacks (1886); Modern Fish Culture (1900); Men I have Fished with (1897); In the Louisiana Lowlands (1900); My Angling Fiends (1902). He died at Lake Nebagomain, Wis., Feb. 14, 1900.

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