BIOGRAPHY: James Howard ; Dutchess co., New York

Transcribed by W. David Samuelsen
************************************************************************
USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE:
All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the
contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US
Copyright Laws and Regulations.
In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet,
these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They
may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and
submitter information is included.
These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit.
Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission
from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites.
The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the
file permanently for free access.

http://www.usgwarchives.net/ny/nyfiles.htm
***********************************************************************
1683
History of Duchess County (sic - Dutchess County), New York
with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of someof its Prominent Men and
Pioneers.
By James H. Smith, assisted by Hume H. Cale and William E. Roscoe
published by D. Mason & Co., 1882, Syracuse, New York

Hon. James Howard

     Edward Howard, grandfather of James Howard, the subject of our present
sketch, was born Dec. 24, 1724, but at what place we have no authentic record,
and came to Pawling, Dutchess Co., in the year 1770. He was the father of
thirteen children as follows: Stephen, Matthew, Ruth, Mary, Richard, Sarah,
Edward, Patience, Phebe, Thoams, Benjamin, John and William. Thomas the father
of James was born at Pawling, May 14th, 1770. He was united in marriage with
Lucy Haynes, whose parents were from Rhode Island. To them were born eight
children, as follows: Patience, Hannah, Thomas, Laura, Lucy, James, Sophia and
Jane. Of these but three are living: Thomas and Laura, who reside in the town
of Washington, and James, who lives in La Grange. James was born Sept. 2,
1804, and in Oct. 24, 1827, was married to Ann Dodge of Pawling, to whom were
born ten children, five of whom are now living, viz:- Maria, wife of Reuben S.
Haight, of the town of Washington; Frances H., wife of D. P. Blackstone, of
Oneida county; Caroline A., wife of E. J. Hurd, of Pawling; John D., who was
married to Adaline Barners, of La Grange; and Jay, whose wife Ruth A. Halleck,
of Stamford, died Oct. 26th, 1874.

     James Howard assisted his father on the farm until twenty-four years of
age,w hen he moved to Ontario county, from whence, after a residence of two
years, he moved to the town of Washington. He remained there six years when he
moved to Patterson, Putnam county where he resided two years. For the next
nine years he lived in the town of Dover. From there he moved to La Grange,
where, for nineteen years following, he occupied the residence which is now
the home of his son, John D. Howard, the present Supervisor of that town.

     Mr. Howard always took an active interest in local politics, his first
entrance into the political arena being in 1840, when he was elected assessor
of the town of Dover, and afterws, in 1854 and "59, was supervisor of the town
of La Grange. In the years 1864-'5, he was chosen to represent his district in
the Legislature, servin g on the Committee on Railroads as Chairman.  The
second year he served on the committee for the erection and division of towns
and counties. After his return home hw was elected town auditor, which
position he held for the thirteen years following. During the war he was
appointed to recruit and fill the quotas of his town, which he did very
successfully.

     In 1869, Mr. Howard built the fine residence he now occupies and where
his wife died in April 26th, 1880. Although now in the seventy-seventh year of
his age he enjoys good health and possesses remarkable vigor, giving his many
friends reaso to hope that he will be spared to them many long and happy
years. His youngest son, Jay, supervises his farm which is pleasantly situated
and in a remarkably good state of cultivation.

     Mr. Howard is a man who always make friends, and has the rare faculty of
keeping them; and probably as large a circle of friends and acquaintances
among all classes as any man in the county.

     In business he has ever been a shrewd ans successful man, and has always
retained the respect and confidence of all who knew him.

     In his younger days, Mr. Howard dealt a great deal in cattle and horses,
and gained a quickness of perception and judgment concerning their good and
bad qualities, which he still retains to a marked degree for a man of his
advanced years.