Washington County New York Biographies - Surnames A

Transcribed by Lynn Tooley

Washington County New York Biographies - surnames A, extracted from the Washington county, New York; its history to the close of the nineteenth century by Stone, William Leete, 1835-1908.

ALLEN, Cornelius L. Biography

Cornelius L. Allen was born in Salem, Washington County, N. Y., in 1847. He was prepared for college in the Washington Academy at Cambridge, N. Y., and entered Norwich University in the fall of 1863. He remained in this institution during his freshman year, but the next autumn went to Yale University from which he was graduated in the class of '67. He then took a course of study at the Albany Law School and was duly admitted to the bar. He began the practice of his profession with his father. Judge C. L. Allen of Salem, and by reason of his high intellectual endowment and brilliant oratorical powers, soon became widely and favorably known. In 187 1 he was elected Justice of the Peace for Salem and continued in that office for three consecutive terms.

In 1869 he married Ada Lansing Russell and they had a family of eight children, four of whom are living: Christine Lansing, born 1869, died 1890; Kate, born 1871; Edward Cornelius, born 1872; Sarah Elizabeth, born 1874, died 1874; Bessie, born 1875, died 1883; David Russell, born 1877; Cornelius Lansing born 1881, died 1881; Constance W., born 1890.

Mr. Allen's parents were Judge C. L. Allen and Sarah Hester (Russell) Allen. Judge C. L. Allen was Judge of the Supreme Court Bench from 185 1 to 1859. The Allen ancestry can be traced to Queen Anne's time. Mr. Allen's maternal grandmother was of the Lansing family which founded Lansingburgh, N. Y.

ALLEN, Hon. Cornelius Lansing Biography

Hon. Cornelius Lansing Allen who served from 1851 to 1859 as a Justice of the Supreme Court of New York, from the Fourth Judicial District, was a son of Hon. David and Elizabeth (Lansing) Allen, and was born at Lansingburgh, N. Y., July 17, 1800. Judge Allen was graduated from Princeton College in 18 18, read law with Hon. David Russell, of Salem, and was admitted to the bar in 1821. He was successively in partnership with Mr. Russell and Hon. B. Blair, and then was by himself until he retired from the active practice of his profession. Judge Allen was elected to the Supreme Court in November. 1851, and served for eight years. His career as a lawyer and a judge was marked by zeal and quickness to grasp the salient points of a law case. He held many offices of trust and responsibility in his village, being President of the Washington Academy and the National Bank of Salem.

ARNOLD, Hon. A. D. Biography

Hon. A. D. Arnold, one of the best known lawyers in northeastern New York, was born in the town of Hartford, Washington County, N. Y., and received his literary education at the Albany Normal School and the Troy Conference Academy, Poultney, Vt. Having- decided upon the law as his life profession he entered the old historic office of Hughes & Northup at Sandy Hill, and after the regular course of study was admitted to the bar at the General Term in Albany in 1882. Early in his student years he evinced the executive ability and capacity for handling cases which have since won him distinction and he became managing clerk for Hughes & Northup in 1879. This position he held for a period of four years, finally resigning, in 1883, to continue the practice of his profession by himself. He accordingly opened the office in Sandy Hill which he has since occupied and at once assumed a prominent place in the bar of Washington County. He has not only built up a large practice, but has achieved a high reputation both as an advocate and counsellor.

A staunch and active Republican as well as an able lawyer he soon became prominent in political as well as legal circles, and after having served two terms as County Clerk he was nominated by the Republican party for special County Judge in 1886 and was elected to that position for a term of four years in the fall of that year.

So satisfactorily and admirably did he perform the duties of this office that he was re-elected for two succeeding terms, making three terms in all which he occupied the bench, covering a period of twelve years from January 1st, 1887, to December 31, 1898.

Judge Arnold also takes an active interest in church and social affairs. He is a prominent Mason, being a member of Sandy Hill Lodge No. 372, F. & A, M., of which he has been Master, and is a Trustee of the Baptist church at Sandy Hill, which office he has held continuously since April 15, 1887. He is also clerk of the Board of Trustees of this church and has held that office since 1889.

On December 5, 1888. Hon. A. D. Arnold married Hattie E. Hand, daughter of Josiah and S. Jean Hand of Sandy Hill. They have one daughter. Miss S. Jean Arnold.

The Hand family came from Rhode Island to Sandy Hill in the early days and built the fourth house erected in this village. Mrs. Hand, Mrs. Arnold's mother, lived in Sandy Hill from 1812 until September 21, 1900, the date of her death, and the house in which she last lived was but a short distance from the original homestead.

Judge Arnold's parents were Levi and Eunice (Brayton) Arnold of Hartford, Washington County, N. Y. Levi Arnold died in 1886 and his wife Eunice died September 3, 1901.

[ Surnames B ]