My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE C. VAN DUSEN, a member of the Chautauqua county bar and a resident of Jamestown, is a son of Benjamin F. and Mehitable (Lovell) Van Dusen, and was born in Jamestown, Chautauqua county, New York, December 8, 1851. The Van Dusen family, of Chautauqua county, is descended from Abraham Van Dusen, who is a descendant of the Van Dusen family of Columbia county, New York, who came from Holland. Abraham Van Dusen removed, in 1720, from New York to Salisbury, Connecticut, where he resided until his death. His son, John Van Dusen, was the father of John Van Dusen, Jr., whose son, Benjamin F. Van Dusen, now resident of Jamestown, is the father of the subject of this sketch. For a more detailed history of the Van Dusen family, which is one of the old families of New York, see the biography of Judge Almon A. Van Dusen, of Mayville, in connection with that of Theodore F. Van Dusen, of Jamestown. The Lovells (maternal side) are descendants of the Lovell family of New England.

George C. Van Dusen received his education in the High school of Jamestown. He read law with his brother, Judge Almon A., was admitted to the Chautauqua county bar in 1877 and commenced the practice of law at Sherman, where he remained for ten years. He then came to Jamestown (1887) and has continued there ever since in the active practice of his profession. He is a member of the First Baptist church and Olive Lodge, No. 575, F. & A. M., at Sherman. On October 27, 1888, he united in marriage with Lucinda M. Sheldon, daughter of M. B. Sheldon, of Sherman.

In politics George C. Van Dusen has always been a strong democrat. While residing at Sherman he was nominated by his party for justice of the peace and although the town was republican by two hundred majority, yet he came within twelve votes of being elected. Under President Cleveland’s administration he served as postmaster of Sherman until 1887 when he resigned and removed to Jamestown. He was elected, in 1882, as a delegate to the Democratic State Convention at Syracuse, and has the honor of being one of the sixty-six delegates who cast their votes on the first ballot for Grover Cleveland for governor of New York. In the ensuing gubernatorial contest he took an active part as well as four years later when he spoke in the interests of Cleveland for the presidency. In 1888 his time and services were freely given in the presidential campaign of that year, during which he took the stump and made many speeches throughout western New York in favor of the claims of Grover Cleveland and Allen G. Thurman, for the presidency and vice-presidency of the United States. In addition to his law practice he takes considerable interest in business affairs and is a partner with his brother, Theodore F., in the undertaking business at Jamestown.