My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE H. FREY. The main points in the history of this well-known and highly-respected resident of Springfield, are essentially as follows: A native of New York State, he was born December 19, 1825, in the town of Philadelphia, Jefferson County, and is the son of Samuel C. Frey, a native of St. Johnsville, Montgomery County, N. Y. His paternal grandfather was Philip R. Frey, a native of Canajoharie, Montgomery County, and his great-grandfather was Henry Frey, the third, who was born at Palatine Bridge, that county.

Henry Frey, second, the paternal great-great-grandfather of our subject and likewise born at Palatine Bridge, N. Y., was the son of Henry Frey, first, who emigrated to America in 1688, from the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, and located on the present site of Palatine Bridge. Much of the early history of the Frey family is extracted from an history of New York State by G. J. R. Simms of Ft. Plain. The original ancestor of the family in this country, while on his way to America was ship-wrecked off the Isle of Wight and lost all his earthly possessions. The Governor of the Island gave him free passage on an English ship and a letter to Gov. Dongan of the New York Colony. The latter gave him a warrant for a tract of land on the west side of the Hudson River where he located. He was soon visited by the Van Rensselaer Patron who told him if he remained he would have to pay rent, so he abandoned the place and went up the Mohawk River, where he selected land including the original site of the village of Palatine Bridge. He was the first settler of that region and the farthest settler west in the Mohawk Valley. He brought with him a certificate from the Burgomaster of Zurich testifying that he was a man of good character and also a good “zimmerman,” meaning carpenter.

The above named progenitor of our subject, with the assistance of the Indians with whom he was always upon friendly terms, built a house and there spent the remainder of his life, which was ended by drowning in the Mohawk River. His land has descended through an unbroken line of title to his kinsmen — Samuel L. and Augustus Frey. His son, Henry, was first a farmer but later engaged in mercantile pursuits. He erected a commodious stone dwelling on the estate which is still standing in good condition and occupied by his descendants. Henry died while on a visit to Schenectady, N. Y., at the early age of forty-five years.

Henry Frey, third, was a man of much influence in his community. He owned a ferryboat at Ft. Plain and put up the first bridge across the Mohawk River at Palatine. He also built the first mill at the mouth of Canajoharie Creek. In the Colonial times he received many favors from the Crown and was a delegate to the Colonial Assembly at Albany, being also appointed Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War he felt that he had no personal grievances to adjust, although he acknowledged the justice of the cause of the Colonists. He therefore refused to make himself conspicuous in the rebellion against British authority and in consequence was arrested and taken to Albany. Gen. Schuyler, with whom he was well acquainted, released him and he returned home.

The New England element residing in the valley could not understand why Henry Frey would not take a leading part with them and he was again arrested, and this time taken to Hartford, Conn., beyond Gen. Schuyler’s jurisdiction. He was confined there until the close of the war, notwithstanding the fact that he had given Col. Yates, his brother-in-law, $3,000 to assist in the support of the Federal troops. Prior to this he had, during the French and Indian war, served as a Quartermaster under Sir William Johnson and participated in the movement against Ft. Niagara. After the close of the Revolutionary War he returned to his possessions and resided there until his death. He had married Elizabeth, the daughter of John Jost Herkimer, whose son, Nicholas, was a general in the army. They reared two children — Philip and Margaret. Margaret was three times married, first to John Cox, by whom she had one son, Henry Frey Cox, who emigrated to Racine, Wis., where he died. Her second husband was Capt. Cockburn, a halfpay officer in the British Army. A daughter of Margaret married Frederick A. Conkling of New York City, father of Hon. Roscoe Conkling. The paternal grandfather of our subject was a youth in college at the time of his father’s arrest and soon afterward was himself arrested and confined at Ft. Johnson. He was allowed a parole to visit his mother and she laid plans for his escape, which was undertaken soon after his return to the Fort, when he met an Indian escort which had been provided by Mary Brant, widow of Sir William Johnson, and made his way to Canada and remained there until peace was declared. He then settled in the vicinity of Detroit, Mich., of which he was an early pioneer and where he followed the profession of law until his death. The above-mentioned progenitor of our subject was twice married, first to Marie Louisa St. Martin, who was born in Canada and was a niece of Gen. Montcalm. The maiden name of his second wife, the great grandmother of our subject, was Elizabeth Howe. She was born in Connecticut and died in the town of Garoga, Fulton County, N. Y.

Samuel C. Frey, father of our subject, was reared in his native county where he learned the trade of a silver and gold smith which he followed later in Syracuse and Watertown, N. Y., Brockville, Canada, and Canton, Ohio. In 1870 he removed to Decatur, Ala., where he died in 1877. He was married in early manhood to Susan C. Calhoun, a native of Boston, Mass. Her father, Andrew Calhoun, was born in the North of Ireland, and was the son of Patrick Calhoun, a native of Argyleshire, Scotland, whence he emigrated to Ireland, and there spent his last years.

Grandfather Calhoun emigrated to America soon after the Revolutionary War and settled in Boston where he engaged in the mercantile business. Some years later he removed to Ringe, N. H., where he bought a farm and invested largely in blooded stock. About 1820 he concluded to seek the West and made a trip on horseback to Cincinnati which was then a small place. He bargained for quite a large tract of land which is now included in the city, but before the trade was closed he discovered a flaw in the title and consequently withdrew from the bargain and returned to New Hampshire.

Not long afterward Mr. Calhoun, the grandfather of our subject removing to New York State, bought a farm near what was then known as Freys Bush, Montgomery County, and there he resided until 1831. The wife and grandmother had passed to her long home. Mr. Calhoun suffered financially from a fraud practiced upon him by a Rev. Mr. Schermerhorn, and closing his affairs in the Empire State he returned to New England and settled in Concord, Mass., where he died at the advanced age of eighty-four years.

Mrs. Susan (Chamberlin) Frey, the mother of our subject, was a native of Boston, Mass., and died in Decatur, Ala., in 1883. She bore three children — Mary A. and Andrew C. who are residents of Alabama, and George H., our subject. George H. attended the private schools at Brockville during his boyhood and later became a student at the Western Reserve College at Hudson, Ohio. When approaching manhood he commenced the study of law under the instruction of Hiram Griswold, of Canton, and was admitted to the bar at Xenia, July 1, 1847. Soon afterward he located in Springfield where he commenced the practice of his chosen profession. About 1819 he became interested in the Morse Telegraph and in the construction of the line from Sandusky to Cincinnati. Later he became Superintendent and finally President of the company.

Next, turning his attention to newspaper work, Mr. Frey in 1854, purchased an interest in the Springfield Republic and was connected with that paper as managing editor until 1861. Then selling out and having already purchased a stone quarry, he turned his attention to its development and also made a business of burning lime, which he has since conducted very successfully. Mr. Frey has been connected with many leading enterprises of Springfield and vicinity, signalizing himself as one of its most liberal and public-spirited men. He was one of the projectors of the S. J. & P. Railroad and officiated for a time as President of the road. All of the enterprises calculated for the good of the people have received his encouragement and substantial aid. He is one of those men who will be gratefully remembered after they have been gathered to their fathers.

George H. Frey in 1851, was joined in wedlock with Miss Jane Q. Ward, a native of Cumberland County, Pa. The six living children of this union are Isaac W., George H. Jr., Frederick H., Albert C., Robert H. and Susan H. Mr. Frey was a Whig, politically, until the formation of the Republican party. On February 22, 1856, he attended a convention which met at Pittsburg to formulate the principles of the Republican party. The convention was made up of such men as Abraham Lincoln, Thaddeus Stevens, Frank P. Blair, Joshua R. Giddings, Gov. Denison of Ohio, John Sherman, Gov. Morgan of New York, Murat Halsted, Henry J. Raymond and others. He with them endorsed the resolutions, also the candidate for President. Subsequently Mr. Frey became prominent in local politics, serving as a delegate to various county and district conventions but never made a business of office seeking.

In his adopted city of Springfield, Mr. Frey has served as a member of the City Council and on the Board of Health. He also officiated on the School Board and for five years was a County Commissioner, for two years being Chairman of the Board, holding that position at the time of the erection of the present county buildings. He has always discharged the trusts committed to him in such a manner as to reflect honor upon the judgment of those electing him to the various offices. In religion, he is a stanch Presbyterian and a Ruling Elder of the Second Presbyterian Church. To this church his estimable wife also belongs. Their home is the synonym of comfort and the frequent resort of the many friends whom they have gathered around them since their sojourn in Clark County.