My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES S. FROST. Probably none of the citizens of Schuyler County are more widely known among the people of this and other states than Mr. Frost, a successful business man of Watkins. In a volume dedicated to the able and eminent men of the county, considerable mention naturally belongs to one so, intimately identified with the development of the village and county. His interests are extensive and varied. He is proprietor of the Schuyler Mills, the Schuyler Iron and Agricultural Works and the Schuyler Machine Works. In addition to these, he is also proprietor of the Glen Park Hotel, the largest summer-resort hotel in Watkins.

In the town of Catlin, Chemung County, N. Y., Charles S. Frost was born in 1836. His great-grandfather, Joseph Frost, settled in Chemung County about 1803, becoming one of the earliest settlers of what was later known as Frost’s Hill, where he died about 1838. He was the second of four brothers, all of whom settled on Frost’s Hill and took up adjoining lands, these farms being still owned by their descendants. He was born May 22, 1754, and was a youth of twenty years when the dark clouds of dissension arose and the Colonies became involved in war with the mother country. He was one of those who enlisted for the defense of the country, and served with valor on many a hard-fought battlefield. The Frost family originally came from England, the first representative emigrating to this country in 1643 and settling in Connecticut. The old homestead in Catlin was surveyed in 1817 by a Mr. Pompeley, who boarded with the family at the time.

The grandfather of our subject, Jonathan, came from Connecticut to New York and selected a suitable location for a home in Chemung County. He then returned to his native place, where he married Elizabeth Sherwood, and their wedding trip was a journey on horseback to their new home. Thomas Sherwood Frost, father of our subject, was born in Chemung County, December 25, 1809, and by his marriage with Lydia Cogswell he had two sons and one daughter, those besides our subject being Emma J., wife of L. G. Giles, of Waterman, Ill., and John E. , of Watkins.

In childhood Charles Frost gained the rudiments of his education in the district schools of Chemung County, and later he attended Lima Seminary, in Livingston County. His first business experience was gained in the town of Catlin, where he remained two years, meantime gaining an accurate knowledge of lumbering. In 1861 he became a member of a regimental band, being a first-class musician. He was attached to the Forty-eighth New York Infantry, and served for thirteen months.

In 1863 Mr. Frost came to Watkins and started in the marble and granite business, which he carried on several years. His next enterprise was the building of a foundry and machine-shop, the plant being near the track of the Northern Central Depot. There he manufactured agricultural implements and did a general jobbing business. Later he built the Schuyler Gristmill, which he has operated in connection with his other interests, giving employment to a number of men. He owns the old homestead, which consists of one hundred and fifty-six acres, and is in a high state of cultivation.

In 1863 Mr. Frost was united in marriage with Miss Theresa, daughter of George Frost, of Schuyler County. They have six sons, George W., John E., Willis L., Charles H., Frank A. and Glen H. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party, and upon that ticket he has been elected to numerous local offices of trust, including that of Supervisor of the town of Dix, which he held for four terms. Socially he is a member of D. W. Washburn Post No. 515, G. A. R.

Glen Park Hotel, which has been conducted by Mr. Frost since 1876, was built by Colonel Frost, his great-uncle, who in his day was one of the most prominent residents of the county. The hotel, which is situated near the entrance to the famous Watkins Glen, has recently been remodeled and refurnished, and is first-class in every respect. Its well kept lawns, highly ornamented grounds, broad piazzas, airy rooms, shady walks, superior springs of pure water, and, above all, its magnetic and sulphur springs, have brought it into prominence throughout the entire country, and every summer large numbers of people gather here, representing all the states in the Union. The high position occupied by the hotel among similar places in this locality proves that the proprietor is a man of energy, excellent judgment and genial manners.