My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES A. SLOANE, who is engaged in farming in the town of Montour, has been a resident of Schuyler County for twenty years and has become well and favorably known. He is a native of Herkimer County, born May 19, 1850, and is a son of James K. and Louisa (Reno) Sloane, the former a native of Massachusetts, and the latter of Otsego County, N. Y. In early life the father learned the currier’s trade, but abandoned that and engaged in the foundry business at Springfield Center, Otsego County. Previous to this time, however, he located in Herkimer County, where his family was born, and where his wife died. They were the parents of six children, four daughters and two sons, of whom our subject was the youngest. His mother died when he was but two years old. The father was a well educated man, and owned a large library, which he made use of as opportunity was afforded him. Although he never accepted office, he was quite prominent in public affairs. His old store building still stands in Springfield Center and is known as Sloane’s Block.

In 1861, when the first call was made for volunteers in defense of the Union, James K. Sloane sacrificed his interest in his business and responded to the first call, enlisting in the Seventy-sixth New York Infantry, with which he remained. After serving two years, his full time, he started home, and reached Albany just as Lee made his raid into Pennsylvania. A call was then made for three-months men and he again enlisted, returning to the front just in time to take part in the battle of Gettysburg, where he was wounded. While in the two-years service he was wounded at the battle of Antietam, and also in another engagement. At the close of his three-months service he was again mustered out, and started home, reaching Albany the second time. Here he again enlisted for three years, or until the close of the war. Returning to the front, he was killed, in the spring of 1865, at the battle of Ft. Fisher, and his grave, like those of thousands of other brave soldiers, is marked “unknown.”

The subject of this sketch spent his boyhood in his home at Springfield Center, and until the death of his father attended the common schools and academy at that place. When seventeen years of age he entered a shop to learn the trade of carriage-ironing with a man named Durfee, with whom he remained one year, and then went to Fulton County and entered the carriage-shop of Moses L. Stockley, who married his sister Annie. He remained with Mr. Stockley six years, and June 18, 1873, was united in marriage with Annie Newton, a daughter of James Newton. Her father was an extensive manufacturer of gloves at Johnstown, N. Y., where he was a prominent citizen. Though advanced in years, he is a man of unusual talent, and for a number of years has made his home with our subject. Mrs. Sloane is an only daughter and is a highly educated and refined lady, a graduate of the Young Ladies’ Seminary of Schenectady. By our subject’s marriage were born two sons: James N., a graduate of the military academy of Aurora, N. Y., who is now making his home with his parents; and Charles A., at home.

After his marriage Mr. Sloane entered into partnership with his father-in-law in the glove-manufacturing business, and was the first to successfully introduce the hog-skin glove. Soon after entering into the business he went on the road in the interest of the firm, traveling in Pennsylvania, Vermont, New York, Ohio, and other states, and continued to be thus occupied for ten years, when, on account of the advanced age of his father-in-law, he quit the business and entered the employ of D. McCarthy & Son, of Syracuse, in the dry-goods trade, traveling for them six years, principally in New York and Pennsylvania.

In 1877 our subject removed to Havana, which was his home until 1893, when he bought his present farm of eighty-five acres, to which they moved, and where he has since engaged in general farming and market-gardening on a large scale, raising his products and shipping in carload lots. He also gives considerable attention to the dairy business, furnishing butter to private families. In politics he has been an active Republican since attaining his majority. From boyhood he has been a member of the Presbyterian Church, of which body his wife is also a member. He has been a Master Mason since twenty-one years of age, holding membership with Kenneyetto Lodge No. 599, at Broadalbin, N. Y.

In this connection it may be said that James Sloane, the grandfather of our subject, was a prominent physician of Otsego County, and in early days was known as one of the most skillful physicians of that county, where he practiced for many years and where his death occurred.