"He early engaged in the business of transporting Orange County products to New York, and soon found himself in command of a first-class sloop, of extra heavy tonnage, and his carrying trade of merchandise, passengers, &c., became very extensive. The immense traffic at White Hall Street, East River, prompted Captain Vail to seek some other quarters, more commodious than that he occupied—the city at that time having a population of only about 100,000. He soon found an old acquaintance, formerly a Miss Horton, of West Chester Co., N. Y., who had married Mr. James Van Nostrand, a wholesale grocer. An arrangement was soon consummated, by which Van Nostrand was to move his stock to West Street, and Vail to leave East River and land at the Albany Basin, adjacent to Van Nostrand's store, which arrangement was at once announced to the Hudson River boatmen at White Hall, when, in derision, they laughed at the young Captain's presumption; but Vail and Van Nostrand soon had the laugh on the White Hall advocates, for the entire craft from Orange County soon followed Capt. Vail, discharging regularly his heavy loads of produce from the Bayard,[7] the first to establish a regular wharf for Orange County produce and passengers on the North River side of New York, and Van Nostrand's grocery was the first ever located in West Street. The following summer Capt. Vail's eyesight became impaired, and he moved to Goshen, New York, where he and Mrs. Vail were popular hotel keepers until the year 1834, when he was elected Clerk of Orange County, and re-elected in 1837, and again in 1840. In 1832 he established at Goshen a Baptist periodical, called the Signs of the Times, which is still in existence, and edited and published at Middletown, New York, by Elder Beebe, the venerable Old-School Baptist preacher. He, also, in 1844, established in Goshen the Clarion, the first Free-Soil newspaper ever established in this part of the State of New York. His religious and political opinions were regarded as ultra or radical, and he was a recognized leader of his sect or party. His general urbanity and good judgment, and his enthusiastic nature, combined with his fine appreciation of the arts, made him popular with all classes of people. He died in Goshen.
"Mrs. Vail survived him over a quarter of a century. She was devotedly attached to him and his children. She was a beautiful woman, and her happiness seemed to centre in their welfare, which her husband reciprocated by leaving her his entire estate, which she left unimpaired at her death, after a life of over four-score years. Their youngest daughter is the well known Madame Martinez, the eminent soprano vocalist and teacher of the voice."
We are indebted to Nathaniel Vail, Esq., of Goshen, for the foregoing record and sketch of Lebbeus L. Vail and family.
I. Sarah, daughter of [Phineas Horton and Bethia Luce] (Nathan, Caleb, Barnabas, Caleb I.), born in Chester, N. J., 27 March, 1799; married about 1820, Jeremiah Wilcox. He died in Illinois. His widow married a Mr. Rhoads.
Children, probably, born in Chester:
1. Wilbur. 2. Phineas; he was taken by the Mormons and probably killed. 3. Esther Ann.
II. Nathan, son of [Phineas Horton and Bethia Luce], born in Chester, 27 Dec., 1801; married about 1825, Julia Horton, daughter of Nathaniel Horton and Eunice Horton, and born in Chester, about 1803.
Children, probably all born in Chester:
1. Nathaniel Jackson, born 1804; died 21 Jan., 1859; unmarried. 2. Phineas W.; died 2 May, 1849. 3. Eunice Ann, married Westbrook. 4. Mary Elizabeth. 5. Caroline. 6. Julia Elmira, born 28 Aug., 1836; died 8 Jan., 1838. 7. Martha.