[ARTHUR E. O'CONNOR] was born March 10, 1867, at Brooklyn, N. Y. He is a son of John S. and Hanna (Marrett) O'Connor. To this union seven children, one son and six daughters, were born. There are five living: Anna, wife of Timothy O'Connell, of Honesdale, Pa.; Mary, wife of Thomas Cusick, of Goshen, N. Y., and two daughters residing at home and two are dead. The subject of our sketch attended the public school at White Mills, Pa. His father was identified with C. Dorfinger for twenty-five years at White Mills, Pa., and operated a cut glass factory at Hawley, Pa. Arthur started the cut glass factory at Goshen in 1900, which has enjoyed a prosperous business since. Mr. O'Connor's father was the oldest practical cut glass man in the world, and was sergeant in the 69th Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, and his grandfather, Neal O'Connor, was a captain of the New Orleans Rangers in the Mexican War. Arthur married Catherine Langan, of Hawley, Pa., February 20, 1888, and to this union were born three sons and one daughter, Mary, who holds the position of bookkeeper at the Goshen factory. John graduated in 1907 at Hawley, Pa., and is now foreman at the Goshen factory. William and Arthur are attending school at Goshen. Mr. O'Connor employs forty men at his factory.
HON. BENJAMIN B. ODELL—In reviewing the life of this venerable and distinguished citizen of Newburgh, a few words regarding his ancestry will not be amiss. The family is of French and English descent, but has been represented in America for many generations. His grandfather, William Odell, was born in New York City, and there for some years he was proprietor of the Bull's Head Tavern. In 1835 he moved to Orleans County, N. Y., where he bought a tract of land and with the assistance of his two sons improved a valuable farm. His death occurred there at the age of more than ninety years.
Isaac Odell, the father of our subject, was born in Tarrytown, Westchester County, N. Y., and reared in New York City, whence, about 1820, he came to Orange County, settling on the DeWitt Clinton farm at Little Britain, where he remained until 1830, when he removed to Newburgh and was employed in the freighting business with the firm of Powell, Wardrop & Johnson, with whom he remained until his retirement from business. He died at the age of sixty-five. His wife, Mary A., was also a native of Westchester County. She died in New York City in her eighty-first year. Their family consisted of two sons and two daughters, of whom Benjamin B. was the second in order of birth. He was born in the Governor Clinton homestead, New Windsor town, September 10, 1825, and reared in Newburgh, where he attended the public schools. In 1843 he entered the employ of B. W. Van Nort, in the restaurant and hotel business where he remained until 1847, when he embarked in business for himself, opening a restaurant in Third street. Twenty years later he sold and abandoned the business permanently.
Mr. Odell foresaw a promising field in the ice business, and in 1863 purchased from James R. Dixon the ice property now known as Muchattoes Lake, and conducted the business personally until 1886, when he organized the Muchattoes Lake Ice Company, of which he has since remained president.
Mr. Odell was one of the organizers of the Columbus Trust Company in 1892, and was the first president, but resigned after one year in office. He is president of the Central-Hudson Steamboat Company and a director in the Orange County Traction Company.
For over sixty years Mr. Odell has been prominently identified with the administration of public affairs of Newburgh and Orange County. In 1863 he was trustee of the village; 1865, alderman from the Third ward; 1879, supervisor of the town of New Windsor; 1880 to 1883, sheriff of Orange County. In 1884 he was elected mayor of Newburgh, continuing in that office until 1890, when he refused to be a candidate for another term. In 1894, however, he was again nominated and reelected mayor, serving until 1900. During the twelve years of his administration the city witnessed the creation of many public improvements and an era of great progress and increase in population.
Amid the multiplicity of his public and private affairs, Mr. Odell has never allowed his religious duties to be neglected, in the American Reformed Church he has been an official, serving at different times as elder and deacon. In 1850 he married Miss Ophelia, daughter of Hiram Bookstaver, of the town of Montgomery. Eleven children were born to them, of whom four are living: Benjamin B., Jr., Governor of New York State (1900 to 1904); Hiram B., postmaster of Newburgh; Clara, who resides with her father, and George C. D., professor in Columbia University, New York City.
By his energy and resolute character, coupled with a genial disposition, Mr. Odell has not only advanced his own success, but has given an impetus to the growth and prosperity of Newburgh by his progressive spirit and enterprise.
HIRAM B. ODELL, postmaster, Newburgh, N. Y., is the son of Hon. Benjamin B. and Ophelia (Bookstaver) Odell, and was born August 21, 1856. After finishing his studies he engaged with his father in the conduct of a large ice business. In 1886 he was elected a director and superintendent of the Muchattoes Lake Ice Co. In 1891 he was appointed superintendent of the Newburgh Electric Light, Heat and Power Co. From 1880 to 1882 he was under sheriff of the county, in charge of the Goshen court-house, his father then being sheriff. He received his present appointment March 1, 1900, and was reappointed by President Roosevelt in 1904 and again in 1908. Mr. Odell married Miss Edith Booth, of Kingston.
JAMES ALSOP OGDEN, only son of William L. and Louise Baker Ogden, was born in the town of Mount Hope May 28, 1861. His entire home life has been in Warwick, to which his father moved when the boy was only nine months old. He died December 5, 1905.