GEORGE A. OWEN, dealer in general merchandise at Washingtonville, N. Y., was born in that village in 1842, a son of Hon. Albert G. and Phoebe M. (Breed) Owen. His father was also a merchant here, and actively identified with public affairs in Orange County. He was one of a committee of three to organize the famous 124th Regiment. He served several terms as supervisor of the town of Blooming Grove, and was elected a member of the state assembly in 1849-1850. In 1890 Mr. George Owen succeeded to a business that was established in 1812 by Samuel Moffatt. The firm name was subsequently known as Samuel Moffatt & Son, and David H. Moffatt, who disposed of it in 1832. Various merchants conducted the store previous to Mr. Owen, who has enlarged the original building and erected the adjoining post office. In 1905 his son, Walter D., became a partner. Mr. Owen is a trustee of the Moffatt Library and Presbyterian Church. He is also a charter member of the fire company. In 1876 he married Miss Isabelle Board and six children have been born to them.
OSCAR E. OWEN was born February 28, 1845, at Ridgebury, N. Y. His early education was acquired at the old Wallkill Academy. After finishing school he learned the monumental work and he was identified in that business until 1902, when he retired. He married Emily F. Mapledoram, of Monticello, Sullivan County, N. Y., July 28, 1868. One son was born of this union, Clifford A., born June 7, 1872. He is teller in the First National Bank of Middletown. Mr. Owen is a Republican and has served the city two terms as alderman. He is a member of the Universalist Church. His father, John C. Owen, was born in the town of Minisink, Orange County, N. Y. He was born July 16, 1806, and died at his daughter's home, Mrs. W. W. Hartford, in Middletown. He was a son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Carpenter) Owen, and was brought up on the farm. At the age of twenty-one he entered the mercantile business at Huguenot, removing to Smith's Corners after two years. He married Adeline, daughter of Moses Durland, February 16, 1833. In 1837 he moved to Ridgebury and ran a general store. In 1847 he moved to his farm left him by his uncle, Jesse Parshall, Remaining on the farm a few years, he removed to Ridgebury, where he started a marble yard, and he continued in that business until 1866 in Ridgebury and Middletown. Then he engaged in the grocery business in Middletown, which he continued for some years, finally selling out to his son-in-law, W. W. Hartford. He afterward purchased a residence at 177 North street and retired from active business, remaining in the home until the death of his wife, February 16, 1892, the fifty-ninth anniversary of their marriage. He took an active interest in church work and was a Republican in politics.
[ZAEL PADDLEFORD,] merchant, of Monroe, N. Y., was born in Broome County, N. Y., in 1866. He came to Monroe in 1891 as foreman of the creamery, occupying that position about four years. In 1894 he established his present store, and a year later formed a partnership with George R. Conklin, under the firm name of Paddleford & Company. Mr. Paddleford has served six years as supervisor of the town and is now president of the village. He is secretary of the Orange and Rockland Electric Company. Socially Mr. Paddleford is identified with the Masonic fraternity. He married Miss Isabella S. Kinney, of Iowa, and their son, Bruce K., is attending school in New York City.
THE PALATINE HOTEL, H. N. and F. N. Bain, proprietors. The appointments, accommodations and interior aspect of the Palatine are ideal. It is the largest hotel in Orange County and conveniently located in the heart of the city of Newburgh. The house contains one hundred and sixteen rooms, about one-half of which are so arranged that they may be used separately or en suite for families. The house, was established in 1893 and is under the personal supervision of Mr. F. N. Bain, who conducts it in accordance with the most modern methods.
WILLIAM A. PARSHALL is a scion of an old and distinguished Orange County family. Jonathan Parshall, his great great grandfather, moved to Little Britain in the town of New Windsor, from Long Island, in 1737. His son David fought for American freedom in the Revolutionary War. Mr. Parshall's father, Caleb Parshall, was born on the old homestead, but when he reached man's estate he moved to the farm in Walden, where William A. was born, December 9, 1865.
In 1870 the family moved to Port Jervis, and the boy was sent to the public schools, graduating from the high school in the class of 1883. The following year he entered Yale and was graduated in 1888. During his senior year he was awarded the medal by the Cohden Club of London, England, for work in political economy. Mr. Parshall went to the Albany Law School and completed the course in 1889. Returning to Port Jervis, he entered the law office of Hon. Lewis E. Carr and in May, 1890, was admitted to the bar. The following October, he entered into partnership with Hon. O. P. Howell and R. Ed. Schofield, and the firm was known as Howell, Parshall & Schofield. On September 1, 1893, he withdrew from the firm and has since been successfully engaged in the practice of law in an office of his own. He has been a director of the National Bank for fourteen years, is a director of the Port Jervis Telephone Company, the Co-Operative Loan and Savings Society, Orange County Building and Loan Association, No. 2, and is an auditor of Port Jervis Building and Loan Association. He has also taken an active interest in politics, and when a young lawyer served the town of Deer Park in the office of town clerk. At present he is the attorney for the city of Port Jervis, and for twelve terms was corporation counsel for the village of Port Jervis. In 1903 Mr. Parshall was elected a member of the board of education and since 1904 has been its president. For the past seventeen years he was a trustee of the Presbyterian Church. On June 1, 1903, Mr. Parshall was united in marriage with Miss Christine Senger, daughter of Lewis C. and Florence Corwin Senger. They have three children.
ARTHUR PATCHETT, who for over twenty years was prominently identified with business and social affairs of Orange County, was born in England in 1847 and died at Montgomery, N. Y.. November 30, 1901. Mr. Patchett came to America in 1872, locating at Philadelphia, where he followed the business of worsted manufacturer. In 1880 he removed to Montgomery and with the late William Crabtree established the yarn plant which soon became one of the important industries of the county. Mr. Patchett was a member of the board of water works commissioners and exerted a wide influence in the affairs of his adopted village. He was a member of Walden Lodge, F. and A. M., Royal Arch Masons, Knights Templar and Mecca Shrine. In 1874 he married Miss Alice M. Hayes, of Philadelphia. Two sons and a daughter were born to them: Emma M., who resides in Montgomery; Joseph E. and Arthur Allan are engaged in business at Kaiser, W. Va.
FRANK PATTERSON, supervisor of the town of Deer Park, who, with his brother, George H., conducts a farm of one hundred acres and a commodious summer boarding house known as "Eddy Farm," at Sparrowbush, was born there in 1865, a son of J. R. and Mary E. (Doty) Patterson. Since finishing his studies at the public schools he has been engaged in the cultivation of the homestead farm. Politically Mr. Patterson is a democrat and has always taken an active interest in the welfare of his party. He has served as highway commissioner and in 1907 was elected a member of the board of supervisors.
Mr. Patterson married Miss Sarah Chambers and they are the parents of three sons and two daughters: Ruth E., John R., Edward, Dudley and Frances.
WILLIAM M. PATTON (deceased) was born in the town of New Windsor, Orange County, N. Y., May 30, 1834. He was for many years engaged as a farmer and cattle dealer, in which he was very successful. In 1895 he took up his residence in Newburgh, the details of his cattle business being attended to by his only son, John R. Patton, who resides on the Patton homestead, near Washington Lake. Mr. Patten was for years a member of the board of directors of the Columbus Trust Co., and a member of its finance committee. He was a careful man in financial affairs and to him as one of its officers is due much of the prosperity of the company.