WILLIAM R. WISNER, one of the prominent and honored men of Orange County, was born March 21, 1799, on the homestead farm near Wisner, this county. He had always been identified in agricultural pursuits. He married Eliza Miller, March 16, 1819, and resided until his death, November 19, 1886, in the stone house now occupied by his great-grandchildren. He was a grandson of Captain John Wisner. He was an upright man, a good citizen and a prosperous farmer. He was a whig and afterward a republican.
GRAHAM WITSCHIEF, attorney of Newburgh, was born in Port Jervis, N. Y., 1875. He is a son of Peter and Florence (Graham) Witschief. After graduating from the Port Jervis Academy in 1893, he attended the Albany Law School one year, and then read law two years in the office of Hon. O. P. Howell, former surrogate of Orange County. Mr. Witschief was admitted to the bar October 29, 1896. Politically he is a republican, and served one term as president of the common council of Newburgh. He is past master of Newburgh Lodge No. 309, F. and A. M. He married Miss Mary Farnum, of Port Jervis, N. Y. Mr. Witschief has conducted some of the most important litigations in Orange County, and is regarded as one of Newburgh's representative attorneys.
ANDREW WOOD, station agent at Stony Ford, N. Y., was born at Cornwell, Canada, June 7, 1850. His parents were William and Ann (Jardine) Wood. Andrew attended the common school, after which he assisted his father on the farm. He was connected with the Grand Trunk Railroad as telegraph operator for a period, after which he removed to New York State. In 1876 he served seven years at Willsboro, N. Y., with the D. & H. R. R., as station agent. August 4, 1884, he removed to Stony Ford, Orange County, and became identified with the
[Transcriber's Note: There appears to be some content omitted from the original by the printer at this point. (pp. 993-4)]
Kortright of Kortryk, Belgium, 1586. Casper Writer, with wife and five children removed to the present town of Mount Hope in 1784. Here he located and raised a family of eight children—three sons, Aaron, John Falter and Jasper, Jr., and five daughters. Eve, the wife died December 21, 1830; Casper's years overran the century mark. He died November 15, 1842. His sons Aaron and Jasper were lifelong residents of Mount Hope, where their descendants are perpetuating the family name.
BENJAMIN F. WRITER was born on the homestead farm in the town of Mount Hope, May 19, 1854. His parents were John F. and Phoebe (Rosencrants) Writer. His father died in 1892 and the mother is still living at the age of eighty years. Benjamin acquired his early education at the district school, after which he followed agricultural pursuits. He married Ella K. Dennis, of Sussex, N. J., November 8, 1882. Their four children are Coe, Frank, Elmo and Henry, who died at the age of four years. Frank is identified with the Borden Company at Otisville as assistant foreman, and is a member of Hoffman Lodge No. 412, F. and A. M., of Middletown; Elmo is connected with the Sanatorium at Otisville. The father is a member of Otisville Grange No. 1020.
THEODORE WRITER, M.D., of Otisville, N. Y., was born in the town of Mount Hope, Orange County, July 17, 1837. He acquired his early education at the public schools and the Seward Institute of Florida, Orange County. He later entered the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York, from which he graduated in March, 1866. He remained for one year in New York in the practice of his profession, then returned to Otisville, where he has since practiced. Dr. Writer married Miss Helen A. Green, of Mount Hope, November 3, 1869. To this union was born one son. Dr. Writer is a republican and has served the town of Mount Hope as supervisor. He is a member of Hoffman Lodge No. 412, F. and A. M., of Middletown.
JAMES A. WYLIE, manager of Katterman & Mitchell Co.'s silk mill at Port Jervis, was born at Morristown, N. J. Soon after leaving school he began work in a silk mill, and has learned the business thoroughly under the tuition of his father, H. A. Wylie, who was manager of the Port Jervis mill until his death in 1902.
This mill began operation in 1898, and is one of the important industries of Port Jervis. It gives employment to about one hundred skilled employees and produces over a quarter of a million yards of silk annually. An addition to the factory has recently been erected, making it possible to considerably enlarge the output.
[FRANK N. YAGEL,] who conducts a prosperous plumbing, roofing and tinsmith establishment in the village of Highland Falls, N. Y., was born in Germany in 1872. He came to America in 1883, and after four years' schooling in this country served his apprenticeship with his brothers, with whom he was later a partner for eight years. Since 1899 he has been engaged in business for himself. Mr. Yagel has served as state and county tax collector and is now village trustee. Socially he is identified with the I. O. O. F. He married Miss Francis Wolklin and they are the parents of three children.