submitted by Chris Philippo
On August 8 Joe Ferrannini of Hoosick Falls-based Grave Stone Matters repaired the headstones in the “Old” Mount Ida Cemetery of several people of historical significance who had ties to eastern Renssaelear County, including Dr. Jeffery W. Thomas and Dr. Philander H. Thomas of West Sand Lake, and his wife, Laura Hull Thomas. Her grandfather was Lt. Daniel Gray (1756-1830), who fought in the Revolutionary War and is buried in Center Berlin Cemetery.
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Ferrannini also began the restoration of Alanson Douglas’s grave, who was born in Stephentown.
Dr. Jeffrey W. Thomas, born in 1780, died in 1863. A news item from the March 10, 1863 Troy Record was headlined “Death of an Old Citizen” and read, “Dr. Jeffrey W. Thomas, an old and influential citizen—although for but a few years a resident of Troy—died in this city at 11 A. M. to-day. From 1820, he held for eight years the office of Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and was the friend and associate of [William Learned] Marcy, Mallary, Pierson, Buel, and the great men of the last generation, who have passed from us. In his public capacity he enjoyed a large share of public confidence and respect. In private life he was esteemed as a citizen and physician. He retired from the profession twenty-five years ago, and at a ripe age has been called from time to eternity. His death and funeral are noticed in our obituary column.” His obituary appeared in the same issue:
“DIED, In this city, at the residence of his son-in-law, J. R. Vallee, March 16th, Doct. JEFFREY W. THOMAS, aged 82 years. Funeral at the Third street M. E. church, on Thursday, March 12, at 2 P. M. Friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend.”
The short obelisk of Dr. Jeffrey W. Thomas’ grandson Jeffrey Vallee (aged 7 months and 22 days) was also repaired. Ferrannini remarked upon the multitude of short obelisks in the “Old” Mount Ida Cemetery as being a rare feature, having only seen one other cemetery with as conspicuous a presence of them – and it in Colorado.
One of the gravestones, Dr. Philander H. Thomas’, has a capstone of an open book sitting on a cushion. Ferrannini remarked on how unusual it is and that it could be fifteen years before he might ever have a chance to work on another like it. The capstone can be seen with a close look at the “after” picture.)
Dr. Philander H. Thomas’ (1802-1863) obituary in The Troy Daily Times described the Stephentown-born doctor’s achievements and circumstances of his passing in his obituary, “Death of Dr. Philander H. Thomas” “We make with profound regret the announcement that Dr. P. H. Thomas, of West Sandlake, a well-known and leading citizen of this county, is dead. His decease occurred under circumstances peculiarly mournful. On Tuesday, at noon, his wife entered his office, which adjoins their dwelling, to call him to dinner, and found him lying upon the floor near the door, breathing heavily and evidently suffering. She asked him what was the matter. He replied that he did not feel well, and asked her to help him to a lounge near by. She did so, and after lying there a moment, he remarked that she had better have him removed to the house. This was the last time he spoke. He continued to lie in a comatose state until yesterday, at 1 o’clock, when he expired.
“Dr. Thomas was born in Stephentown, on the 5th of May, 1802, and consequently was 61 years and 8 months old at the time of his death. He was the only son of Dr. Jeffrey W. Thomas, formerly one of the Judges of the county, who died in this city a few months since. Dr. P. H. Thomas practiced medicine over forty years. He was a man of sound judgment, good knowledge of persons and things and extensive and varied reading. His acquirements peculiarly fitted him for public life, in which he mingled from early manhood. During a residence in the town of Hancock, he represented that district in the Massachusetts Legislature. He was recently for three years Supervisor for the Town of Sand Lake, and took an important part in arranging the basis for equalization of taxes. In 1862 he was a candidate for Assembly in the lower district, but suffered the fate of all of his ticket in that election. He was with Dr. Brinsmade examining surgeon for this County preparatory to the draft in 1862. He was a leading member of the Rensselaer County Medical Society and for two or three years its President. On the very day of his death, notice was received of his appointment by the Commissioner of Pensions at Washington, examining surgeon of invalid pensioners.
“The death of Dr. Thomas was almost without premonition. On the evening before his attack, he met with Dr. Wotkyns at the house of one of his patients in Sandlake, and during the ensuing forenoon visited a number of sick persons in the discharge of his professional duty.Dr. Thomas was a man of very decided opinions, but exceedingly liberal in his impulses,—a genial companion and an ardent friend. In politics, he was originally a Democrat, identified himself with what was known as the Barnburner wing of that party, and supported Van Buren in 1848. He was an active member of the Republican Party from its formation, and several times represented it in State Conventions and elsewhere. He was a useful and public-spirited citizen, and his death creates a vacancy which will be long felt.”
Seventeen years later, the younger Dr Philander Thomas’s wife, Laura Hull Thomas (1805-1880), passed away at the home of one of her many children who lived in Pokagon, MI, and is buried near there. She was the daughter of Hezekiah Hull of Berlin. Her obituary appeared in the Troy Daily Times on August 16, 1880:
“THOMAS—At the residence of her daughter, Mrs. D. W. Herd, at Pokagon, Michigan, on Monday, Aug. 2d, 1880, about 9 A. M., MRS. LAURA THOMAS, relict of the late Dr. Philander H. Thomas of West Sandlake, Rensselaer county, N. Y., in the 75th year of her age.
“Mrs. Thomas was the daughter of the late Hezekiah Hull of Berlin, this county, where she married, and with her husband, settled at Hancock, Berkshire County, Mass., where she lived for a number of years. When her children were of that age that the influence of the village would be detrimental to them, she moved to Stephentown, this county, about half a mile west of the state line, where her husband, Dr. P. H. Thomas, was well known for the active part he took in public schools—as the first teachers’ institute held in this country was held at Sandlake under his auspices while he was county superintendent of public instruction. She moved to West Sandlake with her husband about 1849, where she lived until he died, since which time she has been in the West with her children, they all being settled at or near Niles, Mich., except one, Dr. Granville S. Thomas, who resides at Chicago. All the children visited her during her last sickness, that they might make happy her last days. They buried her at the setting of the sun, in a beautiful spot in the cemetery at Niles, Mich., August 3. She was very domestic, and loved her children dearly, and always enjoyed seeing them. Mrs. Thomas raised a large family of children, who are highly respected and well-to-do in the world. She was one of those noble-hearted women who soon win the love and esteem of all with whom they become acquainted, and when dead leave a void in the hearts of all who knew them while living. She died with an unclouded hope of reaching that beautiful home where all is peace and joy. Her many friends in this as well as other stated will long cherish her many noble traits of character.”
Mrs Thomas was a granddaughter of Lt. Daniel Gray (1756-1830), who is interred in the Center Berlin Baptist Cemetery: “Revolutionary War Patriot, Representative to New York State Legislature. Daniel Gray enlisted in Colonel John Paterson’s Regiment at the age of 19. In 1776 he was captured by a party of Iroquois and transported to Canada where he was sold to the British, sailed to New York and put aboard a prison ship. He survived 13 months aboard the ship, when he was freed in 1778 in a prisoner exchange, and re-enlisted as Lieutenant in Colonel Henry Van Rensselaer’s Regiment, New York Militia. After the war, he moved to Berlin, New York, where he served several terms as Representative to the New York State Legislature, District Court Judge, District Supervisor, and Justice of the Peace. He died at age 73 in Berlin.”
The headstones of Alanson Douglas of Stephentown and members of his family received some preliminary cleaning, but repairing the breaks in them was judged too involved to accomplish in one day while also leaving time to work on other stones. Ferrannini hopes they will be repaired at some future date.
Alanson Douglas was born in Stephentown, New York, February 11, 1779, and died in Troy, New York, 7th April, 1856 He studied law, settling first in the village of Lansingburgh. In 1806 he was Surrogate of Rensselaer County, New York. In 1811 he was elected Cashier of the newly incorporated Bank of Troy, and in 1827 he was invited to become the Cashier of the Chemical Bank of New York City, but not caring for New York, he accepted instead the call of the Merchants’ and Mechanics’ Bank of Troy in 1829, just after it received its charter. He continued at that bank until 1836 when he resigned, and was succeeded by his son Charles Selden Douglas. Alanson Douglas declined the offer of President Van Buren of an appointment as Secretary of the Treasury in the latter’s Cabinet;
Douglas was married at Stanford, New York, on June 12, 1803, to Ann Sutherland.
Ferrannini was assisted on this project by volunteers from the Troy Irish Genealogy Society, Mount Ida Preservation Association, Lansingburgh Historical Society, and others. They cleaned and repaired a number of headstones in the municipal cemetery on Pawling Avenue in Troy. The work was paid for through the Phi Sigma Kappa Mount Ida Community Grant Program.
Ferrannini is a cemetery conservator who works with towns, historical societies, cemetery associations, and individuals to conserve their historic gravestones and monuments. His specialties include rescuing abandoned cemeteries, assessments, mapping, documentation, resetting stones, repairing damages, infilling losses, straightening, cleaning, and training workshops. Much of his work is very much like an art conservator. Working with whatever written records he can find and with his knowledge of materials, he takes gravestones that have been neglected for decades and restores them as close as possible to their original states, preserving them for future generations.[/private]