From George Wood Platt and His
Descendents
Emilie Louise Platt
George Wood Platt was born August 2, 1798 at
Huntington, Long Island. He was descended from Richard Platt and Mary
(Bryan?) his wife, who were settlers of Milford, Connecticut in
1639/40. Richard's sons, Isaac and Epenetus, migrated from Milford with
the group that founded Huntington. Both Isaac and Epenetus married
daughters of Jonas Wood. A great-granddaughter of Epenetus named Mary
Platt, married Obadiah Platt a great, great-grandson of Epenetus'
brother Isaac. Elkanah Platt, a son of Obadiah and Mary, married
Prudence Wood, a descendant of Jonas Wood, brother of the sisters wlio
were wives of Platt settlers of Huntington. So George Wood Platt, son
of Elkanah Platt and Prudence Wood was to a great extent inbred,
although he had also Scudder, Ketcham and Norton ancestry of Long
Island colonial stock.
The Platt Lineage by G(eorge) Lewis Platt, 1891,
states that George Wood Platt went from Huntington to New York City
about 1810 or 1812. Elsewhere there is a reference, "George and his
brother Nathan set out from Huntington to seek their fortunes."
However, records in Longworth's New York City Directory would seem to
indicate that there was a family migration, rather than an individual
enterprise.
Longworth's New York City
Directory
1810-11 Platt, Elkanah Groc. 252 Water Street
1811-12 riatt, Elkanah Boarding h 246 Waler Street
1819-20 Platt, David Boarding h 251 Water Street
1820-21 Platt, David Boarding h 380 Water Street
1821-22 Platt, David Groc. Water and Oliver
1824-25 Platt, Geo. W. Thimble
maker 361 Pearl Street
Later entries in the directories show that Elkanah had a boarding house
at 81 Catherine Street from 1828 to 1831 and that David and George Wood
Platt were in the jewelry business at 140 Chatham Street during the
same period.
Mrs. Joseph Corwin of Orange, New Jersey, has in her
possession a brief autobiography of her great-grandfather, George Wood
Platt. In his handwriting on part of a sheet of foolscap is this
statement, "Being now over four score, I desire to record a brief
scetch (his spelling) of my life which I dedicate to my children, grand
and great-grand children"
GEORGE WOOD PLATT
New York, Dec. 1878.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE WOOD PLATT
In the handwriting of his daughter, Eliza
Plait Sloddard.
Huntington, Long Island.
"As I was born in a country town, the book of nature
was my first primer. At the village school, when very young, I was
placed under the care of the 'schoolmarm' called Aunt Betsy McCavey, who
had the training of many generations. Afterwards I was sent to the
Academy taught by the Reverend Nathaniel Prime, until my family changed
homes and I was sent to another school. In the summer time practical
lessons on the farm were given. In harvest time I would rake the
sheaves for the binder and on top of the loads of hay I would tread,
and in the barn mow the hay. Picking apples and picking stones were
also an important part of my work in their seasons and I had something
to do with pulling the flax and dressing the fiber after it had been
spread and bleached.
In the winter, different pedagogues had the honor of
presiding at the school and, according to the custom of the times, they
boarded around. One Sam Kelsey I remember. He was lame but quick at
figures and courteous in address. I recall the pleasure of my first
acquisitions of knowledge in reading and writing and ciphering. One of
the exercises was in forming the entire class into a school to spell.
As you missed a word you went down in the row, as you spelled the word
that was missed you went up in the row. This induced me to study
Webster's Spelling Book with a sort of enthusiasm and it laid a
foundation for future need. This training to distinguish sounds has
furnished a practical dictionary for everyday uses.
When I came to New York my busy life began. Self
culture, observation and the use of opportunities at hand developed and
matured thought. I took a sober view of life, my judgment was to avoid
bad company and associate with the good.
"When about fifteen years of age, I went with a
comrade named Peter to the Tabernacle Baptist Church and attended
singing school and conference meetings. I joined that church in my 17th
year and took an active part. It was in that church that I formed the
acquaintance of my wife (Eliza Roshore) whom I married when she was in
her 19th year, I being in my 23rd.
Just here I might notice one thing in my history
that is a little extraordinary. When I was out of my time (l) it was
hard times. I could not get anything to do, so I made me a set of tools
preparatory to making thimbles. While at this work I boarded for $2.50
a week.
I went to a machinist for castings and proposed that
he should trust me for six months and then I started business. My
employer had failed causing me to look elsewhere for work.
I at first intended to unite with my friend, Win. Dusenberry and went
to see the landlord of the old place, but before all was consummated.
Dusenberry objected, wanting me to take the lease and turn it over to
him. I said, "This is not the spirit of partners and our partnership is
at an end". Then I formed a connection with Porter and he
put some money in the stock. Porter and Platt hired in
Division Street at the intersection of Walker Street. We put up
our tools and made some thimbles. The rent of the shop was
22 1/2 per year.
About this time my old employer wanted some work
done so I went down to his shop and the money earned met an
indebtedness in my business. Still it was hard times and Porter was
very uneasy and wanted me to fail. I told him I should not. I had made
my bargain in good faith and would pay as fast as I could. But as be
continued to be uneasy, I took a trip to the country and my friend
Judge Potter bought Porter out and became my partner. Our establishment
was moved to Huntington, Long Island, I then married and we commenced
housekeeping in the old homestead. Finding it inconvenient to do
business there, I came to New York and in Pearl above Franklin Square,
began to make a little money. About that time I took my brother Nathan
and one or two others as apprentices.
After a while we moved to Chatham Street and from there to Maiden Lane
in the latter part of 1834 when a fire burned us out in Chatham Street.
We were 12 years at number 12 Maiden Lane and the remainder at number
20. Meanwhile about 1835, the partnership of Platt and Brothers was
formed, my Bro. David left in 42. Nathan remained until May '61 when he
became embarrassed and being out of health it became a necessity for us
to dissolve."
So the autobiography
ends. Confirmation of some details are found in Longworth's New York
City Directory. These records show
1834-5—G. W. and N.
C. Platt in the jewelry business at 140 Chatham Street and living at 18
Mulberry Street, where David also lived,
1835-6—David,
Elkanah, G. XV. and Nathan are all listed as residents of IS Mulberry
Street. The business is given as Platt and Bro. Hardware, jewelry,
thimbles at 12 Maiden Lane, also Platt and Bro. Gold and silver
refinery at 26 Thomas Street.
1851-2—G.
W. Platt' residence was 105 Amity Street (later West Third) Nathan' as
29 Washington Square and the business address as 20 Maiden Lane and a
new enterprise, gold and silver refinery and bullion office at 4
Liberty Place.
Albert Ullman in his History of Maiden Lane (page
64, 65) mentions that in 1840 jewelry firms had come in. At Number 12
was the firm of Platt and Bro., importers and manufacturers of thimbles
and spectacles. In 1850 at
Number 20, Platt and Bro. were importers of watches
and jewelry.
In checking on George Wood Platt's church
connection, Green-leaf's History of Churches in New York City was
consulted. The Tabernacle Baptist Church was so named in 1839, so the
church he joined was in 1815 a church on Mulberry Street called the
James Street Church. That congregation was formed in 1809 and lasted to
1838 with Rev. Archibald Maclay as pastor. Then a new church was formed
from the combined Oliver Street and Mulberry Street churches and was
named the Tabernacle Baptist Church, with the Rev. W. W. Evarts as
clergyman.
As the century advanced, the Platt businesses
expanded and prospered. Nathan Platt became interested in civic affairs
and was city chamberlain. When he "became embarrassed", his brother
George made a settlement and the partnership was dissolved. After
Nathan died his heirs sued George for a share of the business and a
long and famous trial resulted. The account in the Platt Lineage (page
366/7) quotes the New York Herald,of March 3, 1886.
"The estate of the
late Nathan C. Platt of New York was sold in March 1886 for the sum of
$375,000. 'When the Platts—Nathan and George—made their thousands in
New York, there was no assay office there. The mint was in
Philadelphia, nearly a hundred miles away, and those who had made their
return trip from California, around Cape Horn, after a four months
voyage in the famous clipper ships of the time, did not care to make
another railroad trip to sell their 'ore'. They carried it around their
waists, had it sewed in the lining of ilieir clothes or in satchels or
in their pockets, and even before they divested themselves of their
mining clothes or indulged in the luxuries incident to a return home,
they tramped down to Liberty Street three or four hundred strong and
sold their 'diggings'. Old Mr. Platt (George) weighed the ore, figured
the value and gave the Californian his check for the amount. At that
time it was known that the Platts kept a large cash balance on hand in
the growing business of the city. Nathan and George when quite young
came to the city about 1810 from Huntingdon, Long Island, and engaged
in the manufacture of gold and silver thimbles in what is now known as
Chatham Square. They met with success there, manufactured other
articles and, had so expanded their business, that, about 1830, they
purchased 4 and 6 Liberty Street, a part of the well-known
Grant-Thurburn estate, whose seed-store and garden form part of the
history of New York. It was here in Liberty Street that they became
prominent jewelers in New York. They opened an assay office just
previous to the California excitement, and their stamp on a bar of gold
was considered, here and abroad, as good as that of the U. S. mint. The
'forty-niners' from California rapidly increased their business and in
a few years they owned additional property on Maiden Lane and Nassau
Street'."
The flat table-ware the Platts manufactured is represented in the Early
American silver collections exhibited in several museums, among
them the Museum of the City of New York, the
Yale Museum of Fine Arts in New Haven and the Museum of the
Huntington Historical Society.
The marks are either Platt
Bros. or G.W. and N.C. Platt.
In the late
1840's G. W. Platt sent his son Henry M.
Platt abroad to study refining and assaying methods in different
countries and to recruit expert workmen for the New York
refinery. Henry studied chemistry and metallurgy at the Sorbonne
in Paris. Later, Henry bought the Liberty Street
establishment. The busines finally came into the hands of
Henry's son Charles S. Platt, who conducted it for over thirty
years and then sold it.
George Wood Platt died April 3, 1881. The obituary
New York Times, April 4, 1881 gave some details not mentioned in the
autobiography.
"Mr. George W.
Platt, senior partner of the jewelry firm of Platt and Brother at 20
Maiden Lane and at Nos. 4 and 6 Liberty Place, died at his residence.
No. 105 West Third Street, last evening. Mr. Platt was born in
Huntington, Long Island, August 2, 1798 and came to this city in
boyhood to seek his fortune. Industrious and studious, he became an
expert in his trade and was one of the best assayers in the city. At
the time of his death he conducted an extensive private assaying and
refining establishment in Thomas Street in addition to his other
enterprises. He was also a director of the Broadway Bank for many years
previous to his death. By care and prudence he passed safely through
the various financial crises during the past half century, and it is
said of him that he never failed to meet his obligations. Mr. Platt was
a leading member of the Church of the Divine Paternity and at the time
of his death was senior deacon of the church. He was benevolent and
charitable in dispensing alms—"
The New York Daily Tribune obituary stressed the
high standards of ethics that governed George W. Platt's life.
"Industry and faithfulness marked all his business and social
relations. In financial crises he met his obligations to a fraction and
he kept together liis band of employees through all the changes of the
times. He was their friend unselfish and true; some of them have been
with him for over thirty years".
The church where the funeral services were held was
then at Fifth Avenue and 45th Street, Dr. E. H. Chapin, pastor. George
and his brother Nathan had bought adjoining lots in the Green-Wood
Cemetery in Brooklyn and there they and many of their descendants are
buried.
Their ancestors for six generations rest at
Huntington, Long Island, but Richard the settler is commemorated with
other founders of Milford, Connecticut by inscription on a coping stone
of the memorial bridge over the Wapawaug River,
Deacon Richard Platt
obit
1684
Mary, his wife
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