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Daniel Bailey Schuyler. - Prominent among the bankers of northern New York is Daniel B. Schuyler, since Jan.
12, 1926, president of the Jefferson County National Bank, of Watertown. Mr. Schuyler is one of the leading citizens
of Watertown, in the forefront of financial, business and social life, and active in all its civic movements. He
is a son of John Lansing and Adele F. (Main) Schuyler, both natives of Three Mile Bay, Jefferson County. The father,
a merchant, died in 1897, and the mother still lives at Three Mile Bay. The pioneer of the family in the county
was Daniel J. Schuyler, who came to Watertown in 1835 from Charleston, Montgomery County, N. Y.
Daniel B. Schuyler was born at Three Mile Bay, Jefferson County, N. Y., and received his education in the local
public schools. He determined to become a banker, and for ten years was connected with the American Exchange National
Bank of New York City, afterwards returning to Watertown and entering the employ of the Jefferson County National
Bank, with which he has been identified ever since. Until 1915 he served in various clerical capacities, but in
that year became cashier, succeeding George V. S. Camp, and held that post until Jan. 13, 1920, when he became
vice president, which office he held until January, 1926, when he was elected president to succeed Stuart D. Lansing.
The Jefferson County National Bank is one of the oldest and soundest banks in the State, having for its motto,
"over a century of stability." Its history presents an interesting record running parallel to the growth
and progress of the county from the date of 1816, when it was first organized. Previous to that in 1807, a petition
had been sent to the legislature asking that body to lend the people of the county $150,000 on good security, but
as this plan called for making bills of credit, in which the amount was to be lent, legal tender, nothing came
of it, since it was unconstitutional for the State governments to make anything but gold and silver coins legal
tender to debt. Some nine years after this preliminary attempt to found a financial institution in the county,
another petition found its way to the legislature, and by an act passed on April 17, 1816, the Jefferson County
National Bank was incorporated to continue until Jan. 1, 1832, with a capital not to exceed $400,000. As a matter
of fact the paid in capital in 1816 was only $25,000 with a total capital of just twice that amount. The founding
of the county bank was an event of the keenest interest and occasioned bitter rivalry between Watertown and Brownville,
regarding its location, with the result that it was placed in neither of these towns, but in Adams, the Brownville
faction combining with other interests to defeat the plan of a Watertown site. The first president, John Paddock,
of Brownville, was said to be responsible for its location, which shortly proved to be very unfortunate. By an
act of Nov. 19, 1824, it was removed to Watertown, where it has conducted business ever since.
The hundred years and more of the bank's history have been years of steady development. In 1824, at the time of
its removal, its capital was increased to $80,000 and since that time has grown until in 1925 the books showed
a capital of $500,000 with surplus and profits of well over $500,000 more. In 1828 it was made one of the safety
fund banks in the State, and since 1824 has carried on business on practically the same site. Before 1895 the Jefferson
County Savings Bank and the Jefferson County National Bank were in adjoining buildings, but in that year both buildings
were taken down and a six story brick building put up, covering both lots on the corner of Washington and Stone
streets, and providing a commodious home for the national bank. Since 1865 it has had a national charter, and now
provides all the facilities of a modern bank. Over a million and a half of dividends have been paid in the long
history of the institution.
Associated with the bank in the capacity of presidents, cashiers, and directors have been many of the most prominent
citizens of Jefferson County, men who were leaders in business and civic enterprise of every sort. The list of
presidents since 1816 includes: John Paddock, 1816; Jabez Foster, 1817-19; Ethel Bronson, 1820-26; Perley Keyes,
1826-33; Micah Sterling, 1833-34; Orville Hungerford, 1834-45; Norris M. Woodruff, 1845-54; Robert Lansing, 1855-56;
Talcott H. Camp, 1857-97; John C. Knowlton, 1897-1904; George B. Massey, 1904-13; Robert J. Buck, 1913-22; Stuart
D. Lansing, 1923-26; and Daniel B. Schuyler since that date. Cashiers during the same period have been: James Wood,
1816-20; Orville Hungerford, 1820-33; Orville V. Brainard, 1833-66; Myers Thompson, 1866-71; Smith T. Woolworth,
1871-1905; George V. S. Camp, 1905-15; Daniel B. Schuyler, 1915-25; and Charles A. Dunham since that date. Mr.
Stuart D. Lansing served as chairman of the board of directors from 1926 until his death Sept. 3, 1927, and since
that time Mr. G. S. Knowlton has held the position as chairman of board of directors.
In addition to his duties at the Jefferson County National Bank, Mr. Schuyler carries heavy business responsibilities,
and is associated with a number of concerns. He is president and director of the Jefferson Securities Corporation,
vice president and director of the Northern Acceptance Company, vice president and director of the First National
Exchange Bank of Clayton, N. Y., and director of the First National Bank, of Lacona, Oswego County, N. Y. Mr. Schuyler
is a director of Fauvell & Rhines, Inc., director of Stebbins Engineering & Mfg. Co., trustee of Mercy
Hospital. He was the first treasurer of the American Red Cross in Jefferson County, and was very closely identified
with all the Liberty Loan drives, and during the World War period he also served as treasurer of the Jefferson
County Preparedness and Efficiency Committee.
Mr. Schuyler is a Republican in politics, and his religious connections are with the First Presbyterian Church.
He is a member of the Jefferson County Golf Club and Black River Valley Club.
In 1902 Mr. Schuyler married Miss Grace Eleanor Rogers, of Cape Vincent, Jefferson County, the daughter of Abner
and Anna K. (Shuler) Rogers. Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler have three children: Eleanor Rogers, born in 1907, married Robert
J. Amos, June 7, 1930, and they reside in Watertown; John Lansing, born in 1909; and Anna Rogers, born in 1915.
From:
The North Country
A History, Embracing
Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Oswego, Lewis
and Franklin Counties, New York.
By: Harry F. Landon
Historical Publishing Company
Indianopolis, Indiana 1932
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