of the New York State Agricultural Society and was the first person who ever held that position for more than one year.
In church association Mr. Wood is a member of the Society of Friends and his family have long been Quakers. He has held many positions in church affairs and is now the clerk (presiding officer) of the New York Yearly Meeting, which embraces the states of New York and Vermont. He has been one of the managers of the American Bible Society for several years.
Mr. Wood has taken a great interest in agricultural matters. He has been the president of the Eastern New York State Horticultural Society two years, being the first man that ever held that office more than one year. His home, " Braewold," with its residences and outbuildings of stone, its greenhouses, vineyards, orchards, breeding stock of hackney horses, herd of Devon cattle and flocks of Hampshire Down sheep, is an interesting place to every visitor.
Mr. Wood has traveled extensively in foreign lands and over our own continent and has resided for many years abroad.
GIFFORD, SILAS D.
The late Silas D. Gifford, a distinguished citizen and judge of Westchester county of the last generation, was born in Columbia county. New York, December 31, 1826, and died at his residence in Tuckahoe, this county, September 15, 1895. He came from an old and highly respectable American family, whose ancestors settled in New England during the colonial period. His father. Rev. Isaac S. Gifford, was a prominent Baptist clergyman, and his grandfather, Amaziah Gifford, was a patriot soldier in the Revolution, serving for four years in the Continental line.
He received his early education in the public schools of his native town, and, after completing his academic studies, entered Williams College, from which he was graduated. Having made his home in Westchester county, he taught school for one year in the famous Sleepy Hollow district, near Tarrytown, and then became a law student in the office of Hon. Robert S. Hart, of White Plains. Upon his admission to the bar, in 1852, he opened an office in Morrisania, on old Fifth street (now East 167th street. New York city), and engaged in the professional practice in which his abilities and energies soon won for him both reputation and substantial success.
A strong believer in the principles of the Republican party from the time of its first organization, he took a leading part in the advocacy of its cause in the southern portion of the county and was early selected to fill responsible official positions. He was appointed superintendent of public schools for the town of Morrisania, and in 1856 was elected justice of the peace. In the latter office he continued for two terms. In 1862 he was appointed surrogate of Westchester county, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Hon. Robert H. Coles. He was elected supervisor of Morrisania in 1870, and county judge in 1871 and again in 1877. He served for twelve consecutive years on the Westchester county bench, for a number of years being the presiding justice of the court. Upon his retirement he was presented with a magnificent gavel by the attaches of the court, as a mark of their appreciation of his faithful services and his uniform courtesy in all his official relations.
At the convening of the county court at White Plains on the day after his death the presiding judge, Hon. Isaac N. Mills, paid the following tribute to him:
"The sad intelligence of the death of Hon. Silas D. Gifford, formerly presiding judge of this court, has been communicated to us this morning. Judge Gifford was for twelve years presiding judge of this court. No one was ever a better judge than he. He was learned in the law, possessed of the soundest practical sense, of great application and industry, and absolutely impartial. His judicial record will long be a matter of just pride with all the citizens of this county. This court will be adjourned over the day, and also the day of the funeral."
Judge Gifford at all times took a lively interest in public questions and affairs, having a high conception of the duty of the citizen. During the civil war he was a member of the Westchester county recruiting committee, and was instrumental in raising several companies of volunteers.
In April, 1873, he removed from Morrisania to a handsome residence which he had purchased in the outskirts of the village of Tuckahoe. There he lived until his death.
He was married, in 1854, to Elizabeth, daughter of John Rae. Besides his widow, two children survive him, — Jessie and Stanley Pelham. The latter is a mining engineer in New York.
MILLS, ISAAC N.
Judge Isaac N. Mills, of Mount Vernon, was born in the town of Thompson, Connecticut, September 10, 1851. His paternal ancestors were farming people who carried on agricultural pursuits in the town of Thompson, Windham county, Connecticut, prior to the Revolutionary war. On his mother's side he is descended from a family of Rhode Island Quakers, for many generations residents of that state. To one branch of the family belonged General Greene, of Revolutionary fame.
When seventeen years of age Judge Mills determined to devote his life to the work of the legal profession, and, realizing the necessity of a broad general education to serve as a foundation on which to rest the superstructure of professional knowledge, he entered the Providence Conference Seminary, at Greenwich, Rhode Island, to prepare for college. In the winter of 1869-70 he engaged in teaching a district school, near Newport, for one term, at the same time studying evenings in order to keep up with his class at the seminary. In the summer of 1870 he was graduated in that institution with the highest rank in the class, and in the following autumn entered Amherst College, where, during the four-years course, he took several prizes for excellence in Latin, Greek, philosophy, physiology, debate and extemporaneous speaking. In 1874 he was graduated as the valedictorian of his class, — a class numbering in all ninety-five members, of which seventy-five were graduated. Two of the number are now professors in Columbia College, one is a professor in Williams College and several others are prominent in professional life.
After leaving Amherst Mr. Mills entered the Columbia Law College, of New York city, where he was graduated in 1876. In October of the same year he came to Mount Vernon and entered upon the practice of law as a member of the firm of Mills & Woods, which connection was continued until May, 1882, when by mutual consent the partnership was dissolved. Since that time Judge Mills has been active in the practice in the courts of Westchester county and New York city, with the exception of the period of his service on the bench. He has always been a close law student and has devoted his energies exclusively to the labors and duties of his profession. It is conceded by all who know him that he is upright, honest and able. He has been engaged in many important litigations, and has been largely successful. The judges and lawyers before whom and with whom he has practiced speak of him in the highest terms. There is no one at the Westchester bar who is more devoted to the interests of his clients, or more earnest or successful in their advocacy.
In the fall of 1883 he was elected county judge and filled that position with marked ability from 1884 until 1895. He was an upright judge, his ability as a lawyer, his thoroughness, his keenness in detecting the salient points, and, above all, his judicial temperament peculiarly fitting for the responsible duties of the office. He was elected on the Republican ticket, having throughout his majority given his support to the men and measures of that party.
HOAG, HON. JAMES
Hon. James Hoag, one of Westchester county's prominent citizens,, comes of Quaker stock, which has been influential in this part of New York for generations. He is a son of Israel and Phoebe (Carpenter) Hoag, and was born in the town of Westchester, January 3, 1847. John Hoag, his paternal grandfather, was born in Dutchess county. New York, in 1781, and was an extensive farmer, with quarry interests centering in New York city. He disposed of these enterprises in 1835 and engaged in the grocery trade near Sing Sing, but soon returned to his farm. He was a Friend and attended the old Friends' meeting at Chappaqua. Politically he was a Whig of the most pronounced
