Biography of John Henry De Ridder
FROM OUR COUNTY AND ITS PEOPLE
A DESCRIPTIVE AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
OF SARATOGA COUNTY, NEW YORK
PREPARED AND PUBLISHED UNDER THE
AUSPICES OF THE SARATOGIAN
THE BOSTON HISTORY COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 1899
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JOHN HENRY DE RIDDER. JOHN HENRY DE RIDDER, a prominent citizen and financier of Saratoga Springs, was born in Easton, Washington
county, N. Y., a son of Henry and Catherine Ann (Schermerhorn) De Ridder. On both sides he descends from Holland
Dutch stock, his mother having been a member of the well known family of Schermerhorns of Rensselaer county, N.
Y., while his father was an old resident of Washington county. Mr. De Ridder was educated in the common schools
and at Williston Seminary, East Hampton, Mass. All of his business life has been passed in the employ and direction
of financial institutions. He entered the Bank of Old Saratoga in 1864 when it was a State bank. In July, 1865,
the institution was reorganized under the title of the National Bank of Schnylerville and Mr. De Ridder held the
position of teller until 1877 when he became cashier. In 1881, in connection with others, Mr. De Ridder organized
the Citizens National Bank of Saratoga Springs, becoming a director and also cashier, which position he resigned
in January, 1882. In September, 1891, he again became a director of this bank and in January, 1892, was elected
cashier, a trust in which he still continues. While a resident of Schuylerville Mr. De Ridder held many positions
of public trust in the town and village government. He served as supervisor several terms (chairman of the the
boird one year), as trustee of the village and president of the board of education. For over twenty-five years
he was an official member of the Schuylerville Dutch Reformed church, and served the society for twenty-two consecutive
years as superintendent of the Sunday school. As previously stated Mr. De Ridder is of Holland Dutch extraction,
being a lineal descendant of Evert. De Ridder, a Hollander who settled in Albany prior to 1688. He is a member
of the Holland Society of New York. He married, February 26, 1868, Miss Marie T. Hannum, daughter of Nathan O.
and Jane G. (Tinker) Hannum, and a member of an old New England family of Puritan origin. Their children are three:
Isabella Graham, wife of George H. Ames of Brooklyn, N. Y.; Mary Hannum, and John Howard of Saratoga Springs. Politically
Mr. De Ridder is a Democrat. He is secretary and treasurer of the Schuylerville Bridge Company and holds a similar
position in the S. E. G. Rawson Company of Saratoga Springs. His career is a remarkably good illustration of the
success that can be attained by industry, enterprise and the strictest integrity.
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