Biography of the Hon. George W. Kavanaugh
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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Kavanaugh, Hon. George W., was born in Waterford, N. Y., and is one of the best known business men in this section.
He is a dealer in trimmings for knit goods. with his store on Mohawk street, Cohoes, N. Y., in which business he
embarked in 1885; he is also connected with the Hope Knitting Company 'of Cohoes, Troy Knitting Co. of Troy, F.
W. Kavanaugh & Co. of Cohoes, and with the Kavanaugh Knitting Co. of Waterford, which was incorporated in 1890.
Mr. Kavanaugh takes pride in recalling his first business enterprise in delivering the Troy Times after school
hours over the route from Waterford to Cohoes bridge over the Mohawk. He had never held an elective, office, although
he has been prominent in Republican circles for a number of years, and has been recognized as one of the most devoted
and efficient party men. In February, 1894, Governor Morton appointed him an aide-decamp on his staff, with the
rank of colonel. In the fall of 1896 he was elected member of assembly by a large majority over his Democratic
competitor,. William Delaney. He served on the committees of internal affairs, public education Sand military affairs;
in the fall of 1897 he was re-elected a member of assembly, having no Democratic competitor, and served on the
following committees with distinction: chairman of' the committee on military affairs; a member of the committees
of electricity, gas, water supply and insurance. His father, Luke Kavanaugh, was born in the year 1830, and when
a small boy worked in the woolen mills in Leeds, England, earning the munificent sum of half a crown (62 cents)
per week. In 1854, with his wife and two young children, he came to the United States and located in Cohoes, N.
Y. They had seven children, three of whom are dead: Jane died at the age of six years; William died as the age
of three years; Margaret married Charles Coons of Waterford, and they had one son, Henry L. Mrs. Coons died in
1892, and four, now survive: Charles H., George W. (as above), Horatio S. and Frederick W. Charles H. was appointed
postmaster under the Cleveland administration, which position he still holds. He also has an interest in the Kavanaugh
Knitting Co. He married Henrietta Meeker, and they had two children: Frank B., who died at the age of nine years,
and Mary. George W. married Julia Churchill Rickman of Louisville, KY.; Frederick W. married Lillian M. Le Roy,
and they had two children: Frederick, and Luke who died in infancy. Frederick W. is an active member of the Kayanaugh
Knitting Co. He is a member of Clinton Lodge, F. & A. M.; Waterford Chapter of Waterford, R. A. M.; Bloss Council,
of Apollo Commandery No. 15, K. T.; Oriental Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. Their father, Luke Kavanaugh, is the senior
member of the Kavanaugh Knitting Co., and holds the office of treasurer. He is one of the trustees of the Mechanics
Savings Bank of Cohoes. In his younger days he was a machinist with Gage & Campbell for twenty years. He resided
in the State of Illinois five years, making telegraph instruments for Judge J. D. Caton. On June 10, 1862, he patented
an improvement on the knitting burr, which is used in all the knitting mills in the United States. In his church
relations he is an Episcopalian. George W. is a member of Cohoes Lodge, F. & A. M., of Cohoes Chapter, R. A.
M., Bloss Council, Apollo Commandery No. 15, K. T., Oriental Temple, A. A. N. M. S., and of the Albany Consistory,
of Waterford Club, of the Troy Yacht Club and of the Troy Elks, and president of the Cohoes City Club; member of
the Pafraets Dael Club of Troy, Fort Orange Club of Albany, and Riverside Club of Lansingburgh.
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