SLATER
The Slater family is of ancient English origin. Apparantly some branches of the family made use of the spelling Slaughter, and the two spellings are found frequently in the same family in early days. The Slaters came to New York state long before the revolution. We find them among the soldiers in the revolutionary war, Nicholas, Robert, John, David and William Slater. Also Nicholas and John Slaughter, perhaps the same as Nicholas and John Slater.
In the census of 1790 we find David Slater at Hudson, Albany county, with a family of three females; Isaac Slater, of Mamakating, with four sons under sixteen and four females; John and Reuben Slater, heads of family at Amenia, Dutchess county; Robert and William Slater at Watervliet, Albany county, and William Slater, of the town of Northeast, Dutchess county.
(I) Jackson Slater, of this New York branch of the family, was born in Jay, Essex county, N.Y., about 1811, died there in 1856. He was educated in the district schools, learned the trade of bloomer or iron worker. He married Mary Dudley, born at Keene, Essex county, N.Y.
Children:
1. Addison, decased.
2. Samuel, lives in Oklahoma.
3. Dillon, lives in Wisconsin.
4. John, deceased.
5. George, deceased.
6. Wallace, lives at Saranac Lake, New York.
7. Warren J., mentioned below.
8. Mary, deceased.
All but one of the sons served in the federal army in the civil war.
(II) Warren J., son of Jackson Slater, was born May 30, 1852, in Jay, Essex county, New York. He was educated in the public schools of Jay and Saranac lake, whither he went with the family when he was but eight years of age and where he lived for a period of forty-five years. He enlisted in 1864 at Plattsburgh. N.Y. in Company E., One Hundred and Eighteenth New York Regiment of Volunteers, and was transferred to Company G., Ninetysixth New York Regiment. He served in the campaigns in Virginia in the civil war and took part in the battle of Chapin's Farm and Fort Harrison, where he was wounded. He was doctor's orderly, to the brigade surgeon. He entered Richmond with his regiment in April, 1865, and was mustered out of service in February 1866.
He returned home and in 1870 went to work in the Manchester Print Works at Manchester, New Hampshire. After two years there he returned to Saranac Lake and engaged in business as a carpenter and builder. He took contracts for building many camps and cottages in the summer resorts of this section, and seemed to have especial skill and ability in this line of work. He knew the woods and mountains, and for twenty-two years was a guide in the Adirondacks for Mrs. Quincy A. Shaw and for seven years caretaker for R. D. Douglas in the Adirondacks.
In 1905 he removed to the town of Altamont, New York, where he has since lived. He followed building for a time there, and then retired. In 1909 he took the contract for carrying the mails between Moody post office and Tupper Lake, and since then has been occupied in carrying out this contract. In politics he is a Republican. He was at one time constable, deputy sheriff of the county, justice of the peace of the town for twenty-five years, member of the board of education for many years and president part of the time.
He was a charter member of Whiteface Mountain Lodge, No. 1789, Free and Accepted Masons, of Saranac Lake, and at present [1910] member of Mt. Arab Lodge, No. 847, Free and Accepted Masons, of Tupper Lake; charter member of Wanneta Chapter, No. 291; Royal Arch Masons, of Saranac Lake; of Franklin Commandery, No. 60, Knight Templar, of Malone, New York; Mystic Shrine, of Watertown; and of Syracuse Consistory, thirty-second degree Mason, Scottish Rite. He is also a member of Altamont Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Tupper Lake; F. M. Bull Post, No. 621, Grand Army of the Republic, of Saranac Lake.
He was a prominent member and for many years a deacon of the Methodist Episcopal church of Saranac Lake.
He married (first) Sarah Moody, married (second) Emma Washer, born at Plattsburgh, died at Saranac Lake, 1901, aged forty-six years, daughter of George and Emily (Vaughn) Washer. Married (third) Lyle Mills.
Children, all by second wife:
1. Francis Hall, mentioned below.
2. Tilton Moss, born Jan. 7, 1882, died Oct. 6, 1885.
3. Isabelle, born April 30, 1888, died Feb. 19, 1903.
(III) Francis Hall, son of Warren J. Slater, was born at Saranac Lake, N.Y., July 18, 1878. He attended the public schools there. He entered Syracuse University in 1896 and spent four years at special work, entering the law school in 1900, and was graduated in 1903. In the same year he was admitted to the bar and for a year or more had charge of the law office of J. C. Little, of Saranac Lake. He opened an office for himself in Tupper Lake in 1904, and has continued in general practice in that town since then. He also conducts a large fire insurance business. He is secretary of the board of trade of Tupper Lake. In politics he is a Republican. He is past master of Mount Arab Lodge, No. 847, Free and Accepted Masons; member of Wanneta Chapter, No. 291, Royal Arch Masons, of Saranac Lake; of Franklin Commandery, No. 60, Knights Templar, of Malone; of Karnak Temple, Mystic Shrine, of Montreal, Canada. He is thrice potent past master of St. Lawrence Lodge of Perfection, Norwood, N.Y., and member of Central City Consistory, Syracuse, thirty-second degree Mason, Scottiah Rite. He is also past patron of Mount Morris Chapter, No. 361, Order of the Eastern Star, and past chancellor of Racquette River Lodge, No. 419, Knights of Pythias, of Tupper Lake.
He belongs to the Beta Theta Pi college fraternity and the B. [o. w. these are strange-looking characters] Club of New York City. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
He married in 1901, Bessie I., born April 14, 1881, daughter of John P. and Alice (Smith) Frost, of Syracuse, N.Y.
Children:
1. Laura Mildred, born Aug. 3, 1901.
2. Barbara Irene, July 17, 1906.
3. Kenneth Francis, July 4, 1909.
[transcriber's note: since this material was published in 1910, there could have been more children.]