The Commemorative Biographical Record of Ulster/1896/Spencer Lyman Dawes

Spencer Lyman Dawes, M.D., who is one of the youngest, and at the same time one of the most successful, physicians in Ulster county, is a resident of Saugerties, where he is enjoying a large practice. He is the youngest son of Dr. Thomas S. Dawes, and a nephew of ex­-Senator Dawes, of Massachusetts, also of Hon. William F. Russell, of Saugerties, and, by marriage, a nephew of Judge A. B. Parker, of the New York Supreme Court. Samuel Dawes, great grandfather of our subject, moved from Abington, Mass., to Cummington, the same state where he passed the later years of his life as an agriculturist, being one of the substantial men of the place. He married Miss Kingman, by whom he had seven children, as follows: Howland, a physician, who studied medicine with Dr. Peter Bryant, father of William Cullen Bryant, the poet; Abigail, married to Hutch Noyes; Mitchell, grandfather of our subject, who is mentioned further on; Daniel, who is married to Nancy Loud; John, married to Dolly Shaw; Samuel, married to Lydia Torrey; and Eben, married to Betsy Bailey. Mitchell Dawes was born in 177­?, learned the trade of cabinet maker, which he followed during part of his life, later carrying on farming operations. He moved to Cummington with his father, and passed the rest of his days there as a useful citizen, taking much interest in educational affairs. He married Mercy Burgess, daughter of Dr. Benjamin Burgess, of Martha’s Vineyard, a physician of distinction in his day, and who had another daughter married, first to a Mr. Williams, after whose death she wedded a Mr. Whitney, father of W. C. Whitney. To Mitchell Dawes and his wife were born children as follows: Sally, deceased at the age of sixteen years; Louisa, married to Rev. Thomas Rawson, of Albany; Sophronia Otis, married to Joseph W. Rogers, of Cummington; Lucretia, wife of Isaac Williams, of the same place; Henry Laurens, who married Electa Sanderson, of Pittsfield, Mass. (He was a lawyer at North Adams, Mass., at the same time editing a local paper, and for eighteen years was Representative and for eighteen years Senator from Massachusetts); Francis Howland, who married Melissa Everett, of the celebrated family of that name; and Thomas Spencer, a brief sketch of whom is here given. These children were all born in the house in Cummington, Mass., in which William Cullen Bryant was born. The father of this family died in August, 1853, the mother in 1869. Thomas Spencer Dawes, father of our subject, was born April 23, 1822, in Cummington, Mass., where he received his education under Zalmon Richards, who afterwards had charge of the public schools of Washington, D.C., and also under Rush Bryant, a brother of William Cullen Bryant. He studied medicine at Coxsackie, Green County, N.Y., and graduated from the Albany Medical School, in 1848. Prior to attending the latter institution he taught school in Green county, thereby earning the wherewithal to pay for his medical instruction. On February 18, 1849, he commenced the practice of his chosen profession at Saugerties, being contemporary with Drs. William C. And Aaron Burr De Witt. Dr. Thomas S. Dawes practice there from 1849 to 1893, a period of forty-four years, during which long period he enjoyed one of the largest practices in and about the village of Saugerties and Ulster county, performing most of the surgical work. He has an honorary diploma from Berkshire Medical College; he was a member of the State Board of Health for six years, and an honorary member of the Berkshire County Medical Society. He has been president of the County Medical Society; is a member of the State Medical Society, and American Medical Association. A staunch Republican in politics, he has been honored by both appointment and election, to various positions of honor and trust. In 1861, under President Lincoln’s administration, he was appointed postmaster at Saugerties, and held the office seven years, having been reappointed by President Andrew Johnson. In municipal matters, as well as educational, he has always been active. He served as superintendent of public schools several years; has been president of the village of Saugerties; for three years was a member of the board of supervisors, and was successful in having a bylaw passed requiring the registering of all dogs, which ordinance was adopted by other communities, and was incorporated, in toto, into the statutes of the State of Georgia for the purpose of protecting the sheep. On November 6, 1850, Dr. Thomas S. Dawes was married to Miss Elizabeth Russell, daughter of Jeremiah Russell, and four children were born to them, to wit: Mitchell; Maria Burgess, now the wife of David Carll, of Washington; Jesse Fremont, and Spencer Lyman, M. D. The subject proper of these lines, whose name appears at the opening, was born at Saugerties, March 17, 1864, and was educated in the Shotlidge Academy, at Media, Penn., taking a classical course, and being graduated from that school in 1881. In 1884 he began the study of medicine in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City, and then spent one year at Bellevue Hospital Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1887, and where he was the clinical assistant of Dr. Agnew, the celebrated specialist in the treatment of the eyes. Dr. Dawes began practice first at Cummington, Mass., taking charge of another doctor’s practice for four months. At the expiration of that time he came to Saugerties, where he has resided nine years. On May 26, 1891, the Doctor was married to Alice, daughter of Major Tanner, of Kingston, N.Y., and granddaughter of Moses I. Schoonmaker, of Accord. They have one interesting child, living, Mercy Burgess, and one dead, Russell Tanner. Dr. Dawes, although a young man, has built up an extensive practice, and has a brilliant future before him. He makes a speciality of surgery and office work, and is frequently called long distances in consultation in different cases. He is a hard student, keeping abreast of all modern discoveries and appliances, and is thoroughly versed in his profession. His library is large and valuable, containing all recent works, and many old and valuable books. He has the confidence of the people as a skillful physician, is a man of the highest integrity, and is exceedingly popular. Dr. Dawes is an active member of the Republican party, for three terms has been the health officer of Saugerties, and is now serving his fourth term. He is ex­-president of the Ulster County Medical Society, and a member of the Odd Fellows and the Royal Arcanum. In religious faith he is identified with the Episcopal Church at Saugerties, of which he has been a vestryman some seven years. In all matters relating to the public good he takes an active part, and under his supervision the sanitary affairs of the city have been reorganized and placed in good working order. Dr. Dawes is proprietor of "The Corner Drug Store," the largest drug and chemical house in town. This business is in the charge of a manager, although Dr. Dawes attends to the financial part. He is one of the leading men of Saugerties, and his influence is widely felt.