33 Facts About Zadock Pratt

Zadock Pratt financed multiple smaller tanneries in the Catskills, and one in Pennsylvania as a joint venture with Jay Gould.

In 1797, Zadock Pratt moved with his father's family to Middleburgh, New York.

In 1802, at age 12, Zadock Pratt moved with his parents to Windham, New York.

In 1810, at age 20, Zadock Pratt became an apprentice to Luther Hayes, a sadler in Durham.

Zadock Pratt was a Steward of a company stationed at Brooklyn Heights.

Zadock Pratt was awarded $11 for his claim of arms and clothing which were destroyed during the war.

On October 18,1818, Zadock Pratt married Beda Dickerman of Hamden, Connecticut, who died of tuberculosis six months later on April 19,1819.

In 1823, Zadock Pratt married Esther Dickerman, sister of his first wife.

Zadock Pratt had been planning a tanning business much larger than what he was currently engaged in, and Esther's death put him into action.

Zadock Pratt dissolved his partnership with his brother, and, with $14000 in capital, began seeking a location for his new tannery.

Zadock Pratt spent the summer of 1824 exploring the surrounding counties with his dog for the best place for his planned operations.

Zadock Pratt decided on a region in the very western part of Windham, in what is current day Prattsville, for its large forests of hemlock, which was necessary for tanning at the time, as well as its proximity to the Schoharie Creek.

On October 12,1827, Pratt married his third wife, Abigail P Watson, of Rensselaer.

On March 16,1835, Pratt married his fourth wife, Mary E Watson, sister of his third wife.

Mary Zadock Pratt died in Providence, New York on July 17,1868.

Zadock Pratt lost $10,000 but was only insured for $7,000.

In 1836, Zadock Pratt earned the Democratic nomination for New York's 8th congressional district.

Zadock Pratt won general election by just short of 3,000 votes.

On September 10,1837 Zadock Pratt was appointed to the Committee of the Militia, and on December 11, was appointed to the committee on public buildings.

On March 19,1838, Zadock Pratt introduced a bill to drastically lower postage rates, and argued that high postage costs disproportionately affected the poor, and that it was effectively a tax on intelligence, as it hindered the free passage of information.

Zadock Pratt felt so strongly about the price of postage that on his grave he had inscribed "WHILE MEMBER OF CONGRESS; MOVED THE REDUCTION OF POSTAGE; AD 1838".

On February 25,1839, Zadock Pratt suggested that public buildings no longer be built out of sandstone, but instead granite of marble, because they absorb very little water compared to sandstone, and therefore required less maintenance He noted that marble was cheaper than granite, when including building costs.

Zadock Pratt did not intend to run for Congress again after declining to run for re-election following his first term as Congressman.

In 1821 Zadock Pratt married his first wife's sister, Esther Dickerman.

Zadock Pratt had his only children with Abigail, a boy and two girls.

Two years later his second daughter, Abigail Watson Zadock Pratt, was born on January 26,1834.

One year later Pratt married his fifth wife, Susie A Grimms of Brooklyn, October 16,1869.

Zadock Pratt left the tannery to Gould, which expanded rapidly, and the surrounding settlement was called Gouldsboro.

However, Zadock Pratt became dissatisfied with the returns on his investment, and was concerned that Gould was embezzling.

Zadock Pratt became ill with a fever while he and his wife were visiting relatives in Bergen, New Jersey, which had recently been annexed by Jersey City.

Zadock Pratt died due to the injury on April 6,1871.

Zadock Pratt is buried in the City Cemetery in Prattsville.

Zadock Pratt Rock depicts his life through a series of stone carvings.