The first of the Place family to settle in the Mohawk Valley was Uriah Place, born in Westchester county, New York, in 1747, died August 4, 1817. He married Jane Ferris, born 1750. Among their children was a son John, who settled in Johnstown, New York.
(II) John, son of Uriah and Jane (Ferris) Place, was born July 9, 1773, died October 1, 1842. He married, March 20, 1800, Hannah Monroe, born March, 1781, died November 13, 1863, daughter of John Monroe, of Gloversville. Children:
- Berentha, born January 26, 1801.
- Esther Jane, April 6, 1802.
- John Seaman, of whom further.
- Chloe, born December 3, 1805, died March, 1861.
- Uriah Morris, born September 6, 1807, died February 24, 1886; married, February 28, 1832, Sarah Brown, born July 18, 1807. He had an adopted son, John W.
- Valentine C., born March 12, 1809.
- Sarah D., February 12, 1811, died April 10, 1899.
- Isaac M., September 22, 1812.
- Hannah Maria, January 29, 1814.
- Nancy, January 29, 1816.
- Joseph Lansing, December 12, 1817.
- Mary Elizabeth, July 12, 1819.
- Phebe, July 4, 1822.
- Darius Lansing, March 24, 1824.
- Emily Amanda, February 19, 1829.
(III) John Seaman, eldest son of John and Hannah (Monroe) Place, was born in Johnstown, New York, April 12, 1804. He was a farmer of Hamilton, and what is now Fulton county. Two years prior to his death he went west, intending to make a permanent settlement there, but was taken sick and died in Wisconsin. He married Adeline E. Hall, born February 21, 1815, died September 5, 1849, daughter of William Hall, of Danbury, Connecticut, who was a son of Rev. Hall, a Presbyterian minister of Connecticut. William Hall was born October 6, 1777, died March 27, 1838. He removed to Benson, Hamilton county, New York, where he was engaged in farming and also followed his trade of mason. He was an active member of the Methodist church. He married, December 9, 1798, Phebe Crozier, born 1781, died June 15, 1838; thirteen children:
- Ira B., born December 6, 1799;
- Fanny, August 16, 1801;
- Pamelia, April 24, 1803;
- Abigail, October 26, 1804;
- Benjamin Lee, of whom further;
- Sally, born March 1, 1808;
- Sarah E., July 4, 1811;
- King Hiram, February 10, 1813;
- Adeline E., married John S. Place;
- William S., December 25, 1816;
- George W., October 9, 1818;
- David, April 22, 1821;
- John W., March 9, 1823.
Benjamin Lee, fifth child and second son of William and Phebe (Crozier) Hall, was born May 15, 1806. He married, May 15, 1832, Sarah Dempster Place, born February 12, 1811, died April 10, 1899. They had twelve children.
- Benjamin Franklin, born May 6, 1833, died December 11, 1889.
- William Washington, October 27, 1834, died May 7, 1859.
- John Elmer, May 7, 1836, died January, 1837.
- Maria, October 27, 1837, died April 21, 1857.
- Mary Jane, born January 12, 1840.
- Morris Place, June 21, 1841.
- Sarah D., January 15, 1844, died May, 1845.
- Philip Nelson, August, 1845, died June, 1846.
- Helen A., July 14, 1846.
- Angeline Hall, March 28, 1848.
- James Munroe, April 4, 1851, died February 22, 1852.
- Starr Crozier, July 6, 1852, married, July 5, 1882, Kate L. Griffin, of New York; children:
- Jessie Place, born August 6, 1883;
- Carrie Griffin, October 13, 1887;
- Lee Munroe, May 25, 1890;
- Helen S., August 2, 1892.
John Seaman and Adeline E. (Hall) Place were the parents of four children, two dying in infancy:
- William H., of whom further.
- Adelia C., born 1834, died 1894; married R. G. Curtis, and had William, Fred, Adelia, who married Frank Whitney, secretary of agriculture, St. Paul, Minnesota.
(IV) William Hall, only son of John Seaman and Adeline E. (Hall) Place, was born in the town of Benson, Hamilton county, New York, December 29, 1830. He was educated in the public schools of Benson and Gloversville, with one term in the school of Horace Sprague, a pedagogue of local note, who in 1859 published, in verse and prose, a history of "Gloversville, the Model Village." Until he reached the age of twenty years, William H. remained at home. About 1850 he became clerk in a Johnstown store, and in 1852 entered the employ of his uncle, Uriah M. Place, of Gloversville, a farmer and glove manufacturer. In little over a year he was admitted to partnership, although he had but little capital to put in the business. The partnership existed seven years and was a most profitable and satisfactory connection. Uriah M. Place then retired and William H. continued the business for ten years. During the last year of his manufacturing life (1866), he was associated with Daniel Hays in business, the only partner Mr. Hays ever had outside his own family. In 1866 he disposed of his manufacturing interests and has since devoted himself to real estate lines of activity. He first invested in seven acres of land in the then suburbs of Gloversville, which he surveyed and divided into building lots. He next purchased nineteen acres adjoining, which he at first cultivated and later sold all as building lots. He next purchased four acres more, which was also sold for building purposes. He then began improvements in the business section, and in 1890-91 purchased the Bailey homestead on West Fulton street and erected a handsome brick block of five stories. He also built many residences in other parts of the town and did a great deal for the development and upbuilding of Gloversville. During this period his uncle and former partner, Uriah M. Place, died and left him executor of his large and rather complicated estate. He settled the affairs of his uncle with great care and prudence, and in so doing paid in full the many favors he had received in earlier years. He has earned the confidence and esteem of his community, who have honored him in many ways. He was chosen the first president of the Manufacturers and Merchants Bank, and has now held that responsible position for twenty-two years. He has been a trustee of the Cemetery Association since April 29, 1870, and secretary since 1875. He was village trustee several terms, and has been the nominee of the Prohibition party for legislature and congress. He was formerly a Republican in politics, but has actively supported the Prohibition party since the nomination of John P. St. John for the presidency (1884). He has never sought public office and only consented to be a candidate to show his devotion to principle, an election, of course, being impossible. He served for several years on the village school board. He is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, which for twenty years he served as trustee and treasurer.
He married, April 2, 1857, Sarah J. Bailey, born September 27, 1836, died September 17, 1884, daughter of Benjamin and Jane (Musgrave) Bailey, the latter born in England. Benjamin Bailey died April, 1891. They had three children:
- Sarah J.
- Benjamin, deceased, married Harriet Smith and left Charles and Frank Bailey.
- Edward, married Matilda Herron and has Fred and Jennie Herron.
William Hall and Sarah J. (Bailey) Place had four children, two dying in infancy:
- George M., of whom further.
- Adeline Adelia, born November 8, 1864, died October 17, 1866.
- John Howard, born October 27, 1866, married, November 12, 1890, Emma Smith, and has a son, William Howard, born April 22, 1893. John Howard is a resident and business man of Gloversville.
- Edward, born July 17, 1872, died October 4, 1872.
(V) George Morris, eldest son of William Hall and Sarah J. (Bailey) Place, was born in Gloversville, New York, July 9, 1858. He was educated in the public school and in a boarding school at Cazenovia, New York. In January, 1879, he entered into a partnership with D. S. Dempster, and as Dempster & Place began the business of manufacturing gloves in Gloversville. The firm is well known in the glove trade and still continues (1910) a successful, prosperous concern. A short time previous to the death of the senior partner (Mr. Dempster) the firm was incorporated under the style of The Dempster & Place Company, Mr. Place and Mrs. Dempster owning the entire stock. Mr. Place has other and important business interests. He is secretary and treasurer of the Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad; director of the City National Bank; trustee of the Public Library and has been a member and president of the board of education. He is a trustee of the First Methodist Episcopal church; vice-president and one of the board of managers of the Nathan Littauer Hospital, vice-president of the Glove Manufacturers Association of the United States, and a director of the Glen Telephone Company. He is a member of the Eccentric Club of Gloversville, Colonial Club of Johnstown and Transportation Club of New York. He is a Republican in politics. He married, February 22, 1883, Louisa Gardner, born September 1, 1863, daughter of Charles and Margaret (Peck) Barnum, of Danbury, Connecticut, and granddaughter of Joseph Whitney and Nancy Barnum. Margaret Peck was a daughter of William and Lydia (Odell) Peck. She married, September 11, 1843, Charles Barnum, and bore him nine children. Children of George Morris and Louisa Gardner (Barnum) Place:
- Bertha Louise, born November 26, 1885;
- George Morris (2), born September 17, 1898.