Clayton Andrew Carroll, one of the leading representatives of the dental profession in Herkimer, where he has been engaged in the practice of dentistry since 1905, was born in Little Falls, New York, on the 28th of April, 1879. His father, Charles Carroll, a farmer by occupation, was also a native of the Empire state, his birth having occurred in Stratford, Fulton county, on the 16th of April, 1842. He spent his life in New York state, passing away in Herkimer on May 20, 1921. His parents, Andrew and Hannah (Davis) Carroll, were natives of Ireland and Wales, respectively, but came to this country as young people and lived here to a ripe old age, Andrew Carroll passing away in Stratford on August 27, 1895, and his wife on April 4, 1893. Throughout his active life in the land of his adoption Andrew Carroll was engaged in agricultural pursuits. Dr. Carroll's mother was Clarinda Hilts before her marriage, the daughter of Aaron and Gertrude (Heller) Hilts. She was born at Boonville, New York, March 21, 1841, and died in Herkimer on February 22, 1910. Her father, a school teacher by profession, was a native of the town of Herkimer, Herkimer county, and died in Boonville on February 21, 1848, when his daughter was a very little girl. His widow survived him for many years, passing away on June 18, 1878.
Clayton Andrew Carroll, who spent his youth in Herkimer county, obtained his early education in the public schools of Little Falls and the high school of Herkimer, graduating from the latter in the class of 1898. He prepared for the career of a dentist in the University of Buffalo, from which he graduated three years later with the D. D. S. degree. For four years after he obtained his degree the young dentist was associated with other dentists in their practice, where he obtained some of the practical experience that is so necessary to the man beginning his career in a profession. In 1905 Dr. Carroll returned to Herkimer to open an office of his own in this village, where he has met with merited success. He has a large number of patients in Herkimer and the surrounding community who have shown by their long patronage that they have full confidence in his skill and ability. Moreover, Dr. Carroll stands high in the estimation of his professional colleagues and is regarded as one of the foremost members of his profession in this section.
During the latter part of the World war Dr. Carroll joined Company M, Tenth Infantry, New York National Guard, being commissioned first lieutenant, November 11, 1918, and was promoted to the rank of captain on November 3, 1920. He took command of a company which had been organized to replace the former company in the National Guard after it had gone into the National army for overseas service in the war. During the period of the war this company had ninety men on active duty at different times guarding public property, and during the same period seventy-five of its members were drafted into the overseas service. Politically Dr. Carroll gives his allegiance to the republican party. He is a member of Christ's Protestant Episcopal church of Herkimer and a Mason, his affiliations in that order being with Herkimer Lodge, No. 423, A. F. & A. M. He is also a member of the Little Falls Lodge, No. 42, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.
In Herkimer, on the 15th of October, 1902, Dr. Carroll was united in marriage to Miss Eva Edick, who was born in the town of Columbia, Herkimer county, February 18, 1879, and is the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Barger) Edick. Her father's people have lived in this county for many generations and are descended from Captain Michael Edick, captain of the Fourth Tryon Militia under Colonel Peter Bellinger, and the first assemblyman of Tryon county. Captain Edick was born in 1734 and died at Fort Herkimer, New York, in 1812. He married Catherine Orendorf and they had, among other children, a son, Jacob C., who served in the same regiment as his father in the Revolutionary war. He was born in the town of Herkimer in 1764 and died in the same place in 1844. His wife bore the maiden name of Susan Woolever. Henry Edick, son of Jacob C. and Susan Edick, was born in the town of Columbia, Herkimer county, in 1802 and died there in 1878. He married Mary Margaret Crim and their son, Jacob Edick, was born in Columbia township, in 1827, and there died in 1910. He and his wife, Hannah (Gage) Edick, were the parents of Henry Edick, born January 14, 1850, in the town of Columbia, and died in Herkimer, November 23, 1918. He was the father of Mrs. Carroll, who through her distinguished ancestry, has been admitted to membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution and now holds the office of registrar in the General Nicholas Herkimer Chapter. She is also interested in the work of the Order of the Eastern Star, belonging to Myrtle Chapter.
Dr. and Mrs Carroll have a daughter: Elizabeth Hannah Carroll, born July 1, 1903, at Herkimer. She is a graduate of the Herkimer public schools and the Herkimer high school, class of 1921. After completing the course in the Utica School of Commerce in 1922, she entered the Geneseo State Normal School at Geneseo, where she is now ranking as a junior.