Jay A. Rickard is a retired merchant and well known capitalist of Schenectady who for the past seven years has served as treasurer of the Schenectady County Historical Society, with office at No. 800 State street, of which he has been a member since its organization. His birth occurred in Smyrna, Chenango county, New York, on the 22d of February, 1854, his parents being Alexander C. and Elizabeth (Able) Rickard, both of whom were natives of Montgomery county, this state. As young people they took up their abode in Smyrna, New York, where the father purchased a tract of land, which he cleared and to the cultivation of which he devoted his attention until 1865. In that year he disposed of the property and removed to Skaneateles, Onondaga county, this state, where he purchased another farm which he improved and to the operation of which he gave his time and energies throughout the remainder of his life, passing away in December, 1882. For two years he served as road commissioner, to which position he had been elected on the democratic ticket, overcoming a normal republican majority of about three to one. For a decade he had survived his wife, who departed this life in 1872.
Jay A. Rickard obtained his education in the schools of Skaneateles, and remained under the parental roof until he had attained his majority, when he secured a position in a hardware store at Fultonville, Montgomery county, this state. He was thus employed for four years, on the expiration of which period he made his way to Albany, New York, and there entered the service of the Burn & Fitzsimmons Hardware Company, continuing with its successors — Corning & Company. In 1883 he went on the road for the latter concern, which he thus represented for three years. It was on the 1st of January, 1886, that he came to Schenectady and here embarked in the sporting goods business as the successor of his father-in-law, J. C. Abbott, who had established the enterprise in 1838. Mr. Rickard continued the business with gratifying success for a period of thirty-eight years, or until March, 1923, when he sold out. Since that time he has lived retired from active business, save for the supervision of his real estate and farming interests.
In October, 1884, Mr. Rickard was united in marriage to Miss Josephine Abbott, daughter of Jesse C. and Mary Abbott. Mr. and Mrs. Rickard have a son: Jesse Abbott Rickard, who was born December 10, 1885, wedded Edith Peddie, and has three children: Jay William, Jessie Elizabeth and Donald M.
Politically Mr. Rickard is a stalwart democrat. He has served the city of Schenectady as police commissioner, civil service commissioner and park commissioner, making an excellent record in these various connections. He has been a member and trustee of the Schenectady County Historical Society since it was organized in 1905 and for the past seven years has served as its treasurer. He joined the Masonic fraternity on the 6th of June, 1878, and for the past quarter of a century has been a member of St. George's Lodge, A. F. & A. M. His religious faith is indicated by his membgrship in the First Dutch Reformed church. He makes his home at No. 1362 Union street in Schenectady, which city has numbered him among its leading and highly esteemed residents for nearly four decades.