One of the progressive young business men of Fort Plain is Charles B. Snell, a dealer in real estate and insurance, with offices at No. 50 Canal street. He is a native of Montgomery county, and was born on December 14, 1886, on a farm near Palatine, which was also the birthplace of his father, John P. Snell. His mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary C. Briggs, is a native of Johnstown, Fulton county, and she has been admitted to membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. Until 1904 John P. Snell was engaged in farming pursuits, but at that date he moved to Fort Plain, where for several years he was a hay buyer. Later he went to Vermont, and there resided from 1906 to 1908 and conducted a lumber business. Thence he went to Kedgwick, New Brunswick, where he has been engaged in the lumber business ever since. Mrs. Snell continues to make her home in Fort Plain.
The first six years of Charles B. Snell's school life were spent in attending the district schools near Palatine, after which he continued his studies in the Canajoharie and Fort Plain high schools. In 1908 he graduated from the Dean Academy at Franklin, Massachusetts, and for a year was a student at Brown University of Providence, Rhode Island, where he became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Mr. Snell began his business career as a traveling salesman and was on the road for four years. The following three years he spent in Fort Plain as clerk of the village, after which he worked in Ilion, at an arms plant during the World war, being employed there for a year or so. In the spring of 1919 the young man embarked in his present business as a dealer in real estate and a general insurance agent, in which he has met with gratifying success. His offices are in his old home town of Fort Plain and he does business extensively here and throughout the surrounding territory.
On the 15th of May, 1917, Mr. Snell and Miss Margaret Waters were united in marriage and they have become the parents of two children: Mary Anna, born November 6, 1918; and Lois Janet, born April 23, 1922. Mr. Snell is a democrat in his political affiliations and has supported the cause of democracy at the polls ever since he has been old enough to vote. In addition to serving for three years as clerk for the village of Fort Plain, as mentioned above, he was elected clerk for the town of Minden in 1919, and reelected to that office in 1921 for the term expiring December 31, 1923. He is a member of the Universalist church of Fort Plain and has belonged to the Fort Plain Club since he returned from school in 1909. Fraternally Mr. Snell is affiliated with Fort Plain Lodge, No. 433, A. F. & A. M., of which he is past master, having been initiated into that order in 1909; and with the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. An enterprising young business man with thoroughly up-to-date ideas, Mr. Snell ranks as one of the men who are contributing substantially to the development of Fort Plain and who may be depended upon to furnish some of the leadership in commercial and civic affairs in the coming years.