My Genealogy Hound

ALBERT S. WATSON, of Scotch and English descent, and one of the largest and most prominent grape growers of the town of Westfield and Chautauqua county, was born in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1847, and is a son of Jeremiah and Parmelia (Rockwell) Watson. His grandfather, James Watson, was of Scotch extraction, although born in County Armagh, Ireland, from which he came to America in 1792, and settled in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, in 1807, where he purchased a farm and lived until his death in 1850, when eighty years of age. He married Sarah Lounsbury, of New York city, in 1800. His son, Jeremiah Watson, was born in Susquehanna county in 1812, and removed in 1863 to Broome county, this State, where he died in 1878. He was a farmer by occupation, a presbyterian in religious faith and a democrat in political opinion. He held several of the offices of his town, and married Parmelia Rockwell of eastern New York. She was of English descent, a member of the Presbyterian church, and died in 1889, aged eighty years.

Albert S. Watson was reared on a farm, and attended the common schools and an academy, in which he received a good practical English education. At thirteen years of age he went with his parents to Broome county, where he remained until he was past twenty-one years old, when he entered the employ of the Pullman Palace Car company. Four years later he left their service to become a traveling salesman for the Mount Hope Nursery of Rochester, New York, which position he held for three years. He then (spring of 1878) bought a small stony tract of fourteen acres of land in the town of Portland, on which he commenced growing and propagating grape vines. In 1884 he came to Westfield, where he has a very comfortable home, and owns one hundred and fifteen acres of bearing vineyards. He gives constant employment to about twenty-five hands, makes a specialty of propagating grape vines, and in 1891 delivered seven hundred thousand vines for vineyard planting. He also is engaged in raising small fruits, and during one year grew more than thirteen hundred bushels of strawberries. He has been the architect of his own fortune, and has done much for the advancement of grape-growing in western New York.

On April 10, 1879, he united in marriage with Mrs. Mary E. Mack, of the town of Portland. Mr. Watson assigns a large share of his success in life to the sympathy and assistance of his wife, who has rendered tireless and invaluable aid. Their union has been blessed with three children: Edward C., Charles G. and Leonard A. Mr. Watson has two step-children: Fred J. and Kate M. Mack.

A. S. Watson is a democrat in politics. He is an active and successful business man, and was elected in 1888 as manager of the Western New York Grape-growers’ Shipping association, which position he still holds.