My Genealogy Hound

CALVIN P. WALRAD, President of the Cortland Savings Bank, is one of the solid and representative men of Central New York. He has been in turn a successful business man, a promoter of building and real estate operations in and about Cortland, and is to-day one of the best rated financiers and capitalists of his adopted county. Mr. Walrad was born near Sharon Springs, Montgomery County, N. Y. In 1837, brought by his father, he came to Cortland County, and lived on the farm now owned by John Foster in Little York township. He attended the academy, and when still a youth in years began a business life in company with P. C. Kingsbury. Five years later he came to the village of Cortland, and took an interest with Sturtevant, Fish & Co., an enterprise which later became Sturtevant & Walrad, and still later Meyers & Walrad. Mr. Walrad’s mercantile life extended from 1869 until 1887, and was fraught with uniform success. He has been connected with the Cortland Savings Bank almost from its foundation in 1866, and has always given it the best of his thoughts and attention. In 1891 he was elected its president and has since continued in that office, ably seconded by H. P. Goodrich as vice-president.

The Cortland Savings Bank was organized April 13, 1866, its charter being secured through the efforts of the Hon. Stephen Patrick of Truxton, this county. The first president was William R. Randall, and George W. Bradford was its original vice president, with Mr. Walrad the first secretary and treasurer. The bank was opened Sept. 25, 1866, on the second floor of the Randall Bank Building. The history of this bank has been one of constant, healthy growth and expansion. In time the first floor of the entire building was brought into use, and is to-day the home of the bank. The Cortland Savings Bank does a general banking business, and besides affords every facility for the man of small income to place his savings in a safe place where they will be so judiciously handled as to net him a good return on every cent laid by. The management has been conducted on the very best of approved lines since the beginning. The first president was succeeded in 1875 by Henry S. Randall, and he in turn gave way to Fredrick Hyde in 1877. Judge Holland R. Duell took charge of the direction of affairs Nov. 14, 1887, and our subject succeeded that eminent gentleman, March 9, 1891.

In addition to the banking affairs outlined above, Mr. Walrad has dealt extensively and successfully in real estate. He has at one time and another erected over thirty houses, several of which he still holds. His own beautiful home residence is situated on Lincoln Avenue.

Mr. Walrad is a son of Peter Walrad, a native of Montgomery County, N. Y. Early in life the father was engaged in business at Little Falls, N. Y., but in 1837 he came to Cortland County, buying and settling on the farm before mentioned, where our subject grew to manhood. He gave all his subsequent life to tilling the soil, and died at the age of fifty-one. His wife was Catherine Bellinger, daughter of Christopher P. Bellinger of Little Falls. She died at the age of fifty-two, being taken away by consumption. Four children made up the family, who were by name: Mary C.; Philo; Harriet; and Calvin P., the subject of this short review.

Calvin P. Walrad has been twice married. He took for his first companion Sarah Chamberlain; her father was the well known Alfred Chamberlain of Cortland. She was taken from her husband by death after six years of happy wedded life, at the age of thirty-eight. One son, Alfred C., now a bookkeeper in the Cortland Howe Ventilator Stove Works, was born of the first union. The second wife of our subject was Grace, a sister of his first spouse, and from the latter marriage two children were added to the family circle, Grace C. and Annie S.

Mr. Walrad is a leading Republican of this region. He has been on the school board for seven years, retiring upon his election to the presidency of the village of Cortland, which office he held in 1891-93. He is now a director of the Elmira, Cortland & Northern R. R., and is treasurer of the Cortland Rural Cemetery Association. In church matters he is a Presbyterian.