Waterbury Family
The Waterbury family came to Saratoga Springs in the late 1700's, when William Waterbury moved there with his wife Anna Crawford. William was born in the Conneticut Colony in 1766, but chose to live his life successfully in Saratoga. He was a farmer, and is credited as the first owner of the oldest house in Saratoga Springs, located at 69 Van Dam St. The house was passed on through his family for years to come, Nathaniel in particular taking great pride in owning the oldest house
In 1796, Wlliam and Anna had a son, Nathaniel Huested Waterbury. He was born in Saratoga Springs and married Cynthia Mather. They raised their family there as well, and had three children Francis, Susannah, and Hannah Waterbury. He did have a wife after Cynthia as she died young, with whom he had four children. Their first, William Waterbury took care of his father Nathaniel in his old age. Nathaniel lived until he was 91, and was said to be an active and devoted member of Saratoga Springs, a trait he instilled in his descendants. He worked as a trustee and an assesor in the community, and worked hard to help honor Saratoga.
Francis had three children with Olivia Mary Rowland: William, Mary, and Norman.
William was a devoted member of the community, and for two decades of his life worked as President of the Education Board in Saratoga. He also owned his own store on Broadway beginning in 1880, and was a prominent person in Saratoga History.
Mary Waterbury, sometimes called Mollie, was the only daughter of Francis, and it is her postcards included that she wrote to him. Mary moved to New York City as a young adult, as evidenced by where a majority of her postcards are written from. She wrote frequently in the timespan of the postcards, second only to her brother Norman.
Norman Waterbury lived an exciting, but short life, conducting missionary work for his church. He wrote to his father frequently if the postcards are any indication. The following section of this exhibit explores his life further.
The Waterbury family was a well known founding family in the Saratoga Springs area. To this day, their legacy remains in street names, and in their impact. As the original William Waterbury had many children, the name Waterbury arises many times throughout the history of Saratoga, in the church, schools, community, etc.
Postcards from Mary Waterbury that give some updates on her life in New York City. In her postcards she discusses places she would visit in the city and people she would call on. In the one to the right she is simply explaining her travels to Brooklyn, her enjoyment, and her expectations on when she would arrive home. It is very quick correspondence, alluding to more lengthy descriptions in a future letter being likely.