Daniel Steele

by


Daniel Steele was a frontier trader living in Albany during the decade before the War for Independence.

Early in 1766, his signature appeared on a constitution for the Albany Sons of Liberty. Later that year, his first ward home was valued on an Albany assessment roll. He was referred to as "Mr. Steele."

Over, the next half decade, his activities as a trader, agent, courier, and general businessman were documented in the published papers of his patron, Sir William Johnson. His most frequent Albany associates were newcomer Scots.

He may have been alone while in Albany as no family information has been found in the records of contemporary Albany churches.

We are less certain of the other parts of his life. Perhaps he was the descendant of Daniel Steele (1697-1788) of Connecticut. Was he the "Daniel Steele" who signed a petition to partition Albany County in 1771 or who was present at a meeting held in Caughnawaga (Fonda) in January 1778? He also may have been the ancestor of Daniel Steele - the Connecticut native who had a bookstore at Hudson and Court Streets in 1800.


biography in-progress


notes

the people of colonial Albany Sources: The life of Daniel Steele is CAP biography number 1156. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.




first posted: 11/30/06