William Snyder

Perhaps the future Albany resident William Snyder was born in New Jersey in 1742. Because a number of similarly named contemporaries are at risk, we seek to focus on the Albany resident whose daughter married young Paul Hogstrasser.

William Snyder was married and the father of a number of children. At one time, he was a member of the Albany Medthodist Episcopal church.

In 1767, he was a lieutenant in John M. Veeder's Rensselaerswyck militia company. At that time, the only references to William Snyder or "Schneider" were in the southeastern parts of Albany County.

In 1790, the household of William Snyder was listed on the Watervliet census.

In 1799, his house, lot, and personal property in the third ward were valued moderately. Also valued under the property was the personal estate of Paul Hogstrasser.

During the early 1800s, he was identified as a merchant and also the city treasury paid for a grocer's license.

In 1800, his household included eight people. By that time, the Hogstrassers (Paul and Catherine Snyder) had established their own home nearby. In 1809, his storehouse and large lot on Quay Street was valued on the third ward assessment roll.

After that, Snyder appears to have left the city to operate what became a landmark store on today's Grooms Road in recently established Saratoga County.

Beginning in 1815, the residence of a "William Snyder" was listed in the Albany city directory at 166 North Market Street.

William Snyder is said to have died in Schenectady in 1826. Perhaps his obituary appeared in a Utica newspaper for September 21, 1826 stating that he "fought in French and Indian War, one of the oldest residents of Albany; en route home from Utica he died when he fell from a canal boat." The funeral was held the next day at his son's North Market Street home. Letters of Administration on his estate were issued in Albany in October.

Sources: The life of William Snyder is CAP biography number 2597. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.