admin JAMES NEWTON SCATCHERD, son of John Scatcherd, was born at Wyton, Ont, December 4, 1824, and passed his youth upon his father’s farm. His education was gained at the common schools. Lumbering was an important industry of the neighborhood, and the young man soon entered that business. In the spring of 1852 he located in Buffalo, as the agent of Farmer, de Blaquiere & Deeds, lumber manufacturers, dealers and shippers at Woodstock and other points in Upper Canada. In 1857 he succeeded to the Buffalo branch of the business, which he continued with signal success, being up to the time of his death one of the principal lumber dealers of the United States. In 1879, his son, John N. Scatcherd, was admitted to partnership, the firm being thenceforth known as Scatcherd & Son. The specialty of the business was the expensive hard woods.
Mr. Scatcherd was connected with various Buffalo business organizations and projects. In the autumn of 1884 he was elected Vice-President of the Third National Bank, and was also a stockholder in several of the local banks.
The only public office ever held by Mr. Scatcherd was that of Chairman of the Board of Water Commissioners for four years.
Mr. Scatcherd married November 7, 1855, Miss Annie Belton of Fairfield, Canada. He died January 18, 1885. He is survived by his son, John N. Scatcherd, and by a daughter, Mrs. Seward Gary.
Mr. Scatcherd was one of the founders and a trustee of the Delaware avenue M. E. Church. He was a liberal contributor to charity; and the Buffalo General Hospital especially profited exceedingly by his benevolence.
John Newton Scatchherd, son of James Newton Scatcherd, was born in Buffalo September 12th, 1857. His education was obtained in the public schools, Prof. Briggs’ Classical School, and Hellmuth College in London, Ontario, graduating in 1872. After leaving college Mr. Scatcherd became connected with Scatcherd & Belton, remaining until 1879, when he was taken into partnership, the firm becoming Scatcherd & Son.
The firm is one of the largest hardwood lumber concerns in the country. Mr. Scatcherd is President of the Batavia-New York Woodworking Company, whose plant is at Batavia, N. Y. From 1892 to 1896 he was President of the Bank of Buffalo, and is yet a Director. He is also Director of the Third National Bank, the Buffalo Loan & Trust & Safety Deposit Company. He was one of the projectors of the Ellicott Square Company, and acted as its President from 1894 to 1906, being now its Vice-President, and one of its Directors.
He was formerly a Director of the Buffalo Railway Company, and has since served as a Director of the International Railway Company. He is also a Director of the Buffalo, Lake Erie and Niagara Railroad, and is a Director and one of the promoters of the proposed Buffalo, Rochester & Eastern Railroad.
From 1886 to 1888 Mr. Scatcherd was President of the Buffalo Lumber Exchange, and for two years was President of the Merchants’ Exchange. When the Pan-American Exposition Company was organized in 1899 Mr. Scatcherd was elected a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of its Executive Committee; the committee was given the entire management of the Pan-American enterprise, except in the question of finance. For the two years, 1900-1901, Mr. Scatcherd gave practically all his time to the work. The task was enormous, and was ably and successfully performed.
Mr. Scatcherd is one of the most prominent Republicans of Erie County. Elected President of the Buffalo Republican League, he held the office two years, afterward serving another year. He also served seven years as member of the Republican State Committee for Erie County. During this period Mr. Scatcherd was the official leader of the Republican party in Erie County, a position which he filled with rare tact and ability. In 1897 he received the Republican nomination for Mayor, but that year the whole Democratic ticket was elected.
Mr. Scatcherd occupies a distinguished social position. He is a member of the Buffalo, Country, Ellicott, and Park clubs, and belongs to the Tennessee Club of Memphis, and the New York and Republican clubs of New York City. He is a member of the Delaware Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, and has also served as its trustee. For some years Mr. Scatcherd was a trustee of the Buffalo General Hospital. He is a member of the Fine Arts Academy.
September 9th, 1879, Mr. Scatcherd married Mary Eunice Wood, granddaughter of the late O. G. Steele of Buffalo. Their children are a daughter, Madeline Steele Scatcherd, and a son, James Newton Scatcherd.
SOURCE: Memorial and Family History of Erie County New York; Volume I