Timeline Stories

James Fenimore Cooper’s family was originally from New Jersey. The family bought former Iroquois lands in what is now Cooperstown and moved there in 1790 to a mansion called Otsego Hall. Cooper went to Yale but was expelled for a dangerous prank that purportedly involved blowing up another student’s door. He previously locked a donkey in a recitation room. Cooper then joined the Navy. At 20, Cooper inherited a fortune from his father and was living the life of a country gentleman. In 1821, at the age 30 or so, his wife bet him that he could not write a book better than the one she was reading. Cooper then began his career as a novelist. The Last of the Mohicans is one of the most widely read novels throughout the world. Mark Twain criticized Cooper’s romanticized version of the American frontier, which has remained etched in the American collective consciousness for generations. The frontiersman, Natty Bumppo, was portrayed as strong, fearless, and ever resourceful. Chingachgook, the last of the Mohicans, was portrayed as stoic, wise, and noble. On the other hand, Magwa, a rival Huron chief, was a hard and vengeful man. These are certainly characteristics evident across the spectrum of human beings of all races and nationalities. Yet, in choosing to portray Chingachgook in that manner, Cooper’s work certainly evoked sympathy for the declining Native American population. Cooper’s son Paul Fenimore Cooper and his grandson James Fenimore Cooper were both attorneys and partners in the law firm that eventually came to be called Cooper Erving & Savage.

Our founder Abraham Van Vechten, born in 1762, was the first lawyer admitted to practice in New York after the adoption of the State Constitution. This occurred in October 1785, and, as a result he was forever known as “The Father of the New York Bar.” Initially, he practiced in Johnstown, but soon came to Albany, where he rose to prominence. He had several matters with Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Daniel Webster and the other leading lawyers of his generation. In the early part of the 19th century he partnered Anthony Van Schaick, another prominent Dutch lawyer. He trained many young attorneys including his nephew and protégé Teunis Van Vechten who joined and later succeeded to his practice. Throughout his career he represented Stephen Van Rensselaer III, the Dutch “Patroon,” who was the major landholder in upstate New York, and one of the wealthiest individuals in United States history. He is the founder of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Rensselaer, New York. Abraham Van Vechten participated in several significant cases, including the famous US Supreme Court precedent Gibbons v. Ogden. At the same time as he practiced law, Van Vechten held a number of public offices, including State Assemblyman, State Senator, and Attorney General. He was one of the first directors of the Bank of Albany. He died in January 1837. Abraham Van Vechten’s portrait hangs in the home of New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals Building in Albany.

Teunis Van Vechten,was  born in 1785. He graduated from Union College in 1802, and studied law with his uncle Abraham Van Vechten. After being admitted to the bar in 1806, he joined his uncle and later succeeded to his practice, representing the Van Rensselaer patroonship. He had a long and distinguished legal and civic career, spanning nearly five decades. In addition to his uncle, Teunis Van Vechten practiced with several other noted attorneys, including Ebenezer Baldwin, John Davis, Judge Daniel Cady, Samuel Wilkeson, Col. Duncan Mc Martin and Charles M. Jenkins. He was known as a strong practical lawyer of sound judgment and scrupulous integrity. Van Vechten possessed a deep sense of civic duty in his native city, having served as Mayor of Albany for four terms. He also served as Alderman. He was the trustee of Albany Academy, director of the Bank of Albany and the Albany Insurance Company. In 1850, he was disabled by a severe stroke and retired from the practice of law. He died in 1859, and was eulogized by Rev. E. P. Rogers in the published treatise The Strong Staff Broken: a discourse in memory of Hon. Teunis Van Vechten: pronounced Sunday February 13, 1859.

Daniel Cady was born in 1773 and admitted to the bar in 1795. He was one of the leading lawyers of his generation, having cases with Aaron Burr, Thomas Emmett and the firm’s founder Abraham Van Vechten. He argued many important cases, including the landmark case People v. Godfrey in 1819. In 1843, Daniel Cady joined the firm as a partner of Teunis Van Vechten.  He left in 1847 to become a New York State Supreme Court Judge, and, in 1849, was an ex-officio Judge of New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. He trained two of his son’s-in-law, Samuel Wilkerson and Duncan McMartin, who were also members of the firm. Judge Cady had a strong belief in public service.   In addition to his judicial posts, he served as District Attorney, New York Assemblyman and United States Congressman. He is the father of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the famous women’s rights pioneer. In 1855, after a long and distinguished career he retired. He died in 1859. His portrait hangs in the Court of Appeals Building.