Thornell Road Elementary School
Mrs. Stevens-Oliver's 4th Grade Class 2019-2020
An Historic Figure
John Agate was involved in politics. According to the Democrat and Chronicle newspaper clipping, John Agate was a delegate for the Republican Caucus of Pittsford, New York. From John Agate's Obituary in the D&C on November 15, 1928, we learned he was a lifelong Republican. "He voted for every President of the United States since he cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln." John Agate went to the Second Assembly Convention.
John Agate was well known around the town of Pittsford, we found his name in the Newspaper many times.
John Agate's wife, Mary Austin Agate, was involved in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. From an article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, on March 7, 1917, called, "Crowd at Dry Meeting," we can infer that John Agate was supportive of his wife's cause. He was a speaker for her cause at that meeting to end the drinking of hard liquors.
John Agate was a maltster. Malt is used to make beer. One question we had was why was Mary Agate in the WCTU when her husband made beer? We think it is because the WCTU was against hard liquors, and beer was not a hard liquor. We don't know for certain though.
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John Agate. Used with permission from the Office of the Pittsford Town Historian.
John Agate was involved in the Pittsford Presbyterian Church. He donated money to the Presbyterian Church, according to the Presbyterian Church Records Book. He donated $10 for the church renovation. He spoke at the Presbyterian Church Children's Day Exercises on June 10, 1895.
