List of Supervisors of the Town of Saugerties

Term Name Party Notes Image
1811-1812 John Kiersted Democratic-Republican ?
1813 Asa Bigelow Federalist ?
1814 Jacob Snyder Democratic-Republican (Bucktail) ? ?
1815 Jacob Trumpbour, Jr. Federalist ? ?
1816 Jacob Snyder Democratic-Republican (Bucktail) ? ?
1817 Abraham Fiero, Jr. Federalist ? ?
1818-1819 Jacob Snyder Democratic-Republican (Bucktail) Note: Served in the New York State Assembly for the 1820-1821 session. ?
1820-1821 Giles Isham Democratic-Republican ? ?
1822-1824 George A. Gay Democratic-Republican (Clintonite) ? ?
1825-1828 Jeremiah Russell Democratic Also served as US Congressman
1829George A. GayWhigNotes?Image?
1830-1833Jeremiah RussellDemocraticAlso served as US Congressman
1834Henry P. HermanceDemocraticNotes?Image?
1835-1836George A. GayWhigServed as Ulster County Clerk from 1840 - 1843. Represented Ulster County in the New York State Assembly in 1848.Image?
1837-1840Jeremiah RussellDemocraticAlso served as US Congressman
1841Herman J. QuackenbossDemocraticNotes?Image?
1842-1843Nicholas ShultisDemocraticNotes?Image?
1844-1845John V. L. OverbaghWhigNotes?
1846-1847James RussellDemocraticSon of Jeremiah Russell.Image?
1848George A. GayWhigNotes?Image?
1849Solomon A. SmithWhigWas engaged in the gunpowder business with Fordyce L. Laflin, and later moved to Chicago. He is the father of Byron Laflin Smith, founder of The Northern Trust, "one of the largest banking institutions in the United States and one of the oldest banks in continuous operation."
1850William S. BurhansDemocraticNotes?Image?
1851Nathan KelloggWhigNotes?Image?
1852Solomon A. SmithWhigNotes?
1853Fordyce Luther LaflinDemocraticNotes?Image?
1854Peter B. MyerWhigNotes?Image?
1855Samuel M. PostAmericanNotes?Image?
1856William Fiero RussellDemocraticSon of Jeremiah Russell, later a US Congressman.
1857Fordyce Luther LaflinDemocraticNotes?Image?
1858Seaman G. SearingDemocratic (Anti-Lecompton)Represented Ulster County in the 1878 New York Assembly)\
1859Thomas S. DawesDemocraticNotes?
1860Fordyce Luther LaflinDemocraticNotes?Image?
1861Thomas S. DawesRepublicanFor all his other terms, Dawes was elected as a Democrat instead.
1862-1864Cyrenius F. BrillDemocraticElected Ulster County Sheriff in 1867. He made national news in August of 1891 when he, as a Justice of Ulster County, sanctioned an interracial marriage.Image?
1865-1866Fordyce Luther LaflinDemocraticNotes?Image?
1867Nathan KelloggDemocraticNotes?Image?
1868-1869Jeremiah P. RussellDemocraticFull name Jeremiah Peter Russell, he is the grandson of Jeremiah Russell and nephew of both James Russell and William Fiero Russell.
1870Herman WinansDemocraticNotes?Image?
1871Thomas MaxwellRepublicanNotes?
1872John MaxwellRepublicanNotes?
1873Robert A. SnyderRepublicanNotes?
1874Thomas MaxwellRepublicanNotes?
1875Thomas S. DawesDemocraticNotes?
1876Robert A. SnyderRepublicanNotes?
1877-1878Seaman G. SearingDemocratic (NYS Leg. 1878)Notes?
1879Robert A. SnyderRepublicanNotes?
1880Egbert CooperDemocraticNotes?Image?
1881-1884Uriah VanEttenRepublicanNotes?Image?
1885Albert CarnrightDemocraticNotes?Image?
1886-1889Uriah VanEttenRepublicanNotes?Image?
1890-1892Edmund M. WilburDemocraticNotes?
1893-1897John D. FratsherRepublicanServed as Ulster County Clerk, 1901-1912
1898-1899Edmund M. WilburDemocratic Notes?
1900-1907David W. MaxwellRepublicanSon of Thomas Maxwell.
1908-1913John A. SnyderRepublicanNotes?
1914-1923John D. FratsherRepublicanServed as Ulster County Clerk, 1901-1912
1924-1929John C. ShultsDemocraticNotes?
1930-1933Henry A. LamoureeRepublicanNotes?
1934-1935John C. ShultsDemocraticNotes?
1936-1939Robert A. Snyder (2)RepublicanThird-generation Town Supervisor! Son of John A. Snyder, and grandson of Robert A. Snyder. Served as Ulster County Clerk 1940-1948
1940Harry K. MyersRepublicanPassed away in his first year of service as Supervisor. Jacob H. Rogers was selected by the Town Board to fill the remainder of his term.
1940-1949Jacob H. RogersRepublicanNotes?
1950-1967Peter M. WilliamsRepublicanLongest-serving supervisor in Saugerties history.
1968-1975A. Michael SchovelDemocratic (1968), Independent (1976)Notes?
1980-1981Richard F. ThorntonDemocratic, ConservativeServed as an Ulster County Legislator representing Saugerties from 1967 - 1974.
1982-1985George A. TurnerRepublicanTurner is the only person to have served as both Village Mayor and Town Supervisor since the 19th century.
1986-1989Gloria SchovelDemocratic, ConservativeWife of the earlier Supervisor A. Michael Schovel, she is the first woman to serve as Saugerties Town Supervisor.
1990-1991Vernon BenjaminDemocraticSon of Mayor Vernon "Joe" A. Benjamin, and author of the two-volume History of the Hudson River Valley.
1992-1993George J. TerpeningConservativeGeorge J. Terpening Sr. Memorial Park in Malden is named in his honor.
1994-1999James R. GriffisRepublicanNotes?
2000-2011Greg HelsmoortelIndependenceEndorsed by the Republican Party.
2012-2013Kelly MyersRepublicanThis is irrelevant but I think it's funny: Kelly Myers was quoted by the Poughkeepsie Journal in 2019, expressing her excitement to meet Larry Thomas, the actor who played the "Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld.
2014-2017Greg HelsmoortelIndependenceEndorsed by the Democratic Party.
2018-CurrentFred CostelloIndependenceEndorsed by the Democratic Party.

Sources:

1880, History of Ulster County, New York, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers, by Nathaniel Bartlett Sylvester, [LINK]

1896, Commemorative Biographical Record of Ulster County, New York, published by J.H. Beers, [PART 1], [PART 2]

1907, The History of Ulster County, New York, edited by Alphonso T. Clearwater, [LINK]

1924, Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Ulster County, [LINK]

1984, History of Ulster County With a Focus on the Last 100 Years, [LINK]

Saugerties Public Library, Digital Newspaper Archive [LINK]

Ulster County Board of Elections (1999 onwards), [LINK]

See also:

List of Mayors of the Village of Saugerties (Under construction.)