Emigrants from Upstate New York
“Go West, young man!” said Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, and many Upstate New Yorkers did. The dream of moving west or south is common to this day. Here is a list of Upstate New Yorkers who in Huck Finn’s phrase, “lit out for the territories”:
- George T. Anthony, Governor of Kansas, born in Mayfield, New York
- Charles Reed Bishop, born in Glens Falls, husband of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop Paki of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Confidant of Hawaiian Royalty.
- Aaron T. Bliss, Governor of Michigan, born in Peterboro
- Gail Borden, the inventor of condensed milk. He was born in Norwich and emigrated to Mexican Texas, where he became a newspaper editor and later the Republic of Texas Customs inspector for Galveston. He returned to Upstate New York to establish the first milk condensing plant in Wassaic.
- Phil Bredesen, Governor of Tennessee, raised in Shortsville, New York.
- Josiah Failing, the fourth mayor of Portland, Oregon, born in Canajoharie
- Bret Harte, born in Albany
- Charles "Pa" Ingalls, born in Cuba, Dakota Territory homesteader and father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, who had for his entire life a strong case of wanderlust. He is quoted by Laura in her "Little House" series of books as saying: "My wandering foot gets to itching".
- Grove L. Johnson, U.S. Representative from California, born in Syracuse
- Joseph Francis Ladue, prospector, businessman and founder of Dawson City, Yukon.
- Edward Livingston, a prominent American jurist and statesman, born in Clermont, Columbia County, New York. He was an influential figure in the drafting of the Louisiana Civil Code of 1825, a civil code based largely on the Napoleonic Code. He represented both New York, and later Louisiana in Congress and he served as the U.S. Secretary of State from 1831 to 1833.
- Algernon Sidney Paddock, Secretary of Nebraska Territory and Governor of Nebraska; United States Senator.
- John A. Quitman, born in the parsonage of the Old Stone Church in Rhinebeck, became a Mexican-American War general and the governor of Mississippi.
- Leland Stanford, railroad tycoon, Governor of California and founder of Stanford University. Stanford was born in the town of Watervliet. He attended Clinton Liberal Institute, and studied law at Cazenovia Seminary.
- Dr. Marcus Whitman, physician and missionary in the Oregon Country, born in what is now Rushville
- Narcissa Whitman, missionary in the Oregon Country, born in Prattsburgh
Show biz
To make it in show business, one must migrate to New York City or California:
- George Abbott, born in Forestville, theater producer and director, playwright, screenwriter, and film director and producer whose career spanned more than seven decades
- Lucille Ball, from Jamestown
- Tom Cruise, born in Syracuse
- William Devane, born in Albany
- Kirk Douglas, from Amsterdam
- Annette Funicello, born in Utica
- Vincent Gallo, born in Buffalo
- Richard Gere, graduate of North Syracuse High School
- George 'Gabby' Hayes, born in Wellsville
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, born in Rochester, New York
- Mary-Margaret Humes, born in Watertown
- Grace Jones, graduate of Central High School in Syracuse, who studied theater at Syracuse University
- Michael O'Donoghue, from Sauquoit
- David Hyde Pierce, born in Saratoga Springs
- Bill Pullman, born in Hornell
- John Sayles, from Schenectady
- Rod Serling, from Interlaken
- the Shubert Brothers, from Syracuse
- Maureen Stapleton, born in Troy
- Fran Striker of Buffalo, a writer for radio and comics who was best known for creating The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet.