Moss K. Platt

Moss Kent Platt
New York State Prison Inspector
In office
January 1, 1874 – March 1, 1876
Serving with Thomas Kirkpatrick (1874)
Ezra Graves (1874-75)
George Wagener (1875-76)
Rodney R. Crowley (1876)
Preceded by Solomon Scheu
Succeeded by Benjamin S. W. Clark
Personal details
Born May 3, 1809(1809-05-03)
Plattsburgh, New York
Died March 1, 1876(1876-03-01) (aged 66)
Spouse(s) Elizabeth S. Freligh (m. 1830–1856) «start: (1830)–end+1: (1857)»"Marriage: Elizabeth S. Freligh to Moss K. Platt" Location: (linkback:http://localhost../../../../articles/m/o/s/Moss_K._Platt_b518.html)

Moss Kent Platt (May 3, 1809 - March 1, 1876) was an American merchant and politician from New York.

Life

He was the son of William Pitt Platt (1771-1835, son of Zephaniah Platt) and Hannah Kent (sister of Chancellor James Kent).

On October 14, 1830, he married Elizabeth S. Freligh (1810-1856), and they had four daughters, and one son: John Freligh Platt (1837-1858) who died while a senior at Williams College.

In 1847, he began the manufacture of iron near the Saranac river from iron ore mined west of Plattsburgh. He built plank roads to connect the iron works with the city and with Clinton State Prison, and employed the prison inmates to work in his plant.

In 1852, he built a railroad from Plattsburgh to the Canadian border which connected the city with Montréal. After his first wife's death, he married on May 20, 1858, her half-sister Margaret Anne Freligh (1814-1908).

He was a Republican member of the New York State Senate (16th District) from 1866 to 1867. In 1868, he ran for presidential elector on the Ulysses S. Grant ticket, but New York was won by Democrat Horatio Seymour. In 1873, he was elected an Inspector of State Prisons, and died in office.

Sources