Ivan Law is the proud possessor of a bicycle

#onthisday in 1893, the Schuylerville Standard reported that 3 year old, “Ivan Law is the proud possessor of a bicycle.”   Ivan Law was born to in 1891 in the Village of Schuylerville in the Town of Saraotga.  Law’s father, James Law was from Manchester, Vt. and worked as a traveling salesman and Schuylerville Village President.    Law’s mother, Melissa (Chase) was from Schuylerville.   Law was a popular student at Schuylerville schools and active in the Dutch Reform church.  As a student, Law hosted various meetings at his home including the Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor.  At the age of 18, he hosted a meeting of 38 members of the Columbus Loyal Temperance Legion.  The Loyal Temperance Legion was the children’s branch of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. Its slogan was “Tremble, King Alcohol, We Shall Grow Up”.   Law started working at 18, as a bank clerk and a night operator for the telephone company.   Law served on the industry (promotion) committee for the 1912 Schuylerville Historical Week  part of the Saratoga Monument Dedication.  Law follows his father’s career as a salesman.   He worked for the Schuylerville garage, the Commercial garage of Saratoga Springs, a vacuum air company, Detroit Supply Company and a laundry business.   Tragedy struck  in September 1915 when Law was driving three friends to Saratoga Springs.  Law’s car axle snapped as he was turning on to East Avenue which caused the car “to turtle.” The car landed on Law and Miss Frances Allen, (age 25) the beautiful daughter of C C. Allen, editor of the Schuylerville Standard.  Allen died instantly.  The two other passengers were injured and brought to Saratoga Hospital. Law was later discovered later under the car.  Law went home to Schuylerville with serious injuries to be attended to by local physicians. Miss Allen was “a great favorite here and the village is in mourning for her” according to the Times Union (16 September 1915.)    Law was drafted in the US Army at the age of 26.  He did his initial training as a member of the 152d Depot Brigade in Camp Devens in Massachusetts.  He transferred to the MD Surgeon General’s office where he earned his Sergeant’s stripes. Law was involved in publicity for the Surgeon General in Washington, DC.  The Surgeon General had a General Publicity Board that was very active in 1918 approving all  articles written by the members of the Medical, Dental, Veterinary, Sanitary, and Nurse Corps, all Army hospital newspapers and all press requests.  After the War, he joined the American Legion – Old Saratoga Post 102.  He move first to Saratoga Springs in the 1920s living on Nelson Avenue. Then he moved back to Schuylerville to be with his mother after his father passed away.  His travels had him living in Glens Falls, Troy Schenectady and East Cleveland, Ohio.   Saratoga has been defined by the people who by choice or by chance make up this community. There are many individuals like Ivan Law that help define this country, our region, and this community. It is the determination of our forefathers, in surmounting overwhelming odds that help define the American spirit – the will and ability to shape a better future. It is the people it is that define this community by choice or by chance have changed this country and even the world. That is why studying the people of Saratoga is integral to a good understanding of the condition of being human.