Representative Edward Whitford Greenman

Edward Whitford Greenman (January 26, 1840 – August 3, 1908) was an American politician, banker, merchant, and manufacturer who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1887 to 1889. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented New York’s eighteenth congressional district during the Fiftieth Congress, participating in the legislative process at a significant period in American history and representing the interests of his constituents.

Greenman was born on January 26, 1840, in Berlin, Rensselaer County, New York, the son of Schuyler and Phebe Witford Greenman. He was educated in the local common schools and later attended De Ruyter Academy in Alfred, New York, receiving the type of academy training that prepared many young men of his generation for careers in business and public service. On January 29, 1859, he married Mary E. Moore, establishing a family life in the community where he would soon begin his business and political career.

After completing his education, Greenman engaged in mercantile and manufacturing pursuits in his native town of Berlin. His involvement in local business affairs led naturally to participation in municipal government. He served as town supervisor of Berlin from 1866 to 1868, a position that placed him at the center of local administration and finance during the post–Civil War era. Building on this experience, he was elected clerk of Rensselaer County, serving from 1868 to 1871, and subsequently continued in county government as deputy county clerk for ten years. In 1874, he moved to Troy, New York, a growing industrial and commercial center, where his background in business and public administration positioned him for further advancement.

Greenman’s political career reached the national level when he was elected as a Democrat to the Fiftieth Congress. He served as the United States Representative for New York’s eighteenth district from March 4, 1887, to March 3, 1889. During his single term in the U.S. House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative work of the period, participating in the democratic process and advocating for the needs of his district at a time of expanding industrialization and economic change in New York and the nation. He chose not to be a candidate for renomination in 1888 and returned to private life at the conclusion of his term.

Following his service in Congress, Greenman resumed and expanded his career in banking in Troy. He became cashier of the Central National Bank of Troy in 1888, a position he held until 1905. As cashier, he was a principal executive officer responsible for the bank’s daily operations and financial management during a period of significant economic development in the region. In 1906, he accepted the position of cashier of the National City Bank of Troy, continuing in that role until 1908. His long tenure in these posts reflected the trust placed in his financial judgment and administrative ability by the city’s business community.

Edward Whitford Greenman died in Troy, New York, on August 3, 1908, at the age of 68 years and 190 days. He was interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, a burial place for many of the city’s prominent citizens. His life encompassed service as a local official, county administrator, member of Congress, and banking executive, reflecting a career that combined public office with sustained engagement in commerce and finance in upstate New York.