Zadock Pratt
| Zadock Pratt | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 8th district |
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In office March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 |
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| Preceded by | Aaron Vanderpoel |
| Succeeded by | Archibald L. Linn |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 11th district |
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In office March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 |
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| Preceded by | Aaron Vanderpoel |
| Succeeded by | John F. Collin |
| Member of the New York Senate from the district |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Zadock Pratt Jr. October 30, 1790 Stephentown, New York |
| Died | April 5, 1871 (aged 80) Jersey City, New Jersey |
| Resting place |
Prattsville, New York 42°19′14″N 74°26′7″W / 42.32056°N 74.43528°W |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Beda Dickerman (m. 1818, d. 1819) Esther Dickerman (m. 1823, d. 1824) Abigail P. Watson (m. 1827, d. 1834) Mary Watson (m. 1835, d. 1868) Susie A. Grimm (m. 1869) |
| Children | George Watson Pratt Julia Harriet Pratt Abigail Watson Pratt |
| Occupation | Tanner, Banker, Soldier |
| Religion | Methodist Episcopal |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Years of service | 1814–1815, 1819–1826 |
| Rank |
 Captain 1820–1822 Colonel 1822–1826 |
| Commands | 5th Regiment New York State Artillery 116th Regiment New York Militia |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
Zadock Pratt Jr. (October 30, 1790 – April 5, 1871) was a tanner, banker, soldier, and member of the United States House of Representatives. Pratt served in the New York militia from 1819–1826, and was Colonel of the 116th regiment from 1822 until his resignation from the militia on September 4, 1826.
In the Catskill Mountains, Pratt built the largest tannery in the world at its time, and built of the town of Prattsville to accommodate the labor force necessary for the tannery, raising the town's population from around 500 to over 2000. Pratt was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1836 and 1842. During his second term, in 1845 he first proposed the transcontinental railroad. In 1848, Pratt tried but failed to receive the Democratic/Hunker nomination for the 1848 New York state gubernatorial election. He was a delegate to the 1852 Democratic National Convention.
In 1843, Pratt established the Prattsville Bank with, which printed its own bills that were kept on par with the US dollar, but he closed the bank nine years later in 1852. Pratt financed multiple smaller tanneries in the Catskills, and also one in Pennsylvania as a joint venture with Jay Gould. In 1860 he retired from active business pursuits, and died in 1871.
Zadock Pratt was born on October 30, 1790, in Stephentown, New York, to Hannah Pratt (née Pickett) and Zadock Pratt Sr. He was the 5th of 7 children. In 1797, Pratt moved with his father's family to Midleburg, New York. In 1802, at age 12, Pratt moved with his parents to Windham, New York, which soon became Lexington, and is current day Jewett. As a child, he received limited schooling at the public school, and instead worked much on his father's farm and in his tannery. In his father's yard there were "two limes" and eight vats, and the bark was ground with a circular millstone by horse power.
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