Commodore P. Vedder

Commodore Perry Vedder (February 23, 1838 in Ellicottville, Cattaraugus County, New York – December 24, 1910 in Manhattan, New York City) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.

He was the son of Jacob Vedder. He attended the common schools, and then spent five years as a sailor on the Great Lakes. In 1858, he entered Springville Academy, and afterwards began to study law.

During the American Civil War he enlisted as a private in the 154th New York Volunteers, fought in the battles of Chancellorsville, Wauhatchie, Lookout Mountain, Bentonville and others; and finished the war as a lieutenant colonel of Volunteers.

After the war, he finished his law studies, was admitted to the bar in 1866, and practiced in Ellicottville. He was Assessor of Internal Revenue from 1869 to 1871.

He was a member of the New York State Assembly (Cattaraugus Co., 1st D.) in 1872, 1873, 1874 and 1875.

He was a member of the New York State Senate (32nd D.) in 1876 and 1877. He was State Assessor from 1880 to 1883.

He was again a member of the State Senate from 1884 to 1891, sitting in the 107th, 108th, 109th, 110th, 111th, 112th, 113th and 114th New York State Legislatures.

On July 12, 1892, he married in Chicago Genevieve Wheeler. The couple went to live in New York City. He was a delegate the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1894.

He died of heart disease at the Majestic Hotel in New York City, and was buried at the Sunset Hill Cemetery in Ellicottville.

• Life Sketches of Government Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York in 1875 by W. H. McElroy and Alexander McBride (pg. 301ff)
• VEDDER MADE A BLUNDER in NYT on October 24, 1891
• COMMODORE VEDDER's SUCCESSOR in NYT on November 8, 1891
• EX-SENATOR VEDDER MARRIED in NYT on July 16, 1892
• COMMODORE P. VEDDER DEAD in NYT on December 25, 1910