Smith N. Decker; Of recent years there has been a great development in the ice business throughout Long Island, and those who have taken up this industry have almost invariably gained a fair measure of success in its prosecution. The first impetus to this occupation was probably given by Isaac Remsen, but there have not been wanting to follow in its successful management, among whom stands the name of Smith N. Decker, of Far Rockaway. May 1, 1888, he succeeded Isaac Remsen in the business at this point, and in favorable seasons has put up as high as seven hundred thousand tons of Remsen Lake ice. He is now identified with the Queens County Ice Company as president and manager.

Mention is made of the Decker family in the sketch of our subject’s brother, which is presented on another page of this volume. Smith N. was born in Springfield, L.I., October 25, 1860, and received a good education in the public schools of that village and Jamaica, supplemented by a course in a business college. After working in his father’s employ for a time, he commenced for himself, at the age of nineteen, being first employed in the sewing machine business, and afterward for seven years in a whole sale grocery, since which time he has been dealing in the Remsen Lake ice.

By his marriage to J. Estelle, daughter of Isaac B. Remsen, Mr. Decker has three children, namely: Smith Irving, Isaac B. Remsen and James Howard. Socially he is identified with Olympia Lodge of Masonry, while in politics he votes the Democratic ticket in national issues, but preserves an independence of thought and action in local matters. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, which he is now serving as an elder and trustee. Local improvements receive his interested assistance, and he is now one of the directors in the electric light company. In addition to his ice business, he buys and sells horses, handling about one hundred each season.

Source: "Portrait and Biographical Record of Queens County (Long Island) New York"
(Copyright 1896 by Chapman Publishing Company)

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