Who Was William H. Carr?

William H. Carr was born on May 26, 1862 in Madrid, St. Lawrence County, New York. He was a farm boy and a member of a very large family. One pair of shoes had to last for many years when he was a child. Abraham Lincoln was his hero. In one of his diaries he wrote, “What a wonderful country this would be if every president was a Lincoln.”

He worked his way through St. Lawrence University. While at college he played baseball and told of catching with a skintight glove. His great thirst for knowledge never left him. Mathematics, English and history were his favorite subjects. He always had a dictionary handy and used it frequently.

Shortly after the consolidation of the five boroughs he became principal of P.S. 17 and P.S. 79 in Whitestone. He loved the outdoors and was very fond of horses. He often took school youngsters on camping and hunting trips at his own expense. Mark Twain, whom he admired very much, was a personal friend of his.

William H. Carr was greatly loved and respected in the Whitestone community. He died during a Christmas vacation in 1920.