William the Miner

William Henry Miner (c. 1862 – 1930) was an American entrepreneur, industrialist, pioneer and philanthropist. Miner became a wealthy railroad industrialist as the inventor of railcar draft gears. After becoming a successful entrepreneur in Chicago he returned to Chazy, New York. Heart's Delight Farm, the land that would become Miner Institute, was developed by William H. Miner on his family homestead beginning in 1903. Miner focused on farming and philanthropy, founding the Chazy Central Rural School, Physician's Hospital (now called CVPH Medical Center) and expanding Heart's Delight Farm into all areas of agricultural production. Miner also oversaw construction of hydroelectric dams and powerhouses throughout Chazy and Altona. The largest dam, finished in 1915, cost one million dollars and held one billion gallons of water. It supplied power to the area for seven years until equipment failure forced its closing.