Peter Van Schaack, Jr., was born in Kinderhook, New York, in 1795, the son of Peter Van Schaack (1747-1832), a lawyer known for his Loyalist views and temporary exile during and just after the American Revolution. He had at least one brother, Henry Cruger Van Schaack (1802-1867). In 1825, he began publishing the Kinderhook Herald, which became the Columbia Sentinel after Van Schaack sold it to Elias Pitts in 1834. Van Schaack purchased the paper in 1836, and continued its publication until finally selling it in 1854. He also operated a store that sold books and writing supplies. He and his wife, Dorcas Manton, had at least three children: Mary, Julia, and Manton. Peter Van Schaack, Jr., died in 1864.
From the guide to the Peter Van Schaack, Jr., account book, Van Schaack, Jr., Peter account book, 1832-1845, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)
