William Yerdon was born on a farm in Freysbush in the Town of Minden. As a boy he attended country schools. William was eager to obtain a higher education. His father, Andrew, allowed him to sell his colt for $50 so he could attend the Fort Plain Seminary. Following the completion of his education he obtained a job for a number of years as a clerk in the Clark and Woods grocery store in Fort Plain. William Yerdon was always looking for an opportunity to advance his own fortunes. He went into business for himself taking over a horse drawn bus line and baggage transfer service. When the Fort Plain bridge over the Mohawk River washed out he built a bridge and made a substantial profit by charging tolls to those crossing. In 1890 he patented the Yerdon double hose band. This was an adjustable metal clamp that could secure two sections of hose. He built a factory on Center Street next to the Otsquago Creek in 1893 for the manufacture of these clamps of all sizes. His factory was called “The Bee” due to all the shops contained within the building.

Yerdon’s band was an adjustable metal clamp that could securely join two sections of hose. Railroads, including the West Shore and New York Central locally, used the product, which was manufactured in Fort Plain.  Yerdon died in 1911 at age 63 after a two year illness, leaving his widow, son Leland, and daughter Lucille. Historian Nelson Greene wrote in 1925 that Yerdon’s heirs continued manufacturing hose bands after the inventor’s death and found new customers in the growing automobile industry, “They manufacture these bands in all sizes from those no larger than a man’s finger to bands four feet in diameter.” William Yerdon married Sylvina Barker in 1881. She was a telegrapher for the New York Central Railroad. They lived on River Street in the village of Fort Plain and raised two children, Lucille and Leland. In 1974 following the death of daughter, Lucille, the William and Vina Barker Yerdon Foundation was created. Each year this foundation grants monies to many of the organizations and non-profits in the Fort Plain area.  According to current foundation official David Briggs and online tax records, the foundation has contributed substantial sums of money to charitable and community organizations in the Fort Plain.  These yearly contributions range from $6,000 to $12,000 to the Fort Plain Library, village of Fort Plain, youth baseball in the village, the Ayers Animal Shelter in Sprakers the 4th on the 3rd celebration and the Fort Plain Cemetery, where the Yerdons are buried.