Frost, James W.

James W. Frost

Early Life

James Wilson Frost was born on November 16, 1883, in New York City, New York, the son of Joseph Wilson Frost and Eliza A. Hosking. He was educated in New York City and later settled in Rye, New York, where he became a longtime resident of the Ryan Park section. By the years leading up to World War I, he was engaged in the real estate business, reflecting early involvement in the development of Rye’s growing residential community.

World War I Service

Frost registered for the draft on September 12, 1918, and was inducted into the United States Army on October 30, 1918, at Port Chester, New York, during the final weeks of the war. He was assigned to the Motor Transport Corps at Camp Joseph E. Johnston in Florida, a major training and logistics center responsible for preparing and maintaining the vehicles used to support Army supply lines and troop movements.

The Motor Transport Corps played an increasingly important role in the modernization of military logistics, operating and maintaining the trucks that enabled rapid movement of supplies and personnel. Frost’s service, though brief, formed part of this essential support system during a critical period of mobilization.

He did not serve overseas and remained stateside throughout his military service. His record indicates that he sustained no wounds in action, and he was honorably discharged on December 10, 1918, shortly after the Armistice.

Life After Service

Following the war, Frost returned to Rye, where he built a long and successful career in real estate, operating the Jack Frost Real Estate business for more than fifty years. Through this work, he became a well-known figure in the community and contributed to the development of residential life in Rye over several decades.

James W. Frost died on May 20, 1958, at United Hospital at the age of 74.

At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Sophie Rogers Frost, and his son, Joseph Wilson Frost of Stamford.